Foods That May Help In Cancer Prevention

Which Foods May Help Fight Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and as someone who has been touched by this horrible disease I would first like to help spread the word about how early detection can help save lives. In this article I will discuss how a healthy diet might help in cancer prevention and which foods might possibly be cancer fighting foods.

Cancer is a harmful disease which will cause your body’s cells to grow in a quick, unmanageable way and if it is not treated early, it could be fatal. The positive news is that some of the latest research has revealed that about one in three cancers may be linked to diet. This suggests that by eating the right foods you may cut your risk of cancer by up to 33%. In this article I’m going to be covering which nutrients have been specifically connected with cancer prevention and then showing some of the best cancer fighting foods.
Which Nutrients In Food Can Possibly Protect Against Cancer?
Several of the nutrients in natural, unprocessed foods have been shown to possibly have properties to help prevent cancer and these are defined in the list below:
1) Fiber: Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that is usually found in the majority of fruits and vegetables. Research has shown that a high fiber diet may reduce your risk of developing many different types of cancer including colon cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer.
2) Fat: Fat isn’t usually recognized as one of the cancer fighting foods or even a health food. Yet, not only is it essential for good health but research has found that eating lots of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat can possibly help protect you from cancer.

3) Vitamins: Certain vitamins have a selection of 13 nutrients that have a great number of benefits in the body which may also include cancer prevention. Such vitamins as A, B9, C, D and E have all been shown to lower your cancer risk. 4) Minerals: The minerals are a group of nutrients that behave in a very similar way to the vitamins and assist many of the important processes in your body. Some of these minerals may also protect against cancer with studies indicating that copper, molybdenum, germanium, selenium and vanadium are all strong cancer fighters.
5) Phytonutrients: The phytonutrients are a large selection of nutrients that can be found in many fruits and vegetables. They’re not classified as essential nutrients but they just may be one of the most powerful cancer preventing nutrient groups around.
Which Food Can Protect Against Cancer?
The best foods that may be cancer fighting foods are the ones that contain high levels of the nutrients that are listed above. In general, natural, unprocessed foods that contain large amounts of these nutrients are ideal but if you’re searching for ideas, the list below describes five of the best foods for cancer prevention:
1) Almonds: Almonds are packed with fiber, vitamin E, copper, and monounsaturated fat. They’re also very filling and make a terrific healthy snack.
2) Blueberries: Blueberries are amongst the most phytonutrient rich foods available and also consist of extremely high levels of vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to this, they’re very sweet and an excellent choice for dessert.
3) Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are one of the top sources of dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fats. They can be consumed on their own or mixed in with yogurt to create a tasty cancer fighting snack.
4) Green Tea: One of the most well publicized cancer fighting foods around, Green Tea, is packed full of phytonutrients. The taste will take some getting used to, so if you find it a little overwhelming try adding honey or lemon to the glass.
5) Soybeans: Soybeans are another outstanding source of phytonutrients and also have high levels of copper, fiber and polyunsaturated fat. They’re an extremely versatile vegetable and can be added to virtually any meal.
Summary

Including more cancer fighting foods into your diet can possibly give you added protection from this nasty disease. So if you’re not taking in the foods above on a regular basis, now is the time to make some changes. Say goodbye to the processed foods, stock up on these healthy, natural cancer fighting foods and give your body the protection it deserves.

Educating Yourself About Osteoarthritis

Fall is here and the cooler weather typically means that people start feeling more aches and pains from arthritis.  Without the summer heat, our joints become stiff and tight causing arthritis to become more pronounced. Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear that happens in our bodies as we age. It is also one of the most common causes of pain in our aging population.

However, as the population continues to age, the issue of relieving pain becomes an important topic to address.  At least 50% of the people greater than 65 will experience osteoarthritis in their hips, knees and hands.  The result of osteoarthritis is often pain.  Pain is an extremely complex issue that is multifactorial consisting of biomechanical, metabolic and neurological components.

Research has proven time and time again that one of the best ways to manage the pain associated with arthritic change is through education.  Thus it is important to understand what occurs when you have osteoarthritis and/or tissue changes in your body.

Remember, as mentioned above, pain is multifactorial. As a result, there are many people who have osteoarthritis and/or other degenerative changes in their body, and do NOT have any pain.

Osteoarthritis causes the following:

1. Tissue damage.
2. Inflammation.
3. Release of proteins and hormones to the area.
4. Cell death.
5. Cell growth.
6. Nerve changes that become easily activated at the spinal level.
7. Increased signals to the brain.
8. Brain changes and becomes more aware from those increased signals.
9. Area in the brain responsible for mood and movement are affected.
10. Output from the brain is altered to affect your mood and movement.

As you can see, there are several factors that can cause pain to occur. Thus, it is critical that when you receive treatment it includes: (1) body readjustment towards the spinal segments to help reset the signals from the nerves, (2) specific localized treatment to help with the inflammation and tissue changes, and (3) education and movement retraining to rewire your brain.

Education about your body is powerful, and osteoarthritis is not an excuse to be inactive. Remember to keep moving, as motion is lotion for your body!!!

Obesity and high blood pressure 'speed up mental decline' for those aged over 50

• People over 50 with high blood pressure or obesity suffer accelerated memory loss and cognitive skills
• Risk factors such as heart disease and diabetes speed up the mental decline
• Obese participants' brains aged 3.8 years more than those of a health weight
• Research supports evidence that mid-life obesity increases the risk of dementia

Obesity and high blood pressure lead to faster mental decline in the over-50s, researchers warn.
A study shows that being fat and having other risk factors for heart disease and diabetes accelerates the loss of memory and other cognitive skills.
Over the course of a decade, obese participants’ brains aged 3.8 years more than those of a healthy weight.

Memory loss: Obesity and high blood pressure accelerates memory loss and other cognitive skills

The fattest participants had a 22.5 per cent faster drop-off in test scores compared with those who were a healthy size and had fewer risk factors.
Experts warn that obesity in  middle-age could be a major risk factor for developing dementia in later life, as well as conditions such as diabetes.
The claim has been strengthened after the study by scientists at the French medical research institution INSERM examining the mental skills, body mass index and general health of 6,401 adults with an average age of 50.
Researchers took note of so-called ‘metabolic abnormalities’ such as high blood pressure, low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol, high blood sugar and whether participants took diabetes medication.

 

More...

A third of the participants had two or more of these risk factors, while 9 per cent were obese (defined as having a BMI above 30) and 38 per cent were overweight (with a BMI of between 25 and 29.9). 
The participants then took tests on memory and other cognitive skills three times over ten years. Those who were overweight or obese and had at least two metabolic abnormalities showed the fastest decline.

More research: Study author Archana Sing-Manoux says more research is needed into the effects of genetic factors and how long people have been obese

Over the course of the study, those who were both obese and ‘metabolically abnormal’ experienced a 22.5 per cent faster decline on their scores than those who were a normal weight with no abnormalities.
Among a middle-aged sub-group of participants who had an average age of 56 at the start of testing, researchers found a decline in scores equivalent to an extra 3.8 years of ageing among those who were obese.
Scientists had speculated that relatively healthy obese people without metabolic risk factors might be protected from mental decline – but their performance also dropped off.

Study author Archana Singh-Manoux, whose work is published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, said: ‘More research is needed to look at the effects of genetic factors, and also to take into account how long people have been obese and how long they have had these metabolic risk factors.’

Mental decline: Relatively healthy obese people might be protected from mental decline but their performance still declined

She added that researchers should also look at test scores ‘spanning adulthood to give us a better understanding of the link between obesity and cognitive function, such as thinking, reasoning and memory’.
Experts do not know exactly why obesity affects the risk of dementia, but hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure play a role.
Previous research has also shown that abdominal obesity has a particularly harmful effect on the brain.

Jessica Smith of the Alzheimer’s Society charity said: ‘We all know that piling on the pounds is bad for your physical health, but this robust study suggests that it is bad for the head as well as  the heart. 

‘These results back up existing evidence that obesity in mid-life increases the risk of developing dementia.
‘One in three people over the age of 65 will die with some form of dementia.
‘The best way of reducing your risk is to eat a balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly and get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked.’

THE POWER OF PROTEIN

Protein is without doubt the most important macronutrient in the body, and plays a pivotal role in growth, muscle repair, hormone synthesis and appetite control. There is a bewildering amount of information and research on protein, but a basic level of understanding can help maximize the benefits to be gained from this powerful nutrient. 
Dietary proteins can be derived from animal or vegetable sources, and when consumed, are digested in the stomach into their constituent amino acids. Proteins are composed of long chains of up to 20 different types of amino acids; some of these amino acids can be made by the body (non-essential) others have to be derived from food sources (essential). Proteins which contain all these amino acids in the correct proportions are “complete” proteins. With the exception of soya and quinoa, most vegetable proteins are lower in one or more of these essential amino acids, which is why animal proteins are often the preferred choice.

The protein needs of athletes and regular gym users have been explored. In particular, sports scientists have shown that consuming protein and amino acids before, during and after training offers extreme benefits. For example, supplementing with 4g/d of the essential branched chain amino acid (BCAA) Leucine has been shown to dramatically increase muscle protein synthesis prior to resistance training (1). Likewise, the BCAA’s Valine and isoleucine are important as a muscular energy source during exercise and are often included in pre-workout drinks for endurance athletes. They may also reduce muscle damage during endurance sports (2).Following exercise; protein supplementation can accelerate muscle repair and recovery and creates the ideal environment for muscle synthesis. However, not all types of protein offer the same benefits due to their different nutritional profile or their different speed of digestion.

Advantage of Protein Supplements
One of the main benefits of protein supplement is that they can be digested quicker than whole food and offer a greater level of convenience. The main sources of protein used in such products are whey and casein and each has useful attributes.

Whey Protein
Fast digesting and is a rich source of BCAA’s – in particular the anti-catabolic amino acid Leucine (a precursor of HMB).   Many believe Whey to be the king of proteins as its amino acids profile is superior to other sources.  The quality of Whey protein varies and protein content accordingly, the team at Vantage source only the highest protein Isolate  (90%) and concentrate (80%) from the finest suppliers in Europe.  All the whey protein used in Vantage products is extracted using low temperature ultra and micro filtration to ensure the highest quality protein yield.

Casein Protein
Slow digesting and a rich source of glutamine which also helps to inhibit muscle protein breakdown. A shot of fast acting whey protein following resistance exercise can help flood the muscles with anabolic amino acids – stimulating muscle protein growth quickly. A maximum of 20-25g of whey protein is recommended for this purpose. However, combining whey and casein means that you get the benefits of fast-acting whey with the sustained benefits of casein. This two stage release protein allows the body to get the benefits of protein over a period of up to 7 hours – initially the Amino acids from the whey protein are released, followed by those in the casein (3). Serving sizes of up to 40g are recommended for these blended whey proteins.

Hungry for Protein
Often over-looked by many when discussing protein, is the impact protein has on appetite control (4). Diets high in protein lead to an overall decrease in calorie intake because foods high in protein stay in the stomach for longer – thereby promoting a feeling of fullness. In addition, carbohydrate digestion is slowed, helping to reduce sugar cravings by stabilizing blood sugar levels.
As well as the benefits already discussed, protein offers lots of additional benefits including improved immune function, and bone (5) and circulatory health (6). Most of the research has been conducted using milk based proteins such as whey and casein and demonstrates that adding extra protein to the diet not only confers benefits to athletes and those concerned with body image, but is part of any healthy diet and lifestyle.
References
(1) Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2011 Mar;6(1):38-50.
(2) J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2000 Sep;40(3):240-6.
(3) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930-5.
(4) Am J Clin Nutr 2008 Jan:87(1):23-9
(5) J Dairy Sci. 2009 Jul:92(7):3014-8
(6) Nutr J. 2009 Jul 22:8:34

Written by VANTAGE SPORTS NUTRITION — October 04, 2012

Healthy Foods that can make you Fat

There's not a day that goes by where someone doesn't come to me asking for diet advice confused as to why they're NOT losing weight even though they don't eat "a lot"...and even if they're eating "healthy". The truth is that while "quanity" does matter, it's possible to still overconsume calories if choosing the wrong foods.

Some foods, even though they're considered very healthy, carry loads of calories in a very small amount of food. We call these calorically dense foods and if your diet is comprised of a bunch of them, you can easily gain weight even without eating "a lot" of food.

Here are some "healthy" examples of calorically dense foods:

1. Granola - granola, especially the varieties mixed with nuts can pack as many as 500 cals per cup!

2. Pasta - a moderate 1 and 1/2 cups of most pastas yield more than 60 grams of carbs and almost 350 calories

3. Avocado - avocado is awesome and a great source of monounsaturated fat, but one single avocado is over 300 calories and 30 grams of fat

4. Nuts and Nut Butters - nuts are super healthy, but one of the most calorically dense foods around. A few ounces could mean 400+ calories

5. Fruit Juice and Smoothies - all fruit juices are loaded with sugar and so are most "smoothie" shop smoothies (make your own with whole fruit)

6. Dried Fruit - dried fruits remove the water content which dramatically decreases volume...what's left is high in sugar and very calorically dense

7. "Whole Wheat" Breads - even the 100% whole wheat variety can pack a mean calorie punch if you're eating a lot of grains as part of your diet

8. Whole Grain Bagels - a large "deli" bagel is loaded with carbs and calories, many times over 400 cals in a single bagel

While some of the foods above are only "thought" to be healthy (fruit juice, whole grain bagels, etc), stuff like nuts, nut butters, and avocado are foods that I'd recommend in just about everyone's diet and they are indeed great choices.

That said, these calorically dense foods require that you monitor your intake of them closely. A few ounces of nuts, a couple tablespoons of nut butter, and an avocado is NOT a lot of food, but if you ate all of these every day, you'd be getting close to 1000 calories just right there.

Bioidentical Nutrients

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Many nutrients occur in various forms, and it is important to understand that not all are created equally. Herein lies a key factor in the ongoing discussions regarding vitamin supplements and their corresponding efficacy, relevance, and safety.  You hear it in the general media all the time…do vitamin supplements really work?  Are they effective or are you wasting your money?  Albeit good questions, yet the true answers are rarely exposed or properly explained.
The Answer:  Bioidentical Nutrients

Nutrients that occur in nature, from plants and animals, are in specific forms that are optimally bioactive (having an effect on living tissue) when ingested…such as when foods are eaten or when supplements containing these bioactive forms are taken. In fact, it is often the form of the nutrient that determines both its effectiveness and its safety. However, many nutrients found in nutritional supplements are not in the exact bioidentical form found in nature. This occurs for various reasons, including cost, availability, stability, and practicality. Sometimes the bioidentical form of a nutrient is simply not stable enough to include in a supplement, or it is simply not possible or practical to derive a therapeutic quantity of a specific nutrient directly from a food or animal source. While the bioidentical forms of nutrients are often optimal, synthetic forms made in a commercial laboratory process which are often not identical to the forms that occur naturally, can be used safely and economically in many cases. However, one’s body generally must first convert the synthetic forms into their active bioidentical forms before the therapeutic effects can be realized. While this often happens easily and quickly in most individuals, some people can have biochemical and metabolic uniqueness which makes this initial conversion more difficult.  Recently, there has been information in the general media regarding potential safety issues with synthetic folic acid due partly to these conversion issues in some people. So, amidst the myriad of choices you are confronted with, what do you look for when searching for quality supplements?  You look for a company who is committed to identifying, sourcing, and utilizing bioidentical forms of nutrients whenever possible and practical.
Bioidentical nutrients – a Designs for Health commitment
At DFH, we are committed to producing the highest quality, safe and effective nutritional products at realistic prices for health care practitioners and their patients. We are further committed to identifying, sourcing, and utilizing bioidentical forms of nutrients whenever possible and practical. This is illustrated by our decision to remove all synthetic folic acid from our professional nutritional supplement line years ago, and replace it with a bioidentical mixture of natural folates called NatureFolate.™
Bioidentical vs Food Based
Bioidentical nutrients should not be confused with so called “food-form” based nutritional products. Upon close inspection many of these types of products are nothing more than the addition of certain synthetic USP (United States Pharmacopeia) nutrients (i.e., pyridoxyl hydrochloride), added to a relatively non-potent food mash. Understand that achieving therapeutic potency for most of the nutrients required in a full spectrum professional line of supplements cannot be realized with this strategy.
Summing Up the Bioidentical Story
What “bioidentical” basically refers to is this:  we should consume a form of a particular vitamin in the same form as it exists in the human body and as it performs in our biochemistry.  According to Linda Lizotte, RD, CDN, President and Cofounder of Designs for Health, “Vitamins should be therapeutic. They should be amounts that are absolutely going to have an effect.  [People] should feel energy, for example, when taking a multivitamin.  One of the most important ingredients in a multivitamin, for example, is the B vitamins.  It’s very easy to under-dose B vitamins.  So I’d rather put more money into the capsule and have it actually work.” So, educate yourself on what supplements you choose to consume, because their source, their foundation, their form, will most definitely make a difference.
by Dr. Michael Fuhrman
Related links: DFH Response to Folic Acid Concerns
April 2010 Prevention magazine article – Is Your Breakfast Giving You Cancer?

The Importance Of Zinc

The Importance Of Zinc And Our Lack Of It

by alexcarson on October 9, 2012

Zinc is an essential mineral involved in more than 300 enzyme processes and plays an important role in our bodies’ immune system. It is also needed for the production of testosterone. For those who are looking to increase muscle mass, this will be much harder with low Zinc levels in the body. Like Magnesium, this is another essential mineral where its deficiency is quite widespread.
Low Zinc levels can be correlated with low testosterone and particularly present in men aged 40 and above who may have begun going through a hormonal change called Andropause, also known as the male menopause where testosterone decreases due to an increased production by the body of the enzyme aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen. Due to low testosterone levels in males this can lead to low sperm output and testicular shrinkage.
Low Zinc levels can impact negatively on the skin and slow muscle growth. Vitamin C has long been taken to improve the immune system particularly in the winter to avoid the common cold, but Zinc has been very much so neglected but of critical importance to our health.
Even if you have a high intake of Zinc in your diet, its role can be inhibited by the consumption of other foods in your diet, such as soy proteins and milk feeds, coffee, cows milk, cheese, hamburgers, celery, brown bread, high fiber diets, phytates and bran. Some citrus fruits and Vitamin D promote Zinc absorption. The issue of correct dose of Zinc per day is further complicated not only by the ratio of Zinc inhibitors to Zinc promoters but by the fact that some people are better absorbers than others, so therefore some people will require more of the mineral than others.
Zinc Mimickers
There are some toxic metals which when exposed to in high amounts mimic the role of Zinc. These include Cadmium, Lead and Mercury known as the top Zinc antagonists. A higher intake of Zinc may be needed if you are regularly exposed to these metals. Smokers are at a high risk of Cadmium exposure, if you smoke more than twenty unfiltered cigarettes per day, you will be exposed to more of the metal from the cigarettes than what one typically would from their diet put together.  These toxic metals will be accepted by Zinc dependent enzymes in the body, but they are unable to fulfil Zinc’s functions, therefore blocking the absorption of Zinc, they are considered to be anti-nutrients preventing the enzymes from breaking down food, repairing tissues, utilizing energy and their other roles throughout the body.
Our exposure to these toxins today through pollution, or even our use of lead piping has serious implications on our health and the need for a higher amount of Zinc than we would need if we lived in an unpolluted environment, this should not be too high an intake as when Zinc levels are too high they can interfere with the metabolism of Iron and Copper.
Zinc sources
Lean meats are the richest sources of Zinc, Oysters being the highest source, and so deficiency is likely to occur amongst vegetarians and those with inadequate meat intake. But as mentioned earlier there are other factors that can lead to Zinc deficiency.
Testing for Zinc deficiency
The most effective method for measuring Zinc is a taste test, using Zinc Sulphate and distilled water. The tests can be purchased from a few Pharmaceutical grade supplement companies such as Poliquin which can be purchased from the website.
The Zinc deficiency test:

• Dissolve one gram of Zinc sulphate into one litre of distilled water.
• Taste one-two teaspoons of the solution, swish it around your mouth and then spit it out.

Responses normally fall into one of the four following categories:

1. No specific taste or other sensation is noticed, even after the solution has been kept in the mouth for about ten seconds. (Some people even find a solution of twice the above strength to be tasteless.)
2. No immediate taste is noted, but after a few seconds a slight taste variously described as ‘dry’, ‘mineral’, ‘flurry’ or (more rarely) ‘sweet’ develops.
3. A definite though not unpleasant taste is noted almost immediately, and tends to intensify with time.
4. A strong and unpleasant taste is noted immediately. The subject normally grimaces.

If your response to the test is either 1 or 2 then you are deficient in Zinc, if 3-4 then your Zinc levels are normal. You would therefore benefit from Zinc supplementation. After supplementing for a period of time the test should be repeated to see if there is an improvement in your response and if so a reduction in your dose.
Zinc has been shown to improve diseases such as Anorexia Nervosa, post natal depression and mental disorders such as Schizophrenia as well as critical for reproduction.
Zinc due to its role in supporting the immune system has been shown to be as important and arguably more so than the use of Vitamin C in fighting the common cold.
For those who are interested in building muscle or toning up, this can be difficult if Zinc levels are low, as Zinc is essential for the production of testosterone, if testosterone levels are low then developing muscle mass will be a challenge. It is for this reason that women generally cannot develop large muscles, as they do not produce high enough levels of testosterone. If women are in need of Zinc however supplementation to the adequate levels using the Zinc Sulphate test will not be high enough to develop the dreaded large manly muscles. There are men in the gym with high enough zinc and testosterone levels working extremely hard trying to bulk up and many struggle. So do not fear Zinc supplementation if you need it.