Two years ago, I lost my mom to ovarian cancer. And more than a decade ago, I lost my elder brother to a rare illness.

As dark as it sounds, it’s safe to say that my dad and I are getting used to our loved ones leaving us for a better place 😄 That is why whenever an illness-related science breakthrough takes off, I get chills and an adrenaline rush to share it with as many people as possible, in hope that I can somehow, indirectly, save someone’s life.

Losing someone to cancer (or any illness) is devastating, especially if it’s someone as close as your mom. It’s also confusing. You constantly wonder if there’s anything more you could’ve done. And yet, in the aftermath of the war, there’s a strange, bittersweet relief knowing that she’s no longer in pain.

I recently came across an episode of The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett where he invited Dr. William Li, a world-renowned scientist in immunotherapy and blood vessel growth. Two things resonated with me from that episode:

1. Dr. Li shared a story of how he was able to help cure his mom’s (who was 80 years old then) stage-4 cancer to stage 0 via immunotherapy.

2. He also briefly mentioned about how several of his colleagues successfully identified key bacteria in our gut that would skyrocket the chance of immunotherapy’s success in curing cancer, just like how he was able to “save” his 80-yera-old mom.

So, I did some digging and found something very interesting. Hear me out.

The role of your gut bacteria

Immunotherapy has made significant advances in recent years, gaining traction among patients who are considering an alternative to chemotherapy. However, immunotherapy doesn’t work equally well for everyone. Some patients may experience amazing recoveries, while others see no benefit.

Why???

A paper published in the journal Current Oncology Reports shows that specific gut bacteria holds the key in determining whether immunotherapy will succeed or fail. Scientists identified certain bacteria that enhance the body’s response to immunotherapy. These bacteria include: Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiracae. The upside is these organisms are naturally supposed to live inside us, but depending on our diet, they could either thrive in numbers, or go extinct.

These bacteria produce molecules called short-chain fatty aids (or SCFAs), such as butyrate and acetate. These SCFAs actively boost our immune cells, especially the CD8+ T-cells that hunt down and destroy cancer cells, i.e., they help our immune system recognise and target cancer. Patients with higher levels of these gut bacteria have shown significantly better responses to cancer treatments. On the other hand, those lacking these bacteria struggle to see the same benefits.

Importance of your diet

The good news is, these gut bacteria thrive on a healthy diet, especially diets rich in fibre from fuits, veggies, nuts, and whole grains. The bad news is, eating healthy is usually difficult (due to whatever reason it may be. Be honest!). Clinical trials confirm that patients consuming at least 20 grams of fibre daily reduce their risk of cancer progression by almost 30% while undergoing immunotherapy.

Diversity also plays a role in the case. Eating more than 30 different plant-based foods each week will increase the variety of beneficial gut bacteria, which creates more resilient gut microbiome in your body. On top of that, it was also suggested that vitamin D can improve the gut bacteria’s response to immunotherapy. So get your daily sun bath starting tomorrow.

Researchers are currently exploring personalised diets and probiotics designed specifically to improve immunotherapy effectiveness. This is huge, because the side effects of chemotherapy are unpleasant, whereas with immunotherapy, you are “just” changing your diet, while letting your own body’s immune system do its thing! I mean, imagine a future where nutrition becomes the main choice of treatment in cancer care.

We all know that cancer affects nearly everyone in some way, directly or indirectly. I share this research and personal story with the hope that it reaches and benefits as many people as possible. If you or someone you know is battling cancer, please share this information.

We might just be the one thing that can heal that person. You’ll never know.

Anyways, this one’s really personal, and I would really like to say thank you for being part of this community. Let’s keep on learning, sharing, and supporting one another in the most challenging moments of life.

With loads of hope,

Krish

Read the full research journal here; If you don’t have access to the actual paper, let me know and I’ll send you a direct copy!