Study:  Underage Drinking Increases Benign Breast Disease, Breast Cancer Risk

Teenage girls that drink alcohol are about five times more likely to develop what's often a precursor to breast cancer.

When we go to get something checked and the results come back benign, that’s usually a positive prognosis.  But if you get a benign prognosis and you’re a teenaged girl that drinks alcohol, a “benign” prognosis may be a bad prognosis.

According to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine, young women who drink an average of 6.5 alcoholic beverages a week are five and a half times more likely to develop a condition called benign breast disease.  Benign breast disease, or fibrocystic breast disease, is similar to breast cancer in that it’s characterized by breast pain, discomfort, nipple discharge and lump formation, but unlike breast cancer, the lumps that form are usually non-life threatening.

At least, until now.  Because according to the study’s lead researcher, Graham Colditz, benign breast disease is a warning sign for eventual breast cancer development.

Colditz and his colleagues discovered this after looking into the health surveys of over 9,000 “tweens” and teenagers between the ages of nine and 15 years old.  Parts of the survey asked how often the girls drank alcohol and whether or not they’d been diagnosed with benign breast disease.

Reporting in the May issue of the journal Pediatrics, the St. Louis-based researchers found a relationship between benign breast disease diagnosis and the amount the girls drank.  The more they drank, the more likely they were to be diagnosed with benign breast disease.

Besides alcohol, other risk factors for fibrocystic breast disease include a high fat diet, excessive consumption of caffeine and whether there’s a family history of the disease.

Now, before you cast off this study by saying, “I know my daughter and there’s no way she drinks alcohol,” permit me to tell you a short story that a friend of mine recently told me.  A true story.

A friend of mine lives in New Hampshire and works as a substitute teacher at a local junior high school.  As a substitute teacher, it comes as no surprise that the kids are pretty unruly when he’s leading the classroom, as the word “substitute” has long been loosely translated by students to meaning, “Hey, the regular teacher is gone, so I can get away with more!!”

But what did come as a surprise was the recent arrest of an eighth grade girl due to underage drinking. Apparently, throughout the school year, she had been sneaking alcohol into the school by combining beer and soda pop, sipping her beverage throughout the day like it was nothing out of the ordinary.  The smell of beer on her breath finally did her in.

Moral of the story:  Don’t automatically assume your son or daughter isn’t drinking.  Because the father of this girl was stunned, even though 11 percent of underage drinkers take their first drink in the eighth grade.

For the sake of your kids’ short and long term health, remind them about the dangers of alcohol consumption—even if you’ve had the conversation dozens of times.  Remain ever vigilant of what they’re doing and with whom.

It’s a matter of life and death.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
pubs.niaaa.nih.gov
health.google.com

Are you looking for another reason to exercise? Exercise can improve your life by increasing creativity, focus and intelligence.

Many people look at exercise as a requirement.  They know they are supposed to exercise, but they don’t necessarily enjoy it.  As a result, many dieters find that they are forcing themselves to exercise.  On the other hand, often people who aren’t trying to lose weight skip exercising altogether.  As you know, everyone should exercise because there are countless health benefits to exercising, which include fighting diseases like stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes and high blood pressure.

However, it is important to realize that exercise can improve your life in ways that are not necessarily even fitness related.  Exercise can allow you to find solutions, boost creativity and improve your focus.

A recent study at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan showed that the brainpower of mice improves when they are allowed to exercise. When mice are forced to exercise more than they normally would, the mice’s thinking power improves yet further.  Scientists noted major developments in the brain when the mice were pushed beyond their natural exercise inclinations.

So does the brainpower improve because of increased blood flow to the brain?  Interestingly, a recent study out of Columbia University and the Salk Institute showed that exercise’s improvements in focus and thinking result from more than just blood flow.  Scott Small and Fred Gage conducted this experiment.  They found that during exercise, muscles contract and chemicals and proteins are released.  One protein called IGF-1 releases chemicals in the brain that stimulate neurons to branch out in new directions. The end result is new connections between our brain cells.  These new connections are responsible for making us smarter!

As you boost your focus and mental ability, you also boost your creativity when you exercise.  Keith Sawyer, PhD the author of the book Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration stated “Physical activity gets your mind into the bodily experience, so that subconscious connections can pop up.”  Exercise also releases cortisol from your body.  If there is too much cortisol in your system caused by stress, your ability to be creative shuts down.

Make sure that you do not force too much exercise on yourself.  After all, overtraining can lead to injuries and can be counterproductive to improving your life.  Exercise for at least 30 minutes at a time.  If you are looking to find creative ideas, consider exercising alone as an exercise companion may distract you.  Bring a small notepad and jot down ideas.

Once you understand these benefits of exercising, you will be more likely to want to integrate exercise in your daily routine.  If you are having difficulty focusing or being creative, you will quickly find that exercise can be the solution to your problems.

Sources:
living.health.com
smallbusiness.yahoo.com

Eating small doses of chocolate has been shown to lower your risk of a stroke or heart attack.

A new study indicates that eating chocolate each day can be good for your heart.  According to this study from the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, Germany, eating small amounts of chocolate can reduce your risk of a stroke or heart attack by 40%.

To obtain their results, German scientists followed 20,000 people over eight years.  They sent them a daily questionnaire about their diet and exercise.  The people in this survey had no history of heart disease and had similar healthy habits.  Researchers found that those who ate about a square of chocolate a day obtained these positive results of a lower risk of stroke or heart attack.

Experts theorize that it is the flavonols in chocolate that are having this positive impact.  Flavonols can cause muscles in blood vessels to widen and thus lower blood pressure.

Brian Buijsse from German Institute of Human Nutrition stated, “It’s a bit too early to come up with recommendations that people should eat more chocolate, but if people replace sugar or high-fat snacks with a little piece of dark chocolate, that might help.”

Of course, don’t take these findings as an excuse to go out and gorge on chocolate!  Eating large amounts of chocolate can quickly pack on the pounds.  Also when you are choosing chocolate, be sure to opt for a choice with high cacao content.  Avoid milk chocolate bars from the grocery store as have a lower ratio of the beneficial elements.  They are also packed with sugar and often include artificial ingredients as well.

Aside from lowering your risk of stroke and heart attack, dark chocolate has other beneficial properties.  It boosts good cholesterol and lowers stress and anxiety.  The flavonoids in chocolate have also been shown to fight aging.

Sources:
news.yahoo.com
denverpost.com

A new European study releases their findings that teens can override the effect of the “fatso gene” through at least one hour per day of exercise.

A new European study whose results are published in the April edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine states that exercising just one hour per day can help teenagers to override the effects of the “fatso” gene.

There is no doubt that the obesity gene can make people gain weight.  One gene called the “FTO gene” has a particularly strong impact.  People with 2 copies of this gene weigh about 7 more pounds on average.

The EU and Spanish and Swedish governments funded this study which sought to find out if recommending one hour of exercise to teens was beneficial in fighting the effects of the fat gene.  Researchers had 752 teenagers wear a device, which monitored their physical activity.

As it turned out, those who had the obesity gene weighed the same as those without it… as long as they exercised.  However, if the teens had the gene and exercised less than one hour per day, they always had more fat and larger waistlines.

This new study supports the current advice given to children and teens in the U.S., which is to get one hour of physical exercise, preferably aerobic exercise, per day.

Dr. Alan Shuldiner of the University of Maryland, stated “The message is clear: genes are not destiny. Those with obesity susceptibility genes should be especially motivated to engage in a physically active lifestyle.”

This study is very good news.  As it turns out, even teens with the fat gene, are not destined to a life of obesity.  They can control their fate to some extent.

Of course, the fact of the matter is that everyone, not just teens, should be exercising every day.  The reasons are quite vast.  Exercise improves your mood and quality of life.  It can improve your sleep and boost your energy level.

Exercise has also been shown to prevent a variety of diseases, everything from certain types of cancer to heart disease to osteoporosis.

Sources:
news.yahoo.come
mayoclinic.com

Make It Magnesium for Healthy Brain Function

A newly developed magnesium supplement may help boost memory.

Late last year I predicted that 2010 would be magnesium’s year.  And with the latest study on magnesium, my prediction is bearing fruit.

True, magnesium hasn’t dominated the health headlines this year like, say, vitamin D has in terms of frequency.  But in terms of import, magnesium’s time to shine is now, as a recent study suggests that this magnificent mineral helps buoy one’s memory.

Researchers from Israel’s Tel Aviv University recognized magnesium’s magnificence after supplementing two groups of rats with the same food regimen, but tinkered with one of the rat groupings by adding a new-fangled magnesium supplement that purports to better penetrate the brain than contemporary magnesium supplements.

Through brain scans and cognitive tests, researchers found that, indeed, the magnesium-supplemented group outperformed the other group both in cognitive function and brain development.

In a statement, the researchers said they were “pleased” by the findings, but they couldn’t help but be somewhat disconcerted by the findings at the same time.

Apparently when they used over the counter magnesium supplements, there was no measurable difference in cognition between the two groups.

Translation:  According to the researchers, magnesium supplements on the market today don’t help with brain function.

Now, this study should not suggest that magnesium supplements on the market don’t work period, only that they don’t seem to be effective for brain health and development.  Researchers are confident, however, that when the new and improved magnesium supplement becomes commercially available—magnesium-L-theronate, or MgT— it will help make memories magnificent.

In the meantime, increase your magnesium intake by supplementing with – you guessed it – magnesium-rich foods.

Some of the richest magnesium sources come from seeds (like pumpkin seeds), leafy greens (like spinach) and beans (like black beans).  A quarter cup of pumpkin seeds has 184 milligrams of magnesium, a cup of boiled spinach has 156 milligrams and a cup of black beans has 120 milligrams.

Not to be outdone as a solid source for magnesium is salmon.  A four-ounce serving of salmon has 138 milligrams of magnesium.  Other significant sources for magnesium in the seafaring family include halibut (4 oz.=121 mg), scallops (4 oz.=77 mg), tuna (4 oz.=72 mg) and shrimp (4 oz.=38 mg).

Adult men should be getting at least 420 milligrams of magnesium per day, while women should get about 320 milligrams per day.

Sources:
whfoods.com
newsmaxhealth.com

Vitamin K Sources Have Cancer Preventive Properties

German researchers find link between low consumption of vitamin K2 and cancer (lung cancer, specifically).

All the rage these days in the health world is the importance of getting a daily dose of vitamin D in your diet, whether it’s through the foods you fix or the sun you soak.  As a result, other vitamins have been given short shrift.

Well what better way to reacquaint oneself with other vitamins than with a study that says increasing one’s vitamin K intake can lower cancer risk?

Now, before I get into the guts of the study, this is not to suggest that eating cabbage with every meal will somehow prevent cancer.  But what the study does suggest is that certain sources of vitamin K are more cancer preventive than others.

About a year ago, I wrote about the differences between vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. I wrote about vitamin K2 being a more nutritious form of vitamin K than it’s partner in nutrition, vitamin K1, but at that point vitamin K2 was being hailed for its link to bone and cartilage development.  So, runners and people battling arthritis were encouraged to eat sources of vitamin K2.

This time, however, vitamin K2 is being hailed for its cancer-prevention prowess.

Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany discovered its cancer-fighting effects after analyzing the results of a 10-year study that involved approximately 24,300 adults.  All of the adults – between the ages of 35 and 64 – were cancer free at the outset.

That fact changed 10 years later.  By the end of the study, approximately 1,800 men and women were diagnosed with cancers of various kinds, with just less than one-fourth of them dying from their disease.

But when researchers looked at the decedents’ dieting patterns, as well as those who remained cancer free throughout the study period, they saw some patterns.

For instance, among those who ate vitamin K2 rich foods, they were 28 percent less likely to be among those who died of cancer.  But when researchers looked at people who had the lowest vitamin K2 intake, they were almost 50 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with lung cancer (the most commonly diagnosed cancer there is, by the way).

Comparatively, those who had the highest vitamin K2 intake, they were less than half a percent more likely to have lung cancer.

Findings were similar among other commonly diagnosed cancers (e.g. prostate):  the more vitamin K2 eaten, the less likely they were to develop cancer.

Coincidence?  Perhaps.  The researchers are loath to suggest definitively that it’s the vitamin K2 that did it because most of the participants who ate lots of vitamin K2 got it from cheese primarily.  Thus, it could another aspect of cheese that makes it so cancer friendly.

The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Now, as most of you know, I’m not an extremist when it comes to nutrition.  Virtually everything high in calories can be enjoyed so long as it’s in moderation.

Thus, while cheese is pretty high in saturated fat and cholesterol, there are enough good things in cheese to make it a healthful food when eaten in moderation.

But there are other healthy sources of vitamin K2 that you don’t have to scrimp on.  One of them is natto, which, like cheese, is a fermented food (vitamin K2 primarily comes from fermented foods).  I’ve never eaten natto, but seeing as how the Japanese have eaten it for well over a thousand years—a culture that is known for its long lifespan and healthy dieting habits—it’s clearly a food worth trying.

And who knows?  One bite may make you nutso for natto!

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com
naturalhealthontheweb.com
gaia21.net

Experiments from Italian-based scientists shows that the statin drugs Zocor and Simvacor can interfere with the body’s ability to fight pathogens.

Statin drugs are used to help prevent heart attacks and reduce bad cholesterol levels.  This medicine is frequently given to people when doctors believe that they may be at risk for cardiac related issues.  One popular statin drug that is constantly advertised is Lipitor.  Sure, these statin drugs are distributed like candy.  But is this a good thing?  Increasingly, studies are showing that the answer to this question is no.

A new study out of Italy looked into the statin drug simvastatin, which is sold under the names “Zocor” and “Simvacor.”  The potential problem that these researchers found is that this statin drug interferes with the body’s ability to kill pathogens.  And to make matters worse, Simvastin is also thought to produce cytokines, which cause inflammation.

In this recent study, the scientists placed Staphlococcus aureus on cells and then treated these cells with simvastin.  It was found that the cell’s normal ability to remove the pathogen was impaired once the simvastin was introduced.  The scientists also repeated this research with mice and saw the same results.

Even aside from this study, researchers have found other harmful effects of statins over the years.  These are a class of blockbuster drugs that generate huge revenue for big business pharmaceutical companies.  Of course, there are safe and effective ways of lowering cholesterol that do not involve taking medicine.

The first step to lowering cholesterol is to eat a healthy diet.  In fact, the American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams of dietary fiber each day.  This goal is easily achievable through eating a lot of fruits and vegetables.  The easiest way to do this is through juicing your fruits and vegetables.  Also 30 minutes of exercise a day is key.  Of course, you should avoid smoking cigarettes for this reason as well as a host of others.  Smoking is counterproductive to good cholesterol since it lowers the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) in the body.

There are delicious foods out there that can work to lower your LDL cholesterol levels. For example, pistachios can improve your heart health.  Other studies have shown that combining foods including almonds, soy protein, oats, barley and plant sterol enriched margarine can help lower cholesterol levels.

The bottom line is to try natural solutions for reducing your cholesterol before opting for statin drugs, which are full of negative side-effects. Just because these drugs are constantly advertised on TV doesn’t mean that they are a good idea for you and your family.

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com
heartdisease.about.com

Researchers Say Spicy Marinades Have Cancer-Fighting Properties

Marinades may be more than just tasty treats for summer shish kabob.

They say that variety is the spice of life, but could spice extend your life by warding off deadly diseases?

According to a new study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, perhaps so, because spicy marinades made for meats and shish kabob have cancer-fighting properties.

Researchers discovered this after analyzing several marinades that used zesty ingredients like pepper, ginger, sesame and garlic.  An in-depth analysis of the marinades indicated that all the marinade variations were rich in antioxidants, which are particularly effective in warding off diseases like cancer by fighting the debilitating effects free radicals have on the body.

Among the menagerie of marinades tested, two stood out for their richness in antioxidants:  “jerk” marinade, which is a Jamaican-style marinade, and a marinade containing sesame, ginger and teriyaki sauce.

Now, as anyone who uses marinades with regularity knows, marinades aren’t used on vegetables or meats a few minutes before dinner served.  They’re used well in advance of dinner, where the food can settle and soak up the marinade, making for an especially tender and tasty treat come suppertime.  But interestingly, the longer meat and vegetables marinate in marinade, the smaller the antioxidant yield is.

Because of this, researchers suggest brushing or coating the meat just prior to dinner being served.

The researchers hail from the University of Western Ontario.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering what I like to use for marinades.  What’s my “Mangano Marinade” of choice, as it were?

Well, I don’t have any favorites in particular, but whenever I do break out a marinade mixture, I use Bragg Liquid Aminos as a replacement for teriyaki sauce.

Teriyaki sauce is no doubt a marinade staple, but it’s LOADED with sodium.  For example, a mere two tablespoons of La Choy Teriyaki Sauce has a whopping 2,044 milligrams of sodium! That’s 94 percent of the recommended amount of sodium a person should have in an entire day!!

Besides being relatively low in soy sauce (about 100 fewer grams of sodium per tablespoon than La Choy), Bragg contains 16 amino acids that you’ll never find in your typical teriyaki sauce, including arginine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and leucine. Oh, also unlike La Choy, the sodium that is in Bragg’s is naturally occurring; in other words, no sodium is added.

So go ahead and break out that marinade mixture you’ve been dying to try.  So long as its ingredients are healthy ones (e.g. balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, garlic, rosemary, pepper, etc.), marinades are a great way to spice up your dinner while increasing your antioxidant intake in the process.

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com
nlm.nih.gov
bragg.com

How the Amount You Drink – and the Amount You Weigh – Affects Liver Disease Risk

Researchers say a man's weight affects his risk for liver disease if he's a heavy drinker.

Most of us know that when you drink in excess, it not only does a number on your liver, but it does a number on your waistline.

Hey, they don’t call them “beer bellies” for nothing.

But many people drink alcohol when they’re already overweight.  These people, obviously, aren’t immune to weight gain; they’re just as prone to pack on the pounds as thin people who drink lots of alcohol are.

But where things get really dicey for people who drink a lot and are overweight is the toll it puts on their liver.  Because according to research published in the British Medical Journal, excessive alcohol consumption harms the liver of people who are obese far more than it harms the liver of people who are in a healthy weight range.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland discovered this liver/libation link after looking at the health profiles of approximately 9,600 men in two separate studies, one beginning in 1965, the other in 1970.  All the men were followed into the year 2007.

Overall, about 450 men died, most of the deaths attributed to complications from liver disease.  But when researchers looked into cancer registries and hospital admissions, they found that the likelihood of their being plagued with liver disease depended largely on the amount of alcohol the men drank in a typical week and what their weight was.

For instance, while heavy drinking, healthy weight men were three times more likely to have liver disease than their normal weight, non-drinking counterparts, that’s nothing compared to heavy drinking obese men.  For them, their risk of liver disease was 19 times higher compared to thin-as-a-rail lushes (i.e. the researchers defined “heavy drinking” as drinking 15 alcoholic beverages in a week).

Researchers aren’t sure why, exactly, alcoholic obese men are so much more at risk for liver disease than thin alcoholic men, but they have some theories.

One of them is that because excess weight puts a heavy toll (pardon the pun) on the liver, the toll is compounded when alcohol is brought into the equation.  The liver has to clear the body of toxins, and when the liver is weighed down by excess fat accumulation, it’s working in overdrive.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the researchers conclude, “New perspectives on the risk of liver disease may need to be considered for people who are overweight and consume alcohol.”

The general consensus in the health world is that people should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages per day.  But as the researchers indicate, that may be too much for people who are overweight.

Stay tuned for what, if any, new recommendations result from health officials following this truly eye opening study.

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com

Denmark researchers have found that if we aren’t getting enough Vitamin D our bodies are less able to fight infection.

If you want to keep your immune system strong and healthy, it is key to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D.  For quite some time health news has been circulating that lack of Vitamin D is linked to a variety of diseases and ailments including depression, breast cancer, osteoporosis, chronic pain, and heart disease.

A new research study out of Copenhagen, Denmark has presented yet another reason why you should get as much Vitamin D as possible.  Scientists have found that this vitamin is necessary to activate the T cells (often also called “killer cells”) in our immune system. Although their name may cause you to think that killer cells are to be avoided, they actually are important to have in your system as they seek out and destroy diseased cells.  When your body has ample levels of Vitamin D, these killer cells can work in your benefit to fight elements that could potentially do you harm.

In the research study, Professor Carsten Geisler and his team traced PLC-gamma1, a molecule that allows the cell to fight disease. They found that when cells are not activated by Vitamin D, they barely express PLC-gamma1. However, when Vitamin D is received, the PLC-gamma1 increases by over 75%.

According to the scientists, “Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and the vitamin has also been implicated in diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, but what we didn’t realize is how crucial vitamin D is for actually activating the immune system – which we know now.”

As my readers know, I have been consistently advising people to consume Vitamin D for years.  So how do you get more Vitamin D into your system? The best way to get Vitamin D is to increase your exposure to sunlight.  Just 5-30 minutes of sun exposure can greatly increase the amount of D in your system.  This means that you don’t even necessarily have to go sunbathing, just a short walk on your lunch break will do the trick.  Now remember not to use sunscreen, as it typically contains cancer-causing agents.

Unless you are living in an area that is sunny year-round like Florida or San Diego, the best way to get Vitamin D in the winter months is through your diet and supplements.  There aren’t a ton of foods that contain Vitamin D, so choose carefully. Some healthy choices that I like to recommend include dandelion greens, oatmeal, low mercury tuna and sweet potatoes.

While the recommended dose of Vitamin D is 200 IU for people up to age 50 and 400 IU for people between 51-70, a general rule of thumb is to get as much Vitamin D as you can.  Make sure you get enough exposure to sunlight and be sure to include healthy foods containing Vitamin D in your diet.

Source:
nutraingredients.com
Web MD