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Diet plays a significant role in whether colon cancer survivors suffer a recurrence of the disease, a U.S. study has found. Researchers gathered dietary data from 1,011 patients with advanced color cancer, finding that those who ate a typical "Western" diet – marked by high intakes of meat, fat, refined grains, and sugar desserts – were three times more likely to have a cancer recurrence than those whose diets were least Western. In particular, eating foods with a high glycemic index increased levels of insulin and in turn increased the risk of cancer recurrence.
"Dietary Glycemic Load and Cancer Recurrence and Survival in Patients with Stage III Colon Cancer", Journal of the National Cancer Institute, November 07, 2012
A study by U.S. researchers has found that levels of calcium intake from diet or from supplements have no real effect on the severity of calcified plaque clogging arteries in the heart, a predictor of heart attack. Scientists examined 1,300 men and women with an average age of 60 for the study. They were asked about their diet and calcium supplement use, and underwent CT scans of their coronary arteries four years later. They found no increased risk of calcified arteries with higher amounts of calcium intake from food or supplements among the study participants.
"Calcium intake is not associated with increased coronary artery calcification", American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 07, 2012
Kids and adolescents who eat at fast-food and full-service restaurants tend to consume higher amounts of sugar, total fat, saturated fat and sodium than when they eat at home or eat food brought from home, a U.S. study has found. Researchers compared calorie intake, diet quality, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly soda, on days when children and adolescents ate out and days when they ate at home. The data were from a national health survey that included 4,717 children ages 2 to 11. and 4,699 adolescents ages 12 to 19. When adolescents ate fast food, they consumed an additional 309 calories; young children took in an additional 126 calories.
"Fast-Food and Full-Service Restaurant Consumption Among Children and Adolescents: Effect on Energy, Beverage, and Nutrient Intake", Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, November 05, 2012
Overweight or obese people who lose weight sticking to either a low-fat or low-carb diet significantly reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a U.S. study. Fat cells secrete molecules into the bloodstream that increase inflammation throughout the body. Being overweight or obese greatly increases the risk of inflammation and, in turn, blood clots. For the study, 60 overweight or obese people were randomly assigned to go on a low-fat or a low-carb diet for six months. The researchers found that in both groups there was a significant drop in the levels of all three measures of inflammation. Those on the low-carb diet lost more weight, on average, than those on the low-fat diet and also had a greater drop in BMI and belly fat.
"Losing Weight from Either a Low-Carb or Low-Fat Diet Lowers Body Inflammation", News release, presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 05, 2012
An older man’s likelihood of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular disease is not reduced by taking a daily multivitamin, a U.S. study has found. The researchers noted that there remains some doubt about the long-term benefits of daily multivitamin use, especially as a way to prevent cardiovascular disease. For the study, researchers analyzed data regarding multivitamin use and major cardiovascular events from a large trial – 14,641 physicians were enrolled – designed to look at multivitamin impact on cancer. They found no significant effect on rates of congestive heart failure, angina, and coronary revascularization, or on total heart attacks, stroke, or other cardiovascular events.
"Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Men", JAMA, November 05, 2012
Researchers who fed mice genetically engineered tomatoes that produce a small peptide that mimics the action of the chief protein in HDL (“good” cholesterol) found that the animals had less inflammation and arterial plaque build up. The mice, bred to lack the ability to eliminate “bad” cholesterol from their blood, were subject to inflammation and atherosclerosis. The U.S. researchers said it was the first example of “a drug with these properties that has been produced in an edible plant and is biologically active when fed without any isolation or purification of the drug.”
"Genetically Engineered Tomatoes Decrease Plaque Build-Up in Mice", News release, presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012, November 05, 2012
Spanish researchers have found a significant link between levels of vitamin D in the blood and the risk of bladder cancer. Study authors analyzed blood samples from 2,000 hospital patients, some of whom had bladder cancer and some of whom did not. They found that those who had the highest levels of 25(OH)D3 in the blood had the least risk of bladder cancer. The results suggest that increasing the dietary or supplementary intake of vitamin D, or getting more sun exposure, might benefit patients in terms of prevention and treatment.
"Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and Bladder Cancer Risk According to Tumor Stage and FGFR3 Status", Journal of the National Cancer Institute, October 31, 2012
British and Dutch researchers who analyzed data from 38 studies involving 800,000 individuals have found that eating just two servings of oily fish a week significantly reduces the chances of suffering a stroke. The same effect, however, was not found from taking fish oil supplements. Participants who ate two to four servings of fish like salmon, sardines, herring, etc., a week had a moderate but significant six percent lower risk of cerebrovascular disease compared with those eating one or fewer servings of fish a week. Participants who ate five or more servings a week had a 12 percent lower risk. The researchers suggested several reasons for the results, including the possibility that eating fish precludes consumption of harmful foods like red meat.
"Association between fish consumption, long chain omega 3 fatty acids, and risk of cerebrovascular disease", BMJ, October 31, 2012
Researchers in the U.K. who tested the effect of different beverage combinations on expectations of satiety found that people assumed thicker drinks would make them feel fuller longer. Expectations of satiety – the thin, thick, creamy and high- and low-calorie drinks were rated against hypothetical pasta and sauce dishes of different sizes – were boosted by thick drinks even when other drink combinations had the same number of calories. Creamy flavors and higher calorie content did not increase the expected impact on hunger. The researchers said figuring out how to make drinks feel more filling without increasing their caloric content could help mitigate the impact on weight.
"Subtle changes in the flavour and texture of a drink enhance expectations of satiety", Flavour, October 31, 2012
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HerbalGramm, American Botanical Council, November 01, 2012
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