What humanity has accomplished over hundreds of thousands of years is truly astounding.
There are countless examples of this in modern times, and we are on the brink of a technological revolution thanks to advances in artificial intelligence.
But there is much we still have to learn. Consider health: despite billions of dollars of research, we still have no cure for cancer.
Even minor complaints can be difficult to resolve.
These knowledge gaps are important because health is wealth.
The questions posed to Dr. Rene Hoenderkamp were: email address: We talk about these frustrations and fears.
René Hoenderkamp, renowned NHS doctor, explains the link between vitamin E supplements and cancer risk, how to put type 2 diabetes into remission, the best exercises to relieve back pain and more.
Last week, our medical residents shared their thoughts on reports that hot tea increases the risk of esophageal cancer, whether the shingles vaccine causes shingles, and how to tell if you’ve taken too much vitamin D.
It is important to remember that the advice below is general advice, not individualized advice, and you should always seek individual medical treatment from your doctor.
These caveats aside, read below to hear Dr Hoenderkamp’s answers to GB News members’ burning questions.
Hi Dr. Renee, What is the best way to put type 2 diabetes into remission?
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body no longer responds well to insulin or no longer produces enough insulin for the body’s needs. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that normally stores the sugar we eat and make in the body’s cells. When this process goes wrong, blood sugar (glucose) levels rise, causing diabetes. Diabetes is a disease of high blood sugar that damages all of the body’s organs, nerves and tissues, increases the risk of infection and prevents normal healing.
Since the leading cause of type 2 diabetes is obesity, the best-known way to put diabetes into remission (returning blood sugar to normal) is to lose weight. However, it’s not that simple, as some people who aren’t obese can develop diabetes. Additionally, people who undergo certain weight-loss procedures that alter hormones in the stomach and gut flora seem to go into remission before they lose significant weight.
That being said, a kickstarted low-calorie diet of 800-1000 calories over 12 weeks has been proven to induce remission, and the DIRECT1 study showed that almost a quarter of trial participants who started with a low-calorie approach were still in remission five years later, losing an average of 8.9kg.
There are three factors that may predict successful remission: weight loss, baseline pancreatic function, and duration of diabetes. So essentially the more weight you lose, the shorter your diabetes will last, and how well your pancreas is functioning will determine your chances of remission. So early diagnosis and subsequent action are key.
But what else can you do? Michael Mosley, who was pre-diabetic but not overweight, has written some great books on the subject. In essence, he shows that the key pillars of losing body fat include sticking to a healthy diet of non-processed foods like vegetables and fresh produce, and that for some people, it’s better and more sustainable to go slowly with this approach. He also recommended intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating, which have been shown to have long-term health benefits. And of course exercise as part of that is necessary not just for weight loss, but for the health of your body and your heart. High-speed exercise, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), was also a mainstay of Mosley’s. You can find a summary of his ideas here.
The message I want to take away from all of this is that all of the above is good for you, whether you have diabetes or just want to look and feel better overall and live a longer, healthier life.
Vitamin E is a general name for a group of vitamins found in oily foods. It helps maintain a healthy immune system, healthy vision, and healthy skin. It is a vitamin stored in fat, so it is not lost if not used. Therefore, small amounts in the diet are sufficient to maintain adequate levels, and deficiency is rare. Taking vitamin E supplements can cause high levels to be stored in the body, which can be harmful.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, so it repairs cell damage, protects against environmental stressors like radiation, maintains the immune system, and promotes healthy vision and skin.
There are conflicting research results for and against vitamin E supplements. For example, some studies suggest that vitamin E may slow the progression of early-diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease, but other studies have not shown this. One study showed improvement in symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but also showed that taking the supplement for two years increased insulin resistance, which may increase the risk of diabetes.
To answer your question about cancer, studies have shown that vitamin E and selenium supplements do not prevent prostate cancer, and that taking vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Another study in head and neck cancer patients found that those who received vitamin E had a higher incidence of second primary cancers compared to those who received a placebo. There is also concern that high levels of vitamin E may affect radiation therapy.
Vitamin E is easily obtained through a balanced diet. Good sources include:
· Vegetable oilbut I’m going to stick with olive oil.
Nuts and seedsHalf a cup of almonds is enough.
· Wheat Germ Oil – Just one tablespoon is more than you need in a day.
My summary is this: yes, this is an essential oil for health, but you should always be careful with vitamins stored in fat. This vitamin is easily obtained through a good diet, so I would stick to that and not take supplements. There are some potentially dangerous side effects, so just eat nuts and know how to do it right.
This is a fun question for me because my partner is a spine surgeon, so back discussions abound in our house.
The answer is actually quite simple and involves maintaining core stability, strength and mobility.
As a general practitioner, I see patients with back pain during every surgery. Back pain is common and debilitating. I always try to emphasize the following:
1. Most back pain will resolve within 6-8 weeks
2. If you have lower back pain, the pain may get stronger and weaker, and severe pain may come suddenly.
3. The worst thing you can do when you have inflammation is to stay in bed. It is important to keep moving gently.
4. Core strengthening between flares will support problem areas and help minimize or resolve flares.
The easiest and most effective exercise for strengthening your core is not any fancy yoga or pilates, but the plank. Just do the plank faithfully, and at first you might struggle to do it for 10 seconds, but after a while you’ll be able to read the newspaper while doing it.
Here’s a great plank video.
Of course there are other exercises to do, such as stretches to improve hip mobility, but I found a good program here.
But if none of these work, try this channel on a YouTube site written by a spine surgeon I know, which has a playlist of at-home exercises designed to help you solve problems from your neck to your lower back.
If nothing works, then more invasive long term treatments such as steroid injections or even surgery may be necessary depending on the cause. But as my partner says, surgery should always be a last resort. I hope this helps.
