Tag: botanicals

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Lipids and Cancer: Targeting Fatty Acid Synthase and Lipid Mobilization with Botanical Medicine

lipids and cancer

By Donnie Yance

Cancer isn’t merely uncontrolled cell growth, it’s a profound disruption of the body’s metabolic pathways. At its core, cancer represents a reprogramming of how cells generate, use, and store energy. This metabolic reprogramming is now recognized as a defining hallmark of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. Unlike healthy cells, which follow tightly regulated biochemical pathways to sustain balanced growth and repair, cancer cells hijack these pathways to fuel relentless proliferation. They shift their energy production away from normal mitochondrial respiration toward glycolysis, even in the presence of oxygen, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. Beyond this, cancer cells profoundly alter their metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals to create a biochemical environment that supports survival, invasion, and immune evasion. Understanding these metabolic adaptations is essential not only for decoding the behavior of cancer but also for discovering new therapeutic strategies, especially those that can be found in nature’s medicinal treasure chest.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. The metabolic signature of cancer cells includes alterations in glycolysis, mitochondrial respiration, fatty acid, amino acid 1, and mineral (ion) metabolism.2 

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Natural Compounds for Beating Dormant Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Herbs for Breast Cancer Stem Cells

By Donnie Yance

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This review examines one of breast cancer’s most challenging aspects: dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) that fuel cancer recurrence. Despite initial treatment success, 25-45% of breast cancer patients relapse months or years later with fatal secondary or metastatic disease, with dormancy being the key culprit behind both early and late recurrence.

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Modified Citrus Pectin: One Of Nature’s Answers To Cancer Cells’ Spread 

modified citrus pectin for cancer

By Donnie Yance

Cancer becomes most dangerous when it spreads from its original location to other parts of the body—a process called metastasis. This spreading relies on certain proteins called lectins, which act like molecular “velcro” helping cancer cells stick together and communicate with each other. 1 Using modified citrus pectin for cancer is one strategy that can block or slow down the metastasis process.

One particular type of lectin—called galectin-3 (Gal-3)—has captured researchers’ attention because it plays a key role in how several types of cancers spread, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer.2, 3 Blood levels of galectin-3 closely track with cancer progression, making it a valuable marker for doctors to monitor how well treatments are working.

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Healthy Carbs Can Help You Lose Weight

healthy carbs for weigth loss

By Donnie Yance

Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates can be powerful allies in your weight loss journey when you understand how to use them properly. There are better carbs and worse carbs, and healthy carbs can actually help you lose weight.

For years, carbohydrates have been villainized in diet culture, portrayed as guaranteed weight-gain culprits. This misconception has been reinforced by the popularity and widely publicized success stories of low-carb approaches like the Atkins and ketogenic diets. However, this oversimplified advice lacks crucial nuance about how carbohydrates actually function in our bodies.

In reality, high-quality carbohydrates, for example from whole grains, play an essential role in fat-burning and metabolic health, and just might be the missing piece in your fitness puzzle.

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COVID-19 Infection Triggers An Anti-Tumor Immune Response In Some Cancer Patients. Part 2: Traditional Herbal Medicine- The Immune System’s Secret Weapon

By Donnie Yance   

Traditional Herbal Medicine (THM) is very different from using isolated plant compounds. Using isolates to treat cancer is a more allopathic approach and not at all part of a holistic whole-systems model based in THM practice. 

THM is based on a concept of whole plants having synergy as well as intelligence (Plant Intelligence). Examples of plant intelligence include key features that involve the ability to problem-solve in a flexible manner, anticipate the future, store memory, learn, communicate, and ultimately, be goal-oriented.1

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Sea Buckthorn: The Ancient Berry That Can Boost Your Athletic Performance & Recovery

Sea Buckthorn for Athletes

By Donnie Yance

In July 2014, I wrote about “The Unique Health Benefits of Siberian Sea Buckthorn Oil” (read the original article here). Today, I’m excited to expand on this topic with fascinating new insights about its potential for athletic performance.

Ever wondered why some athletes seem to recover faster and perform better? While training and genetics play their part, emerging research suggests that a remarkable orange berry—used in traditional medicine for over 1,300 years—might hold the key to enhanced athletic performance and recovery.

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