I think the term “ultra-processed” is misleading. Many things, like Quaker Oats 1-minute cereal, go through so many steps that, to my thinking, they would be ultra-processed, yet the label says it contains nothing but oats. My can of sardines, which obviously undergoes many processing steps, contains nothing but sardines, water, and salt.
My takeaway from the official definition is that “ultra-processed” means having many chemical additives, such as preservatives and non-food additives that are harmful, not processing in of itself.
The Viva Longevity! guy, Chris MacAskill (formerly Plant Chompers), came out with another great interview vid - with Dr. Federica Amati - covering nutrition of course, but giving Attia another drubbing for his protein poison products and misinformation. However there’s a lot of interesting info on the microbiome, well worth checking out.
Why Are So Many Young People Getting Cancer? (via Viva Longevity!)
A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) with nearly 1,000 participants showed berberine (600 mg/day, split into two doses) reduced colorectal adenoma recurrence by 23% over 2 years compared to placebo, including nearly 50% fewer advanced adenomas.
Berberine works by inhibiting pro-cancer pathways in colon cells and promoting an anti-cancer gut microbiome.
A 6-year follow-up study revealed continued risk reduction even after stopping berberine for the last 6 years, though causation is associative due to lack of ongoing randomization.
Limitations include participants being Chinese with prior adenomas, potential inefficacy in those with healthy microbiomes or different diets, and need for more diverse studies.
Few side effects reported; may benefit those with colon growth history, but consult a physician before use.
@DeStrider I thought you would be very interested to see this.
I stopped taking berberine and metformin and am taking dapagliflozin instead. It works much better for my glucose management. However, I now wonder if there is any downside to adding berberine, and maybe it has only upside potential. Even with dapagliflozin and 100mg of acarbose, I’ll still get a really high glucose spike if I ‘cheat’ and eat a high carb meal
Berberine is one of my staples. I don’t take it for glucose control because it has no noticeable effects on my fasting glucose levels.
Other benefits:
"* Lipid profile support: Some studies suggest berberine can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while raising HDL cholesterol, contributing to a healthier lipid profile in people with dyslipidemia.
Weight management: Evidence from multiple trials indicates berberine may modestly reduce body weight and waist circumference, potentially by affecting fat cell development and metabolism.
Inflammation reduction: Berberine has anti-inflammatory properties, which could help lower systemic inflammatory markers in various conditions.
Gut health and microbiome: Berberine may support gut barrier function, reduce pathogenic bacteria, and promote a healthier microbiome in some individuals.
Blood pressure support: Some data suggest modest improvements in blood pressure, though findings are not uniformly strong across all populations.
Antioxidant effects: Berberine exhibits antioxidant activity, which may contribute to overall cellular protection and reduced oxidative stress.
Potential anticancer signals: In preclinical studies, berberine has shown effects that inhibit cancer cell growth in certain models; human evidence is limited and not yet conclusive.
Mood and mental health signals: Early research hints at possible mood benefits, but high-quality clinical data are lacking and more studies are needed.
Liver fat and metabolic health: Some research indicates benefits for fatty liver disease and overall hepatic metabolism, though results are preliminary."
Not that I have noticed. ChatGPT-5 thinks: Short answer:
Metformin: yes, there’s solid human data that it can modestly blunt muscle growth in older adults doing resistance training.
Berberine: it might have some theoretical potential to do something similar, but we don’t have human evidence showing that normal supplement doses impair muscle gains the way metformin does.
This is the brand I am currently taking: Natural Factors WellBetX Berberine - Daily Supplement “https://tinyurl.com/34467pat”
Nothing special, but it got more positive reviews than most brands. I am not endorsing it.
I take 1 gram with supper; twice a day would be better.
FWIW: AI says, “The consensus opinion of Natural Factors is that it is a reputable brand known for producing high-quality, pure, and effective supplements, primarily due to its rigorous third-party testing and control over its manufacturing process from farm to finished product. Their WellBetX Berberine product is generally well-regarded by customers for its quality and noticeable results in supporting metabolic health.”
My cardiologist has finally agreed that I should take an 81 mg aspirin every other day. He had originally advised not to. I revisited it again with him because (1) it can reduce inflammation --my hsCRP was running 1.5 to 1.8 and I want it below 1. and (2) I take raloxifene for osteoporosis. It confers a low risk of blood clotting. So finally he agreed I should take the very-other-day-aspirin., And he said that he does too.
DeStrider, I told my cadiologist that I wanted to retest hsCRP in 6 months, and if it hasn’t gone down, may-be try a very low dose of colchicine and he agreed. Meanwhile, will do what I can. Just ordered Tributerin-X and Thorne Curcumin phytosome. Not aware of any gut issues but will give it a go. Stay tuned … .
This is not a strategy for preventing cancer you can run out and try right now, but just new science that might translate into a new approach:
Frog gut bacterium eliminates cancer tumors in mice with a single dose
The team administered a single shot of E. americana intravenously to mice with colorectal cancer, and it completely eliminated tumors in every treated animal. What’s more, the response wasn’t just rapid but appeared to provide ongoing protection. When the mice were later re-exposed to cancer cells, none developed new tumors, suggesting the treatment had triggered long-lasting immune memory.
Colorectal cancer is on the rise among young people. Now it is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. for those under 50, according to a new analysis.
More than 1.2 million people under age 50 died of cancer in the U.S. from 1990 through 2023, American Cancer Society researchers reported Thursday.
Some 3,905 people ages 20 to 49 died of colorectal cancer in 2023, according to Cancer Society statistics, compared with 3,809 for breast cancer and 2,086 for brain and other nervous system cancers.
“This is absolutely disconcerting,” said Dr. Madappa Kundranda, division chief of cancer medicine at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Phoenix, who wasn’t involved in the research.
Cancer has long been thought of as a disease of aging. Rising rates of some cancers among younger people, however, have upended the longtime stereotype, worrying health authorities and doctors and triggering research into possible causes and solutions. …
It’s worth noting that this is in substantial part the result of good news: that death from the other top cancers in young people have fallen, helping colorectal cancer rise to the top:
From 1990 through 2023, … the age-standardized death rate decreased by 44%, from 25.5 to 14.2 per 100 000. Among the 5 leading causes of cancer death, the mean annual decline from 2014 through 2023 was 0.3% (95% CI, −0.6% to −0.0%) for brain cancer, 1.4% (95% CI, −1.7% to −1.1%) for breast cancer, 2.3% (95% CI, −2.3% to −2.2%) for leukemia, and 5.7% (95% CI, −7.2% to −4.2%) for lung cancer (Table). Only colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality increased, by 1.1% (95% CI, 0.9% to 1.3%) annually since 2005, advancing it from fifth most common from 1990 through 1994 to the most common cancer death in 2023 (Figure). Conversely, lung cancer and leukemia dropped from ranking first to fourth and third to fifth, respectively,
New research has pinpointed exactly how many alcoholic drinks increase your risk of developing colorectal cancer.
People who drank an average of 14 drinks a week — or two per day — had a 25% higher chance of rectal cancer, and 95% higher chance of developing colon cancer, according to research published in the journal*Cancer.* Researchers used data from more than 88,000 adults who were enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and found that people who were consistent heavy drinkers had double the risk of developing colorectal cancer as their counterparts who only engaged in light drinking.
Paper:Association of alcohol intake over the lifetime with colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
Results
The group with the highest total carotenoid intake had a 38 percent lower risk of colon cancer and a 44 percent lower risk of rectal cancer than the group with the lowest intake. Beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin were particularly protective
