Probiotics and Pao Pereira: The Natural Way to Fight Colorectal Cancer
“Colorectal Cancer”: a dreadful term that covers bowel cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer. Colorectal Cancer has become the second leading cause of cancer death in women, and the third for men, and the trend keeps growing.
The scientific community has been increasingly focused on the root cause that contributes to an array of diseases – chronic inflammation. When it comes to colorectal health it has become apparent that chronic gut inflammation may lead to cancer. And chronic inflammation itself may have very well been kick started by toxin-producing-bacteria.
What can we do to protect ourselves? As the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract are home to millions of bacterial cells, the nature of this microbiome plays a pivotal role in health outcomes, providing us with valuable knowledge to improve our health.
Good flora is paramount to gut health.
Research published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, establishes a direct link between the poor quality of gut microbes and increased risk of bowel cancer. Lead study author Dr. Sandra dos Reis and her team researched how gut microbes can increase the risk of bowel cancer. Their first finding relates to gut inflammation: chronic gut inflammation may lead to cancer, and that chronic inflammation may have very well been kick started by toxin-producing-bacteria. Indeed, certain bacteria release molecules that stick to cells lining the colon, affecting cell division, and potentially leading to cancer.
On the other hand, probiotics, or "good bacteria," can help
Dr. dos Reis and her team spotted the importance of good bacteria to reduce the likelihood of cancer developing in the lower intestine and even reduce tumor growth. “By interacting with the host and other microorganisms present in the intestinal microbiota,” Dr. dos Reis explains, “these microorganisms modulate the functioning of the whole organism through different mechanisms, contributing to intestinal and systemic health…Considering the importance that the gut has to maintain our health, regular consumption of probiotics can impact positively on health.”
Not all probiotics are created equal.
For years we have been told that 70% of our gut is connected to the immune system and that taking probiotics regularly helps the healthy strains of bacteria populate and rebalance the microbiome. Gut health is directly linked to robust health and strong immunity. But no one mentioned that for the most part (in most products available) the bacteria are dormant or dead and never come back to life in the acidic environment of our digestive system. This is because the majority of probiotics currently available are given as vegetative cells (usually as lyophilized preparations) and those bacteria are non-spore formers1.
On the other hand, spore-forming strains are more effective because the endospores that encapsulate the strains are highly resistant to stomach acid, allowing for the delivery of more viable probiotics to the small intestine.
A new generation of probiotic products offers cutting-edge technology (probiotics attached to spores) ensuring superior integrity of microorganisms, even without refrigeration, combined with other ingredients to support the liver and proper digestion. The most advanced formulations in this category are still imported from Europe. Rather than focusing on the billions of bacteria each capsule may contain (most of them will die in your stomach before getting to your intestine), it’s interest lies in the quality of the various strains contained therein such as Bacillus subtilis (strain inducing production of vitamin and immune stimulation, as well as inhibiting the growth of pathogenic E. coli in vitro2).
Additional key strains to look for include Bacillus coagulans (has the ability to go dormant during harsh conditions, including high levels of acid in the stomach, which might kill off other probiotics3) or Bacillus Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which stimulates mucus production in the intestinal tract which leads to smoother bowel movements4.
