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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, a biochemist, or even an Asparagus farmer 🙂
With all the news yesterday about Asparagine and certain forms of breast cancer, I thought I'd look into what a 'low asparagine diet' would look like. Although no doubt of interest to people currently battling cancer, this is the early stages of a study not yet trialled on humans or anywhere near 'official' health advice. I used to read New Scientist and there were always interesting studies and theories in there that you never hear about in the news. Some of the more detailed articles also state that Asparagine does not reduce the likelihood of cancerous cells developing, but it can reduce the spread of existing cancerous cells, suggesting that a normal healthy person should not consider altering their diet.
So it seems a low asparagine diet is no mean feat (its abundant in lots of stuff including roasted coffee!) and the liver also produces asparagine so you would need medication to substantially reduce it within the body.
Asparagine apparently has a few important functions and subsequent side effects (that I don't fully understand) including;
Maintaining balance in the nervous system, preventing nervousness or being overly calm. The brain and nervous system rely on the process for energy.
Synthesizing and excreting urea (waste product of excess dietary protein)
Deficiency symptoms include confusion, headaches,depression, irritability and in extreme cases, psychosis.
Anyone more clued up on this? Thought this might make for an interesting discussion versus the 2004 and 2012 articles linked below, and yesterdays flood of 'miracle cancer cure - stop eating veg' news stories...
https://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/proteins_asparagine.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagine
I am a biochemist.
Restricting Asparagine and other amino acids have been considered as cancer treatments for many years.
A As being essential for life impossible to eradicate entirely.
Stopping drinking, smoking, being overweight etc going to make a far far bigger reduction of cancer risk
Asparaginase, an enzyme that breaks down asparagine, is used as part of some cancer treatments because some cancers lack the ability to make the stuff for themselves
I'll not be altering my diet, or dosing myself up on asparaginase - as kimbers says, do the obvious stuff
Asparagine is one of the 20 essential amino acids. Of the 12 kg of protein in your average human, about 4% of it is asparagine, so you have about 1 pound of it in you.
Asparagine is a non essential amino acid so you don't have to have it in your diet.
There’s suddenly been a large increase in popcorn in my diet.
So, essential or not, which is it?
"So, essential or not, which is it?"
It's termed non-essential because the human body can make it itself, unlike the essential ones which the human body can't synthesise and thus need to be in our food. It's still biologically essential.
I feel sorry for those growing asparagus commercially, your average joe in the street will not read the fine print and will not buy the vegetable. It's going to be a rubbish few years for the grower if this news becomes the latest "X food causes cancer" fake news
While suppressing levels of asparagine reduced the spread of breast cancer around the body, it did nothing to prevent breast tumours forming in the first place.
So not eating asparagus or other foods will not stop you getting cancer. After you have cancer, it might help prevent the cancer from spreading. Very important difference that will get completely ignored in the hysteria.
Yes they saw a moderate decrease in spread of disease with dietary restriction. So there's potential there for therapy, but it's impossible to eradicate asparagine entirely without moving to a diet of synthetic asparagine free pellets or similar.
But the real decrease was when they used an inhibitor that blocked biosynthesis, as well , but did lead to side effects.
Could conceivably give an inhibitor upon diagnosis of a primary tumour for a set period, assuming it hasn't already spread, tho not all cancers spread so unnecessary treatment for some.
Also wouldn't stop new cancers that aren't related to primary.