Tuesday 22 April 2014

Five Foods to Avoid From Cancer



Who isn’t afraid of the word “cancer”? We all know a family member or a friend who had it. And indeed, according to the American Cancer Society, more than one million people in the United States get cancer each year. The American Cancer Society lists many possible causes to cancer disease, including genetic factors, lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, diet, and physical activity, certain types of infections and environmental exposures to different types of chemicals and radiation. Since I’m very interested in healthy nutrition, and foods that are protect against cancer development, but it won’t help if we eat those foods while consuming large amounts of other foods that can increase the risk of cancer. So let’s have a look at these cancer promoting foods so we all know not only what to eat, but what NOT to eat (or at least reduce their intake).

1.      High intake of processed foods
Many diverse substances are adjoined to commercially prepared foods, such as artificial colors, chemical flavors, salt, sugar or artificial sweeteners. These additives are frequently investigated by researchers to check if any of them is thought to be a real risk. Sometimes there is a scare about a particular additive and some additives are thought to be a cancer risk. Heavily salted, smoked and pickled foods, for example, may increase the risk of stomach cancer. This may well explain why there is high rate of stomach cancer in Japan, because salty and pickled foods are very popular. Also an epidemiological study published in June 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition observed that a high salt food can increase in 10% risk of stomach cancer. Furthermore artificial food coloring are noticed numerous health risks and research has been is limited to animal studies, including mice and rats, but some claim that these dyes are possibly toxic enough to cause the cancer in the humans.

2. High intakes of red meat, processed meat or charred food
It has been observed the peoples who eat lots of red processed meat can cause bowel and stomach cancer. Red meat includes all fresh, minced and frozen beef, pork, lamb or veal, particularly pork is so injurious for health and leads to cancer.  Therefore processed meats possess a risk of cancer, and these have been preserved in some way other than freezing and include bacon, ham, salami, sausages, corned beef, black pudding, pâté and tinned meat. When you eat processed meats, you are exactly assure consuming sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate, which are added to processed and cured meats to preserve color and extend shelf life. Unluckily, these compounds can be converted to nitrosamine, which is very much famous to cause cancer in laboratory rats (though again, the connection in people is unclear). Also hot dogs, bacon and the like may also be preserved by methods involving smoke or salt, which also increases the exposure to potentially carcinogenic chemicals. Charred food creates chemicals which can damage human cells, and making them more likely to become cancerous. However; it is highly depend on the way you cook your meat can potentially make a big difference in the cancer risk it poses to you. The char-grilled meats that are somewhat burnt on the outside are among the worst foods that increase the risk for cancer.

3. Sugar
There are a number of websites that encourage the idea of sugar “feeds” cancer. They suggest that eating foods with sugar makes cancer breed faster. Due to this some cancer patients avoid eating any sugar, and rejecting beneficial foods, i.e. fruits, that contains vital nutrients. Therefore no decisive research on human subjects to verify that sugar makes cancerous cells grow. Avoiding foods with processed sugar is a decent idea in general, but disregarding foods with natural sugar won’t stop cancer cells from dividing. As per Mayo clinic, sugar doesn’t make cancer grow faster. All cells (including cancer cells) depend on blood sugar (glucose) for instant energy. But giving extra sugar to cancer cells doesn’t speed their growth. Similarly, depriving cancer cells of sugar doesn’t slow their growth. According to Canadian Cancer Society the connection between sugar and cancer is different, eating abundance of sugary foods can cause of rapid gaining weight. Research shows that obese habit or being overweight can increase risk of cancer. Normally obesity may cause changes in hormone levels or insulin that might increase the risk of developing breast, colon or uterine cancer. Thus limiting the sugar level in your diet is really important. High sugar in your diets sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to overweight and obesity, which indirectly increases cancer risk over time. Sugar can be found several foods such as cookies, sodas, cakes, soft drinks and other sweets even in pasta sauce, salad dressing and canned vegetables. So you’ve to read out food labels carefully, look for sugar e first ingredient and be aware of hidden sugar names: fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glucose, dextrose. Natural sugars such as molasses, honey and maple syrup contain beneficial antioxidants but those, too, should be consumed in moderation. If you tend to have sugar cravings, you may want to read my article 13 effective ways to quit sugar.

4.  Fried food, French fries, potato chips and snack food
It is highly important that French fries, potato chips and other snacks you eat, actually may have high levels of acrylamide, another carcinogenic substance that forms when foods are heated at high temperatures, such as during baking or frying. Acrylamide may be gotten in any food heated to a temperature above 250° F, but potato chips & French fries have been observed highest levels of among foods tested. Therefore cooking methods i.e. frying, baking or roasting are more likely to produce acrylamide, whereas boiling, steaming, and microwaving appear less likely to do so. Longer cooking times and cooking at higher temperatures can raise the amount of acrylamide in foods further. It is most important to mentioned here, that the prolonged exposure to acrylamide has caused a range of tumors in animal tests (rats and mice), whereas most of the human studies published so far have failed to find any connection between acrylamide and several types of cancers. Therefore many believe it has a potential to be a human carcinogen because of those animal studies. If you are still worried, the FDA and other public health groups suggest the best way is to follow the general advice on healthy eating, including limiting the consumption of fried and fatty foods. Another component found in these types of foods that may increase the risk for cancers are Trans fats or trans fatty acids. These are formed when manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats via a process called hydrogenation.  And indeed, Tran’s fats can be found in many foods including vegetable shortening, margarine, crackers, cereals, candies, baked goods, cookies, granola bars, chips, snack foods, salad dressings, fried foods, fats and many other processed foods. Tran’s fats cannot only increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and two types of diabetes, but the high intake of trans-fatty acids may have a direct association with prostate cancer in men, which ranks number one among the most common malignant cancers in American men. Chronic inflammation plays an important role to the development of prostate cancer and the association of trans-fats and chronic inflammation may explain the link between prostate cancer and trans-fatty acid ingestion. However, further studies and clinical trials are needed to establish this fact.

5. Excess alcohol
Scientific and researchers have strong consensus of the linking between alcohols drinking causing several types of cancer. The peoples who drink alcohol regularly could be high risk of developing an alcohol-related cancer. According to Cancer Research UK and American Cancer society, alcohol can increase the risk of cancers, like as mouth cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, bowel cancer and throat cancer.  You have perhaps heard about other studies that have found that certain substances in red wine, such as resveratrol, have anti-cancer properties, but like several things in life moderation is the key. The nutrition guidelines suggest physical activity plays a key role for cancer prevention; the people, who drink alcohol, have high risk of cancer.

Saturday 1 March 2014

Harmful Health Effects of Soda

A can of soda contains nearly 10 tspns of sugar in liquid form, which raise steeply the blood sugar and reasons an insulin reaction in the body. And over time, this can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance. A sugar substitute in diet sodas, has led to seizures, several sclerosis, brain tumors, and emotional disorders. It converts to methanol at warm temperatures and methanol breaks down to formaldehyde and formic acid, increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome, which causes belly fat, high blood sugar and raised cholesterol. Most sodas contain caffeine, which has been linked to certain cancers, breast lumps, uneven heartbeat, high blood pressure, and improper calcium absorption. It is derived from genetically modified corn; the course of making high fructose corn syrup contains traces of mercury, which causes a variety of long term health problems. Due to high sugar, sodium and caffeine content in soda, it dehydrates the body and is the basis of chronic dehydration in cases of long term consumption.
Consuming unnecessary amounts of sugar decreases the production of the brain chemical called brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF, without which our brains can’t form new memories and we can’t learn or remember ample of anything. Low BDNF levels are related to depression and dementia, insulin-resistance, and numbing of the brain’s mechanism for knowing when to stop eating.
Studies have proved that drinking soda is nearly as harmful for your teeth as drinking battery acid. Acids most usually citric or phosphoric and acidic sugar byproducts soften tooth enamel, contributing to the formation of plaque and cavities, which corrodes tooth enamel, and ultimate tooth loss. With a pH of 3.2, diet sodas are even further acidic than regular sodas. Drinking plentiful soda can upsurge the risk for developing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD. Sodium benzoate, a preservative in soda, increases the amount of sodium in the body while reducing the availability of potassium, causing asthma as well as eczema.
Soda comprises phosphoric acid, which interferes with the body’s ability to engross calcium and can lead to osteoporosis and bone softening. The high levels of phosphoric acid in colas have been related to kidney stones and other renal problems, with diet cola having a more negative effect on kidney function. The carbonation in soft drinks can irritate the digestive system, predominantly in those who have irritable bowel syndrome, building up excess gas in the abdominal area, leading to bloating, cramping and pain.
The caffeine in soda can also rise stomach acid production, worsen episodes of diarrhea, and contribute to constipation. Phosphoric Acid also interacts with stomach acid, slowing digestion and blocking nutrient absorption. Studies have verified that consistent consumption of aerated drinks, high in sugar, interacts with the genes that affect weight, and melodramatically increasing a person’s risk for obesity.

Saturday 25 January 2014

Netherland Has The Healthiest Food In The World

There’s a new research conducted, in which Netherlands considered best place in the world to eat followed by France and Switzerland.  The rankings are based on the food affordability, food availability, food quality, and the rate of diet-related illnesses in each country. However; People in Chad are the worst off when it comes to their food consumption. United Kingdom made No 13, and United States at 21 places on the table of the best countries to eat. The survey is compiled by Oxfam saw researchers look at the food consumption in 125 countries. The study considered, whether people have sufficient to eat, can afford to eat, food available in good quality, and extent of diet related diseases. The Dutch country stay at the top place due to it has comparatively low food prices, low diabetes levels, and better nutritional diversity than its European rivals.  Also in the top 12 countries were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal. Therefore; these countries did not score well in all categories. The Netherlands has high levels of obesity with almost 1 in 5 of its population with a body mass index of more than 30. The healthy level is 18 to 25. On the top rating countries, like Australia has the highest obesity levels 27 % of Australians are obese. It is also revelead United States has the most affordable food in world, whereas Angola has the least affordable.

Chad is on the bottom of table, due to worst place to eat. Food is there of little nutritional value, expensive and prepared with limited access to hygienic conditions. And there children are underweight. Ethiopia and Angola are among the bottom of table. In these countries diets are led by nutrient poor cereals, roots and root vegetables.  Highest quality of food is available in Iceland and lowest in Madagascar. Saudi Arabia has the highest rate in diabetes and highest obesity problems in Kuwait. However Nepal, Ethiopia and Bangladesh has less obesity rate. The malnutrition is most prevalent in Burundi 67% people are undernourished and 35% of children are underweight, Yemen India and Madagascar are next on malnutrition in the list.  In India 44% children are underweight the highest in the world. Moreover; 18% of Saudi Arabia people are diabetic and 1/3 are obese. Kuwait has highest level of obesity 42% and in United States and Egypt a third of the populations are also obese. Interestingly the highest level of obesity in some middle income countries like Fiji, Mexico and Venezuela are among the worst 10. The highest levels of obesity in the world are actually found in the Pacific Islands but that they were not included in the study. The island of Nauru has the highest obesity rates in the world 71 % of the population is obese.Source: Charismatic Planet

Friday 24 January 2014

Fish Oil Could Help in Prevent Alzheimer's

In the recent research shows, fish oil could help prevent Alzheimer's and give you a bigger brain. The people with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil can have bigger brain volumes in later age. The method may be the equivalent to preserving one or two years of brain health. Eating more fish may help you bigger brain and protection from Alzheimer’s. Shrinking brain vain is a sign of Alzheimer’s and it is highly advised in the recent study to eat fish at least twice a week, including one portion of oily fish. The key omega-3 fatty acids is docosahexaenoic acid  which is supposed to support nerve cells communicate with each other.
The richest source is oily fish such as herring, mackerel and sardines. The study conducted on 1,111 women who were part of the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. After 8 years women were aged around 78, MRI scans were taken to measure their brain volume; those with higher levels of omega-3s had bigger total brain volumes 8 years later. And those with double as high levels of fatty acids (7.5 vs. 3.4 %) had a 0.7 % bigger brain volume, with the increase measuring up to two inches. The lower levels of fatty acids were linked to smaller sized brains. It is important to achieve higher level of fatty acids through diet and use of supplements and effect on brain volume is equivalent of delaying the normal loss of brain cells that comes with aging by 1 or 2 years. The higher levels of omega-3s also had a 2.7 % bigger volume in the hippocampus area, the brain’s key memory center.
In Alzheimer’s disease, the hippocampus starts to shrink even before symptoms appear. The study suggests the higher tissue reserve of omega-3 fatty acids may slow the loss of cognitive function that can accompany brain atrophy. The higher omega-3 tissue levels can be obtained by dietary changes actually may help in delaying cognitive ageing and or dementia.’ So far the best dietary source of omega 3 fatty acids is oily fish because the human body cannot yield omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover white fish is also a healthy food including cod, haddock and plaice though it comprises lower levels of vital fatty acids. Also fish oil supplements are highly recommended as protection against heart attacks and unexpected death, with consistent fish eaters a third more likely to survive a heart attack. Omega-3 fats work in numerous ways to decrease heart attack risk by cutting blood fats, sinking the chances of a blood clot and blocking dangerous heart rhythms that might otherwise prove fatal.
Now it is well thought that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils may decrease inflammation of the brain and play a part in brain development and nerve cell regeneration. There has been diverse evidence as to the benefits of omega-3 fish oils on the brain and whether they may defend against memory decline and dementia. The study advises that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in blood are linked to bigger brain size but the likely reasons for this association need further investigation. The brain gets smaller in people with dementia, but it is unclear from the study what effect larger brain size would have on memory and thinking in the volunteers or their long-term risk of developing dementia. The right way to measure whether omega-3 could protect against dementia is through clinical trials and so far, trials of omega-3 supplementation have not shown benefits in protecting against cognitive decline. The brain shrinkage can be linked to dementia and bigger brain volumes could indicate a better ability to cope with the ravages of the condition, but it’s a big leap to draw this conclusion. Whilst interesting, this study still leaves us in the dark about what effect eating fish has on the development of dementia.

oily-fish