It Took a Catastrophe
– To Wake Up the World –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

March 26, 2023 [printfriendly]

 

If you look up the definition of “catastrophe”, you’ll find a simple explanation: An event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.

Unfortunately, it often takes a catastrophic event to initiate change. For us, it was the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. This disease caused many deaths across the world, bringing to light how unprepared we were to handle such a health crisis. Overnight, we all became aware of how fragile our health can be. It was a devastating wake up call to how dysfunctional our immune system is.

Until recently, the last catastrophe was the “Spanish Flu” of 1918-19. It killed about 50,000,000 people. It was the last great global killer until the SARS-Cov-2 Virus and its variants which have caused the current COVID-19 disaster.

This raises the question, “What can we do now to be better prepared for future health crises?”

I’m not just taking about global pandemics. I’m looking at cancers, chronic illnesses, weight management, mental health and all the complications we face on a regular basis.

You can take control of your own health. You can build a robust immune system to improve your ability to fight and heal. Creating healthy habits are the best health insurance you can have.

I’m not saying this will protect you from every single illness or ailment, but if you could take proactive action to reduce the amount of suffering you face, wouldn’t you do it?

 

The Underlying Poor Health of the US Population

To me, one of the most tragic facts that has allowed this virus to grip humanity in such a devastating way goes back to an alarming statistic identified in this 2019 published peer-reviewed article:

88% of our society is gravely metabolically unhealthy

In the abstract of this paper, the authors clearly state, “Prevalence of metabolic health in American adults is alarmingly low, even in normal weight individuals. The large number of people not achieving optimal levels of risk factors, even in low-risk groups, has serious implications for public health.”

The researchers of this medical article defined a person to be in metabolic health if all these biomarkers were in optimal ranges:

  • Waist circumference less than 40 inches in men and less than 35 inches in women
  • Blood pressure less than 120 mmHg/80 mmHg
  • Plasma glucose less than 100 mg/dL
  • Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) less than 5.7%
  • Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL
  • High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) greater than 40 mg/dL in men and 50mg/dL in women

I’ll go one step further and say that metabolically compromised people are on track to develop chronic, debilitating diseases that rarely have occurred in other primal societies in the past and rarely do occur in existing primal societies today.

And that goes for defending our body from various viruses.

How can I scream this loudly and clearly enough?

I need to shake people enough so that they will sit up and take notice. I want to impress upon every human that we have an immune system that helps protect us from all internal and external invaders to our body. If we don’t keep this powerful tool in excellent shape and ready to fight, then we have lost the battle right from the beginning – or at best, we have compromised our ability to fight and heal.

Here are other alarming statistics that show our society to be very unhealthy:

 

Chronic Disease:

Chronic disease is a result of chronic systemic inflammation.[1],[2],[3]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic disease, and chronic diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths each year in the United States. And that 70% of all deaths are a result of a chronic disease. In addition, at least 72% of our society is overweight or obese.[4]

 

Periodontal Disease:

In 2010, a published paper demonstrated that 93.9% of adults in the United States had some form of gingivitis or inflammation in the gum tissues.[5] Wow! This is more than epidemic. Yet it is considered “normal” if “normal” means the far majority are expected to exhibit it.

But the fact is that gum inflammation and bleeding represent underlying disease – especially an unhealthy gut and damage to the gut garden of bacteria. Gum inflammation and bleeding are huge factors that suggest that the US population is an unhealthy society.

In another study in 2012, the CDC published its results in the Journal of Dental Research. The report was recently updated in 2015 in the Journal of Periodontology.[6] It showed the prevalence of periodontitis was estimated to be 47.2% for American adults (approximately 64.7 million people). For adults 65 years old and older, the prevalence jumped to 70.1%. These findings were the result of the most comprehensive periodontal evaluation performed ever in the US.

Periodontitis is a form of severe periodontal disease that has entered the jawbone from the gum tissues and is causing destruction of the bone around the teeth and leaking into the systemic blood circulation. Infection and inflammatory chemicals because of periodontal disease also can progress through the nerve canals and between the layers of various tissues of the body. From there, infection and inflammation can travel to all parts of the body creating havoc months, years, and even decades later.

 

Tooth Decay:

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported from its most recent data approximately 91% of U.S. adults aged 20–64 had dental caries in permanent teeth.[7] The prevalence increases to 93% for those above 65 years old.[8]

The World Health Organization has stated that dental decay is one of the most infectious, non-communicable diseases globally. [9],[10] This is another example of rampant disease in the US population.

But if you were to examine the skeletal jaw remains from our primal ancestors, you would rarely find signs of tooth decay and periodontal disease. Something has changed the biology in our body, and it has to do with what we put into it and what we avoid putting into it. Diet, lifestyle, and environmental irritants affect our immune system making us more successful or more unsuccessful in fighting diseases of all types.

 

The World Wakes Up

COVID-19 has caused a worldwide catastrophe. But COVID-19 caused many people throughout the world to realize the importance of their immune system.

Some people have sought out remedies to improve their immune system naturally. Some wanted a “pill” to get healthier. Others are looking for gadgets to make them healthier. But pills and gadgets do not produce a robust immune system.

The ultimate solution to recreate a robust immune system is to feed the body with bioavailable nutrients required to function ideally. Also, a person must eliminate or avoid all irritants and toxic elements that could interfere with their body’s ability to be as strong as possible. And all this may require significant lifestyle changes including our sleep patterns, exercise programs, and efforts to deal with chronic emotional stress – none of which is easy but all of which are important.

Ultra-processed foods have been implicated in the development of severe chronic diseases. In this paper published in 2023[11], the authors followed 197,426 participants in the United Kingdom who were screened between 2009-2012 and then were followed up until 2021. The results showed that those who ate increasingly higher levels of overly processed foods increased their risk of developing cancer and increased their risk of dying from cancer. Poor food choices decreased their body’s ability to prevent and fight cancer. Their body’s immune system became less functional and more impaired.

I’ve published a Blog titled Get a Handle on Overall Wellness, in which I touched on personal changes you could consider to get well and improve your immune system.

 

How Do We Begin to Fix the Problem? 

The health stats of the US population show that we are an unhealthy society. And the UK study demonstrates that consuming ultra-processed foods increases the prevalence and mortality levels of cancer.

We haven’t been widely educated about how to create a robust immune system. The focus has always been about treating the problem, not preventing future problems, or reducing the severity. I’m not suggesting that a strong and functional immune system will prevent all disease. People with healthy immune systems do and will continue to get sick at times. The immune system assists our body to avoid or fight a disease and to allow healing. In contrast, a dysfunctional immune system may not be able to fight a disease. Those with compromised immune systems will be prone to develop chronic diseases and even death because of the failure of the immune system to do its inherent job.

Change starts with you. Don’t let this wakeup call go unheeded. I’ve been there. I thought I was doing all the right things, then I got my cancer diagnosis. But that wasn’t the end of the road for me. I figured out where the gaps were in my health, and I’ve spent the last 4 years building the most robust immune system I can, while fighting off disease. I’m here to help you. Browse my website for free resources or set up a complimentary 30-minute consultation for tailored guidance.  I can help you find and treat your own health gaps before you find yourself experiencing a health crisis.

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5520251/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5359961/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28835673

[4] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/center/index.htm

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=20437720

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4460825/

[7] http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/DentalCaries/DentalCariesAdults20to64.htm

[8] http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/DentalCaries/DentalCariesSeniors65older.htm

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720570

[10] http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/149782/1/9789241549028_eng.pdf

[11] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00017-2/fulltext

 

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My Roller Coaster Cancer Journey
– March 2022 Update –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

March 13, 2022 [printfriendly]

Starting at the end of June 2021, life for me has been a roller coaster ride. My body has been challenged like at no other time – complications with my immunotherapy, fighting external viruses, dealing with body pain, and plummeting into depths of depression.

As a quick recap, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in September of 2018, following what I thought was an extremely healthy lifestyle the previous 6 years. My oncologist gave me 3-6 months to live if I did nothing. I rejected chemotherapy and used my medical background and research to develop what I now call my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols.

This approach was not without setbacks, as I found myself in Hospice for end-of-life care in 2019. However, as you know, that was NOT the end of my story. I adjusted my approach with my continued research, and I began thriving.

However, these last 9 months have been bordering on horrific. I always try to keep an upbeat tone when I share my findings with you, but I also believe it’s important to be transparent and real. I look forward to the day when I can say, “I’m thriving again!”.

Here’s what’s been going on behind the scenes:

 

My Strength

My first pillar of strength has been my astonishing wife. And once again, she has come through with flying colors. But I can tell you, “I don’t make it easy for her.” I’ve been known to be a pain in the ass.

In addition, my oncologist stands out as stellar in his own right.

He is the most empathetic and committed medical professional I know. He is a conventional, allopathic specialist who practices in a large oncology group where I live. I dare not tell you his name, because he must follow the standard of care for his cancer patients or else his practice and most likely the medical licensing board would end his career if he deviated. But he always is interested in my “out of the box” thinking and the research I have put into my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols.

After my diagnosis in 2018, I have been adhering to my protocols, which have served me well. But by the end of June 2021, my path became repeatedly choppy.

 

June – September 2021

A botched injection of my monthly immunotherapy on June 22, 2021, may have weakened my body’s defenses. I wrote all about it HERE.

At first, I thought I developed severe side effects from this monoclonal antibody called Darzalex. (Darzalex is a human-derived monoclonal antibody that attaches itself to a specific protein on the surface of malignant plasma cells. Then the body’s immune system can eat up these tagged malignant plasma cells.)

But what developed by the beginning of July was far worse and more complicated.

Early in July, I developed a sore throat and cough. I used my Bee Propolis Spray and Nebulized 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide saline that took care of those symptoms. Then almost immediately after that I experienced extreme exhaustion, overall muscle and intense joint pain, and headaches which just got worse. And then there was diarrhea, which I don’t deal with very well.

I never had a fever, loss of taste, or loss of smell.

These “side effects” started deteriorating my body. My oncologist believed that the exaggerated symptoms were the compounding effects from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It made sense that my body was weakened from the recent immunotherapy injection, and I was more susceptible to contracting the virus.

But it is difficult to determine what is going on for some patients with multiple myeloma. Since multiple myeloma produces dysfunctional antibodies, my immunoglobulins are not functioning as those would be for someone without cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow.

Shortly after developing all my symptoms, I had my monthly blood work drawn. My CBC showed lower than normal hemoglobin. I had a significant rise in my neutrophil count and a significant drop in my lymphocyte count. My blood chemistries showed increased serum calcium and elevated alkaline phosphatase. My immunofluorescent blood work showed a spike in my serum dysfunctional IgA antibodies. It was bizarre, but all these biomarkers were moving in the wrong direction after July 2021. This had not happened before.

 

October – November 2021

Again, I returned to my specialist’s office on 10/19/21 for a round of new blood work. At that time, he also scheduled me for a new PET Scan on 10/26/21.

The most compelling biomarker that suggested I had COVID was my NLR, which was skyrocketing when I had another CBC drawn on 11/2/21.

NLR is the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio. It is a reliable blood marker for systemic inflammation and a most robust marker for COVID. A severely high NLR has been reported in various recent medical papers to be a hallmark of severe COVID-19.

A normal NLR is between 1:1 and 3:1. In this published study, the average NLR for hospitalized COVID patients was 6.15. When that ratio rose above 8.17 in the study, the risk of death increased. Strikingly, my NLR on 11/2/21 was 42.0 – a seriously disturbing level!

But I never had to be hospitalized. My efforts to support my immune system have played an important part in my body’s ability to heal – albeit slowly.

Another tool in the toolbox is the PET Scan. When I had my PET Scan on 10/26/21, it showed that my multiple myeloma had become slightly-to-moderately activated again and centralized in my colon area, lower spine, and pelvis.

Did all this start with a botched immunotherapy injection at the end of June? Was COVID causing havoc with my physical body, my bloodwork, as well as my multiple myeloma? The answers seem to be, “YES!”

I became very depressed.

I remember in September 2018 I was at the oncologist’s office for the very first time. My wife and adult children were at this appointment. The oncologist told me of my diagnosis and prognosis. After we discussed the options of chemo and other treatment, he said that eventually all meds eventually would prove ineffective. Then, I would succumb to the manifestations of multiple myeloma.

Was this the end? Was I going downhill for the last time? Good thoughts were replaced by dark, destructive, negative energies.

 

December 2021 – January 2022

Once again, my wife pulled me out of the abyss of depression by my bootstraps and set me straight. She has been my guiding light and pillar of strength since we married in 1969. And certainly, since my cancer diagnosis in 2018, she has been my partner in my cancer journey.

I continued with all my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols, but I added two new elements that I believe can assist in healing my body – colostrum and hydrogen-rich water.

I also began another round of my monthly immunotherapy (i.e., Darzalex FasPro) on 1/4/22 since I thought I was recovering well from the COVID symptoms.

 

Colostrum

I wrote about my experiment with eating Colostrum-6 every day. There is an abundance of research touting the health benefits of colostrum, especially with healing the gut. And you know how much emphasis I place on a healthy gut for overall health and immune support.

 

Hydrogen-Rich Water

I also wrote about another new pet research project of mine, molecular hydrogen. There are over 15 years of published medical articles about its ability to bring the body back into a state of balance or homeostasis. At high levels of concentration, molecular hydrogen dissolved in water may produce significant clinical benefits. This study describes the benefits for adults over the age of 70.

Two of the most interesting aspects of high-dose molecular hydrogen dissolved in drinking water (16PPM) is that it is a discriminating free-radical scavenger and an anti-inflammatory agent.

The emphasis is on discriminating. That means it does not destroy the good free radicals that the body creates for many biologically necessary functions. It only neutralizes the excessive free radicals and the most dangerous of them.

 

February – March 2022

Assuming that the immunotherapy would be OK, I had another injection on 2/1/22.

I was wrong!

I once again developed serious side effects. My joints and muscles became extremely painful, and I had difficulty raising my arms and walking. My shoulder joints became “frozen” (adhesive capsulitis).

I felt debilitated and incapacitated.

On 2/28/22, I had a new PET Scan. And on 3/1/22, I had new blood work and an appointment with my oncologist. He reviewed that day’s blood work and the results of the PET Scan from the previous day.

This was a crucial day in my Cancer Journey.

He told me that my Darzalex FasPro subcutaneous injections have exceeded the risk-benefit ratio. And my blood work and symptoms were reflecting this toxicity.

It now appeared that my symptoms beginning after my botched Darzalex injection on 6/22/21 and then reappearing after this last round of Darzalex on 2/1/22 were directly related to the severe and compounding side effects of Darzalex along with the underlying and lingering effects of COVID-19.

Both of which woke up my cancer, which was confirmed in my newest PET Scan taken on 2/28/22.

The Scan showed a continuation of the resurgence of multiple myeloma spreading to other areas. Through no fault of my own, but rather the fault of Darzalex’s side effects and the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, the bone marrow cancer was rearing up its ugly head.

I had to consider my next steps and options.

 

Next Steps & Options

  • I could not be in denial.
  • I could not get depressed.
  • I had to maintain the proactive attitude that brought me to where I was before June 22, 2021, when all these problems started.
  • I knew I would no longer put Darzalex into my body.

My oncologist suggested chemo, but I once again declined. Here’s why …

At my diagnosis in 2018, I rejected chemo because my quality of life could have been significantly decreased with the chemo. And quality of life meant more to me than longevity with increasingly debilitating symptoms.

Chemo cocktails are a potentially damaging combination of chemicals which can disturb all biological functions as well as everything I have been doing to support my immune system.

I am not in agreement with other conventional specialists who have said that chemo is the only answer. The side effects, which are numerous, are testaments to the fact that the recommended chemotherapy drugs have produced serious complications for some patients. The response to my concerns from many allopathic oncologists is that there are always other meds to offset the side effects from chemotherapy.

However, I can’t rationalize that statement. I can’t make any sense of it in my head because my goal is to allow my immune system to do what it can do to heal my body. The last thing I want to do is disturb and short circuit my body’s biochemical functions.

So, I know that following my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols will assist my body in healing as best as possible – just as it did in the past. I have no expectation that my Protocols will take me into remission or cure this bone marrow cancer.

A greater power than I am able to comprehend has created the human machine I call “me”. This omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, cosmic energy source made “me” perfectly balanced and functional. Why would I hamper “me” from doing what it was designed to do by God? I have a strong spiritual belief that I am here on this Earth in this body to learn important lessons, and my cancer journey is a significant part of those lessons.

 

Naysayers Have Nothing on my Support System

Although my wife is there to encourage me, I don’t always get love from everyone.

For example, when I publish my cancer journey updates on some social media sites, some individuals leave their comments in capital letters like they’re screaming at me.  Recent comments have been …

  • “GET THE HELL OFF THIS SITE”
  • “YOU’RE KILLING PEOPLE BY TELLING THEM TO EAT RED MEAT”
  • “YOU’RE A FAKE AND A SCAM ARTIST”

Generally, the most vitriolic comments are coming from those who shout,

  • “BECOME A VEGAN IF YOU WANT TO CURE YOUR CANCER”

 

Where Am I Going?

I don’t know.

I do know where I want to go. And I have the motivation and attitude to get there.

By stopping the offending Darzalex and continuing with all my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols, I expect to get back to “my normal”.

I realize that multiple myeloma is real and spreading in my body. But I also realize that my body has the potential to assist the fight without any outside chemical side effects.

One of the excellent investigative journalists I regularly follow on an uncensored social media site says, “The virus is gonna virus”. I’ll take his insight one step further and say, “The cancer is gonna cancer”.

I continue to forge ahead and always am looking to tweak my Protocols with methods to enhance my existing immune system to become the best it can be under my current circumstances. I still am dealing with lingering bone pain. But I’m working on that.

And I am moving forward with great expectations and abundance of proof that what I have done in the past has worked and will produce excellent benefits for me as time moves on.

Again, I must emphasize that I do not have a cure for cancer, and what I am doing for myself is my own personal journey. My goal is to be transparent and candid about my experiences – both good and bad.

Of course, my awesome wife is always by my side, and my empathetic oncologist is rooting me on.

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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Create a Robust Immune System
– Beware of Gimmicks, Pills, & Potions –  

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

February 6, 2022 [printfriendly]

The Pandemic has brought about an awareness. The awareness is that our immune system is a critical factor for disease prevention, healing, and overall wellness. Hungry companies looking to monetize this awareness have sprung up. Many existing supplement companies have realized there is an enormous financial gain to be had if they market their gimmicks, pills, and potions toward that end. And this marketing campaign is in full force today.

If you googled “immune system”, you would find about 79 million links to articles and references on the Internet as of 2/6/22.[1]

I am not against supplements and medicines that are used therapeutically but then discontinued when the desired result is achieved. Very specific medical problems often require specific medicaments.

But a potential problem is that many supplements and medicines are synthetic and processed with “other ingredients” that are damaging to the gut microbiome.[2] If you were to consume many supplements daily, then those “other ingredients” would be compounded in your gut and make you prone to additional gut damage.

And many times, these supplements and medicines only treat the symptoms of the disease. The underlying causes must be uncovered and treated correctly and permanently.

A strong and efficient immune system is one of the mainstays for healing the body. But it takes time to build up the immune system if it has become weakened or damaged. So, beware! The idea that gimmicks, pills, and potions alone will improve a person’s immune system is medically and biologically implausible.

 

Our Population is Unhealthy

Question 1: What country in the world spends the most money per capita on healthcare?

The United States is the highest spending country worldwide when it comes to health care. In 2020, total health expenditure in the U.S. exceeded four trillion dollars. Expenditure as a percentage of GDP is projected to increase to 19 percent by the year 2025.

Question 2: Then why are over 88% of the US adult population metabolic unhealthy?.

This growing statistic is because the underlying causes of chronic disease are not addressed, not understood, and not taught to the public.

Question 3: What are the first and second causes of death in the US today?

The first and close-second leading causes of death in the US are heart disease and cancer, which are chronic, debilitating, yet preventable diseases. Our population is grossly and glaringly unhealthy.

Question 4: Why is this happening in one of the most medically advanced countries in the world?

A weakened or damaged immune system is manifesting itself in the stats of the ill-health of our population. This is a powerful causal relationship.

 

Who Is At Fault?

Some of the answers for our country’s poor health are owned by the the food and drug companies who push products that are not nutritious, not efficacious, and even harmful. Many of the “doctors” who push their “quick fix” remedies are frequently metabolically unhealthy themselves. They are not ideal role models.

But there is another problem, and it has to do with mainstream media. In a 2020 paper published in BMJ Open, the authors stated in their introduction, “the concept of immune boosting is misleading and scientifically inaccurate.”[3]

Amazing! Who really wants the facts to get out to the pubic?

I remember about 5 years ago when I went to a highly respected convention for functional medicine practitioners. It was a 3-day event with many prominent speakers. The kickoff for the meeting was a keynote speaker who also was the president of the organization. I had never met him personally. He walked up to the podium to begin his motivational introduction of all the speakers who would follow him. Then he told a little joke and commented on how important it was to be proactive and take control of your health.

But I was taken aback. He was at least 50 pounds overweight! How could I believe anything he was going to tell me about getting and staying healthy when he presented himself as a health disaster waiting to happen? He was a poor example of a mentor for health.

 

14 Steps to Regain a Robust Immune System

To achieve a robust immune system takes time and may require significant changes in food and lifestyle. People don’t know what they don’t know. If people are “fed” incorrect information long enough, the narrative sounds plausible and true. I am here to tell you, “That narrative just ain’t so!”

So, what’s an intelligent, proactive, discerning person to do?

I suggest you start here.

Let me summarize a biologically healthy way to improve your immune system to make it as robust as possible based on your personal situation.

  1. Follow guidelines to maintain a healthy garden of bacteria in your gut
  2. Efficiently and effectively take care of your mouth knowing that it also has a healthy garden of bacteria that must be maintained and not be disturbed or killed off indiscriminately
  3. Chose a biologically oriented dentist to evaluate the health of your mouth and initiate any required treatment to halt the spread of inflammation and infection throughout your body
  4. Eat nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods and avoid foods that might damage your body
  5. Drink natural spring water replete with trace minerals
  6. Learn what it means to be “metabolically flexible” so that your body cycles back and forth between a “carbohydrate burning mode” and a “fat burning mode”.
  7. Determine your 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D3 blood level and maintain that level between 50-80 ng/mL
  8. Instead of taking a “multivitamin/mineral supplement”, consume nose-to-tail bovine sources in capsules (i.e., liver, heart, spleen, kidney, pancreas, bone marrow, colostrum, animal fat) where nothing is added or removed except the water
  9. Move your body – walk at least a mile outdoors daily, do body-weight exercises 2-3 times a week; perform high intensity interval training once every 7-10 days
  10. Sleep restoratively – approximately 6-8 hours every night
  11. Reduce emotional stress
  12. Get out in the sun; walk barefoot on the earth
  13. Disconnect from daily news broadcasts and other digital devices whenever possible
  14. Avoid chemicals in personal care and household products

I write about, lecture on, and coach my clients to follow these steps. These are the methods I personally incorporate into my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols.

 

How Do I Know They Work?

Most of you know that I was diagnosed with incurable bone marrow cancer in 2018 and given 3-6 months to live. Quality of life was my critical goal. I rejected chemotherapy. With the consent and constant monitoring from my oncologist, I embarked on a self-designed program to heal my body as best as I could without damaging my already compromised immune system. I assembled my Protocols incorporating various modalities to recreate an immune system as robust as my medical condition would allow. And I succeeded with flying colors. Again, my goal was to live as high a quality of life I could. Longevity was never my priority.

To be clear, I do not have a cure for cancer or any other chronic disease.

I had significant setbacks along the way. I even ended up in Hospice in August 2019 and was ready to die. But obviously I didn’t. I returned to my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols and began to thrive again. My support of my immune system was one means that helped me heal.

In late June 2021, I contracted COVID-19. And because of my self-improved immune system, it helped me defeat the virus without medication or going to the hospital.

Sadly, if a person contracted COVID-19 and already had bone marrow cancer with its inherently weakened immune system from the cancer, he or she would have an increased risk of dying compared to one without a compromised immune system. But I survived and went on to thrive today.

As I’ve said, I don’t have a cure for cancer, other chronic diseases, or the COVID-19 infection. However, I know that a robust immune system can help the body fight infection. I am convinced that my recovery was at least partially due to my efforts to enhance my immune system. It served me well and proved to me that my body had the biological tools to fight the fight which it was dealt.

 

Your Takeaway

Don’t depend on a quick fix for a weakened or damaged immune system. Implement the 14 Steps I discussed above. They’ll take time, but it will be well worth it. Gimmicks, pills, and potions are not the answers. I hope you can see my rationale when I say that.

And to deny that the immune system is responsible for health and wellness is the height of medical ignorance and the spread of misinformation.

I wrote a paper that describes 5 practical tools to give you an idea how healthy your immune system is. It’s called, 5 Important Tools for a Robust Immune System. It’s free. You can download it and share it with everyone you love and care about.

The best and least expensive insurance against metabolic dysfunction and chronic disease is the time and effort you spend to rebuild your immune system to the best it can be.

[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=”immune+system”

[2] https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-020-00996-6

[3] https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/10/e040989

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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My Cancer Journey
– Another Bump in the Road –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

November 14, 2021 [printfriendly]

Let me bring you up to speed with my Cancer Journey …

  1. My first goal in my cancer journey was to maintain a quality of life, which I have.
  2. My second goal was to avoid synthetic chemicals that could destroy my immune system, which is critical for healing the body. This I have done.
  3. My next goal was to create a set of Protocols which is designed to support a robust immune system. This is also what I have provided for myself.
  4. And my success from my diagnosis of incurable bone marrow cancer in September 2018 up until June 22, 2021, has been remarkable.

I never claimed to have a cure for cancer or for any other chronic diseases. And I don’t have a cure today. But by improving my immune system through various pathways and becoming metabolically flexible, I have helped my body heal and have lowered the risk of future diseases.

Now, I am facing another challenge in my cancer journey – a bump in the road. I plan to fight it intelligently and overcome the odds again.

But let me tell you, “This bump scared me!”

My symptoms came on abruptly.

It all started with a botched injection of my monthly immunotherapy on June 22, 2021. I wrote all about it HERE. I even wrote about a prescient meditation that may have been a warning for me of things to come HERE.

 

A Bump in the Road

I saw my oncologist on 10/12/21 because of a progressing pain which I believed was a series of serious treatment side effects that started on 6/22/21 with my monthly injection of Darzalex. The most pain was in my right shoulder and back. Then it isolated to an area of a possible cracked rib at the base of my right rib cage on the front of my body. I also was starting to have pain in my left and right femurs where I suffered fractures about 2 years ago.

In addition to those symptoms, I had diarrhea, headaches, extreme exhaustion, generalized muscle and joint pain, and an irritating cough.

Dr. George, my oncologist, ordered more blood tests.

My CBC showed lower than normal hemoglobin. I had a significant rise in my neutrophil count and a significant drop in my lymphocyte count. My blood chemistries showed increased serum calcium and elevated alkaline phosphatase. My immunofluorescent blood work showed a significant spike in my serum dysfunctional IgA antibodies. (My current diagnosis is IgA Kappa Light Chain Multiple Myeloma with innumerable skeletal lytic lesions.)

My oncologist’s first thought was that my cancer was regrouping and becoming more aggressive.

He put me on dexamethasone 12mg for 4 days on and 4 days off, which I started immediately. The dexamethasone was intended to kill malignant plasma cells.

I returned to his office on 10/19/21 for new blood work. The steroid improved all the biomarkers. He also scheduled me for a new PET Scan on 10/26/21.

 

Another Possible Cause

Originally, my oncologist believed (and I concurred) that the Darzalex had stopped being beneficial and was the sole culprit. Dr. George recommended that I discontinue my Darzalex therapy, which I did. His concern was that my body was weakening, and I was succumbing to the cancer.

He now believes that my side effects from the botched Darzalex injection on 6/22/21 could have weakened my system and allowed me to contract COVID. All the symptoms were consistent with those of the Delta Variant. However, I never had a loss of smell, loss of taste, or a fever. And the extreme high neutrophil and low lymphocyte ratio is now considered a sign of severe COVID infection. (The spike in my neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was 42.0; normal should be between 1.0 – 2.0.)

If this was COVID, and my immune system is effectively fighting this virus, then I should recover and return to the way I was before June 22, 2021.

 

PET Scan Results

My oncologist and I went over the results of the PET Scan in his office on 11/2/21. This was an enlightening discussion.

My PET Scan was disappointing.

It revealed a slight-to-moderate uptick in the multiple myeloma activity. This could be the result of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which stimulated an overgroth of bone marrow cancer cells. These dysfunctional antibodies could not fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, they crowded out the healthier marrow cells, which were trying to function normally. Then, the overabundance of malignant plasma cells created additional bone lesions, increasing the serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels as well as deep bone pain.

The Scan also showed inflammation in the colon which is where the COVID virus most likely settled in my body since I had days of diarrhea.

My experience may be happening to many others who have bone marrow cancer. The real science only now is being reported. This may be a “heads-up” for many.

 

Deeper Dive into Real Science

I believe I am successfully healing from COVID and its complications. I can’t prove this, but I now think my severe side effects from my June injection of Darzalex allowed the COVID virus to invade. But other aspects of my robust immune system are fighting off the virus.

Recently published medical papers are now uncovering the real science.

For example, healthy T cells of the immune system are more resistant than antibodies to threats posed by emerging variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Studies have shown that people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus typically generate T cells that target at least 15–20 different fragments of coronavirus proteins. The COVID vaccines only create antibodies to one specific coronavirus protein. However, contracting the actual virus will generate a large variety of T cells that could snare a virus. T cell immunity is different and possibly more effective than antibody immunity, This T cell activity makes it very hard for the virus to mutate and escape cell recognition, which is what is currently happening for antibodies generated by the current vaccines.

You may have read that Collin Powell was fully vaccinated but died from COVID complications recently. He had multiple myeloma as well as Parkinson’s Disease. Most likely he had metabolic and mitochondria dysfunction. His multiple myeloma (malignant bone marrow plasma cells) might not have allowed the vaccine to produce the proper antibodies to the spike protein in the vaccine. And his weakened immune system might not have allowed him to generate enough effective T Cell activity against the virus.

In January 2021 (Blood Cancer Discovery) and in April 2021 (HemOnc), it was reported that bone marrow cancer patients had a compromised immunity from the vaccines because of the inability to produce the functional and critical antibodies to fight the virus. And typical bone marrow cancer patients have a severely depressed immune system in general. In an article published on 10/28/21 in JAMA Oncology, investigators discussed COVID-19 Mortality and Adverse Outcomes in US Patients With or Without Cancer.

This newly discovered science has definite consequences and ramifications for me. While bone marrow cancers greatly compromise the all-important immune system, my efforts to recreate the strength of my immune system using my Unconventional Cancer Protocols potentially have given me a positive edge.

As the real science unfolds, more and more will be learned about the innate and adaptive immune system, natural immunity, and vaccines.

 

My Next Steps

As I have said, my enhanced immune system from my Unconventional Cancer Protocols may have been able to deal successfully with the viral infection at home – no hospitalization and no other meds. The goal of my Protocols has always been to recreate a robust immune system.

After the initial COVID symptoms resolved somewhat, I had symptoms of Long-Haulers COVID for a few weeks with generalized but consistent body aches and an annoying dry cough. I know that my immune system is dealing with these symptoms slowly but effectively.

I am relieved with this interpretation because it makes sense to me. And I anticipate recovering well. Today, I’m still a little tired. But the cough from the Long-Haulers is completely gone.

However, I am not in denial of the cancer in my body and what it might do to me in the future. I also know that I most likely will never go into remission. My primary goals are to continue to lead a productive life and to live a quality of life! (I’m going to keep writing and publishing until I can’t. Be Warned!!)

In my case, I have used a shotgun approach to build up my immune system. I am not able to force my plasma cells to become healthy and create all the necessary antibodies it was designed to create. I don’t have, and never have claimed to have, a cure for cancer. But the human body is an amazing machine. There are many additional pathways and methods by which the immune system can attempt to heal.

My course of treatment is to return to my immunotherapy with monthly Darzalex injections. And of course, I’m continuing to be aggressive with my Unconventional Cancer Protocols. They include 10 integrated Protocols I have researched and follow. I tweak them on a regular basis as is necessary. Some may be more important than others, but the sum of them together are more powerful than each on its own.

I’m also adding another whole-food product in significant quantity that has had very interesting research in assisting gut healing, reduction of inflammation, proper bone metabolism, and possibly the reduction of various cancers. It is Bovine Colostrum. I will write a dedicated Blog about this and post it next week. After my research, my “go-to” bovine colostrum is Colostrum-6. I eat it every day.

In the future, I look forward to a negative PET Scan as I had in May 2020. A negative PET Scan of multiple myeloma does not mean remission. But it is a good sign of moving in a positive direction.

And of course, I will continue to be transparent. It is important to me to share my ups and downs will all others who have fears and concerns as I have had.

 

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The Bug is Attacking

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

October 24, 2021 [printfriendly]

There is a worldwide bug that is getting us down. And this bug is mutating – changing its form and virulence. But there are methods that may stop it in its tracks before it causes serious harm to our body. (Of course, “bug” is a code word for an infective foreign agent we all know about.)

This “bug” is like a swarm of biting and contagious insects which injects its venom into your system to spread potentially to all tissues.

People have been getting very sick. It can be life-threatening. Many medically and metabolically compromised individuals have died from its lethal sting.

It goes without saying that our body has been defending itself from external pathogens throughout evolution. This bug is another pathogen that wants to get into our body. Our immune system is tasked with being our “armed forces” to take charge, defend our body, and heal every cell in our amazing human machine if possible.

But modern civilization has forced substances upon us that damage our natural immune system and challenge its continued success to fight the fight effectively and efficiently.

All of us are exposed to innutritious foods, processed foods, added chemicals of all types, numerous physical and emotional stressors, and an increasingly polluted environment that surrounds us 24/7. We are being bombarded externally as never has been experienced in human existence. And we have an enormous number of decisions to make.

I have integrated the science and research from many sources and various peer-reviewed medical papers to put together my 2-page Protocol to engage this bug and offer a means to win the battle. I cite these sources in my Protocol, which assists in the recreation of a robust immune system. It includes clinically proven methods to help prevent this “bug” from taking over the body in its early stages of infestation.

Sadly, many qualified and seasoned medical specialists and investigators have been forced to retract their published papers and have been removed from mainstream social media when they write or talk about the science of this dreadful swarm. Populations all over the world are being forced to accept unproven and manufactured substitutes in lieu of taking the steps to build up a strong immune system.

What could be more natural than to support our body in the way it was created to function?

I ask you to follow the science – the real biological science that is dictated by our DNA blueprint. Don’t count on the “science” that is promoted by only one side of the equation. You need to understand pros and cons to make an informed decision as it has always been done in my lifetime until now. You should be proactive if the information makes sense to you.

Read my protocol to prevent and treat the early onset of the Bug: Protocols in this link.

 

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5 Important Tools
for a
Robust Immune System

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

December 13, 2020 [printfriendly]

 

Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay

I’m obsessed with getting it right.

From all the research I’ve read and from my personal cancer journey, there is one fact that stands out above all: A robust immune system is critical for wellness.

It’s vital for healthy people; it’s vital for sick people; it’s vital for all who want to be proactive as well as those who are reactive.

A robust immune system is the ticket for fighting diseases arising from external and internal sources. It protects us from pathogens as well as our own cells which become cancerous.

I’m fixated on recreating my robust immune system and evaluating my success along the way. And I’ve assembled a toolbox – my biological measuring tools. It includes 5 biomarkers which tell me what I need to know. I’ve used these measurements to guide me on my journey to a healthier immune system.

You also can use these tools to assess your progress and success.

 

5 Important Tools

#1. Healthy Gum Tissue

Your mouth can tell a lot about the health of your immune system. One prominent sign is the gum tissue around your teeth. It should never bleed unless it is cut. Never!

If you were to scrub your nails with a nail brush, you should be concerned if the cuticles around your nails started bleeding. Similarly, when you brush your teeth with a toothbrush, you should be concerned if you see any bleeding. The gums are as tough and protective as are your cuticles.

However, if you have a compromised immune system, the gum tissues may become inflamed or infected (i.e., gingivitis). They then may bleed when you clean or rub them. They even may bleed spontaneously. This is a strong indication that your immune system is not functioning ideally.

An excellent method to determine if you have bleeding gums around any tooth is to use a TePe Easy Pick. This is a small, silicone brush used to clean between the teeth at the gum line.

If you see any bleeding when using the TePe Easy Pick around any tooth/gum area in your mouth, you have some form of gum disease. This suggests that you have a compromised immune system.

Here are two pictures demonstrating how to use the TePe Easy Pick between teeth at the gum/tooth margin.

 

#2. Ketone Breath Meter

Metabolic flexibility is necessary to support a responsive immune system. And ketosis is part of being metabolically flexible.

I want to be in ketosis 6 days a week and then cycle into a carb-burning mode on the 7th day. The benefits of ketosis and carb-cycling are documented in the medical literature. Travis Christofferson summarized the unique qualities of ketones in his book, Ketones: The Fourth Fuel.

To help me gauge my ketone levels and document how well I’m doing, I researched three options.

  1. Urine ketone strips are easy and inexpensive. But they are not accurate once your body begins to utilize its blood ketones efficiently and effectively.
  2. Blood ketone levels can be monitored with finger sticks using a blood ketone meter. The readings are accurate, but I would need to prick my finger several times a day, every day. Not for me! I don’t know about you, but it hurts when done repeatedly. Another drawback is that it only gives a static picture at that moment in time.
  3. A ketone breath meter recently came on the market that has clinical research to support its efficacy. It’s was created and is sold by MyBiosense. This meter is unique because it registers acetone levels that are blown out in the latter part of the exhale, which is called Deep Lung Sampling. The readings correlate to the mmol/L of blood ketone levels. Using this device, I can monitor my ketone levels as often as I want with no finger sticks! And the data is stored in the MyBiosense App on my phone for me to review.

My goal is to average a ketone level between 1.5 – 2.5 mmol/L per day while in ketosis. On my “carb” day, my ketone levels will drop below 0.5 mmol/L that day.

 

#3. Standard Deviation of Glycemic Variability

Glycemic variability is the up and down variations in blood glucose level. It indicates the efficiency of insulin to make glucose available as a fuel or to store it appropriately. If insulin is not effective, glucose levels will get out of control leading to diabetes and various forms of metabolic dysfunction.

Various medical papers have shown that the standard deviation of glycemic variability directly correlates with the risk of chronic disease and cancer. It is inversely correlated with the robustness of the immune system.

I want my glycemic variability to be as low as practical.

I could take finger sticks frequently using a glucometer to register my moment-in-time blood glucose level. But that would not give me a running graph 24/7. It certainly would leave me with painful fingertips. I prefer not.

However, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) by NutriSense is a device that is worn for two continuous weeks. The CGM inserts a microfiber into the interstitial tissues and attaches to an inconspicuous area of the body with an adhesive. It is painless to insert and wear. But it registers glucose levels every 5 minutes, 24/7. The data is transferred to a NutriSense App, which calculates the standard deviation.

 

#4. Alpha Diversity of Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome is made up of about 38 trillion microbes. Our body only has about 30 trillion human cells. We are more “microbial” than “human”!

Many studies have been published describing the variety of species in the gut. These medical papers clearly demonstrate that the greater the diversity and numbers of specific microbes, the healthier the immune system. [1],[2],[3]

A measurement including (1) the diversity of various microbial species in the gut and (2) the number of each of these species is called “Alpha Diversity”. It is generally reported as a percentile compared to the microbial ecosystem in a population of metabolically healthy individuals.

BiomeFx is a stool test marketed by Microbiome Labs and evaluated by CosmosID. Among the many biomarkers reported in this test, Alpha Diversity stands out to me as one of the most significant results.

 

#5. Blood Level of Vitamin D

Recently, blood levels of Vitamin D have been widely reported as important in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.[4] Previous to the Pandemic, much research has been published emphasizing the importance of adequate levels of Vitamin D to assure a robust innate and adaptive immune function.[5], [6],[7],[8]

Vitamin D is reported to …

  • Prevent excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines
  • Increase the “oxidative burst” potential of macrophages
  • Stimulate the expression of potent anti-microbial peptides, which exist in neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, and in epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract where they play a major role in protecting the lung from infection
  • Affect the action of T cells, key players in adaptive immunity

My Personal Results

#1. Healthy Gum Tissues:

My gums do not bleed. I use the TePe Easy Picks every day.

If you have bleeding gums, you need to address your diet, the health of your gut microbiome, and your oral hygiene techniques. You also need to seek the services of a general dentist or a periodontist (a dentist specializing in periodontal disease).

 

#2. Ketones:

I stay in ketosis with my animal-based diet 6 days a week. My highest mmol/L while in ketosis has been 2.8; the lowest on those days has been 0.5. My average for 6 days running is 1.5. On my cycle day out of ketosis, I eat between 100 – 150 grams of carbs for that day, and my ketone reading drops to an average of 0.3.

 

#3. Glycemic Variability:

In July 2020, I wore the CGM from NutriSense for two weeks. My average standard deviation of glycemic variability for that time period was 10. Here is a table showing ranges and their interpretations:

 

#4. Alpha Diversity:

My Alpha Diversity was reported in the BiomeFx stool test I took in August 2020. The results indicated my Alpha Diversity was in the 98th percentile. That meant that 98% of metabolically healthy individuals had less variation of species and numbers of individual microbes than I had.

 

#5. 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D:

My last blood test for 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D was in 6/2020. At that time, my blood level was 89 ng/mL. and I was taking 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. I have reduced that dosage to every other day, and I’ll have another test shortly. As a cancer patient, I want to keep my Vitamin D level between 60-80 ng/mL.

 

Bottom Line

A robust immune system is our internal armed forces to fight the fight. My ultimate goal is to make my immune system as robust as I can. The 5 important tools I described will guide me along my path and document my success. They also will confirm that I am remaining where I want to be.

I firmly believe that my cancer journey has been as successful as it has because I have significantly improved my immune system along the way. You may find that my 5 Important Tools will help you monitor your journey to a stronger and more responsive immune system.

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6906406/

[2] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200728

[3] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00455/full

[4] https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/12/11/do-vitamin-d-supplements-help-prevent-respiratory-tract-infections.aspx?ui=baff764f733a1f4f602b56b0683839cc74ea77293ab586e40b1b7b0b93d42111&cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20201211&mid=DM744365&rid=1032114513

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/

[6] https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/pages/2018-06-15-greater-levels-of-vitamin-d-associated-with-decreased-risk-of-breast-cancer.aspx

[7] https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/1140

[8] https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1248

 

 

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Die Young Late in Life
– My Unconventional Cancer Journey –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

November 29, 2020 [printfriendly]

 

 

I’m outliving my original cancer prognosis by over two years now. My oncologist is surprised. Most of my family and close friends are impressed. I’m elated.

 

But my success would have meant little to me if it weren’t for the quality of life I am experiencing. Let me go into the details of my current path, others on a cancer journey, my future goals, the science supporting them, and the threads that connect all.

 

 

Current Path

Although the obvious and continuing goal of my Unconventional Cancer Protocols is to heal my body, longevity without a quality of life would be worthless to me. If I have anything to say about my mortality, I want to “die young late in life”.

 

So, what does that mean?

 

It means that I want to feel relevant and robust with no debilitating incapacities until the day I die. That may be “pie in the sky” thinking, but that is my goal. A person has to have goals in life to keep moving on – at least that’s my belief.

 

To be and stay “young”, I need to keep my body metabolically flexible and physically strong. My mind needs to be clear and inquiring. I also must do whatever is possible to enhance the health and repair of my 30 trillion human cells and my 38 trillion microbial cells.

 

My efforts to stay “young” include:

 

  • A nose-to-tail, animal-based diet (which provides all my body’s necessary nutrients and allows me to cycle “in” and “out of” ketosis to remain metabolically flexible)
  • Mineral water and Himalayan salt for necessary electrolytes
  • A healthy and diverse gut microbiome as well as an intact gut epithelial barrier
  • A robust innate and adaptive immune system
  • Optimum cellular health with enhanced ATP production
  • 7-8 hours of restorative sleep
  • Efficient exercise based on my physical limitations
  • Reframing and coming to grips with emotional stress

 

Although I have an underlying, incurable bone marrow cancer, I feel great. I feel “young”. I have energy, a clear mind, and quality of life. My wife and I enjoy time together. And we get out of the house to spend time outdoors.

 

When my time on this planet is over, my hope is to have remained “young” until I transition from this life to my spiritual home. If I can stay young and leave this world late in life, I guess you could say I have been successful.

 

I actively am defying the odds of my diagnosis and prognosis.

 

Others on a Cancer Journey

Many patients on conventional cancer treatment are not “staying young” by my definition. Chemotherapy, radiation, and even immunotherapy can increase systemic inflammation, weaken the immune system, and result in a decrease in the quality of life.

 

This study published in November 2020 concludes that cancer patients on a specific immunotherapy do worse than those patients who were in the clinical trials, which originally proved the efficacy of such treatment. In that study, the authors suggested that patients in the real world who received the immunotherapy started off frailer than those participants in the clinical trials. Because of this underlying increased frailty, the real-world patients receiving this therapy had reduced survival rates.

 

However, the authors did not suggest the underlying causes of the observed frailty. I believe the etiologies of this weakened health state are common for most cancer patients.

 

My previous research suggests that real-world cancer patients have poor diets, weak immune systems, compromised gut health, and dysfunctional mitochondria. I believe I have had success along my Cancer Journey because I have improved these factors by adhering to my Unconventional Cancer Protocols. My Protocols have put my body into a uniquely healthier state than if I hadn’t followed them. I am confident that my efforts have improved my chances to stay “young” as long as possible.

 

One question you might ask is, “How do you measure your success?”

 

I measure my success by the robustness of my immune system. As I have described in previous Blogs, a strong immune system is vital for overall health and wellness. The biomarkers I check to assure my immune system is robust are:

 

 

 

Future Goals

Cancer and aging have much in common. By assisting my body to heal from cancer, I also am enhancing my longevity.

 

Cancer is a disease of metabolic dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, disturbance of stem cell repair, and a compromised immune system.

 

Aging is a process of metabolic dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, disturbance of stem cell repair, and a compromised immune system.

 

In essence, addressing my cancer should enhance my quality of life and increase my longevity.

 

Once again, I want to make this clear to everyone who follows me:

 

Although my PET Scan from May 2020 shows no active cancer cells in my entire body, I am not in remission. I do not have a cure for cancer. Certainly, I am a “work in progress” with still an unknown prognosis going forward. But I am motivated and convinced that I am doing the best for my body.  

 

I am only a study of N=1. No one is doing what I am doing for myself with my current medical challenge. That said, the following medical science encourages me and suggests that I am “right on” with my thinking and my current path.

 

 

Medical Science

Ketones[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]

 

My animal-based diet will keep me “young” by my definition.

 

This diet is very low in carbohydrates and allows fat to be burned as fuel. The metabolic process is called physiologic ketosis. When in ketosis, the liver produces ketones, which are clean burning fuels. That means ketones are easily used to create energy for brain, muscle, and heart cells with less creation of free radicals. Excess free radicals are bad.

 

Excess free radicals are unstable molecules that are missing an electron in their outer shell. They are destructive to all tissues in the body. They are produced as a byproduct of metabolism or by exposure to toxic elements. Excess free radicals will replace their missing electron by reacting with other healthy molecules. The result is called oxidative stress and can damage DNA, lead to cancer, and accelerate aging. They also can damage proteins (called sirtuins) that function to repair damage in DNA as well as proteins that naturally cause apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cells that are beyond repair.

 

In addition to reducing excess free radical creation, ketones stimulate endogenous antioxidant production (ex: glutathione, superoxidase dismutase, and catalase).

 

Other benefits of ketones include decreasing inflammation, improving sirtuin’s ability to repair DNA, maintaining proteins that control genetic upregulation and down regulation, and improving stem cell viability. Viable stem cells replace cells that have undergone apoptosis as well as increase longevity.

 

 

PEMF Therapy[6],[7],[8],[9],[10]

 

Other factors to help me “stay young” are functioning mitochondria and cell membranes. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy using a full-body mat can assist in cellular health. It can increase blood flow and oxygenation, improve ionic transport into and out of the cell membrane, enhance the millivoltage potential of the cell, and improve mitochondria’s ability to produce ATP.

 

 

Gut[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16]

 

The last factors to help me “stay young” are my garden of gut bacteria and my gut epithelial barrier. A diversity of species in my gut is necessary to support my immune system and overall health. An intact epithelial barrier is necessary to prevent the leakage of toxic substances into my blood circulation. I maintain my gut by consuming an animal-based diet, enhancing my cellular health, and including spore-based probiotics.

 

 

Connecting the Threads

I know I may sound silly by pursuing these efforts to “stay young” until I die. It is my basic desire to live a life of quality as best as I can. I’m never going to give up. Actually, being consumed with these desires and efforts makes me feel connected and vigorous.

 

Yet in a selfish and possessive way, I want to spend more and more quality time with my wife. Unfortunately, my adult children and grandkids live many miles away from me. And I wish I could have more quality time with them. I’m working on it.

 

[1] http://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2016.1230

[2] https://lab-a-porter.com/2020/03/stem-cells-links-to-human-cancer-and-aging/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5609489/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3735349/

[5] https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/iub.1627

[6] https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(18)30572-1

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29901507/

[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27086866/

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5119968/

[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24039828/

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6529202/

[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356461/

[13] https://www.cell.com/trends/cancer/fulltext/S2405-8033(20)30017-0

[14] https://gut.bmj.com/content/69/10/1867

[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6747470/

[16] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304383519300278

 

 

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DNA Blueprint & Immune System
– 9 Steps to Thrive –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

September 27, 2020 [printfriendly]

 

 

99.9% of each of us is the same! [1],[2]

But for the most part, what makes you the person you are and what makes me the person I am is the remaining 0.1% of our DNA. Over the last 200,000 years of evolution, modern man (homo sapiens) has gone through a lot. Life was pretty harrowing.

About 100,000 years ago, the average lifespan was between 30-35 years.[3] Early deaths were caused by infant mortality for various sanitary and medical reasons. Then there were uncontrollable virulent infections, accidents, tribal warfare, being eaten by wild animals, and a host of environmental factors that are not in existence today. Over the course of these many millennia, our DNA slowly developed to what it is today.[4] And our immune system continued to function as our “armed forces” to keep our body healthy.

Most importantly, our DNA knows what it needs, and it certainly knows what it does not need. What it requires is also critical for the development of an efficient immune system. So, don’t fool with the genetic motherboard.

At one extreme in our Blueprint, our DNA is very clear about what it requires to stay alive. At the other extreme, it is just as forceful in telling us what it can’t tolerate. Basically, she says, “Give me what I need, and you will thrive. But force me to take what I cannot tolerate, then you will die.” It’s that simple.

Then why would we prevent our body from getting what it requires as well as stuff it with junk and poison day after day?

 

The Needs

Our basic needs are clear. We must breathe clean air; eat nutritious food; and drink untainted water. Neglect any of these three requirements, then we surely will be doomed.

 

The Poisons

At the other extreme, if we put toxic substances into our body, we will suffer. Make no mistake about it. If we insist on challenging our DNA by putting stuff into our body that we never evolved to detox, digest, or rid itself of, then our human machine will suffer, deteriorate, and die.

 

Everything In Between

Our DNA Blueprint is the written story. But how the story can be told and unfolds is practically all controlled by our environment and lifestyle. We have many options between the extremes of our blueprint.

Our food and the way we live can “turn on” or “turn off” our genes. If we have a genetic predisposition to a disease, we can manipulate our environment to “turn off” those bad genes. Although our genes are our blueprint, controlling our environment determines our future health or sickness.[5] The way each of us lives our life will determine to what degree we survive and to what degree we thrive. All of us can flourish by making choices that will improve our overall wellbeing. And the way we heed the needs of our body, we can improve our immune system to function at peak performance. As I said, our immune system acts as our “armed forces” to keep us healthy.

 

The Immune System

Thriving is dependent on a robust immune system.

The immune system is a complex network of barriers as well as proteins, white blood cells, and microbial cells. The organs of the immune system include skin, mucous membranes, and the lymphatic system (i.e. bone marrow, thymus, lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, spleen, adenoids, tonsils, and specialized cells called Peyer’s Patches in the small intestine).

This powerhouse creates substances which help the body fight infections, cancers, toxins, and other diseases. Each of us is a highly integrated machine, and our immune system must function optimally to make it great. Whatever is required within reason to strengthen the immune system should be paramount. I identify 9 proactive steps that you should consider to strengthen your immune system.

 

9 Proactive Steps

  1. Consume nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. Various ways of healthy eating provide necessary nutrients while avoiding over-processed carbohydrates, added sugars, unhealthy fats, chemical ingredients, and irritating foods. Check out my way of eating in the Better Belly Blueprint.
  2. Practice intermittent fasting. Almost everyone will benefit from eating this way. Eat within a widow of 6-8 hours and fast the remaining time. For example, end your dinner by 8PM. Then do not eat anything for the next 16-18 hours. Your first meal will be on the next day between noon and 2PM.
  3. Maintain a healthy gut. Consume specific probiotics, prebiotics, amino acids, and immunoglobulins to (1) improve the population and quality of the gut bacteria, (2) restore a healthy mucosal layer, and (3) repair damage to the epithelial gut barrier.[6],[7] My Protocol to Restore Healthy Gut Bacteria explains the specifics.
  4. Consider specific herbal extracts. Echinacea, Astragalus, Korean Ginseng, and Ashwagandha have been shown to strengthen the immune system by restoring and enhancing its ability to prevent and fight infections. I prefer liquid extracts which are not mixed or compounded with other unhealthy chemicals.[8]
  5. Exercise efficiently. This includes a combination of (1) some aerobic exercise, (2) brief, high-intensity interval training 1 day a week, (3) strength training 1-2 days a week, and (4) non-exercise movements during the course of every day.
  6. Sleep restoratively. Sleep about 7-8 hours a night starting between the hours of 9 PM to 11 PM. Make the room dark, cool, and quiet.
  7. Reduce stress. Meditate; practice yoga; try diaphragmatic breathing; and experiment with progressive, total body muscle relaxation. Emotional stress will damage the gut microbiome and cause “leaky gut”, which will lead to significant and ongoing chronic systemic inflammation. This will tax the immune system, which could become compromised and unable to mount an aggressive attack when needed to destroy serious invading pathogens.
  8. Get out in the sun. Sun exposure creates Vitamin D in your body. Vitamin D is essential for the strength of the immune system.[9],[10] Your Vitamin D blood level should be between 40-60 ng/ml. If necessary, consider taking supplements of Vitamin D3 along with Vitamin K2. Other minerals and vitamins are required for proper biological functions of Vitamin D. These are available from a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet.
  9. Practice effective oral hygiene. Your gut bacteria and your mouth bacteria “talk” back and forth. Make sure you remove unhealthy accumulations of bacteria from your mouth. Brush your teeth at the gum margins, floss and clean the surfaces between each of your teeth, and scrape the topside of your tongue to remove odor forming bacteria and microscopic food remnants. Do not use any antimicrobial mouthwash or toothpaste daily because they will kill not only bad bacteria but also good bacteria. Here are my 4 Steps to a Healthy Mouth. Also, make sure you don’t have any of these 14 potential “splinters” in your mouth that could cause inflammation and infections.

 

Three Immune System Biomarkers

Various conventional blood tests have been suggested as a means to measure the health of the immune system.[11] These include identifying the quality and quantity of various white blood cells as well as cytokine levels in the blood system.

But I suggest three specific biomarkers that may have more clinical application and predictive results for overall wellbeing. They are:

  1. hs-CRP (High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)[12]
    A biomarker of general and cardiac-related inflammation (goal = <1.0)
  2. Glycemic Variability (reported as a standard deviation)
    A biomarker of the fluctuation of blood glucose levels 24/7 (goal = <14)
  3. 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D[13]
    A biomarker of the blood level of vitamin D (goal = 40-60 ng/ml)

 

Ending Thoughts

Your DNA is the blueprint that made you who you are! Your immune system is the armed forces given the task to keep you healthy. The influences in your environment play critical roles in the strength of your immune system and your overall wellness. Let me reassure you. You have control over your environment. Be proactive, and be the best you can be. Monitor your success to stay on the right path. Set yourself up for greatness as you go about your life.

 

[1] https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genetics-vs-Genomics

[2] https://www.amacad.org/publication/unequal-nature-geneticists-perspective-human-differences

[3] https://medium.com/@frederic_38110/gerontology-how-long-will-you-live-4c9fd2704377

[4] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-evolution-dna-natural-selection-dna-genetic-mutation-why-a8641536.html

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6275017/

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5561432/

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6733369/

[8] https://www.standardprocess.com/MediHerb

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3738984/

[10] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770157

[11] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27522652/

[12] https://www.clevelandheartlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/hsCRP-Practitioner-One-Pager-CHL-D009b.pdf

[13] https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088694-overview#a1

 

 

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  What Will it Take
to Prove my Point?

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

August 30, 2020 [printfriendly]

 

 

To make a point that gets noticed, it is often necessary to bring it on from many different perspectives. It may seem redundant, but the advertising world knows all about this. It takes at least 7 “impressions” before a person gets the message. It’s called “The Seven Times Factor”. As a general rule, potential clients must be exposed to an ad seven times before he or she even notices it.

 

So, how many double-blind medical studies will it take to prove my point? How many published patient case reports will it take to make a difference? How many people have to get sick and die before unconventional becomes conventional? How many times do I need to tell the world what I know to be true?

 

My point is that our immune system is vitally important to overall health. Therefore, all treatment at its core should emphasize creating a strong immune system, which can help provide optimal healing potential.

 

 

My Immune System

I am alive. I am thriving. I am experiencing an amazing journey. And my PET Scan from May 2020 shows no active cancer cells in my entire body. I owe my success to my amazing and open-minded oncologist, my supportive and steadfast wife, and a robust immune system that I created for myself.

 

After being diagnosed with an incurable bone marrow cancer in 2018, I was given 3-6 months to live. My oncologist agreed with my decision to reject chemotherapy and pursue my Unconventional Cancer Protocols. Although there was no clinical evidence that my protocols were proven to heal my body, the medical research on which I based my protocols clearly suggested I was on the correct track. I designed my protocols to improve my immune system.

 

Let me be clear at the outset, I do not have a cure for cancer. I will never dispute any medical expert who states that my methods have not been verified to cure cancer patients of their devastating disease. But I will dispute any medical expert who states that the immune system has nothing to do with healing the body. And I will dispute any medical researcher who states that diet and lifestyle changes will not enhance an existing immune system. As I see it, an efficient immune system is the missing critical puzzle piece to achieving wellness.

 

 

Analogy

I explain the process of healing with a simple analogy. If a person was healthy by all definitions of health but had a splinter in his finger, the area of the splinter could not heal. However, once the splinter was removed, the puncture wound in the skin would heal. But if that individual began to stab that splinter into the original puncture wound, the wound would never heal.

 

So, the immune system cannot function and heal the body as long as “splinters” still exist in the body. And the body cannot heal as long as it is continuously being “stabbed” by “splinters” entering the body.

 

My Unconventional Cancer Protocols “remove the splinters” that are affecting the body. They also provide the nutrients and promote the mechanisms for the body to function properly. The end result is the restoration of a powerful immune system.

 

 

Compelling Science

I’ve cited numerous medical studies in many of my previous Blog posts that support my point. The science is clear to me. It is just a matter of connecting the dots:

 

  1. Since 2011, the Paleomedicina Clinic in Budapest, Hungary has treated over 5,000 patients with severe chronic diseases and cancers. The doctors at the clinic use their version of an animal-based diet to treat their patients. This way of eating is called the Paleolithic Ketogenic Diet. Case reports from the clinic show significant success.[1] This is the type of diet I incorporate in my protocols. And this type of diet supports a strong immune system and avoids various unhealthy elements contained in most other diets.
  2. Double-blind human studies have shown that spore-based probiotics will restore the garden of healthy bacteria in the gut and repair the damaged gut lining.[2],[3] And spore-based probiotics are at the core of my gut restoration protocol. A healthy gut can avoid chronic systemic inflammation and support the strength of the immune system.
  3. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy has demonstrated it will repair damaged cell membranes, restore the energy production in cells, and improve the ion transport mechanism between the inside and outside of cells. Years of studies and countless articles in medical journals report on these realities.[4],[5] I use PEMF Therapy three times a day to improve my cellular health and thereby strengthen my immune system.

 

I will restate my initial assertion. The immune system has a vital role in the health of humans.[6] It fights disease-causing pathogens, neutralizes harmful substances from the environment entering the body, and destroys disease-causing changes in the body. My cancer journey is further proof to me.

 

 

Further Personal Proof

I am a human study of N=1. That means that the results I report are only of me. There is no control group. But I can tell you my immune system is functioning better than expected considering my diagnosis and prognosis. You may ask, “How do you know?” Here are two answers:

 

  1. Months ago, while at the Cancer Clinic, I had an office appointment with my oncologist. On that day, he had a severe case of the flu along with his physician’s assistant. They entered the room wearing masks. They were sneezing with red and swollen eyes. They apologized. But they were very sick. And they came into my space. I thought I would leave their office and get the flu a week or two later. I did not get sick. Theoretically, my immune system should be significantly weakened because my bone marrow is compromised. But I stayed healthy.
  2. In addition, I recently wore a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)[7] for 2 weeks. I am not diabetic, but I was interested in the data it could collect. It recorded my glycemic variability every 10 minutes, 24/7. The CGM data was converted into a 2-week standard deviation (SD) of my glycemic variability. Glycemic variability measured by the standard deviation is inversely correlated with metabolic health and overall health.[8],[9],[10],[11],[12]

 

A SD of 20 or less would be the goal for a healthy, non-diabetic person’s appropriate glycemic variability. A SD of less than 14 would indicate optimal glycemic variability, a vital metric for measuring glucose metabolism and an important indicator for a robust immune system.[13],[14]

My SD was 10!

 

I continue to state that I don’t have a cure for cancer. But I have changed my diet and lifestyle significantly. And I’m convinced my series of protocols have enhanced my immune system and created a vigor that is predictive of future healing and health.[15],[16]

 

 

Ending Thoughts

So, what will it take to prove my point beyond a shadow of doubt? As far as I’m concerned, I am the proof. Anecdotally, I may need to live another 10 years with sustained results before some in the medical world will agree, “He was correct!”

 

I don’t believe I am an anomaly. I believe I am the product of what should be the standard of medical care. I will tell this story over and over again until the consensus is, “He is right!” My point at the start is that our health goal must include improving the immune system to function at peak performance. Importantly and practically, there are protocols in place to reach that goal.

 

[1] https://paleomedicina.com/en/#blog

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5561432/?report=classic

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6574535/

[4] https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/100/7/1118/5816580

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5992548/

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364/

[7] https://www.nutrisense.io/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=Online&utm_campaign=DrAL

[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20653743/

[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18299315/

[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743360/?report=classic

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4543190/

[12] https://mbio.asm.org/content/11/2/e02841-19

[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4455369/#!po=34.6154

[14] https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/67/Supplement_1/1542-P

[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5546213/

[16] https://cardiab.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12933-020-01085-6

 

 

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I’ve Gotta Get Used to WHAT?
– 7 Critical Steps to Get Healthy –  

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

July 20, 2020 [printfriendly]

 

 

 

 

I was listening to the news the other day. Many of my friends suggested that tuning into the TV news channels was the first thing I did wrong. And I get them. So much stress and hatred and divisiveness out there in our precious “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave”!

 

So, I was told from my television set that I’ve “gotta” get used to living with COVID-19. That includes all of us in the US. What the hell?

 

I’m not stupid. I’m a realist. But to get used to this pandemic as if it will be our buddy? Well, it may be our buddy if you think of it as a wakeup call to get our internal health into better shape.

 

First of all, one of the problems with our civilized society is that “we are told to get used to something that is not pleasant and not wanted”.

 

Second, we need to understand that we can start proactive and personal efforts to strengthen our body to fight this “killer”. No one will do this for us. Not the government. Not the health insurance industry. And not manmade chemicals.

 

For the most part, all of these attempts might be applied with the greatest and most admirable intentions. However, real health can occur only by strengthening our immune system naturally.

 

Fortunately, we are Free to make decisions for ourselves. And we are Brave to make these decisions based on our DNA blueprint, our food supply, and our lifestyles.

 

 

DNA Blueprint

All humans share approximately 99.9% of the same genetic code or blueprint.[1] The other 0.1% make you “who you are” and me “who I am”. What’s fascinating is that our genetic blueprint knows exactly what it requires to keep us alive and thriving. Our DNA blueprint also knows what it can’t tolerate.

 

At one extreme, our DNA requires us to drink, to breathe, and to consume certain nutrients to carry out our daily biological functions.

 

At the other extreme of the pendulum, our DNA knows what it cannot endure without killing us. For example, our DNA code cannot handle poisons or constant irritants to our body that cause continuous inflammation. In between these extremes, our DNA can deal with almost everything.

 

Obviously, we wouldn’t prevent our body from getting water to drink, air to breathe, or food to eat. Yet we keep insulting our body at the other extreme with chemicals and irritants that damage our body, which our DNA blueprint has no means to remove or neutralize.

 

More specifically, most of us continue to eat certain foods that tear into our gut like a splinter that keeps stabbing our finger in the same puncture wound. Our DNA blueprint cannot save us from these constant insults time after time. Are we either too ignorant to stop these insults or too stupid to ignore the consequences until it is too late?

 

You can’t fool mother nature. Just give your body what it needs and avoid what it never evolved to tolerate. To me, this is so simple. Why doesn’t our society get it? Doing this will improve the most important power we have to fight external invaders to our body – our immune system.

 

 

Immune System

I’ve spoken about our immune system and living in a petri dish in past Blog articles.  I want to review the immune system in simple terms and to reemphasize the steps to take to get our body into the marvelous healing machine that it was designed to be. An all-encompassing intelligent power has created our body to be self-sufficient, protective, and reparative.

 

We deal with infections and remain healthy based on the strength of our immune system. It is a complex biological process that identifies any invader to the body, mounts an appropriate defense, rids the body of that pathogen, and remembers that individual attacker if it attempts to invade us in the future.

 

The immune system is our “biological armed forces”. The method of action to mobilize these “armed forces” is fascinating, complex, yet not completely understood. What we know is this: the mucous membranes; a healthy, intact gut; and a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet are the principal actors as this drama plays out.

 

 

Communication

The immune system takes its cues from the gut microbiome, which lies on the mucous layer of its mucous membrane.

 

The “mucous membrane” lines the body cavities and tubular organs including the gut and respiratory passages. It’s an epithelial barrier that secretes a protective mucous layer. The mucous membrane makes up about 4,300 square feet in the human body. That’s like the square footage of a large home.

 

Approximately 38 trillion microbes cover the mucous membranes. The far majority of these living organisms are in the gut. In the gut, the microbiome is several layers thick. And this ocean of microbes talks between themselves and among all the other microbes located on all other mucous membranes in the body. It’s like a huge communication network that alerts the entire population of microbes to what’s happening on their turf simultaneously.

 

Practically all pathogens and irritants that enter the body must pass through the mucous membranes. The microbiome sitting on the mucous membranes becomes aware that there may be strangers in its midst. The friendly microbes have a unique and critically important role to play. They are the neighborhood watch group. They signal the immune cells in the epithelial barrier that there is something foreign that has just invaded and needs to be eliminated.

 

The gut microbiome and its mucous membrane are the central command center for the entire body. About 70-80% of the body’s immune system is located in the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the gut. When there is an invader anywhere in the body, the microbiome associated with its local mucous membrane relays messages to the gut microbiome. Then, the gut microbiome alerts the gut immune system that there is a pathogen or toxic element that needs to be removed. Effects from the gut immune system travel to all corners of the rest of the body directing all areas to react to the invasion.

 

The beneficial microbiome also communicates with the immune cells located in the lymph tissues throughout the body. All immune cells become involved with the fight to remove the invaders. This communication system rivals the most complex systems created by man. The human body is an amazing machine operating beyond comprehension.

 

There also are complex feedback loops to temper the immune system’s fight and eventually bring it back to a non-inflammatory state.

 

 

7 Critical Steps to Get Healthy

Be respective of your DNA blueprint. Give your body what it needs and avoid whatever it doesn’t want. This way, you will strengthen your immune system.

 

As I explained, our immune system is critical for fighting infections and maintaining overall wellness. This includes oral health. Boosting your immune system is the best and least expensive medical insurance you could “buy”. If you reinvigorated your immune system, think how much less you would have to spend on medical as well as dental care. To do this, you need to be proactive and start ASAP:

 

1. Consume nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. Various ways of healthy eating provide necessary nutrients while avoiding over-processed carbohydrates, added sugars, unhealthy fats, chemical ingredients, and other irritants to the gut. I have created Al’s Better Belly Blueprint to be a source of healthy eating.

 

Subscribe HERE for my new weekly newsletter called, “Belly Bites with Dr. Al”.  This newsletter will have a link to my new Blog post, discuss stuff I’m doing and recommending, and relate how I am progressing with my Unique Cancer Journey. As an extra added bonus, I’ll send you the PDF of the new launce of my Dr. Al’s Better Belly Blueprint.

 

2. Maintain a healthy gut. Consume specific probiotics, prebiotics, amino acids, and immunoglobulins to (1) improve the population and quality of the gut bacteria, (2) restore a healthy mucosal layer, and (3) repair damage to the epithelial gut barrier.[2],[3] Dr. Al’s Better Belly Blueprint includes a specific spore-based probiotic to help this happen.

 

3. Sleep restoratively. Sleep about 7-8 hours a night starting between the hours of 9 PM to 11 PM. Make the room dark, cool, and quiet.

 

4. Exercise efficiently. This includes a combination of (1) some aerobic exercise a few days a week, (2) brief, high-intensity interval training 1 day a week, (3) strength training 1-2 days a week, and (4) non-exercise movements during the course of every day.

 

5. Reduce stress. Meditate; practice yoga; try diaphragmatic breathing; and experiment with progressive, total body muscle relaxation. Emotional stress will damage the gut microbiome and cause “leaky gut”, which will lead to significant and ongoing chronic systemic inflammation. This will tax the immune system to the extent that the immune system will be compromised and unable to mount an aggressive attack when needed to destroy serious invading pathogens.

 

6. Get out in the sun. Sun exposure creates Vitamin D in your body. This vitamin regulates the body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorus and facilitates normal immune system function. It also improves your resistance against certain diseases. For a short period of time daily, try to expose as much of your skin to the sun based on your skin type, the time of day, the season, and your geographical location. Your blood level goal for “25 Hydroxy Vitamin D test” is about 40-60 ng/ml. Toxicity usually does not occur until the blood level is above 150-200 ng/ml. If you can’t get adequate Vitamin D from sun exposure and food, then consider taking supplements of Vitamin D3 along with Vitamin K2. Other minerals and vitamins are required for proper biological functions of Vitamin D. These are available from a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet.

 

7. Practice effective oral hygiene. Your gut bacteria and your mouth bacteria “talk” back and forth. Make sure you brush your teeth at the gum margins, floss and clean the surfaces between each of your teeth, and scrape the topside of your tongue to remove odor forming bacteria and microscopic food remnants. Have your biological dentist examine your mouth for any hidden areas of infection in the gums or the bone. Any infection in your mouth will continuously weaken your immune system.

 

If COVID-19 does anything for us, it should be to kick our butts into the recognition of how unhealthy we are. I am here if you need me. You could schedule a 50-minute Virtual consult with me to go into a more in-depth and specific discussion. Here is a link to my website to book it:

 

[1] https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genetics-vs-Genomics

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5561432/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6733369/