One-third of cancer deaths preventable

United Press International

8/7/2009

HOUSTON, Aug 7, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- If people ate healthier meals and increased daily exercise 186,000 cancer deaths, one-third of the annual U.S. total, could be prevented, an expert says.

Michele Forman of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston says there are low cost ways to to prevent cancer.

"Cancer is a disease that is cheaper to prevent than treat," Forman says in a statement.

Forman admits eating five or more servings of fruits and veggies can be costly and advises checking out a list of farmers' markets and eligibility for nutrition assistance at www.usda.gov.

Forman suggests cancer risk can by reduced by:

-- Avoiding tobacco. Quitting saves up to $4,000 a year. Free programs and/or information are available at Web sites: mdanderson.org/preventionstudy; smokefree.gov; and yesquit.com.

-- Being sun-safe. Use sunglasses and sunscreen at least sun-protection factor 15 can be almost as good as more expensive SPF 70, if applied and reapplied properly.

-- Getting checkups so cancers are found early when most treatable. Some states offer free or low-cost screening. Call 1-800 4-CANCER.

URL: www.upi.com

Elderly who are single suffer cognitively

United Press International

8/7/2009

LOS ANGELES, Aug 7, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. researchers suggest seniors who survive a spouse or never marry seem to suffer more cognitive decline.

However, socioeconomic status did not seem to be linked to brain's continued ability to function.

Lead investigator Dr. Arun Karlamangla of the University of California, Los Angeles Geffen School of Medicine, said the study is based on data from 6,476 adults born prior to 1924, who were tested five times between 1993-2002 on various memory and cognition items.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found rates of cognitive decline over a 9-year period were similar across socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups.

"It has been known that cognitive performance at any given age appears to depend on demographic characteristics; the more educated, for instance, perform better," Karlamangla said in a statement.

"But though there are differences in the level of performance you start with in your late 60s, this study's surprise is that the rate of decline in your 70s is the same for every group."

URL: www.upi.com

Mounting evidence of fish body oil benefit

United Press International

8/4/2009

NEW ORLEANS, Aug 4, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the incidence of cardiac events and mortality in patients with existing heart disease, U.S. researchers said.

"We now have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies, some dating back 20 and 30 years, that demonstrate the protective benefits of omega-3 fish oil in multiple aspects of preventive cardiology," lead author Dr. Carl Lavie, medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention, Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, said in a statement.

"The strongest evidence of a cardioprotective effect of omega-3s appears in patients with established cardiovascular disease and following a heart attack with up to a 30 percent reduction in cardiovascular-related death."

Dietary intake of fish oil can also decrease the risk of atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, heart attack, sudden cardiac death and even health failure, Lavie said.

The review, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said based on the findings, the study authors recommend that healthy individuals should consume 500 mg daily of omega-3 fish oil containing docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid and people with known heart disease or heart failure aim for at least 800 to 1,000 mg daily.

URL: www.upi.com

Eating Strawberries Boosts Brain Power

NewsRx.com

8/6/2009

Strawberries are good for your brain, according to breaking news out of the 2009 Berry Health Symposium. Several of the latest studies, conducted by world-renowned researchers, consistently showed that strawberry consumption is a simple way to improve cognitive function (see also Aging).

For example, one study presented by researchers from the Chicago Healthy Aging Project (CHAP) showed that older adults who consume strawberries at least once per month have less cognitive decline. More specifically, women who consumed more than one serving of strawberries per month had a 16.2% slower rate of cognitive decline versus those who consumed less.

With increasing age, brain function diminishes. This has been conclusively shown in laboratory studies, by Drs. James Joseph and Barbara Shukitt-Hale of USDA Agricultural Research Service at Tufts University. Their latest research at the conference demonstrated that aging results in deficits in learning, memory and motor function, such as balance and walking speed - and concluded that strawberries and other berries improved both memory and motor function.

Berries Can Preserve Brain Function

Researchers from the 2009 Berry Health Symposium described how berries may be contributing to the preservation of brain function. Most disease processes in the body are believed to begin through inflammation and oxidation which damage cells. Healthy nerve cell membranes promote optimal communication within the brain and nervous system so preventing membrane damage from inflammation and oxidation is essential. Numerous antioxidant substances have been identified in berries.

Prevention of Dementia in an Aging Population

Dementia is the loss of cognitive function of sufficient severity to interfere with everyday tasks. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. It is estimated that one in eight persons, aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's. There is no cure for the disease and treatments are ineffective.

According to recently released census estimates, the world's 65-and-older population will triple by 2050 to make up 1 in 6 people. The number of senior citizens has already increased 23 percent since 2000 to 516 million, more than double the growth rate for the general population. As a result, the incidence of dementia is likely to rise.

The frequent consumption of berries is emerging as a potential simple dietary factor for prevention.

California strawberries are grown and available year-round in supermarkets across the country.

More information and the research abstracts from the 2009 Health Benefits Symposium can be found at www.berryhealth.org.

Keywords: Aging, California Strawberry Commission.

This article was prepared by Preventive Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Preventive Medicine Week via NewsRx.com.

To see more of the NewsRx.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.newsrx.com .

Exercise, Med Diet = Less Alzheimer's

United Press International

8/11/2009

NEW YORK, Aug 11, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. researchers say combining exercise and the Mediterranean-type diet may reduce Alzheimer's risk.

The study of 1,880 elderly people with an average age of 77 living in New York, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found those who were very physically active had a 33 percent risk reduction of Alzheimer's.

Lead author Dr. Nikos Scarmeas of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York said those who adhered more strongly to a Mediterranean-type diet had a 40 percent risk reduction.

However, those who both exercised and followed a diet closer to the Mediterranean-type had a 60 percent reduction in their risk for developing Alzheimer's disease during the five-year period of the study.

A Mediterranean-type diet is typically characterized by high intake of fish, vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals and monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil, along with moderate alcohol consumption and relatively low intake of dairy products, meats and saturated fat.

Social Stress Sends Body Fat to the Stomach

Social Stress Sends Body Fat to the Stomach

SOURCE: Wake Forest University School of Medicine, news release, Aug. 5, 2009

8/5/2009

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Social stress may cause the body to deposit more fat in the abdomen, which increases the risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.

The findings could lead to new ways to combat rising rates of obesity in the United States and other Western nations, according to principal investigator Carol A. Shively, a professor of pathology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

"Much of the excess fat in many people who are overweight is located in the abdomen, and that fat behaves differently than fat in other locations. If there's too much, it can have far more harmful effects on health than fat located in other areas," she said in a Wake Forest news release.

In the study, designed to see how social status affects the development of heart disease, female monkeys were fed a Western-style diet that contained fat and cholesterol. The monkeys were housed in groups and naturally established a pecking order from dominant to subordinate.

The researchers noted that the subordinate monkeys were not included in group grooming sessions as often as dominant monkeys, and were often the target of aggression.

The subordinate monkeys in this study then developed more fat in the abdominal cavity than other monkeys.

Social subordination causes the release of stress hormones that promote fat accumulation in the abdomen, the researchers said. This abdominal (visceral) fat promotes the build-up of plaque in blood vessels that leads to heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

The study appears in the current issue of the journal Obesity.

Shively said the findings reinforce the wisdom of healthy eating, regular exercise and handling stress well.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute outlines heart disease risk factors.

Best Way To Eat Fruit

I got this in email, so I don't know whether it's good information or not, but it "feels" right. Take it as use it as you see fit.

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!

* FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - "every time I eat watermelon I burp", "when I eat durian my stomach bloats up", "when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet", etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

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The Dr Shelton referred to above was not exactly mainstream, but that doesn't mean he was wrong. Again, remember that this is offered for your consideration only and for your use as you see fit.