Calcium May Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer

Calcium May Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer

More evidence that calcium may help prevent colon cancer.

Highlights from WebMD
"In a study involving more than 45,000 American women followed for about 8.5 years, researchers show that calcium can cut women's risk of colorectal cancer. The best results came from combining a calcium-rich diet with supplements.

The results appear in the January issue of Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

The study was conducted by experts including the University of Minnesota's Andrew Flood, PhD."

Not just adults need fiber

Penn State Live: " A Penn State analysis of the diets of a nationally representative sample of U.S. preschoolers, ages 2 to 5, shows that more than three-quarters of the children are not getting enough fiber."

Not only can a low fiber diet lead to problems in it's own right, but also high fiber diets tend to be more nutritious (which makes sense: more high fiber fruits and vegetables less low fiber junk food.).

From the PennState Live article:
"If parents feed their preschoolers fiber-rich foods, they are most likely providing important nutrients for the children as well,” Kranz said. "An easy substitution to get more fiber into their diets is to change to whole-grain products and high-fiber cereals. Also, children usually like sweet potato, baked beans, grapes and oranges and they're all high-fiber, high-nutrient foods."

"The study is detailed in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in a paper, Dietary Fiber Intake by American Preschoolers is Associated with More Nutrient-Dense Diets. The authors are Kranz; Diane C. Mitchell, Penn State Diet Assessment Center coordinator; Anna Maria Siega-Riz, associate professor of maternal and child health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and Helen Smiciklas-Wright, Penn State professor of nutritional sciences."

ScienceDaily -- Browse Topics: Health - Diabetes Vinegar with a Splash of Cherry Extract for Diabetes?

ScienceDaily -- Vinegar with a Splash of Cherry Extract for Diabetes?
Short version: a little vinegar before a meal may prevent a rise in blood sugar levels.

Interesting study, and EASY to replicate:
"The vinegar study, which was published in Diabetes Care, involved 10 people with type 2 diabetes, 11 people with prediabetes—who are at high risk for diabetes—and eight healthy people. Before eating a breakfast of orange juice and a bagel with butter, which contained 87 grams of carbohydrates, the participants were assigned to consume 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water sweetened with saccharine, or a placebo"

The researchers, led by Carol Johnston, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition at Arizona State University, measured the participants' blood sugar before and after the breakfast. They found that vinegar consumption slowed the rise of blood sugar after the high-carbohydrate meal."

"Vinegar appears to have effects similar to some of the most popular medications for diabetes," the author says. "There are also studies suggesting that if people with prediabetes take these medications, they might reduce their chances of getting diabetes." "

From ScienceDaily

Good new, Bad News on Grapefruit

Good news first, then the bad news.

From the Keynoter:

"Scientific evidence is beginning to stack up in favor of long-held claims that grapefruit helps fight obesity, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancer."

Then the bad news. From ScienceDaily.com and from a study atthe University of Rochester.

"Grapefruit juice can be dangerous for people on certain medications, nurse researchers remind doctors, nurses, and everyone who takes medicine and enjoys grapefruit juice, in a paper in the American Journal of Nursing, a journal of the American Nurses Association."

How?

"Karch, an expert on drug interactions, explains that grapefruit juice is one of the foods most likely to cause problems with drugs, because it is metabolized by the same enzyme in the liver that breaks down many drugs. The cytochrome P-450 3A4 enzyme breaks down grapefruit juice into useful components for body, just like it breaks down dozens of medications. Karch says when the system is overloaded, the grapefruit juice can “swamp” the system, keeping the liver busy and blocking it from breaking down drugs and other substances."

So if you are on medications (especially cholesterol lowering medication), be sure to ask your doctor is Grapefruit is soemthing you can eat!

Berries for Good Health - The Health Benefits and Nutrition of Berries

I stumbled upon this article that summarizes some of the nutritional benefits of berries.

Berries for Good Health - The Health Benefits and Nutrition of Berries:

"Berries in general are a good source of vitamins and phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals are components of fruits or vegetables that may help to prevent
diseases...."

While berries out of season are not both expensive and not very good (we rarely carry them for those reasons), frozen berries have most of the benefits of fresh fruit and at a fraction of the cost.

Red Cross Collections at Allegany Store

We recieved a Thank-you note from the Red Cross (the note is hanging in front window of the store if you wouls like to see it). Thank you your generosity, we helped raise over $1317 dollars! (and that does not include what you gave online!)...so THANK-YOU!!

BBC NEWS | Health | Peanuts rich in 'good chemicals'

More confirmation that peanuts are good for you!

From the BBC: BBC NEWS Health Peanuts rich in 'good chemicals':

"A University of Florida team says peanuts are rich in antioxidants which protect cells from damage linked to heart disease and cancer. Peanuts also contain high levels of protein and 'good' monounsaturated fat."

Interestingly, the anti-oxidant properties are increased by roasting.

Lead author Steve Talcott:

"Compared to foods long-considered rich in antioxidants, mostly fruits and berries, peanuts come out somewhere in the middle. "They're no match for the foods at the top of the scale, such as pomegranate, but they do rival other foods that people eat just for their antioxidant content."

George W. Carver would be so proud!

Revealing Trans Fats: increased transparency

I love transparency. As many of you know I teach Finance at St. Bonaventure and in class we are always saying that more firms should make their financial statements easier to follow (more transparent) so that all investors know what is going on at the firm. When this happens, you get much more ethical behavior and often a higher stock price (but of course managers can not hide their actions as easily.)

So with that idea of more information being good in mind, let's examine what happened after the Food and Drug Adminstration required new labeling that will soon include a separate listing of trans fat.

(For those of you new to the blog, Trans fat is bad news. It is partially hydrogenated and in my mind the worst kind of fat you can consume. For more on it click here).

From the AP:

"The nation's food companies are stirring up new recipes for everything from Oreos to SpaghettiOs to get rid of trans fat, the artery-clogging ingredient that must be listed on food labels next year."

Moreover, we may soon have a shortening that is without transfat. "The J.M. Smucker Co. introduced a version of Crisco with zero grams trans fat. The new product comes in a green tub — a color consumers equate with being healthy."

The new Crisco is not yet available in our area, but rest assured, as soon as it is, we will have it in our stores.


Moral of the story: transparency is good, transfat is bad. :)

Folic acid may reduce blood pressure

B vitamins had been shown previously to reduce heart attacks, so this may not be an enormous surprise, but it is still very good news :)

Forbes.com:

"Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who consumed high levels of the B vitamin from food and supplements significantly reduced their risk of developing hypertension"

As the Forbes article points out:

"It is important to emphasize that our study, although providing evidence of the link between folate and blood pressure, is not proof that folate can be used clinically to lower blood pressure."

"Studies show folate can decrease the risk for neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. In addition to supplements, good dietary sources of folate include leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and turnip greens, fruits, dried beans and peas." [and orange juice!]

From MSNBC:

"The study, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on data from thousands of nurses whose health histories were tracked for years.

Among 93,803 women aged 27 to 44, those who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms a day of total folate -- in foods and supplements -- had a 46 percent decreased risk of hypertension compared with those who consumed less than 200 micrograms a day, the study found."

The New York State Department of Health has a good list of foods with high levels of folic acid.

MayoClinic.com - Clean your hands: A simple way to prevent infection

Want to stay healthy? Wash your hands! I am often dismayed at the number of prople who overlook this simple (and easy) rule.

MayoClinic.com - Clean your hands: A simple way to prevent infection:

"Yet it's one of the best ways to avoid becoming ill with an infectious disease, such as a cold, the flu or infectious diarrhea. This simple habit is cleaning your hands (practicing hand hygiene), and it calls only for soap and warm water...."

USATODAY.com - Revised food pyramid to emphasize calories, exercise

I was somewhat encouraged by the new governmental recommendations that came out on food and exercise. While definitely not groundbreaking, the strictness is surprising.

USATODAY.com - Revised food pyramid to emphasize calories, exercise:

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

"The government, alarmed by Americans' increasing weight, took its boldest step yet to fight the problem by issuing new dietary guidelines advising Americans to exercise about an hour a day, eat more fruits and vegetables and slash their intake of the trans fats found in processed foods."

Of course some are claiming the recommendations are too tough. For instance an hour a day may be more than needed:

""Seeking an hour of exercise is "too daunting," says obesity expert James Hill of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. "We can't even get people to do 15 minutes, and now we're asking them to do an hour.""

and 5-13 servings of fruits and vegetables is a significant increase:

"The guidelines also call for five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and cutting back on sugar. Past rules called for five to nine produce servings."

Gee, have you heard this anywhere before? Exercise, eat better, and watch your calories. All good advice!

10 Overlooked Reasons to Quit Smoking

10 Overlooked Reasons to Quit Smoking

WebMD provides 10 often overlooked reasons to quit smoking. For instance arthritis, blindness, colon cancer, and impotence are some of the reasons that many forget.

NPR : Studies Explore Red Meat, Veggies and Cancer Risk

NPR : Studies Explore Red Meat, Veggies and Cancer Risk

Today's NPR Morning Edition had an interesting piece on two new studies.

The first found that eating more red meat (and more processed meat--bologna, hot dogs etc.) was tied to an increase in colon cancer.

The second study found that eating vegetables provides little direct protection for breast cancer.

you can listen to it here.

Yahoo! News - Kraft to Cut Back Snack Food Advertising to Kids

Hats off to Kraft for this move! Of course, they could also try to make their products more nutritious in the first place, but hey, this is still a step in the right direction.

Yahoo! News - Kraft to Cut Back Snack Food Advertising to Kids: "Kraft Foods Inc. on Wednesday said it would stop advertising products like Oreo cookies and Kool-Aid beverages to children younger than 12 as part of plan to address concerns about childhood obesity. "

"The move means ads for some of Kraft's best-known snack foods and sugary cereals will no longer appear during television shows viewed primarily by children ages 6 to 11, such as cartoons. "

Watch that Sugar for pre-schoolers!

Penn State Live

"American preschoolers get about 14 to 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, on average, mostly from fruit-flavored drinks, high-fat desserts and cola-type soft drinks which displace the grain, vegetable, fruit and dairy food groups and lower the quality of their diet, a Penn State study has shown."

For instance:

"Forty percent of the 2- and 3-year-olds and 70 percent of the 4- and 5-year-olds with the highest added-sugar intake did not get an adequate intake of calcium. Even at the lowest added-sugar consumption level studied, 14 percent of the younger children and 39 percent of the older children didn't receive an adequate intake of calcium."


The article is published in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics as “Adverse Effect of High Added-Sugar Consumption on Dietary Intake in American Preschoolers. “

Yahoo! News - Bran in Diet Seen to Lower Risk of Heart Disease

More good news out today on diet and nutrition! Yet another study finds that eating bran reduces the risk of heart disease.

Yahoo! News - Bran in Diet Seen to Lower Risk of Heart Disease:

"Researchers found that among nearly 43,000 middle-aged and older men, those who ate the most whole grains -- such as oatmeal, brown rice and some breakfast cereals -- were less likely than men with the lowest consumption to develop coronary heart disease over 14 years. "

"In highly processed grain products, such as white bread, the bran and germ are removed before milling -- which also takes away the fiber, vitamins and other nutrients found in those constituents. Diets rich in whole grain foods such as cooked oatmeal, whole barley, bulgur, popcorn, and breakfast cereals and breads made from whole grains, have been linked to better weight management and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease"

The paper was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

So put that peanut butter on whole wheat bread!

Update on Red Cross donations: Allegany Park and Shop

Thanks to the generous donations of employees and customers, the Allegany Park and Shop has now raised over $1000 for the Red Cross' Tsunami relief fund.

THANKS!!!

WAY TO GO!!! :)

Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults

Anybody want a peanut butter sandwich?
I was talking at the gym the other day about peasunt butter and ended up doing some web searches. The conclusion? The best evidence we now have suggests that peanuts are good for you!

So go nuts!

Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults:

"triglycerides were lowered in all treatment groups and were significantly lower in the Addition and Substitution groups at 24 and 18 percent respectively. This could translate into an 8 and 6 percent decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease. These findings are consistent with a previous clinical study at Penn State University (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999) that found a 13% decrease in triglyceride levels when participants consumed a diet with peanuts and peanut butter, compared to the average American diet. "

I would add, try to use the natural kinds that do not have the transfatty acids associated with partial hydrogenation.

Zinc shown to lower esophageal and tongue cancers

Betterhumans > Zinc-cancer Link Suggests Dietary Treatment: "A new finding about the link between zinc deficiency and esophageal and tongue cancers suggests that zinc treatment could help prevent the conditions in people at high risk."

BTW if you have frequent heartburn and suffer from "acid reflux", get checked. The acid can eat away at the esophagus which may lead to cancer.

Nutrition may help keep eyes healthy

If you listen to Paul Harvey, you have heard this for years, but now we have further proof that nutrition plays an important role in eye health.

New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online:

"An interesting follow-up study on 36,000 male Health Professionals who ate broccoli more than twice a week had a 23 per cent lower risk of cataracts compared to men who consumed this sulphur-rich vegetable less than once a month. Apart from broccoli's content of lutein and zeaxanthin, scientists suggest that its sulphur compound which also has antioxidant property may play a role in protecting the eye from free radical damage. "

"Reported in the June 2004 issue of Archives of Opthamology, a study involving periodic data collection of food intake in 77,562 women and 40,866 men over an average period of 15 years shows that a diet high in fruits and vegetables decreases the risk of eye disease."

Nutrients required for eye health are vitamin A, beta carotene, C, E, anthocyanidins, lutein, zeaxanthin, and zinc. Fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are also important as DHA is naturally concentrated in the retina of the eye require for healthy retinal function."

BBC NEWS | Health | Olive oil acid 'cuts cancer risk'

BBC NEWS Health Olive oil acid 'cuts cancer risk'

First heart problems, now cancer? Wow.

"Scientists in Chicago say they have uncovered why a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil seems to cut the risk of developing breast cancer. The key is an ingredient of olive oil called oleic acid, they say."

"Northwestern University laboratory tests on breast cancer cells showed the acid sharply cut levels of a gene thought to trigger the disease. Cancer charities said the study, in Annals of Oncology, was interesting, but more research was needed."

"Not only did oleic acid suppress activity of the gene, it also boosted the effectiveness of a breast cancer drug called herceptin, which has helped to prolong the lives of many patients. "

"Lead researcher Dr Javier Menendez said: "Our findings underpin epidemiological studies that show that the Mediterranean diet has significant protective effects against cancer, heart disease and ageing."

And to think, Thomas Jefferson reportedly said that if he could get olive trees to grow in Virgina, he would be able to save hundreds of lives a year. I guess he was just a tad ahead of his times!

Yahoo! News - Stay Thin by Sleeping More?

Yahoo! News - Stay Thin by Sleeping More?: "A study published on Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat, and experts said it's time find if more sleep will fight obesity."

"Monday's study from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index -- a measure of weight based on height -- increased.

Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and obese patients slept less than patients with normal weights, it said. In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights."

Mmm, maybe. I will say that personally I tend to eat more when I am tired, but I still have my reservations about it. Maybe we should sleep on it ;).

Oleaninfo.com

All too often we all forget some of the great local things we have here. Check out some of the virtual tours now available at Oleaninfo.com

The history and postcard sections are particularly good!

Vitamin C does not help athletic performance

Vitamin C supplementation will probably not help you run any faster.

From ScienceBlog.com

"...reporting in the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology, the Colorado physiologists said "the age-associated decline in (MAC and MCO) is unaffected by acute or chronic (30-day) administration of moderate daily ascorbic acid supplementation" for either men or women.

The lead researcher, Christopher Bell, noted: "We did see a decrease in oxidative stress with large doses of vitamin C, but this decrease didn't improve aerobic abilities either for younger or older subjects."

The study, "Ascorbic acid does not affect the age-associated reduction in maximal cardiac output and oxygen consumption in healthy adults," was conducted by Christopher Bell, John M. Carson, Nathaniel W. Motte and Douglas R. Seals from the Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder"

Gee, anyone who has ever seen me and knows of how much OJ that I drink could have told you this!

Maybe it is not cholesterol or at least not just the cholesterol

There has been growing evidence that inflammation plays a large role in heart disease (and attacks). Now some are beginning to say that the inflammation may be even more important than cholesterol!

From CBS

"The study, in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, shows that reducing inflammation by lowering the levels of CRP in the blood in people with severe heart disease led to fewer heart attacks and deaths, and slowed the progression of heart disease.

CRP levels were controlled in study participants with high doses of the widely-prescribed statin drugs we know are effective in controlling LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. So statins now appear to be useful in fighting heart disease on two fronts. Other methods that have been shown to lower levels of CRP include maintaining a good diet, exercising, losing weight and quitting smoking. Many experts think controlling inflammation by monitoring and curbing CRP levels is at least as important as keeping cholesterol under control.

Indeed, says Senay, the researchers "actually found that CRP was a better predictor of how people did clinically than their cholesterol levels, because people with low cholesterol levels can still have heart attacks. They found a tighter correlation (between) getting (CRP levels) down and how people did clinically than with cholesterol levels."

Staying on a diet more important than which diet you choose

Staying on a diet more important than which diet you choose

Short version: what causes most diets to fail is that people stop following the diet. So pick one you can live with and stick to it.


In Finance we often talk about endogenity. I actually used diets in a class once to describe the endongenity problem but dropped it later when there were people in the class who I worried would take it as personal (i.e. they would feel I was telling them they were fat). The idea is that firms pick a strategy that works for them, but may not for other firms. Thus when finance professors try to decided what strategies work, we fail to find anything.

The same is true in diets. Many diets will help people lose weight, but they only work if people stick to them. So what works for one, may not work for others.


MedicalNewsToday.com

New York Times Article on oatmeal

The New York Times > Dining & Wine > Eating Well: Oatmeal to Please the Palate and the Label-Obsessed

Oatmeal. My favorite cereal by far, but I am no where near as obsessed as Marian Burros of the NY Times.

The nutty aroma of the simmering oats makes the kitchen seem even toastier on a chilly morning. I confess I eat it year round because it keeps my hunger pangs at bay for quite a long time, and it may reduce cholesterol levels

Despite the oat craze about 15 years ago (remember oat bran doughnuts?) the proportion of Americans who eat oatmeal for breakfast has not changed in 20 years, said Harry Balzar of the NPD Group, a consumer marketing research company in Port Washington, N.Y. But it remains a substantial number: one in five Americans eat oatmeal.

What has changed is the form in which they eat it. Instead of cooking the old-fashioned steel-cut or more common rolled oatmeal, many Americans prefer instant mixes, which involve microwaving or stirring with boiling water. They don't know what they're missing.

The article goes on to discuss oatmeal. The various kinds, what it tastes like, how it is labeled, and even how to serve it. However, the article does not suggest one other way to make it: My way: I use Quick Oats (either Shurfine or Quaker, whichever is cheaper at the time) and add it to a bowl of hot water. I then add wheat germ (talk about nutty taste!), flaxseed, some ground up nuts (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, almonds, and peanuts), fruit (raisins, kiwi, strawberries, or blueberries), and brown sugar.

Very fast, very good for you, and very very good tasting!!!

Curry favor...tumeric may fight inflammation and even Alzheimer's!

Finally some good news!

Health News Article Reuters.com:

"The pigment that gives curry spice its yellow hue may also be able to break up the 'plaques' that mark the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, early research suggests."

from the Hundustan Times:

"A professor of medicine and neurology Gregory Cole said: "Curcumin has been used for thousands of years as a safe anti-inflammatory in Indian traditional medicine." He is very excited at the prospect of curing and preventing he disease through curcumin.

With the discovery of curcumin in turmeric as a possible cure for Alzheimer's disease, scientists are now focussing attention on other Indian spices, like ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek and cinnamon. Ginger it is believed could help a great deal in combating rheumatism and arthritis."

See I told you that was good news! :)

Yet another reason to not smoke

Need another reason to give up smoking? Second hand smoke has now been shown (at least tentatively) to lower the IQ of children.

From the BBC:

Exposure to even low levels of tobacco smoke in the home was linked to lower test results for reading and maths.
The greater the exposure, the worse the decline was, the US Children's Environmental Health Center team found among nearly 4,400 children.

Please do not smoke. That is all I can say. If not for you, for others.

More bad news on pain killers

More bad news for long term users of pain killers (even OTC pain killers)

From ScienceBlog.com

"chronic users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have an increased risk of bleeding and visible damage to their small intestine. "We have always known that NSAIDs can cause potentially deadly stomach complications, but the extent of the impact on the small intestine was largely unknown until now," said David Graham, MD, lead study author. "The introduction of video capsule endoscopy gave us an opportunity to examine the small intestine and learn that NSAIDs can cause severe damage to this organ."

Coming on the heels of so much bad news for prescription pain killers, this is leaving many sufferers with few choices. Best advice? Try to treat the causes of the pain. (but of course that is much easier said than done!!)

The New York Times > Health > Fitness & Nutrition > Diet and Lose Weight? Scientists Say 'Prove It!'

So much for a quick fix. A study that has been talked about for a few weeks but that just made it to print finds that most of the commercial weight loss diets do not work.

The New York Times > Health > Fitness & Nutrition > Diet and Lose Weight? Scientists Say 'Prove It!':

"The study, published in today's issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, found that with the exception of Weight Watchers, no commercial program had published reliable data from randomized trials showing that people who participated weighed less a few months later than people who did not participate. And even in the Weight Watchers study, the researchers said, the results were modest, with a 5 percent weight loss after three to six months of dieting, much of it regained"

Company oficials of course said that they have information showing the diets work. So maybe?????

Best advice if you want to lose weight? Exercise (starting out slowly and with a doctor's approval!), cut back on calorie consumption, and eat more fruits and vegetables (and skip the high caloric dips etc). It may not be as exciting as some of the promises of commerical weight-loss plans, but as the study shows, losing weight quickly rarely happens.

509.76 so far for Red Cross

Just a quick reminder that we are still accepting donations for the tsunami victims. This AM I took $509.76 to the Red Cross. This was collected at the Allegany Store. While we would like to collect as much as possible, minimally we hope to get $1000, so if you have not given yet, please consider it! thanks!

Welch's: Healthy Living: Purple 100% Grape Juice

More good news on the grape juice front! Purple Grape Juice is now shown to increase HDL (Good cholesterol) and it also seems to lower vascular inflammation. This is good since most new studies show that inflammation plays a detrimental role on many fronts!

Welch's: Healthy Living: Purple 100% Grape Juice: "According to a newly published study in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, drinking Concord grape juice not only significantly increased HDL "the good cholesterol" but also significantly lowered two markers of vascular inflammation in people with stable coronary artery disease."

So drink up!

Are South Beach and Atkins Diets Right for Athletes? From About.com

Are South Beach and Atkins Diets Right for Athletes?

The short answer? NO. Athletes need more carbs. So while I like the fact that the Atkins Diet is opposed to trans fatty acids, by and large I am not a fan. The South Beach Diet seems a but better but still not for athletes.

For more on nutrition, check out this page from FinanceProfessor.com and this from Lance Armstrong's coach.