Tag: Apoptosis

According to the World Health Organization, more than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, which has a ripple effect on cell function. When this deprivation affects individual cells, a cascade of events is triggered. So, what happens if cells don't get enough nutrients?

Epidemiological studies dating back decades have observed a lower incidence of certain cancers in populations living in sunnier, southern latitudes. This geographical disparity has driven extensive research into the intricate connection between vitamin D and cancer incidence, progression, and mortality.

Over 900 genes are regulated by vitamin D, highlighting its extensive and underestimated role beyond mineral metabolism. This fat-soluble pro-hormone orchestrates crucial functions deep within the body, fundamentally changing what vitamin D does for your cells at a genetic level.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), extensive research suggests that vitamin D has several biological activities that might slow or prevent cancer development. This is the vitamin most often cited when asking which vitamin is also known as an anticancer vitamin.

Vitamin E is not a single compound, but a group of fat-soluble compounds with distinct biological activities. Research has revealed that one specific derivative, vitamin E succinate (VES), demonstrates unique functions that differ from standard vitamin E, primarily in its impressive anticancer properties that induce selective apoptosis in tumor cells.

Approximately 70 trillion cells in the human body require a constant supply of nutrients to function, but what happens to cells without food? When deprived of energy, cells first activate powerful survival mechanisms before eventually succumbing to controlled or uncontrolled death pathways.

Research shows capsaicin, the active compound in cayenne pepper, can induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in over 40 different types of cancer cells in laboratory settings. This demonstrates the profound and specific effects that cayenne pepper can have on your cells at a molecular level, extending far beyond its culinary use.

According to research from the Institut Pasteur, intermittent fasting (IF) stimulates a cellular recycling process called autophagy, which enables the breakdown of cellular waste. While this sounds like a way to 'get rid of dead cells,' the mechanism is far more nuanced, focusing on recycling dysfunctional components rather than removing whole dead cells.

Over 19,000 studies have explored curcumin's effects, the main active compound in turmeric. This research has shown that what does turmeric do to cells is far-reaching, influencing fundamental processes like gene expression, cell signaling, and survival mechanisms.

In 2016, a Nobel Prize was awarded for research into autophagy, a cellular recycling process, sparking immense public interest in fasting as a way to boost health. This fascination has led many to ask, **does fasting clean out dead cells** and what exactly does this cellular 'housekeeping' entail?