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Comment by majkinetor | Hacker News Reader

That is the whole problem - everything that benefits your body, benefits cancer and vice-versa. Cancer forms all the time - body should handle it when functioning correctly (via immune system).

NAD is essential for many functions, especially longevity as sirtuins require it for proper function.

As far as I know only massive Vitamin C doses uniquely influence cancer in negative manner and get pretty much no effect on non cancer cells. Massive vitamin C infusions (which work via mechanism similar to chemotherapy) while can't cure cancer per se, have potential to make life span and quality of life much longer (toward chronic disease).

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> Cancer forms all the time - body should handle it when functioning correctly (via immune system).

Is this why some people think fasting can help? It gives the body a chance to clean up cancer cells, since you have more time in a catabolic state?

Don't know what anybody thinks, but there are multiple reasons, some of which are:

- No sugar input => low insulin (insulin promotes cancer)

- No nutrition for cancer cells => no folate etc.

- Metabolic slowdown due to starvation => means everything works slower including cancer

- Promotion of autophagy which consumes damaged organelles. This one is dubious as cancer cells can do autophagy themselves to stay alive, but I suppose that due to extensive mutations in cancer there is still a chance that normal cells do it more efficiently. In healthy parts of the body this can also lead to better immune system as damaged parts of it could be replaced in the process. On the other hand, good immunity needs various vitamins and minerals most of which can't be produced or stored.

So if you're fasting you should probably still supplement with the necessary vitamins etc.?

I know a few friends who take NAD booster supplements. Does it increase their chance of developing cancer? Just curious as there seems to be a connection based on what I read recently.

Probably, in specific context - unrecognized and left to develop cancer will be boosted according to this research and if supplement reaches it which depends on many factors.

At this point there is literrary nothing you can recommend to your friend.

That makes total sense—thanks!

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