American Fitness Professionals & Associates

Fiber’s Benefits Moving Up

Fiber not only protects against colon cancer, but it also protects against cancer developing in the small intestine, which makes up 75 percent of the digestive tract. A study in the journal Gastroenterology analyzed food consumption data from almost 500,000 adults. Follow up over an average of seven years showed those who consumed the most fiber, specifically from whole grains, had a 49 percent lower risk of developing small bowel cancer, compared with those who consumed the least fiber.

Current recommendations from the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association for dietary fiber intake range from 20 to 35 grams daily. U.S. adults are currently consuming only about half of this amount.

Schatzkin A, Park Y, Leitzmann MF, et al. Prospective study of dietary fiber, whole grain foods, and small intestinal cancer. Gastroenterology. 2008;135:1163-1167.

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Nicotine Causes Breast Cancer to Spread

Nicotine, a component of tobacco, may encourage breast cancer cells to migrate to other parts of the body, according to a recent study published in Cancer Research.

Researchers studied both cancerous and noncancerous human breast cells and found that nicotine causes cancerous breast cells to grow more vigorously and makes them more capable of invading other areas of the body. Researchers also found that nicotine makes precancerous breast cells more likely to become cancerous.

Guo J, Ibaragi S, Zhu T, et al. Nicotine promotes mammary tumor migration via a signaling cascade involving protein kinase C and CDC42. Cancer Res. 2008;68(20):8473-8481.

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Obesity and Insulin Influence Prostate Cancer Outcome

Prostate cancer patients who are obese and have high levels of insulin in their bloodstreams are more likely to succumb to the disease, according to a recent finding in The Lancet Oncology.

In a study of more than 2,500 men who were followed for 24 years in the Physicians’ Health Study, overweight men were more than two-and-a-half times more likely to die of prostate cancer than men of regular weight. Those who also had high insulin levels had quadruple the risk of dying from the disease.

Ma J, Li H, Giovannucci E, et al. Prediagnostic body-mass index, plasma C-peptide concentration, and prostate cancer-specific mortality in men with prostate cancer: a long-term survival analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2008; 9(11):1039-1047

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Plant-Based Diet Helps to Reduce Premature Aging and Disease Risk

Comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a low-fat vegan diet, increase the body’s ability to fight premature aging, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases, according to a study in The Lancet Oncology. Twenty-four men participating in a prostate cancer study switched to a vegan diet and added daily exercise and relaxation techniques. These diet and lifestyle changes led to increased levels of telomerase, an enzyme that protects and repairs DNA. Blood levels of telomerase increased by an average of 29 percent during the study.

Ornish D, Lin J, Daubenmier J, et al. Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: a pilot study. Lancet Oncol. 2008;9(11):1048-1057.

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Caffeine & Coffee and the link to ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease that damages key neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The disease causes progressive paralysis of voluntary muscles and often death within five years of symptoms. Although ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) was discovered over a century ago, neither the cause nor a cure have been found, but several mechanisms seem to play a role in its development, including oxidative stress.

Coffee,Caffeine and ALS

Researchers agree that ALS is a multi-factorial disease that involves a complex interplay between a genetic predisposition and environmental factors. One environmental factor is diet. With oxidative stress (which damages the cells) a common concern in ALS pathology, it is worth examining what role antioxidants (which confer benefits to the cells) might play.

Antioxidants (the vitamins and nutrients that protect the cells from damage) are found in commonly consumed beverages and foods. Coffee in particular has received attention as a potent dietary antioxidant. It is worth noting that coffee has significantly more antioxidant capacity than cocoa and green, black or herbal teas. However, coffee contains several components, the largest of which are caffeine and chlorogenic acid, a dietary polyphenol that is beneficial to the immune system.

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Selected segments are reproduced from:Dr. Mercola’s excellent website: http://www.mercola.com/index.htmPhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org