From Mutation to Metabolism: A Broader View of Cancer Development
Posted: August 18, 2026 Filed under: behavior, cancer, Evolutionary perspective, healing, health, lifestyle, self-healing | Tags: cancer, environmental toxins, genetics, glucose, health, Metabolic Theory, metabolism, mitochondria, nutrition, Somatic Mutation Theory, Warburg effect, wellness 2 CommentsErik Peper, PhD, BCB1 and Richard Harvey, PhD2
1 Biofeedback Health, Berkeley, CA and 2 Institute for Holistic Health, San Francisco State University
My aunt died of breast cancer and my mother was an identical twin. She and her sister resembled each other so closely that family members often couldn’t tell them apart. For the first 26 years of their lives, they both lived in Amsterdam. After they married, they moved to different cities. At the age of 82, my mother’s twin was diagnosed with breast cancer with metastasis to the brain and died that year. For my mother, this was one of the most devastating experiences of her life. It was as if half of her had died. Even with this loss, my mother never developed cancer and lived to the age of 95. The situation became even more complicated when my cousin (the daughter of my mother’s twin) also died of breast cancer at the age of 53, while my mother’s two daughters remained cancer-free. -Erik Peper, PhD. Reproduced by permission from Peper, Gorter and Faass (2026).
Cancer, with a capital ‘C’ along with each of the many kinds of malignant cellular processes is often understood primarily in terms of a disease driven by genetic mutations. This blog begins with observations from twin studies along with ongoing and emerging research suggests that genetics may represent susceptibility rather than destiny. In the case of identical twins, the experience of developing different cancer outcomes illustrates the importance of environmental exposures, lifestyle choices, specific metabolism interactions, immune functions, and particular cellular physiology.
The blog examines prevalent hypotheses about cancer processes which acknowledge interactions and functions such as immune, metabolic and evolutionary pressures. In particular, the paper argues in favor of revisiting the Warburg effect and the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer development. The Warburg metabolic theory proposes that impaired mitochondrial energy production may drive cells toward an ancient survival pathway characterized by increased glucose fermentation, loss of specialized cellular function, and uncontrolled or unregulated proliferation. This perspective does not reject the strong role of genetics in cancer processes but rather places DNA and RNA within a broader biological context influenced by metabolism, epigenetics, and the environment. Understanding cancer as a systemic metabolic disorder may expand prevention strategies and complement existing treatments by emphasizing lifestyle, environmental, and metabolic interventions.
Twin Studies: Genetics as Predisposition, Not Destiny
For decades, research on cancer causes and treatments has been dominated by the Somatic Mutation Theory (SMT), which proposes that cancers arise through the accumulation of DNA mutations (Weinberg, 2023; Huang et al., 2025). This SMT framework has guided the “War on Cancer” and has led to remarkable advances in targeted therapies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation treatments. These strategies have saved countless lives, yet they primarily focus on eliminating malignant cells rather than understanding why normal cells become malignant in the first place. While a variety of mutation-focused approaches has yielded remarkable therapeutic successes, one could expect that genetically identical individuals would develop the same or similar cancers.
Decades of twin research suggests otherwise. In the landmark Nordic Twin Study of Cancer, Lichtenstein and colleagues (2000) analyzed nearly 45,000 pairs of monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. If one identical twin developed cancer, the co-twin’s probability of developing the same cancer was about 10% which is much lower than expected if inherited genes alone determined cancer risk. Heritable factors accounted for only a portion of susceptibility (approximately 27% for breast cancer, 35% for colorectal cancer, and 42% for prostate cancer). The remaining risk was attributed largely to environmental influences, lifestyle, aging, and biological processes that occur during life (Lichtenstein et al., 2000; Mucci et al., 2016; Harris et al., 2019).
Both specific cancer investigations along with epidemiological findings across many places, people, and types of cancers suggest that genes create a predisposition, but they do not inevitably determine whether cancer develops. Instead, the cellular environment, metabolic health, environmental exposures, and epigenetic regulation strongly influence whether that predisposition is expressed. Simplistically stated, Genetics loads the gun and lifestyle and environment pulls the trigger (Peper et al., 2026).
The success of cancer treatments based on current oncology theories means that the Somatic Mutation Theory (SMT) provides a partial explanation of cancer processes. Extending the SMT of carcinogenesis to include Warburg-like theories has led to increasing evidence which suggests that metabolic dysfunction, mitochondrial injury, chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and environmental exposures all contribute to carcinogenesis. A useful framing of cancer risk related to inherent or heritable factors in comparison to non-intrinsic or non-genetic factors has been described by others (Brennan & Davey-Smith, 2022; Karras et al., 2024; Rahman et al., 2018; Wu et al., 2018).
For example, Wu et al., (2018) suggest that it is not possible to modify ‘random errors in DNA replication’ as an intrinsic risk factor, it is possible to partially modify endogenous risk factors related to inflammation or hormone production or fully mediate or modify directly and indirectly moderate non-genetic exogenous risk factors associated with toxic carcinogenic exposures that include exposures to some products from carcinogenic interactions with bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic products, tobacco products, ultra-processed food and beverage products and chemicals (e.g., preservatives, pesticides, contaminants, dyes, non-nutritive chemicals such as sweeteners), industrial pollutant and chemical products (e.g. endocrine disrupting ‘forever’ chemicals such as in plastics), and lifestyle moderators such as lack of sleep, exercise, relaxation from mental ruminations and strain. A simplified model pathway would be: Risk of cancer is based on intrinsic genetic factors plus non-intrinsic endogenous and exogenous ‘epigenetic’ factors moderated by individual adaptive capacity to reduce endogenous or mitigate exogenous non-intrinsic factors.
Rather than competing explanations, mechanisms of cancerous disease processes may interact to determine whether genetically susceptible cells remain healthy or progress toward malignancy. These factors may explain that the overall cancer mortality has declined substantially over the past several decades and is predominantly due to the decreased tobacco use, earlier detection, and improvements in treatment. At the same time, the incidence of several cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer, has increased among younger adults (Siegel et al., 2025; American Cancer Society, 2024; Ugai et al., 2022; Lee, 2026). These trends suggest that additional biological and environmental factors deserve closer examination. Beyond regulating exposure to lifestyle factors such as tobacco products as a mediator of reduced cancer mortality, theories by Warburg and colleagues have pointed to metabolic regulation, including regulation of sugars, as a mediator in cancer mortality.
The Metabolic Origin: Revisiting the Warburg Effect
An alternative framework proposes that cancer is fundamentally a disorder of cellular metabolism. This concept dates back to Otto Warburg, who received the 1931 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering that cancer cells exhibit a distinctive pattern of energy metabolism (Bononi et al., 2022; Otto, 2016; Nobel Prize Outreach, 2026). He showed that cancer cells rely predominantly on glucose fermentation, an anerobic process for making energy without oxygen (e.g. glucose splits into pyruvate and makes two adenosine triphosphate molecules) which is much less efficient than making energy through oxidative phosphorylation, even when oxygen is abundant in a cancer cell. The vast majority of cancerous cell growth depends on a less efficient glucose metabolism form of energy (Kim, 2017; Warburg, Negelein & Posener, 1924). The Warburg effect has been recognized as a hallmark of cancer for nearly a century (Seyfried & Chinopoulos, 2021).
Non-cancerous healthy cells mainly generate energy by producing ATP through oxidative phosphorylation within the mitochondria. Healthy cells are metabolically flexible and can generate energy from both glucose and free fatty acid oxidation (FAO). During periods of fasting, exercise, or carbohydrate restriction, triglycerides stored in adipose tissue are broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol (Eberle, 2013). The liver also converts free fatty acids into ketone bodies, which provide an efficient alternative fuel for the brain and many other tissues when glucose availability is reduced (Wakil & Abu-Elheiga, 2009; Edwards & Mohiuddin, 2023).
When mitochondrial respiration is chronically impaired by environmental toxins, oxidative stress, metabolic dysfunction, or other factors associated with carcinogenesis, cells may shift from efficient oxidative phosphorylation to a more primitive, glycolytic mode of energy production that can generate ATP in the absence of oxygen. Mitochondrial function can decline as people age when accumulation of reactive oxygen species which can directly harm mitochondrial DNA (Bondy, 2024; Cui et al., 2012; Madamanchi & Runge, 2007). In addition, mitochondrial function can also decline due to the indirect moderating effects of lifestyle choices (Caturano et al., 2025; Lemos et al., 2023; San-Millán, 2023).
As described by Miwa et al., (2022), when mitochondrial function declines, mitochondrial dysfunction can contribute to cellular senescence which is the hallmarks of aging. As a response healthy cells can progressively relinquishes their specialized role within the tissue and adopts characteristics of a more ancestral, less differentiated state (Zhang et al., 2025).
Zhang et al. (2025) suggests a few mechanisms which explain the shift of healthy cells away from specialized states towards a less differentiated state, such as shifts in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) which rely on healthy mitochondria to produce cofactors such as acetyl-CoA and positively charged Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+), along with drops in chromatin, inhibiting DNA and histone demthylases (locking chromatin in a hyper-methylated state, and an upregulation of glycolysis. Additionally, cells ‘sense’ when mitochondria have low energy production such as a high ratio of adenosine mono-phosphate or di-phosphate (AMP/ADP) to adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), which then leads to the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMP-K) pathway (Mihaylova & Shaw, 2011). Finally, hypoxia-inducing factor (HIF) signaling is how cells ‘sense’ and adapt to changes in available oxygen, and HIF binds to DNA, activating specific genes (Huang et al., 2023). The Warburg theory suggests that when mitochondrial dysfunction directly or indirectly reduces oxidative phosphorylation, the cells shift energy production from the mitochondria to cytoplasmic glycolysis which is a hallmark of unicellular ‘ancestral’ organisms or more embryonic or stem-like cellular activity (Suomalainen, & Nunnari, 2024; Zong et al., 2024).
It is as if your cells suddenly forget they’re part of a team. Instead of working together like citizens in a well-organized society, they revert to their most primitive programming; the “me first” mentality of our single-celled ancestors. This is what happens in cancer where sophisticated multicellular cooperation gets hijacked by an ancient survival script buried deep in our biological software. Sonnenschein and Soto (1999) describe this process in their book The Society of Cells (1999), “the default state of cells is proliferation.” In other words, multiplication isn’t some aberrant behavior; it’s actually the factory setting when single cells began. Every cell carries this “go forth and multiply” command like prehistoric programming code.
In healthy tissue, cells have learned to override this ancient impulse. They’ve evolved sophisticated “stop” signals, quality control mechanisms, and cooperative protocols that keep the peace. Cancer occurs when these civilized controls break down, and cells revert to their evolutionary factory settings—endless growth, damn the consequences.
It’s as if your cells suddenly decide to ignore millions of years of evolutionary teamwork and go back to playing by the rules that worked when life was just lone microbes floating in primordial soup.
Under Survival Threat, Organisms Revert to Their Oldest Survival Mechanisms
The same regression process can be observed in human beings. When children experience overwhelming stress, they often revert to earlier developmental behaviors, such as becoming incontinent or seeking protection by hiding behind a parent. Similarly, when adults perceive an immediate threat to survival, the stress response is not always fight or flight. Instead, the body may enter a freeze response characterized by profound immobilization.
This freeze response represents an ancient survival strategy that is activated when the nervous system perceives extreme, life-threatening danger. In this state, heart rate slows, metabolism is reduced, and movement is inhibited through activation of the dorsal vagal complex which is the evolutionarily older branch of the vagus nerve according to polyvagal theory, (Porges, 2023). For reptiles and other primitive vertebrates, this physiological strategy can increase the likelihood of survival until the danger has passed.
Metabolic Theory in Context
A ‘metabolic perspective’ related to carcinogenicity, or related to reversion to more primitive types of behaviors, does not dismiss the importance of genetics. Rather, a metabolic perspective places genetic mutations within a broader biological framework in which metabolism, mitochondrial integrity, immune surveillance, environmental exposures, and epigenetic regulation interact to determine whether a cell remains healthy, or progresses toward malignancy. From this perspective, cancer represents more than the accumulation of genetic mutations. It reflects a regression to an ancient cellular survival program in which energy production and reproduction, rather than specialized function and cooperation with neighboring cells, becomes the overriding priority. Genetic mutations may therefore be viewed not only as the initiating a set of complex interactions that reflect causes of cancer but also as downstream consequences of chronic metabolic dysfunction and mitochondrial damage.
If cancer represents the activation of an evolutionarily ancient cellular survival program triggered by metabolic dysfunction, then interventions that improve metabolic health can reduce risk associated with carcinogenesis which complement conventional treatment. As Dang (2012) points out, “excessive caloric intake is associated with an increased risk for cancers, while caloric restriction is protective, perhaps through clearance of mitochondria or mitophagy, thereby reducing oxidative stress.”
One practical implication is for people to follow often repeated advice: decrease the availability of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates by minimizing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, refined starches, and ultra-processed foods while emphasizing whole, nutrient-dense foods. Broadly stated, such dietary changes in sugar intake can improve metabolic resilience, reduce chronic inflammation, and create a physiological environment that is less favorable for the metabolic adaptations observed in many cancers. Although additional clinical research continues to provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of ‘lifestyle’ and epigenetic strategies across different cancer types, the metabolic perspective offers a compelling framework for prevention and adjunctive therapy.
The metabolic theory of cancer based upon the Warburg effect offers hope in treatment by reducing glucose availability may help slow the growth of some cancers. The process is described clearly by Professor Thomas Seyfried of Boston College (Seyfried et al., 2014; Seyfried et al., 2021). His metabolic theory remains an active area of research, however is not the current consensus view on cancer biology. Consider watching the compelling overview of this metabolic theory presented by Professor Thomas Seyfried’s in his YouTube lecture, Cancer as a Metabolic Disease,
What can you do to reduce cancer risk and support healing
The metabolic theory of cancer presented in this paper suggests behavioral and lifestyle strategies to reduce cancer risk and slow or prevent cancer growth. Simply stated, reduce excessive glucose availability which becomes the main energy source for cancer cells. Clinical improvement may be possible if cancer cells are put on a diet (Stetka, 2016). Changing diet is one component to optimize what you can do to reduce cancer risk, support our immune system to promote healing and optimize health although the outcome is not totally in our hands. Implement the following environmental and lifestyle behaviors promote health and healing.
Reduce and eliminate ultra-processed foods, simple carbohydrates and sugar. These increase the risk of cancers by 20 to 50 percent. Sadly, many patients undergoing chemo and radiation therapy and have difficulty with swallowing, are recommended to drink oral caloric rich supplements (such as Ensure Plus or Boost Very High Calorie) that are specially formulated to provide dense calories and protein in a small volume. They contain between 15 to 22 grams of sugar (1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar) in an 8 ounce serving– the sugar which paradoxically encourages cancer growth.
Reduce and eliminate exposure to endocrine disruptors. These are chemicals that can mimic, block, or interfere with the body’s hormones, due to higher estrogen levels (in milk and beef, for example) and pesticides (some of which act as estrogen mimics). This means eliminating as much as possible all plastics and eat mainly organic foods that do not contain herbicides or pesticides. If possible, eat organic foods.
Reduce air and water pollution that are known factors to cause cancers. This means use air and water filters at home since more than 50% of drinking water in the United States contain cariogenic substances and air pollution from car or fires are harmful.
Increase physical activity. Movement/exercise is important because that reduces lymphatic circulation and blood flow, impacting the immune system in the long term.
For detailed information and recommendations what you can use to reduce cancer risk and optimize health, see our book, Cancer Reconsidered-Why Environment, Lifestyle and Immunity Matter more than we thought.
Additional relevant blogs
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Edited with the help of ChatGPT
Can Your Daily Choices Influence Cancer Risk and Recovery?
Posted: June 27, 2026 Filed under: behavior, Breathing/respiration, cancer, emotions, healing, health, lifestyle, Nutrition/diet, Pain/discomfort, self-healing, stress management, Uncategorized | Tags: diet, endocrine disregulators, environmental toxins, glucose monitors, health, Immune function, mental-health, nutrition, pollution, Quality of life, regeneration, resilience, social support, wellness 1 CommentWhat if the way you eat, move, sleep, manage stress, and connect with others could influence your body’s ability to prevent disease and support healing?
Most of us have been taught to think of cancer primarily as a genetic disease. Yet an expanding body of scientific research tells a more hopeful story: while genes matter, they are only part of the picture. Our environment, lifestyle, immune system, and even the quality of our relationships can profoundly influence health.
These are the questions explored in the newly published book Cancer Reconsidered: Why Environment, Lifestyle, and Immunity Matter More than We Thought, by Erik Peper, Robert Gorter, and Nancy Faass.
Written for people living with cancer, their families, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in optimizing health, the book translates decades of scientific research into practical, evidence-based strategies that readers can use in everyday life.
Rather than viewing cancer through a single lens, Cancer Reconsidered brings together insights from conventional medicine with evidence-based complementary approaches. The authors explore how nutrition, physical activity, stress, sleep, environmental exposures, immune function, and social support interact to influence both cancer risk and the body’s remarkable capacity for repair and resilience.
One of the book’s central messages is both simple and empowering: although we cannot change our genes, we can often change the conditions in which our genes are expressed. Daily choices matter. Healthy habits can strengthen the body’s natural defenses, reduce inflammation, support immune function, and improve quality of life.
A particularly practical chapter explores blood sugar regulation and metabolism. Using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) together with smartphone apps, readers can observe in real time how different foods, exercise, stress, and sleep affect their glucose levels. Instead of following one-size-fits-all advice, they become active investigators of their own health, discovering what works best for their unique physiology.
Throughout the book, the emphasis is not on fear, but on possibility. Scientific evidence increasingly shows that hope, meaningful social connections, regular movement, nourishing food, restorative sleep, effective stress management, and resilience are not simply “nice ideas”—they are biological factors that can significantly influence health and well-being.
Cancer Reconsidered invites readers to move beyond the question, “What causes cancer?” and instead ask, “What can I do today to create the best possible conditions for health?” It offers a thoughtful, scientifically grounded roadmap for anyone seeking to answer that question.
Cancer Reconsidered: Why Environment, Lifestyle, and Immunity Matter More than We Thought is now available on Amazon in paperback and and affordable ebook Kindle editions. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cancer+reconsidered
Corporations: The new(old) disease vectors as they choose profits over health
Posted: February 24, 2026 Filed under: Breathing/respiration, cancer, health | Tags: cancer, environment, environmental toxins, food, health, herbicides, investigative reporting, nutrition, pollution, public health, smoking, wellness 1 Comment
“We can invest in preventing illness now by reducing our exposure to environmental toxins — or we can pay a far higher price later trying to treat the resulting chronic and often debilitating diseases.”
Ever since the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, which documented the harm environmental pollution caused, government has, often reluctantly, set limits intended to protect Americans from exposure to harmful chemicals in our food, air and water (Carson, 1964). These regulations did not emerge easily. As the governmental regulations were being proposed and implemented, they were consistently challenged by the very large corporations that manufactured and profited from these chemicals.
History reminds us how slowly public health protections can unfold. Consider how long it took for smoking to be prohibited in public spaces even though the harmful effects had been documented since the 1950s (Doll and Hill, 1954; Doll & Hill, 1964; Wynder & Graham,1985). For decades, the science was clear, yet policy and governmental actions were delayed. Only in the early 2000s did many states began banning smoking in workplaces, restaurants, and bars. The shift in public policy saved many lives and the reduction in smoking has been the major reason for the decrease in cancer mortality over the last twenty-five years.
We are going backwards
The Trump administration has rescinded the 2009 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding on greenhouse gases, loosening vehicle emission standards, and weakening pollution controls on power plants and oil and gas operations (Tabuchi, 2026). The health consequences may not appear immediately; however, they are predictable. The increased exposure today will again contribute to increased rates of cancer, respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and developmental disorders tomorrow.
To understand how the government regulations have been revised so that once again Americans will be more exposed to toxins in their food, air, and water, read the superb investigative report published by U.S. Right to Know whose mission is to pursuing truth and transparency for public health.
Their most recent report, Tracing Bayer’s ties to power in Trump’s Washington, describes in detail the hidden social connections, lobbying and political donations that lead “The White House to invokes the Defense Production Act to guarantee supplies of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides. Regulators reapprove dicamba, a Bayer herbicide twice blocked by federal courts, and clear the way for new pesticides containing toxic, persistent PFAS “forever” chemicals (Malkan, 2026).“
When regulatory safeguards weaken, corporations can once again function as disease vectors-not through infection, but through environmental exposure. By loosening the pollution standards, federal policy will negatively affect the health of both present and future generations.
I encourage you to explore many superb investigative reports and practical suggestions how to avoid these toxins exposure that are available on U.S. Right to Know website:
One exposure. Twenty generations later, the damage is still unfolding
Glyphosate: Cancer, liver disease, endocrine disruption and other health concerns
Big Food ‘transparency’ campaign seeks to block tough new food safety laws
Ultra-processed foods damage health in ways that calories don’t explain, new study says
Listen to the expanded podcast based upon this blog and created by Google Notebook LM.
See also the following blogs
References
Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Houghton Mifflin. https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Spring-Rachel-Carson/dp/B002E8JF6G/
Doll, R., & Hill, A. B. (1954). The mortality of doctors in relation to their smoking habits: A preliminary report. British Medical Journal, 1(4877), 1451–1455. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.4877.1451
Doll, R., & Hill, A. B. (1964). Mortality in relation to smoking: Ten years’ observations of British doctors. British Medical Journal, 1(5396), 1460–1467. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.5396.1460
Malkan, S. (2026). Tracing Bayer’s ties to power in Trump’s Washington. U.S. Right to Know. Accessed February 24, 2026. https://usrtk.org/pesticides/tracing-bayers-ties-to-power-in-trumps-washington/
Tabuchi, H. (2026). Historic Climate Rollback Makes U.S. a Global Outlier on Tailpipe Rules. The New York Times, February 16, 2026. Accessed February 24, 2026 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/climate/endangerment-finding-auto-emissions-regulations.html
Wynder, E.L., & Graham, A. (1985). JAMA, 253 (20), 2986-2994. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1985.03350440064033
Reduce Interpersonal Stress*
Posted: December 4, 2025 Filed under: attention, behavior, Breathing/respiration, CBT, emotions, Exercise/movement, healing, health, meditation, mindfulness, Pain/discomfort, stress management | Tags: health, mental-health, nutrition, wellness 4 CommentsAdapted from: Peper, E. & Harvey, R. Adjunctive techniques to reduce interpersonal stress at home. Biofeedback. 53(3), 54-57. https://rdcu.be/eMJqt
Stress often triggers defensive reactions—manifesting as anger, frustration, or anxiety that may mirror fight-or-flight responses. These reactions can reduce rational thinking, increase long-term health risks, and contribute to psychological and physiological disorders. and complicate the management of specific symptoms. Outlined are some pragmatic techniques that can be implemented during the day to interrupt and reduce stress.
After we had been living in our house for a few years, a new neighbor moved in next door. Within months, she accused us of moving things in her yard, blamed us when there was a leak in her house, claimed we were blowing leaves from her property onto other neighbors’ properties, and even screamed at her tenants to the extent that the police were called numerous times. Just looking at her house through the window was enough to make my shoulders tighten and leave me feeling upset.
When I drove home and saw her standing in front of her house, I would drive around the block one more time to avoid her while . . . feeling my body contract. Often, when I woke up in the morning, I would already anticipate conflict with my neighbor. I would share stories of my disturbing neighbor and her antics with my friends. They were very supportive and agreed with me that she was crazy. However, the acknowledgment and validation from my friends did not resolve my anger or indignation or the anxiety that was triggered whenever I saw my neighbor or thought of her. I spent far too much time anticipating and thinking about her, which resulted in tension in my own body—my heart rate would increase, and my neck and shoulders would tighten.
I decided to change. I knew I could not change her; however, I could change my reactivity and perspective. Thus, I practiced a “pause and recenter” technique. At the first moment of awareness that I was thinking about her or her actions, I would change my posture by sitting up straight, begin looking upward, breathe lower and slower, and then, in my mind’s eye, send a thought of goodwill streaming to her like an ocean wave flowing through and around her in the distance. I chose to do this series of steps because I believe that within every person, no matter how crazy or cruel, there is a part that is good, and it is that part I want to support.
I repeated this pause and recenter technique many times, especially whenever I looked in the direction of her house or saw her in her yard. I also reframed and reappraised her aggressive, negative behavior as her way of coping with her own demons. Three months later, I no longer reacted defensively. When I see her, I can say hello and discuss the weather without triggering my defensive reaction. I feel so much more at peace living where I am.
When stressed, angry, rejected, frustrated, or hurt, we so often blame the other person (Leary, 2015). The moment we think about that person or event, our anger, indignation, resentment, and frustration are triggered. We keep rehashing what happened. As we relive the experiences in our mind, we are unaware that we are also reliving bodily reactions to past events.
We are often unaware of the harm we are doing to ourselves until we experience physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, gastrointestinal distress, and muscle tightness along with behavioral and psychological symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, or depression (Carney et al., 2006; Gerin et al., 2012). As we think of past events or interact again with a person involved in those past events, our body automatically responds with a defense reaction as if we were being threatened again in the present moment.
This defense reaction to memory of past threats from a “crazy” neighbor activates our fight-or-flight responses and increases sympathetic activation so that we can run faster and fight more ferociously to survive; however, this reaction also reduces blood flow through the frontal cortex—a process that reduces our ability to think rationally (van Dinther et al., 2024; Willeumier, et al., 2011). When we become so upset and stressed that our mind is captured by the other person, this reaction contributes to symptoms of chronic stress such as an increase in hypertension, myofascial pain, depression, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic disorders (Duan et al., 2022; Russell et al., 2015; Suls, 2013).
Sharing our frustrations with friends and others is normal. It feels good to blame people for their personal limitations or mental illness; however, over time, blaming others avoids building adaptive capacity in strengthening skills that reduce chronic stress reactions (Fast & Tiedens, 2010; Lou et al., 2023). The time spent rehashing and justifying our feelings diminishes the time we spend in the present moment and our focus on upcoming opportunities.
In the moment of an encounter with a difficult neighbor, we may not realize that we have a choice. Some people keep living and reacting to past hurts or losses perpetually. Some people can learn to let go and/or forgive and make space in favor of considering new opportunities for learning and growth. Although the choice is ours, it is often very challenging to implement—even with the best intentions—because we react automatically when reminded of past hurts (seeing that person, anticipating meeting or actually meeting that person who caused the hurt, or being triggered by other events that evoke memories of the pain).
What Can You Do
Choose to change your response. Choose to reduce reactivity. Choosing adaptive reactions does not mean you condone what happened or agree that the other person was right. You are just choosing to live your life and not continue to be captured by nor react to the previous triggers. Many people report that after implementing some of the practices described below along with many other stress management techniques, their automatic reactivity was noticeably decreased. They report that their chronic stress symptoms were reduced and they have the freedom to live in present instead of being captured by the painful past.
Pause and Recenter by Sending Goodwill
Our automatic reaction to the trigger elicits a defense reaction that reduces our ability to think rationally. Therefore, the moment you anticipate or begin to react, take three very slow diaphragmatic breaths, inhaling for approximately 4–5 seconds and exhaling for about 5–6 seconds, where one in-and-out breath takes about 10 seconds to complete. As you inhale, allow your abdomen to expand; then as you exhale, slowly make yourself tall and look up. Looking up allows easier access to empowering and positive memories (Peper et al., 2017).
Continue looking up, inhaling slowly to allow the abdomen to expand. Repeat this slow breath again. On the third long, slow breath, while looking up, evoke a memory of someone in whose presence you felt at peace and who loves you, such as your grandmother, aunt, uncle, or even a pet. Reawaken positive feelings associated with memories of being loved. Allow a smile inwardly or outwardly and soften your eyes as you experience the loving memory.
Next, put your hands on your chest, take another long slow breath as your abdomen expands, and as you exhale bring your hands away from your chest and stretch them out in front of you. At the same time in your mind’s eye, imagine sending goodwill to that person involved in the interpersonal conflict that previously evoked your stress response. As if you are sending an ocean wave that is streaming outward to the person.
As you do the pause and recenter technique, remember you are not condoning what happened; instead, you are sending goodwill to that person’s positive aspect. From this perspective, everyone has an intrinsic component—however small—that some label as the individual’s human potential, Christ nature or Buddha nature.
Why would this be effective? This practice short-circuits the automatic stress response and provides time to recenter, interrupting ongoing rumination by shifting the mind away from thoughts about the person or event that induced stress toward a positive memory. By evoking a loving memory from the past, we facilitate a reduction in arousal, evoke a positive mood, and decrease sympathetic nervous system activation (Speer & Delgado, 2017). Slower diaphragmatic breathing also reduces sympathetic activation (Birdee et al., 2023; Siedlecki et al., 2022). By combining body-centered and mind-centered techniques, we can pause and create the opportunity to respond positively rather than reacting with anger and hurt.
Practice Sending Goodwill the Moment You Wake Up
So often when we wake up, we anticipate the challenges, and even the prospect of interacting with a person or event heightens our defense reaction. Therefore, as soon as you wake up, sit at the edge of the bed, repeat the previous practice, pause, and center. Then, as you sit at the edge of the bed, slightly smile with soft eyes, look up, and inhale as your abdomen expands. Then, stamp a foot into the floor while saying, “Today is a new day.” Next, inhale, allowing your abdomen to expand; as you look up, stamp the opposite foot on the floor while saying, “Today is a new day.” Finally, send goodwill to the person who previously triggered your defensive reaction.
Why would this be effective? Looking up makes it easier to access positive memories and thoughts. Stamping your foot on the ground is a nonverbal expression of determination and anchors the thought of a new day, thereby focusing on new opportunities (Feldman, 2022).
Interrupt the Stress Response with the ABCs
The moment you notice discomfort, pain, stress, or negative thoughts, interrupt the cycle with a simple ABC strategy (Peper, 2025):
- Adjust posture and look up
- Breathe by allowing your abdomen to relax and expand while inhaling
- Change your internal dialogue, smile and focus on what you want to do
Why would this be effective? By shifting your posture and gently looking upward, you make it easier to access positive and empowering memories and thoughts (Peper et al., 2019). This simple change in body position can interrupt habitual stress responses and open the doorway to more constructive states.
Slow, diaphragmatic breathing further supports this process by reducing sympathetic arousal and restoring a sense of calm. As your breathing deepens, clarity of mind increases, allowing you to respond rather than react (Peper et al, 2024b; Matto et al, 2025).
Equally important is transforming critical, judgmental, or negative self-talk into affirmative, supportive statements. Describe what you want to do—rather than what you want to avoid. This reframing creates a clear internal guide and significantly increases the likelihood that you will achieve your desired goals.
Complete the Alarm Reaction a Burst of Physical Activity
When you feel overwhelmed and fully captured by a stress reaction, one of the most effective strategies is to complete the fight-flight response with a brief burst of intense physical activity. This momentary action such as running in place, vigorously shaking your arms, or doing a few rapid push-offs from a wall (Peper et al., 2024a). After completing the physical activity implement your stress management strategies such as breathing, cognitive reframing, meditation, etc.
Why would this be effective? The intense physical activity discharges the excessive physiological arousal and interrupts the cycle of rumination. For practical examples and step-by-step guidance, see the article Quick Rescue Techniques When Stressed (Peper et al., 2024a) or the accompanying blog post: https://peperperspective.com/2024/02/04/quick-rescue-techniques-when-stressed/
Discuss Your Issue from the Third-Person Perspective
When thinking, ruminating, talking, texting, or writing about the event, discuss it from the third-person perspective. Replace the first-person pronoun “I” with “she” or “he.” For example, instead of saying “I was really pissed off when my boss criticized my work without giving any positive suggestions for improvement,” say “He was really pissed off when his boss criticized his work without offering any positive suggestions for improvement.”
Why would this be effective? The act of substituting the third-person pronoun for the first-person pronoun interrupts our automatic reactivity because it requires us to observe and change our language, which activates parts of the frontal cortex. This third-person/first-person process creates a psychological distance from our feelings, allowing for a more objective and calmer perspective on the situation, effectively reducing stress by stepping back from the immediate emotional response (Moser et al., 2017). This process can be interpreted as meaning that you are no longer fully captured by the emotions, as you are simultaneously the observer of your own inner language and speech.
Compare Yourself with Others Who are less Fortunate
When you feel sorry for yourself or hurt, take a breath, look upward, and compare yourself with others who are suffering much more. In that moment, consider yourself incredibly lucky compared with people enduring extreme poverty, bombings, or severe disfigurement. Be grateful for what you have.
Why would this be effective? Research shows that when we compare ourselves with people who are more successful, we tend to feel worse—especially when we have low self-esteem. However, when we compare ourselves with others who are suffering more, we tend to feel better (Aspinwall, & Taylor, 1993). This comparison relativizes our perspective on suffering, making our own hardships and suffering seem less significant compared with the severe suffering of others.
Conclusion
It is much easier to write and talk about these practices than to implement them. Reminding yourself to implement them can be very challenging. It requires significant effort and commitment. In some cases, the benefits are not experienced immediately; however, when practiced many times during the day for six to eight weeks, many people report feeling less resentment and experience a reduction in symptoms and improvements in health and relationships.
*This blog was inspired by the podcast “No Hard Feelings,” an episode on Hidden Brain produced by Shankar Vedantam (2025) that featured psychologist Fred Luskin, and the wisdom taught by Dora Kunz (Kunz & Peper, 1983, 1984a, 1984b, 1987).
See the following posts for more relevant information
References
Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1993). Effects of social comparison direction, threat, and self-esteem on affect, self-evaluation, and expected success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(5), 708–722. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.64.5.708
Birdee, G., Nelson, K.,Wallston, K., Nian, H., Diedrich, A., Paranjape, S., Abraham, R., & Gamboa, A. (2023). Slow breathing for reducing stress: The effect of extending exhale. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102937
Carney, C. E., Edinger, J. D., Meyer, B., Lindman, L., & Istre, T. (2006). Symptom-focused rumination and sleep disturbance. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 4(4), 228–241. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15402010bsm0404_3
Defayette, A. B., Esposito-Smythers, C., Cero, I., Harris, K. M.,Whitmyre, E. D., & López, R. (2023). Interpersonal stress and proinflammatory activity in emerging adults with a history of suicide risk: A pilot study. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100016
Dienstbier, R. A. (1989). Arousal and physiological toughness: Implications for mental and physical health. Psychological Review, 96(1), 84. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-95x.96.1.84
Duan, S., Lawrence, A., Valmaggia, L., Moll, J., & Zahn, R. (2022). Maladaptive blame-related action tendencies are associated with vulnerability to major depressive disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 145, 70–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.11.043
Fast, N. J., & Tiedens, L. Z. (2010). Blame contagion: The automatic transmission of self-serving attributions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(1), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2009.10.007
Feldman, Y. (2022). The dialogical dance–A relational embodied approach to supervision. In C. Butte & T. Colbert (Eds.), Embodied approaches to supervision: The listening body (chap. 2). Routledge. https://www.amazon.com/Embodied-Approaches-Supervision-C%C3%A9line-Butt%C3%A9/dp/0367473348
Gerin,W., Zawadzki,M. J., Brosschot, J. F., Thayer, J. F., Christenfeld, N. J., Campbell, T. S., & Smyth, J. M. (2012). Rumination as a mediator of chronic stress effects on hypertension: A causal model. International Journal of Hypertension, 2012, 453465. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/453465
Hase, A., O’Brien, J., Moore, L. J., & Freeman, P. (2019). The relationship between challenge and threat states and performance: A systematic review. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 8(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000132
Hassamal, S. (2023). Chronic stress, neuroinflammation, and depression: An overview of pathophysiological mechanisms and emerging anti-inflammatories. Frontiers in Psychiatry,
14, 1130989. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1130989
Kunz, D., & Peper, E. (1983). Fields and their clinical implications—Part III: Anger and how it affects human interactions. The American Theosophist, 71(6), 199–203. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280777019_Fields_and_their_clinical_implications-Part_III_Anger_and_how_it_affects_human_interactions
Kunz, D., & Peper, E. (1984a). Fields and their clinical implications IV: Depression from the energetic perspective: Etiological underpinnings. The American Theosophist, 72(8), 268–275. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280884054_Fields_and_their_clinical_implications_Part_IV_Depression_from_the_energetic_perspective-Etiological_underpinnings
Kunz, D., & Peper, E. (1984b). Fields and their clinical implications V: Depression from the energetic perspective: Treatment strategies. The American Theosophist, 72(9), 299–306. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280884158_Fields_and_their_clinical_implications_Part_V_Depression_from_the_energetic_perspective-Treatment_strategies
Kunz, D., & Peper, E. (1987). Resentment: A poisonous undercurrent. The Theosophical Research Journal, IV(3), 54–59. Also in: Cooperative Connection, IX(1), 1–5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387030905_Resentment_Continued_from_page_4
Leary, M. R. (2015). Emotional responses to interpersonal rejection. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 17(4), 435–441. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.4/mleary
Lou, Y., Wang, T., Li, H., Hu, T. Y., & Xie, X. (2023). Blame others but hurt yourself: Blaming or sympathetic attitudes toward victims of COVID-19 and how it alters one’s health status. Psychology & Health, 39(13), 1877–1898. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2023.2269400
Matto, D., Peper, E., & Harvey, R. (2025). Monitoring and coaching breathing patterns and rate. Townsend Letter-Innovative Health Perspectives. https://townsendletter.com/monitoring-and-coaching-breathing-patterns-and-rate/
Moser, J. S., Dougherty, A., Mattson, W. I., Katz, B., Moran, T. P.,Guevarra, D., Shablack, H.,Ayduk,O., Jonides, J., Berman, M. G., & Kross, E. (2017). Third-person self-talk facilitates emotion regulation without engaging cognitive control: Converging evidence from ERP and fMRI. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 4519. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04047-3
Peper, E. (2025). Breathe Away Menstrual Pain- A Simple Practice That Brings Relief. the peper perspective-ideas on illness, health and well-being from Erik Peper. https://peperperspective.com/2025/11/22/6825/
Peper, E., Harvey, R., & Hamiel, D. (2019). Transforming thoughts with postural awareness to increase therapeutic and teaching efficacy. NeuroRegulation, 6(3), 153-169. https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.6.3.1533-1
Peper, E., Lin, I.-M., Harvey, R., & Perez, J. (2017). How posture affects memory recall and mood. Biofeedback, 45(2), 36–41. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-45.2.01
Peper, E., Oded, Y., & Harvey, R. (2024a). Quick somatic rescue techniques when stressed. Biofeedback, 52(1), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.5298/982312
Peper, E., Oded, Y., Harvey, R., Hughes, P., Ingram, H., & Martinez, E. (2024b). Breathing for health: Mastering and generalizing breathing skills. Townsend Letter-Innovative Health Perspectives. November 15, 2024. https://townsendletter.com/suggestions-for-mastering-and-generalizing-breathing-skills/
Russell, M. A., Smith, T. W., & Smyth, J. M. (2015). Anger expression, momentary anger, and symptom severity in patients with chronic disease. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50(2), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9747-7
Siedlecki, P., Ivanova, T. D., Shoemaker, J. K., & Garland, S. J. (2022). The effects of slow breathing on postural muscles during standing perturbations in young adults. Experimental Brain Research, 240, 2623–2631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-022-06437-0
Speer, M. E., & Delgado, M. R. (2017). Reminiscing about positive memories buffers acute stress responses. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 0093. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0093
Suls, J. (2013). Anger and the heart: Perspectives on cardiac risk, mechanisms and interventions. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 55(6), 538–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2013.03.002
van Dinther, M., Hooghiemstra, A. M., Bron, E. E., Versteeg, A., et al. (2024). Lower cerebral blood flow predicts cognitive decline in patients with vascular cognitive impairment. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 20(1), 136–144. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13408
Vedantam, S. (2025). No hard feelings. Hidden brain. Accessed February 5, 2025. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/no-hard-feelings/
Willeumier, K., Taylor, D. V., & Amen, D. G. (2011). Decreased cerebral blood flow in the limbic and prefrontal cortex using SPECT imaging in a cohort of completed suicides. Translational Psychiatry, 1(8), e28. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2011.28
Zannas, A. S., & West, A. E. (2014). Epigenetics and the regulation of stress vulnerability and resilience. Neuroscience, 264, 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.12.003
Use the power of your mind to transform health and aging
Posted: February 18, 2025 Filed under: attention, behavior, cancer, CBT, cognitive behavior therapy, COVID, education, health, meditation, mindfulness, Pain/discomfort, placebo, stress management, Uncategorized | Tags: health, imimune function, longevity, mental-health, mind-body, nutrition, Reframing, wellness Leave a commentMost of the time when I drive or commute by BART, I listen to podcasts (e.g., Freakonomics, Hidden Brain, this podcast will kill you, Science VS, Huberman Lab). although many of the podcasts are highly informative; , rarely do I think that everyone could benefit from it. The recent podcast, Using your mind to control your health and longevity, is an exception. In this podcast, neuroscientist Andrew Huberman interviews Professor Ellen Langer. Although it is three hours and twenty-two minute long, every minute is worth it (just skip the advertisements by Huberman which interrupts the flow). Dr. Langer delves into how our thoughts, perceptions, and mindfulness practices can profoundly influence our physical well-being.
She presents compelling evidence that our mental states are intricately linked to our physical health. She discusses how our perceptions of time and control can significantly impact healing rates, hormonal balance, immune function, and overall longevity. By reframing our understanding of mindfulness—not merely as a meditative practice but as an active, moment-to-moment engagement with our environment—we can harness our mental faculties to foster better health outcomes. The episode also highlights practical applications of Dr. Langer’s research, offering insights into how adopting a mindful approach to daily life can lead to remarkable health benefits. By noticing new things and embracing uncertainty, individuals can break free from mindless routines, reduce stress, and enhance their overall quality of life. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the profound connection between mind and body. It provides valuable tools and perspectives for those seeking to take an active role in their health and well-being through the power of mindful thinking. It will change your perspective and improve your health. Listen to or watch the interview:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYAgf_lfio4
Useful blogs to reduce stress
Yes, fresh organic food is better!
Posted: October 27, 2017 Filed under: Nutrition/diet, self-healing | Tags: farming, Holistic health, longevity, non-organic foods, nutrition, organic foods, pesticides 16 Comments
Is it really worthwhile to spent more money on locally grown organic fruits and vegetables than non-organic fruits and vegetables? The answer is a resounding “YES!” Organic grown foods have significantly more vitamins, antioxidants and secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds than non-organic foods. These compounds provide protective health benefits and lower the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, hypertension and many other chronic health conditions (Romagnolo & Selmin, 2017; Wilson et al., 2017; Oliveira et al., 2013; Surh & Na, 2008). We are what we eat–we can pay for it now and optimize our health or pay more later when our health has been compromised.
The three reasons why fresh organic food is better are:
- Fresh foods lengthen lifespan.
- Organic foods have more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and secondary metabolites than non-organic foods.
- Organic foods reduce exposure to harmful neurotoxic and carcinogenic pesticide and herbicides residues.
Background
With the advent of chemical fertilizers farmers increased crop yields while the abundant food became less nutritious. The synthetic fertilizers do not add back all the necessary minerals and other nutrients that the plants extract from the soil while growing. Modern chemical fertilizers only replace three components–Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium–of the hundred of components necessary for nutritious food. Nitrogen (N) which promotes leaf growth; Phosphorus (P which development of roots, flowers, seeds, fruit; and Potassium (K) which promotes strong stem growth, movement of water in plants, promotion of flowering and fruiting. These are great to make the larger and more abundant fruits and vegetables; however, the soil is more and more depleted of the other micro-nutrients and minerals that are necessary for the plants to produce vitamins and anti-oxidants. Our industrial farming is raping the soils for quick growth and profit while reducing the soil fertility for future generations. Organic farms have much better soils and more soil microbial activity than non-organic farm soils which have been poisoned by pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers (Mader, 2002; Gomiero et al, 2011). For a superb review of Sustainable Vs. Conventional Agriculture see the web article: https://you.stonybrook.edu/environment/sustainable-vs-conventional-agriculture/
1. Fresh young foods lengthen lifespan. Old foods may be less nutritious than young food. Recent experiments with yeast, flies and mice discovered that when these organisms were fed old versus young food (e.g., mice were diets containing the skeletal muscle of old or young deer), the organisms’ lifespan was shortened by 18% for yeast, 13% for flies, and 13% for mice (Lee et al., 2017). Organic foods such as potatoes, bananas and raisins improves fertility, enhances survival during starvation and decreases long term mortality for fruit flies(Chhabra et al, 2013). See Live longer, enhance fertility and increase stress resistance: Eat organic foods. https://peperperspective.com/2013/04/21/live-longer-enhance-fertility-and-increase-stress-resistance-eat-organic-foods/
In addition, eating lots of fruits and vegetables decreases our risk of dying from cancer and heart disease. In a superb meta-analysis of 95 studies, Dr. Dagfinn Aune from the School of Public Health, Imperial College London, found that people who ate ten portions of fruits and vegetable per day were a third less likely to die than those who ate none (Aune et al, 2017). Thus, eat lots of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables from local sources that is not aged because of transport.
2. Organic foods have more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and secondary metabolites than non-organic foods. Numerous studies have found that fresh organic fruits and vegetables have more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and secondary metabolites than non-organic ones. For example, organic tomatoes contain 57 per cent more vitamin C than non-organic ones (Oliveira et al 2013) or organic milk has more beneficial polyunsaturated fats non-organic milk (Wills, 2017; Butler et al, 2011). Over the last 50 years key nutrients of fruits and vegetables have declined. In a survey of 43 crops of fruits and vegetables, Davis, Epp, & Riordan, (2004) found a significant decrease of vitamins and minerals in foods grown in the 1950s as compared to 1999 as shown in Figure 1 (Lambert, 2015).
Figure 1. Change in vitamins and minerals from 1950 to 1999. From: Davis, D. R., Epp, M. D., & Riordan, H. D. (2004). Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23(6), 669-682.
3, Organic foods reduce exposure to harmful neurotoxic and carcinogenic pesticide and herbicides residues. Even though, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) state that pesticide residues left in or on food are safe and non-toxic and have no health consequences, I have my doubts! Human beings accumulate pesticides just like tuna fish accumulates mercury—frequent ingesting of very low levels of pesticide and herbicide residue may result in long term harmful effects and these long term risks have not been assessed. Most pesticides are toxic chemicals and were developed to kill agricultural pests — living organisms. Remember human beings are living organisms. The actual risk for chronic low level exposure is probably unknown; since, the EPA pesticide residue limits are the result of a political compromise between scientific findings and lobbying from agricultural and chemical industries (Portney, 1992). Organic diets expose consumers to fewer pesticides associated with human disease (Forman et al, 2012).
Adopt the precautionary principle which states, that if there is a suspected risk of herbicides/pesticides causing harm to the public, or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those recommending the use of these substances (Read & O’Riordan, 2017). Thus, eat fresh locally produced organic foods to optimize health.
References
Butler, G. Stergiadis, s., Seal, C., Eyre, M., & Leifert, C. (2011). Fat composition of organic and conventional retail milk in northeast England. Journal of Dairy Science. 94(1), 24-36.http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3331
Davis, D. R., Epp, M. D., & Riordan, H. D. (2004). Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23(6), 669-682. http://www.chelationmedicalcenter.com/!_articles/Changes%20in%20USDA%20Food%20Composition%20Data%20for%2043%20Garden%20Crops%201950%20to%201999.pdf
Lambert, C. (2015). If Food really better from the farm gate than super market shelf? New Scientist.228(3043), 33-37.
Oliveira, A.B., Moura, C.F.H., Gomes-Filho, E., Marco, C.A., Urban, L., & Miranda, M.R.A. (2013). The Impact of Organic Farming on Quality of Tomatoes Is Associated to Increased Oxidative Stress during Fruit Development. PLoS ONE, 8(2): e56354. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056354
Read, R. and O’Riordan, T. (2017). The Precautionary Principle Under Fire. Environment-Science and policy for sustainable development. September-October. http://www.environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/2017/September-October%202017/precautionary-principle-full.html
Romagnolo, D. F. & Selmin, O.L. (2017). Mediterranean Diet and Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Nutr Today. 2017 Sep;52(5):208-222. doi: 10.1097/NT.0000000000000228. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29051674
Wills, A. (2017). There is evidence organic food is more nutritious. New Scientist,3114, p53.
Wilson, L.F., Antonsson, A., Green, A.C., Jordan, S.J., Kendall, B.J., Nagle, C.M., Neale, R.E., Olsen, C.M., Webb, P.M., & Whiteman, D.C. (2017). How many cancer cases and deaths are potentially preventable? Estimates for Australia in 2013. Int J Cancer. 2017 Oct 6. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31088. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28983918
Can multivitamins prevent cancer?
Posted: October 20, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cancer, diet, nutrition, vitamins Leave a commentA multivitamin a day keeps the doctor away to prevent nutritional deficiency and indirectly reduce cancer risks. Although most previous research studies have not demonstrated whether vitamin supplements are useful in the prevention or the treatment of cancer, the recently published randomized control trial of 14,641 male physicians in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that a multivitamin a day significantly reduced the incidence of cancer. The participants started taking the vitamin or placebo at about age 50 and continued for eleven years. This study, Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cancer in Men- The Physicians’ Health Study II Randomized Controlled Trial, is different from most previous studies. It is one of the first randomized controlled trial in which the participants did not know whether they took a multivitamin or placebo daily. Even though the effect is small, the study finds that taking a multivitamin daily reduces cancer risk.
To promote health, take a multivitamin a day; however, the benefits gained by taking a multivitamin imply that:
- We are affluently malnutritioned as our daily western industrialized processed diet is deficient in nutrients that support our immune system and health. It would be better to eat an organic food diet with lots of vegetables and fruits. Even The President’s Cancer Panel Report, Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, published by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommends to consume to the “extent possible, food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.” Eating an organic hunter and gatherer diet would include many other essential vitamins and minerals –some which we do not yet know—that are not included in a single multivitamin.
- Start eating a healthy diet from birth since it will have more impact to prevent cancer than adding a multivitamin a day at age 50. Most epidemiological studies have shown that a predominantly vegetable and fruit diet is associated with lower cancer rates.
- Implement a health promoting life style to support the immune system. Begin now by practicing stress management, incorporating exercise, performing self-healing strategies, and eating organic vegetable, fruits (no processed foods). For more suggestions see our book, Fighting Cancer-A Nontoxic Approach to Treatment.
the peper perspective 