Donnie Yance is an internationally known master herbalist and nutritionist. He is the author of the book, "Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer" and "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism"
“Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking.”
– Buckminster Fuller
If you ask most people, they will tell you that faith and belief are the same thing. But in truth, they are not.
According to Webster, the definition of belief is: “An opinion or judgement in which a person is fully persuaded.” Belief often comes from someone else. For example, your parents follow a certain religion, which is defined by a certain set of beliefs. Therefore, you take on that same belief system.
Belief or Faith?
Belief is in the mind, whereas faith is in the heart. They can intersect though, and even unite as one.
Faith comes from within, is spiritual, and sees love. This includes our own self-realization that forms or confirms our beliefs. But it is bigger than that. Faith requires action. If our faith doesn’t move us to do something or say something—to actually take action—it’s not really faith. “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” – James 2:17.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Difference Between Belief and Faith
Many of the people I work with have cancer. Many have advanced cancer, and often, their doctor tells them how long they have to live. The doctor may pronounce, “You have three to six months, perhaps a year to live,” and the person takes that to be the ultimate truth. And they begin to believe it, based solely on the doctor’s words, which is usually based on statistics and assumes few, if any, will beat the odds. Obviously, trying to predict how long someone has to live has serious effects on their well-being by imposing a belief that seems certain and final, and takes away any sense of hope and faith in a higher power.
I have many patients who are living many more years than anyone ever expected. And more than just surviving, they are thriving. I frequently tell my patients, “Don’t believe what you are told. Instead, focus on doing the best you can to live, and to live well. I will do the same, and hopefully, your healing team will embrace that same approach. As long as we’re doing the best we can, there is nothing to worry about.”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” ~ Proverbs 3:5
Wisdom from the Desert Fathers
The Desert Fathers were Christian hermits who lived in the Egyptian desert in the third century AD. Following the example of Jesus, the monks devoted themselves to lives of prayer and austerity. The first Desert Father was Paul of Thebes, and the most well-known was Anthony the Great, who became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism.
The Desert Fathers
Father Paul once visited Anthony when he was teaching three monks about a very difficult matter of faith. Paul withdrew into a corner and waited silently until Father Antonius was ready.
Antonius asked the youngest of the three monks what he thought about the matter. The young man responded immediately; what he lacked in knowledge, he supplemented with fire and enthusiasm. When he was finished, Father Antonius remained silent for a while, then said, “You haven’t found the right answer yet.”
Then the second one got the floor. He was a little older, had read some books, and had more life experience. He chose learned words and formulated them more carefully. When he was finished, Father Antonius said, “You too have not found the right answer yet.”
Finally, the oldest of the three was allowed to give an answer. He spoke thoughtfully, and you could tell he had read many books and had a long prayer experience. When he was finished, Father Antonius remarked, “You haven’t found the right answer yet.”
The moment he opened his mouth to say something about the very difficult issue of faith himself, he turned to the old abbot and asked, “Father Paul, could you possibly say something about this?” Finally, Paul said: “I don’t know…”
Father Anthony turned to his three disciples and with a raised finger, he said, “Father Paul has found the right answer.”
These old stories prove to be relevant for today. “I don’t know,” is the correct answer to complex theological issues. How beautiful is that? It’s good to remember the next time you end up in a discussion or question in a matter about faith.
Faith, Courage, and Patience
Faith will empower our patience. Courage will sustain our perseverance. With that faith and courage, we can live with the forces of change. We will not set ourselves against them defiantly, as we are first inclined. And as we abide the changes in good faith, trusting that our life will unfold as we dreamed, or as it was intended, our despair and doubt fade. For we realize that our personal power and peace need not be the victims of things we do not know. We discover that those times of confusion and doubt need not undermine our connection to God and his universal wisdom. For that wisdom is living itself out in our lives, expressing its Divine guidance in ways we did not know.[1]
The Question of the Resurrection
Although Judaism does not have a definitive answer to the question of what happens after we die, resurrection has played an important role in Jewish eschatology.
“From the Torah: for it is written: ‘And the Lord said to Moses, Behold you shall sleep with your fathers; and this people will rise up’ [Deuteronomy 31:16]. From the Prophets: as it is written: ‘Your dead men shall live, together with my dead bodies shall they arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust; for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out its dead.’ [Isaiah 26:19]; from the Writings: as it is written, ‘And the roof of your mouth, like the best wine of my beloved, like the best wine, that goes down sweetly, causing the lips of those who are asleep to speak’ [Song of Songs 7:9].” Rabbi Meir also answered this question saying: “As it is said: ‘Then will Moses and the children of Israel sing this song unto the Lord’ [Exodus 15:1]. It is not said ‘sang’ but ‘will sing’; hence the Resurrection is deducible from the Torah.”[2]
For many Christians, ‘belief’ in the resurrection is fundamental to their religion. Most rehearse this belief every Easter Sunday, but then stick it away in the closet for the rest of the year.
Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”
– Saint Augustine
Easter, referred to as Pascha within the Eastern Christian religion, is considered to be the most important Orthodox holy day of the year. Pascha comes from both the Greek and Latin words for “Easter,” the day celebrating when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The verbal form of this word, pascho in Greek, means “to suffer.” Originally, the Hebrew word pasach referred to the Passover feast (Exodus 12) that was celebrated during the same week Jesus was crucified.
Faith Requires Trust and Intimacy
Father Richard Rohr believes that we can only experience true intimacy when we are willing to be vulnerable ourselves. He goes on to say that intimacy could be described as our capacity for closeness and tenderness toward things. It makes all love possible, and yet it also reveals our utter incapacity to love back as the other deserves.
I think that many of us are afraid of intimacy, of baring our deepest identity to another human or even to God. Yet people who risk intimacy are invariably happier and much more authentically human. Soulful intimacy is a gateway into the sacred realm of human and divine love.[3]
According to Father Richard Rohr: The big and hidden secret is this: an infinite God seeks and desires intimacy with the human soul. The mystics (those who personally know the inner space of God) are aware that they have been let in on a big and wondrous secret. Anyone not privy to this inner dialogue would call such people presumptuous, foolish, or even arrogant. This is without a doubt “God’s secret, in which all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (Colossians 2:3).”[4]
The Radical Transformation of a Caterpillar
There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”
– Buckminster Fuller
There is no scientific basis for resurrection. There is no way a living form could die, dissolve away, and be reassembled into another creature. Hold onto that thought…and now, start to imagine the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Truly, it is a miracle. If science was to look for evidence of death followed by resurrection, they wouldn’t need to go very far. It happens every day. Caterpillars die and are resurrected as butterflies, using the same fluids as the original life form.
“I believe in God, only I spell it as Nature.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Within its protective casing, the caterpillar radically transforms, eventually emerging as a butterfly or moth. But what does that radical transformation entail?
Scientists have long been astonished by the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies. Before hatching, when a caterpillar is still developing inside its egg, it grows an imaginal disc for each of the adult body parts it will need as a mature butterfly or moth—discs for its eyes, for its wings, its legs and so on. The caterpillar eats voraciously during its entire lifespan, presumably to accumulate sufficient nutrients for the coming transition. When the time is right, the caterpillar spins itself into a silk coverlet (a cocoon) and digests itself. During the larval phase, the release of enzymes kills the caterpillar and destroys all of its organs, turning into a mushy soup, with nothing left of its former self. If one opens a larva, there is no sign of the original caterpillar; it is gone, except for the “imaginal cells” that survive.[5]
Then, through a miraculous sequence of events, a new set of instructions takes hold, and the amino acids in the larval soup are rearranged, carefully and meticulously, into an entirely new organism. The imaginal cells emerge, armed with genetic instructions for the transformation. Initially, the caterpillar’s immune system rejects the imaginal cells, but they continue to multiply. Finally, the imaginal cells begin to clump together, forming the organs of an entirely new organism with completely different anatomical features, including long legs and wings.
The fact that the caterpillar’s immune system attacks the new cells of the butterfly demonstrates that biologically, the two insect forms are entirely distinct life forms. Essentially, the caterpillar dies and is resurrected.[6]
One of the songs from the popular new Disney movie “Encanto” is “Dos Oruguitas,” the first Oscar-nominated song written entirely in Spanish. Dos Oruguitas translates into “Two (Little) Caterpillars.” The song is performed beautifully by the Colombian singer Sebastian Yatra.
The song describes two caterpillars in love. They rejoice in their togetherness, holding each other, staying together constantly through good and bad weather. Just as soulmates do! But somehow, they know that very soon, they will need to let go. The time comes when they turn into larvae, re-emerging as butterflies. There is nothing the caterpillars can do to stop the inevitable. The song and images evoked are beautiful, and state something that carries us beyond the mundane ordinary and into the truly meaningful extraordinary—the thought that we are called to live in the image of GOD. There, we will go from crawling to flying and be truly happy.
Life After Death
Religions have debated the concept of death and resurrection for tens of thousands of years. And during the millennia, scientists have generally been silent about the likelihood of rebirth. After all, from an empirical point of view, there is nothing to say. There is no experiment that one can perform to prove or disprove the existence of life after death.[7]
Generally speaking, woman are in many ways stronger than men, and the bible highlights this as it regards faith. Other than John, it was all women at the cross, and the first witnesses of the Resurrection are women. This is beautiful, and I believe it is profoundly insightful.
Pope Francis said, “and they had accompanied him to the very end.” Even though the women initially reacted with fear, it is their “loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear, and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others.” The Apostles and disciples found it hard to believe in the Risen Christ, not the women! “The women,” he attested, “are compelled by love and know how to welcome this announcement with faith.”
The Butterfly Effect and Transforming Ourselves
The “butterfly effect” is the phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. For example, a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago.[8] I believe that everyone matters, everything matters, and every moment matters. We are only scratching the surface of what we are capable of. For all of us, limitations are a lack of faith and trust.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:28
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.” Matthew 6:28
Happiness is not living without pain or suffering; but is the mastery within, to embody peace, joy, compassion, kindness and love. God has created us for interdependence as God has created us in God’s image—the image of a divine fellowship and Divine love. We must find the divinity within and in a sense resurrect twice, once in the world, and then again after the world. We are to be Kenosis, which in Eastern Christian theology means to empty oneself and become entirely receptive of God’s Divine will.
We all are aware that death will come eventually. The important questions are: What are we seeking in this life? What is our faith? How much do we trust? Are we willing to be authentically our Divine selves and through intimacy share that with others without limitation? In this way, we begin our own resurrection. This is our transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, from crawling on the earth to flying freely.
[2] Ariela Pelaia, Resurrection in Judaism, Updated on March 28, 2019, https://www.learnreligions.com/jewish-view-of-resurrection-2076764; “Jewish Views of the Afterlife” by Simcha Raphael. Jason Aronson, Inc: Northvale, 1996.”The Jewish Book of Why” by Alfred J. Kolatch. Jonathan David Publishers Inc.: Middle Village, 1981.
Icon Sophia within the dome of St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine.
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, we often refer to “Our Father” when speaking of the cosmic, all-encompassing God. Because God is not really man or woman, referring to God as “he” or “she,” when taken out of context, can be controversial.
But if we were to view God as two sides of the same coin, rather than exclusively one or the other, it might be more helpful. I see God as both masculine and feminine, and the feminine, although more hidden perhaps, is the stronger of the two.
I believe what the world needs now is the Divine Wisdom (Feminine) to be made manifest within all of us.
My heart and prayers are with the Ukrainian people during this tragic time of war. I feel a deep bond with Ukraine stemming from my spiritual and theological roots. Although I was baptized and raised as a Roman Catholic, and taught by Polish Franciscans, I am professed as a Secular Third Order Franciscan in the Eastern Byzantine Ukrainian Catholic Rite.
Below are photos of Holy Protection, the beautiful Ukrainian Franciscan monastery where I lived. It no longer exists, but the sister monastery, Holy Dormition, is still active. I spent a lot of time at that monastery as well. In both monasteries, I was the only non-Ukrainian, and I always felt welcome.
The photo above is of Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Church, in Lviv, Ukraine. It was built since the return of the church in the 1990s when Ukraine was freed from Russia.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the largest Eastern Catholic Church in the world. While many such western churches use elaborate sculptural architectural elements, including on the icon screen, the saintly imagery of eastern Byzantine-Rite churches is represented exclusively through two-dimensional, painted icons, not through statues.
The Birth of the Eastern Byzantine Spiritual Tradition
The Eastern Byzantine liturgical, theological and spiritual tradition was born in the first six centuries AD in Constantinople, when it was the capital of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire. The rich traditions evolved from pre-Christian legacies reshaped over a millennium of Christian belief, and were influenced by its relation to the West and the Roman Church for over 400 years.
The Byzantine liturgy is a common inheritance of Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Its beauty is said to have been the decisive factor that dazzled emissaries of the pagan Kyivan Prince Vladimir, who saw it in Constantinople and “did not know whether they were in heaven or on earth.”[1]
The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, the most frequently celebrated form of the liturgy, provides a good introduction to Byzantine worship in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
The liturgy invokes God, “Whose power is beyond comparison, Whose glory is beyond comprehension, Whose mercy is beyond measure, and Whose love for humankind is beyond expression.” “You dwell in the holies,” it continues, “with three-fold cries of holy the seraphim acclaim You, the cherubim glorify You, and all the heavenly powers worship You.” Even in (and perhaps through) such transcendent language, believers also see God present in their midst.[2]
Chanting/singing is integral to the liturgy. Almost the whole of it is chanted, even the Gospel reading. Liturgical music is solely dependent on a cappella singing, not on musical instruments.
“Pray for Ukraine Icon”
Icon of Sophia with daughters from a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine
Praying For Peace
In recent days within the Ukraine, archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Eastern-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church, traveled from Kyiv to meet with Cardinal Krajewski and with Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, head of the Latin-rite Archdiocese of Lviv. The three joined representatives of other Christian churches and other religions at the Latin-rite cathedral to pray for peace.
Archbishop Shevchuk turned to God, praying: “Before your eyes today we present the sorrow and pain of Ukraine. Mountains of corpses, rivers of blood and seas of tears. We pray for all those who gave up their lives for the homeland, for our army, for the sons and daughters of Ukraine, who shield lives with their own bodies in the face of the enemy.”
“We pray for all those innocently killed, peaceful people of Ukraine: women, children, the elderly. We pray for the victims of Mariupol who are being buried in massive common graves without Christian burial and honor,” he continued. “Receive our prayers for their eternal repose.”
Ukrainian citizens in the town of Bakhmach, some 175 kilometers (109 miles) northeast of the capital of Kyiv, attempted to block Russian tanks advancing, according to video footage that circulated on social media on Saturday.
Residents of Bakhmach, Ukraine, attempt to stop Russian tanks from advancing toward the capital Kyiv, February, 26, 2022. (Screengrab/Twitter)
The “National Spiritual Anthem” of Ukraine (МОЛИТВА ЗА УКРАЇНУ). This hymn is familiar to most Ukrainians. The English lyrics are as follows:
Lord, oh the Great and Almighty, Protect our beloved Ukraine, Bless her with freedom and light Of your holy rays.
With learning and knowledge enlighten Us, your children small, In love pure and everlasting Let us, oh Lord, grow.
We pray, oh Lord Almighty, Protect our beloved Ukraine, Grant our people and country All your kindness and grace.
Bless us with freedom, bless us with wisdom, Guide into kind world, Bless us, oh Lord, with good fortune Forever and evermore.
Take time to listen to this beautiful, heartfelt prayer. It brings tears to my eyes:
The most beautiful churches in Kyiv – WHAT IS UKRAINE
Fifty percent of all drugs, including cancer drugs marketed today, use the cytochrome P450 enzyme pathway for metabolism[1],[2] and frequently cause interactions. In brief, the cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A) subfamily is largely found in hepatocytes, with some presence in the intestine. Together with the transport protein P-glycoprotein (PGP) present in the small intestine, these 2 systems regulate metabolism of drugs and nutrients. Many foods, food components, and botanical supplements interact with the CYP3A and PGP metabolism, but even more importantly, an individual’s genome plays a significant role in how well one metabolizes and detoxifies various drugs including Aromatase and mTOR inhibitors. The effects of herbs on CYP3A and PGP is dose sensitive, meaning that often the dose would need to be very high in order to really impact these pathways. Another important factor is that much of the published research is either in vitro; animal in vivo, done with isolates (not whole herbs), and/or based on high dosages of these compounds. So, every referenced paper needs to be reviewed and analyzed for accuracy and relativity to how botanicals might impact both the effectiveness or toxicity of these and other drugs. The other factor is that to base interaction solely on P4503A and PGP is wrong. The ultimate question is still not answered, which is does this herbal combination either cause this drug to be less effective or does it increase the toxicity? In general, due to these nuances, evaluating the potential for negative drug-drug, nutrient-drug, or botanical-drug interactions metabolized through this pathway can be difficult and often lead to incorrect assumptions.
Many chemotherapeutic drugs have been used for the treatment of cancer, including doxorubicin, irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and paclitaxel. However, the effectiveness of chemotherapy is limited in cancer therapy due to drug resistance, therapeutic selectivity, and undesirable side effects.
Chemosensitization is one valuable strategy to overcome chemoresistance phenomena. Chemosensitization is based on the use of one drug to enhance the activity of another by influencing one or more mechanisms of resistance. The combination of therapies with natural compounds such as curcumin is likely to increase the effectiveness of drug treatment as well as reduce the incidence of adverse outcomes.
Curcumin, a polyphenolic isolated from Curcuma longa, belongs to the rhizome of Zingiberaceae plants.
Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that curcumin exerts many pharmacological activities with less toxic effects. Chemosensitization has been observed in cancers of the breast, colon, pancreas, gastric, liver, blood, lung, prostate, bladder, cervix, ovary, head and neck, and brain and in multiple myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma. Similar studies have also shown that curcumin can sensitize a variety of tumors to gamma radiation including glioma, neuroblastoma, cervical carcinoma, epidermal carcinoma, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. The way in which curcumin acts as a chemosensitizer and radiosensitizer has been studied extensively. For example, it downregulates various growth regulatory pathways and specific genetic targets including genes for NF-κB, STAT3, COX2, Akt, antiapoptotic proteins, growth factor receptors, and multidrug-resistance proteins. Although it acts as a chemosensitizer and radiosensitizer for tumors in some cases, curcumin has also been shown to protect healthy organs such as the liver, kidney, oral mucosa, and heart from chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced toxicity.[3]
The Bioavailability of Curcumin: Separating Truth from Fiction
Curcumin and other curcuminoids from Curcuma longa (turmeric) are important bioactive compounds exhibiting various pharmacological activities. Turmeric is widely consumed as part of the spice mix curry and as a dietary supplement. It has a long history of therapeutic application in traditional Asian medicine. The active components of turmeric, collectively known as curcuminoids, are among the most promising natural compounds studied across the globe today.
Clinical studies support the active role of curcuminoids in the management of chronic health conditions. Several pioneering studies have been conducted by major universities, research institutes and hospitals on Curcumin C3 Complex®, which have aided the understanding of the metabolic effects of curcumin.
Curcumin is a natural product with multiple biological activities and numerous potential therapeutic applications. However, the poor systemic bioavailability of the product fails to explain the potent pharmacological effects and hinders its clinical application.
The biological effects of curcumin in cellular and animal models are surprising considering its chemical and metabolic instability. Multiple studies have shown that, even with high doses of curcumin, the levels of curcumin in serum and tissues as well as its in vivo metabolites are extremely low after a short period of time.
With a lack of consensus on curcumin bioavailability and with various formulations making a variety of claims on the bioavailability (X times or XX times more than nearest competitor), consumers are understandably confused.
The reality is that after ingestion, little if any curcumin is present unchanged in systemic circulation.Furthermore, curcumin undergoes rapid non-enzymatic degradation in cell culture medium and possibly in vivo as well. Chemical transformation by human gut microbiota does not mean a loss in activity, but is actually a necessity for the therapeutic action of curcumin. Current thinking is that the molecular mechanisms of degradation of curcumin is necessary for interpreting in vitro and in vivo studies.
Compared to the parent compound curcumin, the degradation products mixture possessed higher O2.–-scavenging activity and stronger inhibition against fAβ formation. The docking simulations revealed that the bioactive degradation products make an important contribution to the experimentally observed enzymatic inhibition activities of curcumin.
Curcumin has been shown to possess low stability in aqueous solutions at physiological pH and degrades readily.. In phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, about 90% of curcumin degraded within 30 min and the degradation products have been identified as trans-6-(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-2,4-dioxo-5-hexenal, ferulic aldehyde, ferulic acid, feruloyl methane, vanillin, vanillic acid, and other dimerization end-products.
Selected degradation products mentioned above were the major human metabolites after curcumin consumption, and their levels were much higher than those of its metabolic compounds.
Upon ingestion, curcumin forms several active metabolites undergoing phase I metabolism such as dihydrocurcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, hexahydrocurcumin and octahydrocurcumin.
In course of its metabolism, it also forms degradation compounds such as ferulic acid and bicyclopentadione. While these phase I metabolites have shown to have beneficial biological activity, compounds such as curcumin glucuronides and sulfates formed after phase II metabolism have shown to be ineffective in independent studies.
Given that curcumin is readily degraded under physiological condition, recent findings strongly suggested that the degradation products should make important contribution to the diverse biological activities of curcumin.[4],[5],[6],[7]
Oral curcumin also improved cachexia and general health in colorectal cancer patients.[8] In a phase II trial involving 21 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, curcumin demonstrated bioactivity by downregulating nuclear factor-κB and cyclooxygenase-2. Despite limited absorption, antitumor response was seen in two patients.[9]
Curcumin Combined with Various Chemotherapeutic Agents
Combined with 5-FU
Research suggests that the combination of 5-FU and curcumin may overcome drug-resistance induced by 5-FU. Pre-treatment with curcumin (5 µM) enhanced the chemosensitization of 5-FU (0.1 µM) and reversed the multidrug resistance in resistant mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient human colon cancer cells compared to 5-FU alone.[10]
The combination of curcumin (10 μM) and 5-FU (0.1 mM)/oxaliplatin (5 μM) enhanced the synergistic antitumor activity in gastric cancer (BGC-823) cell lines compared to curcumin or 5-FU/oxaliplatin alone by downregulating the Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression and activating the Bax and caspases-3, 8, and 9 expressions. This study further demonstrated that the combination of curcumin (10 mg/kg) and 5-FU (33 mg/kg)/oxaliplatin (10 mg/kg) shows potent growth inhibition of BGC-823 xenograft tumors compared to folinic acid, 5-FU, oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or curcumin alone.[11]
A combination of curcumin (50 mg/kg/day for 40 days) and 5-FU (20 mg/kg once every 2 days for 40 days) inhibits cell proliferation against 5-FU resistant cells via suppression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) compared to 5FU alone.[12]
In the context of breast cancer, a combination of curcumin (10 µM) and 5-FU (10 µM) significantly inhibited cell viability and enhanced apoptosis compared to 5-FU alone in vitro.[13]
In addition to the effects mentioned above, research indicates that combining 5-FU (50 µmol/L) and curcumin (25 µmol/L) can enhance the cytotoxicity against human gastric cancer (AGS) cells compared to 5-FU or curcumin alone.
In a further study focused on inflammation outcomes, this study found that the protein expression of COX-2 and NF-κB in human gastric cancer (MKN45) cells were diminished after co-treatment with 5-FU (50 µmol/L) and curcumin (25 µmol/L). This finding implies that curcumin sensitizes gastric cancer cells to 5-FU by modulating inflammatory molecules. The anti-gastric cancer activity is shown not only in in vitro study, but data from an animal study further demonstrated that curcumin enhanced the anticancer activity of 5-FU (52 mg/kg 5-FU + curcumin 74 mg/kg, every 3 days for 6 times in total) compared to 5-FU or curcumin alone, and without increasing the toxicity in nude mice bearing MKN45 tumor xenografts.[14]
Combined with Doxorubicin
Doxorubicin, one of the active single-agent drugs, is widely used for the treatment of cancers, including leukemia, lung, brain, prostate, ovarian, and breast. However, the clinical use of doxorubicin often led to critical cardiotoxicity and developed multidrug resistance. Substantial evidence showed that curcumin (4 mg/kg every 2 days for a total of 7 injections) exhibits a better treatment efficacy of doxorubicin (0.4 mg/kg) in cancer due to the efflux inhibitory effect of curcumin.[15],[16],[17],[18]
A study conducted by Guorgui et al.[19] has shown that combination of curcumin (5 µM) and doxorubicin (0.4 mg/mL) demonstrated a stronger additive effect by reducing the proliferation of Hodgkin lymphoma (L-540) cells by 79%. The pharmacokinetic study also revealed that curcumin (5 mg/kg) could enhance the absorption of doxorubicin (5 mg/kg) and decrease drug efflux in vivo, suggesting that curcumin downregulates the intracellular levels of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters.[20]
While DOX alone does not decrease tumor weight, the combination of DOX and curcumin has been shown to significantly reduce tumor weight to 56.5% (p<0.05) to that of the control group. In combination, curcumin enhanced apoptosis by DOX and decreased cell viability. The curcumin-DOX combination also suppressed activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9 compared to DOX alone. It appears that curcumin increases DOX-induced antitumor activity by suppressing the main caspase pathway and activating the main caspase independent pathway. The combination of curcumin and DOX suppressed the reduction of glutathione peroxidase activity and increased lipid peroxide levels in the heart. Therefore, it is expected that curcumin may reduce the adverse reactions associated with DOX. According to researchers, results suggest that curcumin can be used as a modulator to enhance the therapeutic index of cancer patients and improve their QOL.[21]
Combined with Platin Agents
Cisplatin-based combination therapy has emerged as a standard therapy for metastatic and advanced bladder cancer,[22] demonstrating 15–20% improved survival and 50–70% response rate. However, nearly 30% of patients do not respond to initial chemotherapy and show recurrence within 1 year.[23] Cisplatin is an inorganic platinum agent which can induce DNA-protein and interstrand and intrastrand DNA crosslinks.[24]
While this crosslink can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation,[25] the efficacy of cisplatin is limited by the development of cell resistance. Co-treatment with curcumin (10 µM) and cisplatin (10 µM) has shown a potent synergistic effect by activating caspase-3 and upregulating phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-MEK) and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) signaling in bladder cancer cell lines (253J-Bv and T24) compared to curcumin or cisplatin alone.[26] In addition to the effects observed on bladder cancer, the combination of curcumin and cisplatin was shown to upregulate the expression of miR-186 via modulation of Twist1 in ovarian cancer compared to cisplatin alone.[27]
Synergism of Curcumin and Epigallocatechin-3-gallate
Drug resistance remains an ongoing challenge in ovarian cancer chemotherapy. Research has investigated the synergism in activity from the sequenced combinations of cisplatin (Cis) with curcumin (Cur) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in ovarian cancer cell lines. The drugs were added in binary combinations: Cis combined with Cur, and Cis combined with EGCG to the human ovarian A2780 and A2780(cisR) cancer cell lines, using five different sequences of administration: 0/0 h, 4/0 h, 0/4 h, 24/0 h and 0/24 h. Addition of Cis 4 h before Cur and EGCG (0/4 h combination) produced the most synergistic outcomes in both the A2780 and A2780(cisR) cell lines. The cellular accumulations of platinum and platinum-DNA binding resulting from the 0/4 h combinations were greater as compared to the values using Cis alone, thus providing an explanation for the synergistic action. When sequenced combinations of Cis with Cur and with EGCG are applied to human ovarian A2780 and A2780(cisR) cancer cell lines, lower concentrations and shorter time gap between the two additions seem to produce a higher cytotoxic effect.[28]
Curcumin, EGCG (Green tea extract) and Resveratrol Immune Enhancing Anti-tumor
Curcumin, Resveratrol, EGCG and Beta glucan rich mushroom extract have shown promising immune-modulating effects, such as inhibiting myeloid-derived suppressor cells and enhancing natural killer and cytolytic T cells, in tumor-bearing animal models.
Many other studies involving either genetic models or xenograft models of other types of cancer have demonstrated that curcumin can reverse the tumor-favoring microenvironment, leading to further investigations of curcumin combined with standard cancer therapies. One study combined the anti-PD-L1 antibodies with bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a natural dimethoxy derivative of curcumin, in C57BL/6 mice with metastasized bladder cancer (MB49 cells).
They observed that BDMC alone increased levels of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, IFN-γ secretion in the blood, and decreased the number of tumor-infiltrating MDSCs.
Importantly, the combination of anti-PD-L1 antibodies with curcumin further enhanced the secretion of IFN-γ, granzyme B, and perforin from CD8+ T cells.[29]
Furthermore, curcumin has been combined with vaccines against tumor development. For instance, one group applied two vaccination strategies to BALB/c mice bearing triple-negative breast tumors (4T1 cells). One strategy gave the mice curcumin and all the vaccinations after tumors had developed. The other treated the mice with curcumin before they were inoculated with tumor cells and then vaccinated the animals after tumors developed. Interestingly, the second strategy was more effective against metastasis than the first, as it decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cancer promoting cytokines (IL-6), and increased levels of anti-tumor cytokines (IL-12 and IFN-γ).[30]
A cocktail of Turmeric- curcumin, Green tea epicatechin gallate and resveratrol—increased levels of tumor-infiltrating NK cells and CD8+ cytolytic T cells in C57BL/6 mice bearing HPV+ mouse lung cancer (TC-1 cells).
The combination formula repolarized tumor promoting M2-like TAMs to tumor fighting M1-like TAMs in the tumors.[31]
Combined with Taxanes
Docetaxel (30 or 75 mg) has been clinically approved and widely used for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.[32] However, prolonged treatment with docetaxel can cause severe toxicity in patients. A study found that the combined treatment of docetaxel (10 nM) and curcumin (20 µM) for 48 h significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer (PC-3) (DU145 and PC3) cells compared to curcumin and docetaxel alone. The data further demonstrated that curcumin enhances the efficacy of docetaxel in PC-3 cells via modulation of COX-2, p53, NF-κB, phospho-Akt, PI3K, and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK).[33] This finding implies that combining curcumin with conventional chemotherapy may act as an effective treatment regimen for patients with prostate cancer to reduce cytotoxicity and overcome drug-resistance induced by docetaxel.
Curcumin is a taxane sensitizer for tumors and chemoprotector for normal organs, including in cases of lung cancer.[34]
Curcumin induces apoptosis and inhibits the growth of orthotopic human non-small cell lung cancer xenografts. A research study evaluated the effect of curcumin on the expression of nuclear factor κB-related proteins in vitro and in vivo and on growth and metastasis in an intralung tumor mouse model.
H1975 NSCLC cells were treated with curcumin (0-50μM) alone, or combined with gemcitabine or cisplatin. The effects of curcumin were evaluated in cell cultures and in vivo, using ectopic and orthotopic lung tumor mouse models. Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of IkB, nuclear p65, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and p-ERK1/2 were down-regulated by curcumin in vitro. Curcumin potentiated the gemcitabine- or cisplatin-mediated antitumor effects. Curcumin reduced COX-2 expression in subcutaneous tumors in vivo and caused a 36% decrease in weight of intralung tumors (P=.048) accompanied by a significant survival rate increase (hazard ratio=2.728, P=.036). Curcumin inhibition of COX-2, p65 expression and ERK1/2 activity in NSCLC cells was associated with decreased survival and increased induction of apoptosis. Curcumin significantly reduced tumor growth of orthotopic human NSCLC xenografts and increased survival of treated athymic mice. Researchers note that to evaluate the role of curcumin in chemoprevention and treatment of NSCLC, further clinical trials are required.[36]
Curcumin Induces PTEN and Improves the Cytotoxicty of Gemzar Against Pancreatic Cancer
Curcumin induces cancer cell growth arrest and apoptosis in vitro, but its poor bioavailability in vivo limits its antitumor efficacy. Researchers noted that in previous evaluations of the bioavailability of novel analogues of curcumin compared with curcumin, they found that the analogue CDF exhibited greater systemic and pancreatic tissue bioavailability.
In a study reported in Cancer Research, scientists evaluated the effects of CDF or curcumin alone or in combination with gemcitabine on cell viability and apoptosis in gemcitabine-sensitive and gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer (PC) cell lines. Mechanistic investigations revealed a significant reduction in cell viability in CDF-treated cells compared with curcumin-treated cells, which were also associated with the induction of apoptosis, and these results were consistent with the downregulation of Akt, cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin E(2), vascular endothelial growth factor, and NF-kappaB DNA binding activity.
The researchers documented attenuated expression of miR-200 and increased expression of miR-21 (a signature of tumor aggressiveness) in gemcitabine-resistant cells relative to gemcitabine-sensitive cells. Interestingly, CDF treatment upregulated miR-200 expression and downregulated the expression of miR-21, and the downregulation of miR-21 resulted in the induction of PTEN. These results prompt further interest in CDF as a drug modality to improve treatment outcome of patients diagnosed with PC as a result of its greater bioavailability in pancreatic tissue.[37]
Mechanisms of action of combination curcumin and chemotherapy drugs in vitro and in vivo. Co-treatment with curcumin and chemotherapy drugs such as docetaxel, metformin, 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and celecoxib enhance the synergistic effect via modulating several signaling pathways and thus inhibit cancers such as prostate, hepatocellular, gastric, Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder, and colorectal. Akt: protein kinase B; COX-2: cyclooxygenase-2; EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor; MMP2/9: matrix metalloproteinase-2/9; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa B; p-ERK1/2: phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2; PI3K: phosphoinositide 3-kinase; p-MEK: phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase; STAT3: signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGFR2: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2.
Paclitaxel (PTX) is a key member of the taxane family with potential anti-tumor activity against different cancers. Notably, PTX has demonstrated excellent proficiency in elimination of cancer in clinical trials. This chemotherapeutic agent is isolated from Taxus brevifolia and is a tricyclic diterpenoid. However, resistance of cancer cells into PTX chemotherapy has endangered its efficacy. In addition, administration of PTX is associated with a number of side effects such as neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity, demanding novel strategies in obviating PTX issues.
Curcumin is a pharmacological compound with diverse therapeutic effects including anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. Curcumin appears to enhance the anti-tumor activity of PTX against different cancers. Additionally, curcumin administration reduces the adverse effects of PTX due to its excellent pharmacological activities.[40]
Combined with Metformin
Data from an in vitro study showed that combining metformin (10 mM) and curcumin (5 and 10 µM) can induce apoptosis and inhibit metastasis and invasion in HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells. The anticancer effects could be attributed to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), MMP2/9, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) inhibition, PTEN and p53 activation, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/STAT3 and NF-κB/mTOR/Akt/PI3K suppression. Data from an in vivo study further showed that co-treatment with metformin and curcumin significantly suppressed hepatocellular carcinoma compared to curcumin (60 mg/kg) and metformin (150 mg/kg) alone in a xenograft mouse model.[41]
Combined with Celecoxib and COX-2 inhibitor
Celecoxib is another selective inhibitor of COX-2, an enzyme induced by different stimuli including inflammation.[42] Celecoxib (75 µM for 16 h) has shown an ability to induce apoptosis and suppress tumor angiogenesis in several types of cancer.[43] However, the long-term use of Celecoxib leads to an adverse outcome such as cardiovascular toxicity.[44] The combination of curcumin and Celecoxib was shown to reduce cancer cell growth in vitro compared to Celecoxib alone. A study reported by Lev-Ari et al. revealed that curcumin (10–15 µmol/L) and physiological dosage of Celecoxib (5 µmol/L) exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect against human colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells. The study showed that the combination of curcumin and Celecoxib induces apoptosis in HT-29 cells via downregulation of COX-2 expression, suggesting that curcumin synergistically augments the growth inhibitory effects of Celecoxib in human colon cancer cell lines in vitro.[45]
Another anti-cancer property of curcumin seems to be overcoming multidrug resistance.[46] For example, it inhibits P-glycoprotein expression in mouse leukemia L1210/Adr cell lines. Cells treated with a combination of PI3K inhibitor and curcumin displayed lower P-glycoprotein expression in comparison to cells treated only with PI3K inhibitor. It was suggested that curcumin may act by inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/ NF-κB pathway.[47]
Curcumin was found to be a safe and non-toxic dietary supplement. Its efficacy of was studied during clinical trials.[48],[49]
In the mouse model, a high curcumin supplementation (100 mg/kg) was able to improve glucose and insulin intolerance through activating the AMPK pathway, showing the potential involvement of curcumin in metabolism.[50] Modulation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) improves glucose/insulin efficiency and adds the cancer suppressing effects of curcumin. AMPK acts as a cellular energy sensor, and curcumin selectively can enhance normal cell AMPK signaling, while suppressing it within the cancer cell. [51],[52]
Curcumin in the Modulation of Aging
Overview of the impact of curcumin on ageing and age-related diseases (ARD) at the organismal and cellular level. On the organismal level, curcumin mimics caloric restriction (CR) and improves the effectiveness of physical activity (which mimics CR).[53]
In Conclusion
Natural compounds, including curcumin, resveratrol, EGCG, and β-glucan have shown synergistic promising immune-modulating, anti-tumor, and chemo-potentiating effects.
The results of these clinical studies are conclusive, and these studies have established a good foundation for further research focusing on implementing curcumin along with other botanical compounds in clinical oncology. It’s important to note, however, that I never use it as a soloist! I always use a formula that combines curcumin with EGCG, resveratrol, grape seed extract, quercetin, and other botanical extracts. This provides a harmonious approach that best supports healing.
[2] Zhou SF, Xue CC, Yu XQ, Li C, Wang G. Clinically important drug interactions potentially involving mechanism-based inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A4 and the role of therapeutic drug monitoring. Ther Drug Monit. 2007 Dec;29(6):687-710. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0b013e31815c16f5. PMID: 18043468.
[3] Goel A, Aggarwal BB. Curcumin, the golden spice from Indian saffron, is a chemosensitizer and radiosensitizer for tumors and chemoprotector and radioprotector for normal organs. Nutr Cancer. 2010;62(7):919-30. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2010.509835. PMID: 20924967.
[4] Majeed M. The Age of Biotransformation, 2015; Personal communication. Ganjali S, Sahebkar A, Mahdipour E, Jamialahmadi K, Torabi S, Akhlaghi S, Ferns G, Parizadeh SM, Ghayour-Mobarhan M. The Scientific World Journal 2014; doi 10.1155/2014/898361
[5]Liang Shen, Cui-Cui Liu, Chun-Yan An, Hong-Fang Ji, How does curcumin work with poor bioavailability? Clues from experimental and theoretical studies, Scientific Reportsvolume 6, Article number: 20872 (2016), Published: 18 February 2016
Many plant molecules, such as polyphenols, interact with and modulate key regulators of mammalian physiology in ways that are beneficial to health. The more we understand about this interaction, the more effectively we can target both the prevention and treatment of disease.
Polyphenol compounds, when ingested, interact with receptors and enzymes within the consumer. The fact that stress-induced plant compounds tend to upregulate pathways that provide stress resistance in humans and animals suggests that plant consumers may have mechanisms to perceive these chemical cues and react to them in ways that are beneficial. The term xenohormesis is used to explain this phenomenon (from xenos, the Greek word for stranger, and hormesis, the term for health benefits provided by mild biological stress, such as cellular damage or a lack of nutrition).[1]
“When one tries to rise above nature, one is liable to fall below it.” – Sherlock Holmes
While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) maintains that vaccine immunity is superior to natural immunity, evidence continues to mount suggesting that natural immunity is superior and long-lasting. In my coverage of Covid-19 over the past two years, I’ve documented several studies supporting the fact that natural immunity is superior to vaccination, including studies conducted while the Delta variant was dominant. One study, published January 20th, 2022, was backed by the CDC.[1]
According to a study published in JAMA in early February 2022,[2] antibody protection against COVID-19 among the recovered was detected by researchers at 20 months post-infection, adding to the body of evidence that such protection, known as natural immunity, is long-lasting.
Natural Immunity is Strong and Durable
Researchers found antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain in 99 percent of study participants who tested positive for COVID-19, with some having had the illness 20 months prior.
“The major takeaway is that natural immunity … is strong and durable,” says Dr. Dorry Segev, the Director of the Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation at Johns Hopkins University.[3]
Natural immunity occurs from an orchestrated immune response which includes not only T and B cells, but-interferons (a family of cytokins with anti-viral properties) and other first-line defenders, while vaccine induced immunity shares some of the same response, is less robust, and less orchestrated. A central point is the important distinction between the impact of vaccination versus natural infection on type I interferon (IFN). While vaccination actively suppresses its production, natural infection promotes type I IFN production very early in the disease cycle.[4],[5]
This is a very important distinction because the argument stating vaccine immunity is better is solely based on the fact that mRNA vaccinations produce more neutralizing receptor binding domain antibodies than natural immunity,[6] which involves many more immunologically active components.
The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines’ ability to produce adverse reactions in individuals suffering from immune-mediated diseases, with therefore an inherent pre-existing dysregulation of the immune response, has not been investigated. In such cases, mRNA may bind pattern recognition receptors in endosomes or cytosol and cause immune chaos, as if the orchestra lost the music score. This leads to the activation of several pro-inflammatory cascades, including the assembly of inflammasome platforms, the type I IFN response and the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kB.[7]
Importantly, the up-regulation of these immunological pathways is widely considered to be at the basis of several immune-mediated diseases, especially in genetically predisposed subjects who have an impaired clearance of nucleic acids.[8]
A recent publication (January 21, 2022) in the Journal Authorea,[9] goes as far as to state the following concerns with regard to the mRNA vaccines: “the genetic modifications introduced by the vaccine are likely the source of these differential responses. In this paper, we present the evidence that vaccination, unlike natural infection, induces a profound impairment in type I interferon signaling, which has diverse adverse consequences to human health. We explain the mechanism by which immune cells release into the circulation, large quantities of exosomes containing spike protein along with critical microRNAs that induce a signaling response in recipient cells at distant sites. We also identify potential profound disturbances in regulatory control of protein synthesis and cancer surveillance. These disturbances are shown to have a potentially direct causal link to neurodegenerative disease, myocarditis, immune thrombocytopenia, Bell’s palsy, liver disease, impaired adaptive immunity increased tumorigenesis, and DNA damage.”
Long before COVID-19, it has been well known within the scientific community that a person develops natural immunity after recovering from an infection. The protection afforded by natural immunity is what all vaccines strive to achieve. Some vaccines do this better than others, but vaccines rarely surpass natural immunity.
The Pursuit of Truth
On Nov. 28, 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the chief medical adviser to the President of the United States, said on CBS’s Face the Nation: “It’s easy to criticize [me], but they are really criticizing science, because I represent science.”
Once the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak had begun, virologists quickly reached the conclusion that the pandemic was almost certainly of natural origin. Quickly the media called out such a notice has a radical conspiracy theory and the possibility of a lab leak was actively censored by Facebook and other social media platforms. Nonetheless, significant evidence has continued to build in support of the “lab leak hypothesis,”[10] so much so I invite you to read this paper entitled, “Thunder out of China” by Yuri Deigin, in Interference, Vol. 6, No. 4, February 2022. Be prepared to be enlightened. There are 152 citations in the paper, and they all support what the author Yuri speaks to.
It seems as though our government and most of the media censors anything other than what is considered to be “science.” I believe in the value of science, but I also believe that we should have open debate instead of being told what is the “truth.”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines science as “knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation.” So, science is human knowledge of facts. It has nothing to do with human intention or politics. Consider the fact that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) represents science in China. The CCP’s science is not to be criticized or questioned, but to be followed. If you criticize the Party, you are criticizing the representative of science. Now suddenly, in the United States, it seems that anyone who challenges the validity of the mRNA vaccines is labeled “anti-science” which has given rise to those that are so extreme in the opposite direction that even among the medical community they are now referred to as “anti-anti-science”.
Science is simply about facts and truth. The interpretation of facts is often debated to reach well-thought-out conclusions. Research findings must go through a peer-review process before being recognized as scientific. According to Joe Wang, PhD: “It seemed that the SARS-CoV-2 origin narrative had been decided upon—even when the existing facts did not support the narrative. The scientists took the existing facts and forced them to fit the preferred narrative, and also forced the general public to accept it, while silencing all other opinions and essentially banning scientific debate on the issue.”[11]
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” ~Sherlock Holmes
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Severity, Deaths among COVID-19 Patients
If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that science is confirming over and over again that normalizing vitamin D levels consistently is associated with significantly better outcomes in COVID-19 patients. A new study has found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with severe cases of COVID-19 as well as mortality. The research has been published in the ‘PLOS ONE Journal’.
Existing literature suggests a potential protective effect of supplemental vitamin D in preventing and treating COVID-19 disease.[12] A published meta-analysis of 43 observational studies analyzing data obtained from 612,601 patients showed that vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D of 30 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 1.34; p < 0.01). One meta-analysis of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two Quasi-experimental analyzing data obtained from 467 patients has raised doubt as to whether low vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19.[13] A more recent placebo-controlled, double-blind RCT tested the effect of calcifediol 25 (OH)D3 treatment in 106 COVID-19 Iranian patients and found that an oral calcifediol treatment resulted in improved immune function with an increased blood lymphocyte percentage and reduced blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio compared to the placebo group.[14] An additional retrospective study found that prescription of calcifediol or vitamin D, 15–30 days before hospitalization with COVID-19 infections, was found to improved patient survival in a large retrospective, hospitalized, Andalusian cohort.[15]
In a study, researchers from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University in Safed, Israel and the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Israel showed a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity and mortality.
The study is among the first to analyze vitamin D levels prior to infection, which facilitates a more accurate assessment than during hospitalization, when levels may be lower secondary to the viral illness. The findings reported build upon results initially published on MedRxiv. The records of 1,176 patients admitted between April 2020 and February 2021 to the Galilee Medical Center with positive PCR tests were searched for vitamin D levels measured two weeks to two years prior to infection.[16]
So, why is there still no mention what-so-ever about the benefits of vitamin D, or any other natural compounds and therapies that might be helpful? For one, there is no money to be made. Over the course of the pandemic, legislators and other government officials have invested heavily in the stock of vaccine manufacturers, and reaped significant financial gains from these investments.[17] Pharma companies have reciprocally poured millions into the campaign of sympathetic congress members.[18] Pharma companies also send large sums of money to the CDC as well.[19] They send money for lobbying to influence the government purchases of their products and resist efforts to render their drugs more accessible or affordable. All said, lawmakers, government officials and agencies, and pharmaceutical companies have all made vast amounts of cash by working together with one another over the course of the pandemic.[20], Keep in mind that each additional round of shots generates billions for vaccine manufacturers. Pharmaceutical companies have a clear stake in multiple rounds being mandated or encouraged for as many people as possible, in as many places as possible (at as high a price as possible). Dr. Fauci is now proposing a 4th shot.[21] It is hard not to see bias in all of this.
“Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking.” ~ Buckminster Fuller
Wisdom and Knowledge
Wisdom and knowledge have quite a bit in common. Both words are primarily used as nouns that are related to learning. The word knowledge is defined first as the “acquaintance with facts, truths or principles, as from study or investigation.Wisdom is defined as “the state of being wise,” which means “having the power of discernment and judging properly as to what is true or right: possessing discernment, judgement, or discretion.” It is older (recorded before the 900s), and joins wise and -dom, a suffix that can convey “general condition,” as in freedom. Wisdom is typically gained from experiences and acquired over time. It flows through the sub conscious and conscious mind.
ETMS (Eclectic Triphasic Medical System) – The Mederi Care Medical Approach to health and healing. Synergistic • Unitive • Personalized • Adaptive
Below is a visual aid I created that highlights the importance of “purity of heart” that allows us to free ourselves from bias and seek Truth:
The great Eclectic School of Medicine had a motto: “To Love the Truth, To Prove the Truth, To Apply the Truth, and To Promote the Truth.”
Finding Truth involves wisdom. Wisdom involves an understanding of the nature, source, and limits of knowledge, together with the degree to which we are able to “teotl” (to understand with the Divine Spirit, taken from the Aztec religion).
“The greatest scientists are artists as well,” said Albert Einstein. For Einstein, insight did not come from logic or mathematics. It came, as it does for artists, from intuition and inspiration. Einstein also said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.“
The Approach of Logical Positivism
Conventional medicine encompasses an inherently restricted set of categories and paradigms for understanding patients and diseases. But given that no single method is suitable for all patients, problems, and situations, this approach is far from optimal.
I propose logical positivism as an alternative to the current dogmatic, narrow view of modern conventional medicine. Logical positivism is spiritual-rationality in the most pristine form. It is considered culturally universal in traditional healing systems, and incorporates traditional wisdom, scientific knowledge, logic, intuition, and prayer, making it applicable to all modalities and situations.
References
[1] Tomás M. León, PhD1; Vajeera Dorabawila, PhD2; Lauren Nelson, MPH1; Emily Lutterloh, MD2,3; Ursula E. Bauer, PhD2; Bryon Backenson, MPH2,3; Mary T. Bassett, MD2; Hannah Henry, MPH1; Brooke Bregman, MPH1; Claire M. Midgley, PhD4; Jennifer F. Myers, MPH1; Ian D. Plumb, MBBS4; Heather E. Reese, PhD4; Rui Zhao, MPH1; Melissa Briggs-Hagen, MD4; Dina Hoefer, PhD2; James P. Watt, MD1; Benjamin J. Silk, PhD4; Seema Jain, MD1; Eli S. Rosenberg, PhD, COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations by COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis — California and New York, May–November 2021, Weekly / January 28, 2022 / 71(4);125–131, On January 19, 2022, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release.
[6] Yu, Y., Esposito, D., Kang, Z. et al. mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies more effective than natural immunity in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and its high affinity variants. Sci Rep12, 2628 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06629-2
[16] Patients with vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/mL) were 14 times more likely to have the severe or critical case of COVID than those with more than 40 ng/mL.[16]
