Archive for the ‘cancer’ Category
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
The World Health Organization estimates 1 billion adults are overweight and at least 300 million are clinically obese. Health officials blame the increased consumption of nutrient-poor, energy dense foods – such as sugar, saturated fat, and fast food – and reduced physical activity for the spike in obesity.
Obesity is a known risk factor for various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and certain types of cancer.
And while poor diet and inactivity is commonly blamed for obesity, mental illness, like eating disorders and depression, and genetics may increase a person’s risk of becoming overweight or obese.
But as for genetics, in a new study, published in the Public Library of American Science Medicine journal, researchers say exercise can reduce individuals’ genetic predisposition to obesity.
The study involved 20,430 people living in Norwich, Britain and found most participants inherited to 10 and 13 genetic variants known to raise the risk of obesity; some people inherited as many as 17 variants.
Data showed each genetic variant was associated with grams of weight. In active individuals the genetic variant increase was equivalent to a 592 gram increase in body mass index, but people who exercise only had a 379 gram increase.
So the researchers reiterate that in order to help prevent obesity it is important to get plenty of exercise.
Image credit: Mushroom and Rooster
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition & Health, body mass index, cancer, exercise, heart disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2007, 15,560 new cases of esophageal cancer were diagnosed in the United States. But world wide research shows countries like China, Iran, Iceland, India, Japan, and the United Kingdom have the highest rates of esophageal cancer.
Esophageal cancer is a very deadly form of the disease and manifests when cancer cells presents at the junction of the esophagus and stomach.
Common causes of esophageal cancer include tobacco smoking, acid reflux, and drinking alcohol.
And a new study claims obesity and poor diet, especially high consumption of saturated fats, may be a major factor in the steep rise of esophageal cancer in the U.K. An expert from the Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry say Anglo Saxon males have the highest risk, while the black population has a lower risk.
The scientists recommend people change their diets and eat more fruits and vegetables to cut obesity and reduce risk of esophageal cancer. Other studies have shown taking aspirin and drinking coffee also decrease risk.
In July, a report showed one-quarter of the adults in the U.K. are obese, compared to 16% in 1994.
Image credit: Kyle May
Posted in Nutrition & Health, cancer, coffee & caffeine, drugs & alcohol, esophageal cancer, fruits & vegetables, obesity, smoking | No Comments »
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Our skin transforms ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D, and vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and a new study adds cancer and autoimmune disease to the list.
Published in the journal Genome Research, experts mapped out more than 200 genes directly influenced by vitamin D and found vitamin D deficiency is linked to autoimmune diseases like type-1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, and cancers such as leukemia and colon cancer.
The researchers say vitamin D is essential in triggering the immune system’s T cells, which fight infections in the body. So a vitamin D deficiency leaves the body more vulnerable to sickness and disease.
While the optimal dose of vitamin D is still unclear, the scientists recommend people get at least 25 to 50 micrograms each day.
Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish – like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna – eggs, liver, mushrooms, and foods fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as milk, yogurt, bread, margarine, and some breakfast cereal.
Image credit: mommamia
Posted in Crohn's disease, Nutrition & Health, arthritis, calcium, cancer, cereal, colon cancer, eggs, fruits & vegetables, leukemia, milk & dairy, multiple sclerosis, rickets, seafood & fish, type-1 diabetes, vitamin d, vitamins & minerals | No Comments »
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Our skin transforms ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D, and vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to rickets, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and a new study adds cancer and autoimmune disease to the list.
Published in the journal Genome Research, experts mapped out more than 200 genes directly influenced by vitamin D and found vitamin D deficiency is linked to autoimmune diseases like type-1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, and cancers such as leukemia and colon cancer.
The researchers say vitamin D is essential in triggering the immune system’s T cells, which fight infections in the body. So a vitamin D deficiency leaves the body more vulnerable to sickness and disease.
While the optimal dose of vitamin D is still unclear, the scientists recommend people get at least 25 to 50 micrograms each day.
Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish – like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna – eggs, liver, mushrooms, and foods fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as milk, yogurt, bread, margarine, and some breakfast cereal.
Image credit: mommamia
Posted in Crohn's disease, Nutrition & Health, arthritis, calcium, cancer, cereal, colon cancer, eggs, fruits & vegetables, leukemia, milk & dairy, multiple sclerosis, rickets, seafood & fish, type-1 diabetes, vitamin d, vitamins & minerals | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Red meat doesn’t have a good reputation when it comes to heart health. Foods like beef and steak are high in cholesterol, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
So a new study found reducing your red meat intake even a little bit helps lower your risk of high cholesterol and heart disease.
Writing in the journal Circulation, researchers say if you eat red meat more than once a day you’ll help your heart by swapping out one serving of meat with a less fattening food, like nuts or fish.
In the study, women who eat two servings of red meat each day have a 30% higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to women who eat roughly three to four servings per week.
The researchers call it a “pretty dramatic increase,” highlighting the benefit of moderation and not overeating red meat.
Other findings show women eating one serving of beef each day raised their risk of heart disease by 8%, compared to who women rarely or never eat red meat. Other foods heightened risk more severely. Eating hotdogs once or twice a month raised risk 35%, bacon 41%, and hotdogs 42%.
Red meat has also been linked to a variety of cancers, such as prostate cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, and breast cancer.
Image credit: elecnix
Posted in Nutrition & Health, bladder cancer, breast cancer, cancer, cholesterol, colon cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, prostate cancer, red meat, stomach cancer | No Comments »
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
To get “big” most gym rats and bodybuilders alike, load up the bench press or the weight machines with as much weight as they can lift, once.
But a new study claims piling on the weight isn’t the only way to build muscle, using less weight works too.
Writing in the journal PLoS One, researchers found using lighter weights and lifting it as many times as you can is also a good way to pump iron.
“Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can’t lift it anymore,” said Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University. “We’re convinced that growing muscle means stimulating your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time accumulates into bigger muscles.”
For the study, scientist tested participants’ ability to lift 90% of their “best lift” and 30% of their best lift. Results showed people could lift the heavy weight 5 to 10 times, but were able to lift the 30% weight at least 24 times before fatigue.
The researchers say these findings could help doctors develop better exercise plans for seniors and patients recovering from serious conditions, such as cancer.
Image credit: windsordi
Posted in Fitness, cancer, weight-lifting | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
The Mediterranean diet, native to countries like Greece and Italy, is rich in fruits, vegetables, wine, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, and olive oil, but low in meat and dairy – so it is constantly being linked to better health, such as reduced risk of cancer and heart disease.
And now, new research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says women who follow a Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer after menopause than women with different eating habits.
For the study, scientists followed 14,800 Greek women for 10 years and determined women most closely following a Mediterranean diet were 22% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, compared to women consuming a less traditional diet. Among the study participants, 240 women were diagnosed with breast cancer during a 10 year follow-up.
But the reduction of risk was only seen in women who were post-menopausal. No change was observed in younger women. Other factors taken into account were the women’s age, education, smoking, weight, and exercise habits.
In February, a study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health found Mediterranean-type diets protect the brain against damage associated with cognitive problems and help lower the risk of depression.
Image credit: Enrique__
Posted in Mediterranean Diet, Nutrition & Health, breast cancer, cancer, menopause, olive oil, women | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Processed foods come in many forms; meat like hot dogs and cold cuts, canned vegetables preserved in salt, high-sodium frozen dinners, and even pasteurized milk.
Research has linked many of these foods, especially processed meat – like sausage and ham – to health problems, such as kidney and stomach cancer.
And now, a new study published in the journal Cancer, claims chemicals in hot dogs and bologna may raise the risk of bladder cancer.
Data on more than 300,000 people, suggest nitrites and nitrates in processed meats, used to color and flavor food, are responsible for the heightened risk.
When processed meats are cooked the added chemicals combine with other compounds, naturally present in meat, and create cancer-causing agents.
After seven years, 854 of the study participants – less than 0.3% – were diagnosed with bladder cancer, with individuals consuming the most processed red meat having a 30% greater risk of developing bladder cancer, compared to people the least amount of processed meat.
In 2007, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund warned that no amount of bacon, sausage, and lunchmeat is fit for human consumption. Their research found eating as little as 1.7 ounces of processed meat each day increased risk of colorectal cancer by 21%.
Image credit: AJ Franklin
Posted in Nutrition & Health, bladder cancer, cancer, colon cancer, hot dogs, meat, processed meat | No Comments »
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Meat, whether it is beef, pork, chicken, or fish, is a high-energy food, meaning every bite has a lot of calories; unlike vegetables which have fiber, making them low-calorie foods. Meat does not contain fiber.
And new research claims all those calories from meat may turn into extra bodyweight over time.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists analyzed more than 370,000 individuals, 100,000 men and 270,000 women, from 10 different European countries participating in a cancer study.
Over a 5-year period, both men and women gained an average of about one pound a year, and the more meat a person consumed, the more they gained. The researchers say for every additional 250 grams of meat a person ate each day, their weight gain after 5 years would be 4.4 pounds greater than people not eating as much meat.
A half-pound of steak is equal to 250 grams of meat, or 450 calories.
The researchers admit the weight-gain isn’t much, but could have an impact on populations as a whole.
And consuming a lot of meat or eating a meat-centered diet, especially one low in fruits and vegetables, has been linked to a variety of health risks; including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and colon and pancreatic cancer.
Image credit: muckster
Posted in Nutrition & Health, bodyweight, cancer, colon cancer, fiber, heart disease, obesity, pancreatic cancer, red meat | No Comments »
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Meat, whether it is beef, pork, chicken, or fish, is a high-energy food, meaning every bite has a lot of calories; unlike vegetables which have fiber, making them low-calorie foods. Meat does not contain fiber.
And new research claims all those calories from meat may turn into extra bodyweight over time.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists analyzed more than 370,000 individuals, 100,000 men and 270,000 women, from 10 different European countries participating in a cancer study.
Over a 5-year period, both men and women gained an average of about one pound a year, and the more meat a person consumed, the more they gained. The researchers say for every additional 250 grams of meat a person ate each day, their weight gain after 5 years would be 4.4 pounds greater than people not eating as much meat.
A half-pound of steak is equal to 250 grams of meat, or 450 calories.
The researchers admit the weight-gain isn’t much, but could have an impact on populations as a whole.
And consuming a lot of meat or eating a meat-centered diet, especially one low in fruits and vegetables, has been linked to a variety of health risks; including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and colon and pancreatic cancer.
Image credit: muckster
Posted in Nutrition & Health, bodyweight, cancer, colon cancer, fiber, heart disease, obesity, pancreatic cancer, red meat | No Comments »
