Cancer’s Metabolic Roots

Mitochondria, often dubbed as the powerhouse of the cell, plays a pivotal role in health beyond just energy production. In chronic conditions and cancer prevention and treatment, their significance is profound. Mitochondria influence cell signaling, metabolism, and even cell death pathways. Dysfunctional mitochondria can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation, contributing to chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of cancer, as tumor cells rely on altered metabolism to sustain growth and evade cell death.

Understanding and targeting mitochondrial function holds promise in both preventing chronic diseases and developing novel cancer therapies, emphasizing the crucial role these organelles play in our overall health. Dr. Thomas Seyfried's work challenges the conventional view of cancer as primarily a genetic disease and instead proposes that it is fundamentally a metabolic disorder.

According to Seyfried, cancer cells thrive in an environment of glucose and glutamine abundance. He advocates for therapies that target these metabolic vulnerabilities, such as the ketogenic diet, which restricts glucose availability, and glutamine restriction. Additionally, Seyfried explores treatments like hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which aims to disrupt the oxygen metabolism of cancer cells. His approach emphasizes the importance of understanding and manipulating cellular metabolism to combat cancer. The therapies that we offer at Om Integrative Medicine work on reviving mitochondria, and reversing any damage to cells that may have occur over a lifetime.