As readers of Cancer: Improving Your Odds already know, improving gut health is key to a good immune system and improved cancer outcomes. This study shows how to increase two key microbes in the gut.

As evidenced in the book, Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia are very important to improving the immune response to cancer. In this study out of George Washington University (with funding from the National Science Foundation) they found that these key strains can be increased in the gut through some simple dietary changes.

• Bifidobacterium​ – was positively correlated with dietary protein intake, especially vegetable protein and dietary fiber. In particular soluble fiber, present in vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, beans, peas, asparagus and beans. These same foods also contain vegetable protein. They also found that a good vitamin A status benefited bifidobacterium levels.
• Akkermansia​ – was found to be positively associated with saturated fats intake, and is negatively correlated with total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

So in short, consume more of these vegetables, take a probiotic with bifidobacterium, take a retinol vitamin A supplement, consume saturated fats, and lower the consumption of polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats. This is basically a subset of what is advised in Cancer: Improving Your Odds.

The subject of beneficial gut bacteria and how it Improves Your Odds in fighting cancer (and especially so if you’re on immunotherapy) is covered extensively the book. The book also outlines diet and strategies for improving the beneficial bacteria that is responsible for these benefits.