The “Survival Protein” that can Wreak Havoc on Your Health

The following is adapted from The Survival Paradox by Isaac Eliaz, MD.

When you experience injury, illness, or other stressors, an alarm bell goes off in your body. This alarm bell is your innate survival response, which triggers the production and activity of various proteins and hormones. Among them is a carbohydrate-binding protein called galectin-3 — the “survival protein.”

If you’ve never heard of galectin-3, you’re not alone. But as the molecular architect of your survival response, it’s worth knowing. Galactin-3 plays a role in everything from cancer to heart and kidney failure and much more.

As the core component and initiator of your self-preservation mechanism, you might be wondering how and why galectin-3 can cause so many problems. In small amounts, it normally doesn’t, but when your survival response goes into overdrive — and your body’s alarm bell doesn’t turn off — that’s when galectin-3 gets out of control and can cause serious harm.

How Does Galectin-3 Operate?

Under normal circumstances, galectin-3 serves an important function in healing. When you’re sick or injured, it initiates a cascade of processes that are necessary for injury repair. However, when galectin-3 activity continues uncontrollably, it effectively “goes rogue.” How can one protein harm and benefit us at the same time?

When galectin-3 is activated, it turns on multiple pathways that initiate inflammation and the process of fibrosis, and such scar tissue build-up can lead to hardening and dysfunction of tissues and organ systems. Furthermore, it can also overexpress itself in specific areas of the body, for example, in the joints, cardiovascular system, or the brain.

Even more amazing is that it can exert very different effects at different sites based on what it’s bound to. When galectin-3 is activated, it can bind to other galectin-3 proteins and other carbohydrates to form complex structures. Up to five individual galectin-3 proteins can stick together, creating five-sided structures called pentamers.

Why Galectin-3 Expression Goes Wrong

Many of the problems caused by galectin-3 overproduction can be traced back to the stresses of modern-day existence.

We live in a world where people continue to become more isolated. Our internal and external sense of peace is dwindling, and our attention spans are ridiculously short. We can no longer wait for weeks, days, or even hours to give or receive a response — we can only tolerate waiting for milliseconds, and we feel the need to react immediately to every stimulus.

Essentially, our modern society is in a state of overwhelm, and it’s causing our alarm bells to never shut off. The continual barrage of stimuli from every direction, the onslaught of environmental toxins, the ongoing mental, physical, and emotional stress we’ve grown accustomed to — these disturbances throw us into survival mode where our systems are on constant high alert.

The result? Unhealthy galectin-3 expression, and with it, progressive damage to vital organs and systems over the long-term. This, in turn, fuels more galectin-3 production, forming a perpetually closed loop system that is proving to be perhaps the single greatest threat to our health and longevity.

Silencing the Body’s Alarm Bells

If modern life is placing us in a constant state of survival mode — and a state of galectin-3 overproduction — how can we silence the alarm?

For our alarm system to work correctly, our inflammatory, immune, and other biochemical responses must be carefully regulated. That requires calming the mind and the body. Practices that can help include getting sufficient sleep, reducing stress, staying hydrated, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and engaging in regular exercise and movement.

The goal is to shift from a reactive survival mode into a harmonious, relaxed one — a movement to a place where kindness, love, and compassion replace anger and resentment. Adjusting your activities and lifestyle will allow you to do just that. In turn, your body’s alarm system will turn off and allow normal galectin-3 expression to resume.

Supporting Helpful Galectin-3 in the Body

Remember, despite the potential harm it can do, galectin-3 serves a few important purposes within the body. It helps cell development and extracellular injury repair and survival. In short, we need the survival protein, but we need it in appropriate amounts.

When the body is in crisis and there is an upregulation of galectin-3 production, it can have detrimental consequences. To keep galectin-3 at appropriate, helpful levels, it is important to take proven galectin-3 blockers like modified citrus pectin, in addition to managing your stress levels. Make lifestyle changes that counteract the hectic pace of modern life, and take time to relax your mind and body. When your body isn’t on high alert, it can instead focus its energy on healing and growth.

For more advice on health and wellness, you can find The Survival Paradox on Amazon.

Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAC, is a recognized expert in the field of integrative medicine, focusing on cancer and complex conditions. He is a respected clinician, researcher, author, educator, and mind-body practitioner. Dr. Eliaz partners with leading research institutes, including Harvard, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Columbia, to co-author scientific studies on today’s most serious conditions. He has spent decades studying meditation with an emphasis on healing and deepening the mind-body connection. Dr Eliaz is the founder and medical director of Amitabha Medical Clinic & Healing Center in Santa Rosa, California.