About 340,000 cancer cases in the United States could be prevented each year if more Americans ate a healthy diet, got regular exercise and limited their alcohol intake, according to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
These types of lifestyle changes could lead to significant reductions in particularly common cancers such as breast (38 percent fewer cases per year), stomach (47 percent fewer) and colon (45 percent fewer).
The research about how a healthy lifestyle can reduce cancer risk was released Feb. 3 to mark World Cancer Day. The WCRF said its findings are supported by the World Health Organization's new Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, a report that says that regular physical activity can prevent many diseases, including breast and colon cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
"Physical activity is recommended for people of all ages as a means to reduce risks for certain types of cancers and other non-communicable diseases," Dr. Tim Armstrong, of WHO's Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, said in a WCRF news release.
"In order to improve their health and prevent several diseases, adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity throughout the week. This can be achieved by simply walking 30 minutes five times per week or by cycling to work daily," he advised.
Other healthy lifestyle habits that reduce the risk of cancer include quitting smoking, avoiding secondhand smoke, avoiding excessive sun exposure, and preventing cancer-causing infections, the WCRF said.
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Each year, 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 7.6 million die from the disease. But 30 percent to 40 percent of cancers can be prevented and one-third can be cured through early diagnosis and treatment, according to the WCRF.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer prevention.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Monday, February 07, 2011
Vitaminwater Ads, Labels Are ‘Dangerously Misleading’
The National Consumers League (NCL) filed a complaint with the FTC against The Coca-Cola Company. The complaint calls advertising and labeling claims made by vitaminwater “dangerously misleading" and urges FTC to put a stop to the statements suggesting vitaminwater can replace flu shots and prevent illness.
“These advertising claims are not only untrue; they constitute a public health menace. Stopping these vitaminwater claims, which contradict information by the Centers for Disease Control and other public health authorities, should be a top FTC priority," stated Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. “The FTC should act now, during cold and flu season, to stop vitaminwater’s outlandish claims."
The complaint also urges FTC to halt deceptive label statements that describe vitaminwater as a “nutrient enhanced water beverage" and that claim “vitamins + water = all you need."
According to NCL, the statements are deceptive because the products on which they appear are not simply made from vitamins and water, but are made with crystalline fructose or other forms of sugar, and contain 125 calories per bottle.
“Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese; the last thing people need is sugar water with vitamins you could get from eating a healthy diet, or by taking a vitamin pill," Greenberg stated.
Sources:
* National Consumers League: Consumer group urges FTC to halt ‘dangerously misleading’ marketing claims by vitaminwater
“These advertising claims are not only untrue; they constitute a public health menace. Stopping these vitaminwater claims, which contradict information by the Centers for Disease Control and other public health authorities, should be a top FTC priority," stated Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. “The FTC should act now, during cold and flu season, to stop vitaminwater’s outlandish claims."
The complaint also urges FTC to halt deceptive label statements that describe vitaminwater as a “nutrient enhanced water beverage" and that claim “vitamins + water = all you need."
According to NCL, the statements are deceptive because the products on which they appear are not simply made from vitamins and water, but are made with crystalline fructose or other forms of sugar, and contain 125 calories per bottle.
“Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese; the last thing people need is sugar water with vitamins you could get from eating a healthy diet, or by taking a vitamin pill," Greenberg stated.
Sources:
* National Consumers League: Consumer group urges FTC to halt ‘dangerously misleading’ marketing claims by vitaminwater
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Maternal Employment Affects Child’s BMI
The total number of years a mother is employed has a small but cumulative effect on her child’s BMI. This, according to researchers at American University, can increase the likelihood of the child being overweight or obese. Researchers found this correlation to be strongest among children in 6th grade.
The study, published in the January/February issue of Child Development, used data from school-age children (approximately 8 to 12 years) in the NICHD’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 990). One possibility for the results is that working parents may rely more on eating out or serving prepared foods, both of which tend to be higher in fat and calories than food prepared at home. Further, the researchers note, changes in children’s physical activity, time spent unsupervised, and time spent watching TV didn’t explain the link between maternal employment and children’s BMI.
According to an American University press release: “Given that more than 70 percent of U.S. mothers with young children work, the importance of providing support to these families is clear. Based on their findings, the researchers call for efforts to expand the availability of affordable, readily accessible healthy foods, and to support and educate working parents about strategies for providing nutritious meals despite busy schedules."
Sources:
* American University: Children’s BMI May Rise the Longer Mothers Work
* Child Development: Maternal Employment, Work Schedules, and Children’s Body Mass Index
The study, published in the January/February issue of Child Development, used data from school-age children (approximately 8 to 12 years) in the NICHD’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 990). One possibility for the results is that working parents may rely more on eating out or serving prepared foods, both of which tend to be higher in fat and calories than food prepared at home. Further, the researchers note, changes in children’s physical activity, time spent unsupervised, and time spent watching TV didn’t explain the link between maternal employment and children’s BMI.
According to an American University press release: “Given that more than 70 percent of U.S. mothers with young children work, the importance of providing support to these families is clear. Based on their findings, the researchers call for efforts to expand the availability of affordable, readily accessible healthy foods, and to support and educate working parents about strategies for providing nutritious meals despite busy schedules."
Sources:
* American University: Children’s BMI May Rise the Longer Mothers Work
* Child Development: Maternal Employment, Work Schedules, and Children’s Body Mass Index
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Tangerine Tomatoes Surpass Reds in Preliminary Lycopene Study
Besides their appealing orange color and sweet flavor, there's another reason to give tangerine tomatoes a try this year. A one-month study led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in California has provided new evidence to suggest that, ounce for ounce, these heirloom tomatoes might be a better source of a powerful antioxidant called lycopene than are familiar red tomatoes.
The difference lies in the forms of lycopene that the two tomato types provide. That's according to chemist Betty J. Burri, based at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
The trans-lycopene form, or isomer, makes up most of the lycopene in common red tomatoes. In contrast, most of the lycopene in tangerine tomatoes is tetra-cis-lycopene.
Results of the California investigation and one conducted by scientists in Ohio suggest that the tangerine tomato's tetra-cis-lycopene is more efficiently absorbed by the body than is the trans-lycopene of red tomatoes.
For the California study, 21 healthy men and women volunteers alternated week-long "no-lycopene" stints with a week-long tangerine tomato treatment and a week-long red tomato treatment. Volunteers were asked to not eat tomatoes or other foods rich in lycopene during the study, except for the special lunches of kidney bean chili provided to them at the nutrition center during the tomato treatment weeks. The chili, about a two-cup serving, was made with either red or tangerine tomato sauce, and was accompanied by French bread, butter and a salad of leafy greens with dressing.
Analyses of volunteers' blood samples, using high performance liquid chromatography, indicated that lycopene levels increased relative to levels measured just before each one-week chili regimen began. However, total lycopene levels increased more following the tangerine tomato treatment week than following the red tomato treatment.
Using a procedure known as a TBARS assay, the scientists determined that oxidative damage decreased with both treatments, and that decreases were greater following the tangerine-tomato regimen.
The difference lies in the forms of lycopene that the two tomato types provide. That's according to chemist Betty J. Burri, based at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
The trans-lycopene form, or isomer, makes up most of the lycopene in common red tomatoes. In contrast, most of the lycopene in tangerine tomatoes is tetra-cis-lycopene.
Results of the California investigation and one conducted by scientists in Ohio suggest that the tangerine tomato's tetra-cis-lycopene is more efficiently absorbed by the body than is the trans-lycopene of red tomatoes.
For the California study, 21 healthy men and women volunteers alternated week-long "no-lycopene" stints with a week-long tangerine tomato treatment and a week-long red tomato treatment. Volunteers were asked to not eat tomatoes or other foods rich in lycopene during the study, except for the special lunches of kidney bean chili provided to them at the nutrition center during the tomato treatment weeks. The chili, about a two-cup serving, was made with either red or tangerine tomato sauce, and was accompanied by French bread, butter and a salad of leafy greens with dressing.
Analyses of volunteers' blood samples, using high performance liquid chromatography, indicated that lycopene levels increased relative to levels measured just before each one-week chili regimen began. However, total lycopene levels increased more following the tangerine tomato treatment week than following the red tomato treatment.
Using a procedure known as a TBARS assay, the scientists determined that oxidative damage decreased with both treatments, and that decreases were greater following the tangerine-tomato regimen.
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