49 Metformin.mp3: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix
49 Metformin.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Speaker1:
Hi and welcome to the Cancer Secrets podcast. I am your host and guide, Dr. Jonathan Stegall. Cancer is like a thief who has come to steal, kill and destroy. I have personally seen it wreak havoc on patients, friends and even my own family. But I am on a mission to change the cancer paradigm through the practice of integrative oncology cancer treatment that integrates the best of conventional medicine with the best of alternative therapies backed by science and personalized to each patient. You need a positive voice you can trust. This podcast will share valuable information to give you practical hope for a better outcome. So I invite you to join me on this journey as we seek to change the cancer paradigm together. Hello and welcome back to the Cancer Secrets podcast. I'm your host, Doctor Jonathan Seagal. This is season four and episode number 49. In today's episode, I want to talk about metformin, a powerful tool in our anticancer arsenal. As always, I encourage you to listen with a loved one or friend. Today's episode is an important one if you're interested in cancer treatment or prevention. If you're looking to repurpose medications for cancer, metformin is a first place you should start to review. We discussed the concept of repurposed medications in episode ten. If you haven't listened to that episode, please check it out because it explains the philosophy behind these medications. As a quick recap, repurposed medications are medications which are FDA approved to treat a specific non-cancer condition but have been found in subsequent research to have unique anticancer effects.
Speaker1:
The wonderful thing about these repurposed medications is that they attack cancer in specific ways that conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation do not. When properly applied as part of an overall integrative approach, we're able to use repurposed medications to more completely block various pathways cancer uses to grow and spread. Our goal with this approach is, of course, to have better results from cancer treatment. Metformin is best known as a first line treatment for type two diabetes because it helps the body safely reduce elevated blood sugar levels. Now, metformin is also known as brand name glucose phage, but most people typically refer to it as metformin, since that's the generic version. Now metformin has a very fascinating history, is derived from an herb known as goat's roux. Scientific name Galatia Officinalis Goat through, which is also sometimes known as French lilac, originated in Southern Europe and in Western Asia, but has since spread to many countries around the globe. Historical records tell us that this plant was used in medieval times to relieve frequent urination, which often accompany the disease we now know as diabetes. Unfortunately, it proved too toxic for widespread use. But in the early 1900s, a search for the key active ingredient in goats Roo was unsuccessful. Ultimately, in the 1920s, the active ingredient was discovered.
Speaker1:
Subsequent research utilizing extracts of the active ingredient found that it had a blood sugar lowering effect, but its effects in the body weren't consistent and the duration of action was short. Research continued in the 1950s. The active ingredient was isolated and standardized to create the drug metformin. Metformin was introduced as a medication in France in 1957. Interestingly, it was mostly used in parts of Europe for the next few decades and did not gain widespread use in the United States until the 1990s. We know that metformin safely lowers blood sugar by improving insulin resistance. In other words, it improves the ability of insulin to do its job at the cellular level, which is to help the sugar in the bloodstream be taken up by the cells that need it. Metformin works by activating an enzyme known as amp activated protein kinase, commonly referred to as Ampk. This enzyme is important for a variety of functions in the body. Interestingly, research has uncovered some exciting findings about metformin, which extend far beyond its ability to lower blood sugar. Studies on diabetics taking metformin found that they had a significantly reduced risk of developing cancer. As we know, diabetics are at an increased risk for getting cancer. Diabetics on metformin not only had less cancer than diabetics not taking metformin, but were even found to have a lower risk of cancer than non diabetics not taking metformin.
Speaker1:
Clearly metformin exerts an anticancer effect. Subsequent research has looked at the potential role of metformin in patients who already have cancer. One study found that patients with colorectal cancer had a significantly improved chance of survival if they took metformin. Another study found that prostate cancer patients taking metformin had a significant increase in survival compared to prostate cancer patients not taking metformin. Why is this? Well, we know that metformin kills cancer stem cells and this is a big deal. Cancer stem cells are a specific population of cancer cells found within tumors representing only about 1 to 3% of all cells within that tumor. They're important because they are the only cells with the ability to regenerate malignant cells. You can think of them as the cells responsible for driving the growth of a cancerous tumor. When a cancer is in remission but returns months or years later, it is due to the stem cells which were not eradicated. Regenerating cancer's growth and spread. So it makes sense. If we want to eradicate cancer, we must address the cancer stem cells. It's believed that chemotherapy, as great as it is at killing the actively dividing cancer cells, does not kill cancer stem cells. This is why metformin is so important. I can tell you that I put all of my cancer patients on metformin. I feel that it's an essential component of a well rounded cancer treatment protocol. In addition to its anti-cancer effects, metformin has also been shown to have other benefits in the body, including healthy weight loss, prevention of cardiovascular disease, improvement in memory.
Speaker1:
And it's even being researched as a way to prevent. Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. For these reasons, metformin is considered the first anti aging drug due to its many beneficial effects in the body. Non diabetics are even taking it for longevity and health promoting purposes. A trial is currently underway to study metformin as an anti aging drug. It's called the Thame Trial, which stands for Targeting Aging with Metformin. It's sponsored by the American Federation for Aging Research, and I'm really excited to see what the results of this trial are. So we know that metformin is extremely safe. However, there are some notable contraindications to metformin. People with severe kidney impairment, with lab testing showing an estimated glomerular filtration rate or GFR of less than 30 millilitres per minute should not take metformin. Diabetics. You have a condition known as metabolic acidosis which is quite rare, should not take metformin and certainly people with a known allergy or hypersensitivity to metformin shouldn't take it either. But for everyone else, metformin has a great track record of safety. It's important to note that metformin can cause some gastrointestinal side effects when first starting it. Symptoms can include abdominal discomfort, bloating and diarrhea. These effects are typically transient when they occur, lasting only a day or two to no more than a week or two if they occur at all.
Speaker1:
It's estimated that less than 5% of people are unable to tolerate metformin. Finally, metformin can affect the absorption of vitamin B 12. So if you're taking metformin, it's generally a good idea to also supplement with B 12, because metformin is a pharmaceutical doctor's prescription is required, although it's a safe medication, it does need to be managed by a doctor who understands how it works, especially in context of cancer treatment as a whole, especially if you're on chemotherapy, you need to make sure that you're being monitored appropriately. Please don't try to self medicate with metformin or any other medication. I hope you found this information helpful. Metformin is a very exciting drug and I predict that we'll be hearing more good things about it in the future, both from an anti-cancer perspective as well as a longevity perspective. As a reminder, please subscribe to the Cancer Secrets podcast to be notified when new episodes are released. We have some great shows planned for season four and I can't wait to share them with you. If you're enjoying these podcasts, please take a moment and provide a review on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Finally, please share this podcast with your family and friends. All previous episodes are available for free on our website at Cancer Secrets dot com. Until next time. Bye bye.
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