* Regular soda drinkers had 87 percent higher risk

* Theory is that sugar fuels tumors

WASHINGTON, Feb 8, 2010 (Reuters) – People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer, an unusual but deadly cancer, researchers reported on Monday.

People who drank mostly fruit juice instead of sodas did not have the same risk, the study of 60,000 people in Singapore found.

Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits, said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota, who led the study.

“The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,” Pereira said in a statement.

Insulin, which helps the body metabolize sugar, is made in the pancreas.

Writing in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Pereira and colleagues said they followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years.

Over that time, 140 of the volunteers developed pancreatic cancer. Those who drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of being among those who got pancreatic cancer.

Pereira said he believed the findings would apply elsewhere.

“Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent healthcare. Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries,” he said.

But Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center at Yale University in Connecticut was cautious.

“Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it is a causal association or not,” said Mayne, who serves on the board of the journal, which is published by the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can’t accurately control for.”

Other studies have linked pancreatic cancer to red meat, especially burned or charred meat.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with 230,000 cases globally. In the United States, 37,680 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in a year and 34,290 die of it.

The American Cancer Society says the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients is about 5 percent.

Some researchers believe high sugar intake may fuel some forms of cancer, although the evidence has been contradictory. Tumor cells use more glucose than other cells.

One 12-ounce (355 ml) can of non-diet soda contains about 130 calories, almost all of them from sugar. (Editing by John O’Callaghan)

HOW MUCH VITAMIN D DO YOU NEED
Here in the U.S. an estimated three-quarters of adults and teenagers suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Even worse is that researchers are now linking low vitamin D levels to a number of chronic diseases. Vitamin D deficiencies are more common in those who are over 50 or get very little sun exposure. People with darker skin and vegetarians are also more likely to have low Vitamin D levels.

According the Institute of Medicine, the Recommendated Daily Allowances (RDA) of Vitamin D is as follows:

• 200 IU (international units) a day for children and adults under 50

• 400 IU/day for ages 51-70

• 600 IU/day for ages 70 or over

Many experts think that current recommended daily allowances for Vitamin D are probably too low, particularly when new research shows that higher doses can protect us from several diseases. Some suggest 800 IU to 1,000 IU of Vitamin D a day for all adults over age 50 and 600 IU a day for children and those under 50. The recommended upper limit for vitamin D, the most you can take safely, is 2,000 IU a day for adults and 1,000 IU/ day for children over age 1. Amounts of Vitamin D above this could be toxic.

VITAMIN D AND SUNLIGHT
The absolute best source of natural Vitamin D is sunlight. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight trigger Vitamin D synthesis in the skin and most people meet their Vitamin D needs through exposure to sunlight. According to experts, 10 minutes of direct sunlight in shorts and a tank top with no sunscreen will give you enough radiation to produce about 10,000 IU of the Vitamin. Doing so a couple of times a week should give you more than a sufficient amount of Vitamin D.

However, season, latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog, and suncreens affect UV ray exposure. For example, in Boston the average amount of sunlight is insufficient to produce significant Vitamin D synthesis in the skin from November through February. In fact, in the winter months it’s impossible to produce Vitamin D from the sun if you live north of Atlanta because the sun never gets high enough in the sky for its ultraviolet rays to penetrate the atmosphere. Sunscreens with a sun protection factor of 8 or greater will also block the UV rays that produce Vitamin D,

DIETARY SOURCES
It is especially important in the winter months or for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of Vitamin D in their diet but only a few foods in nature contain Vitamin D. Fish such as salmon, cod, and cod liver oil are the best sources of Vitamin D.

Fortified foods provide most of the Vitamin D in the American diet. Almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with 100 IU/cup of Vitamin D however dairy products made from milk, such as cheese and ice cream, are generally not. Breakfast cereals often contain added Vitamin D as do some brands of orange juice, yogurt, and margarine. Below is a list of the best sources of Vitamin D.

*Pure Cod liver oil, 1 Tablespoon (1360 IU/ serving)
*Salmon, cooked, 3½ ounces (360 IU/ serving)
*Mackerel, cooked, 3½ ounces (345 IU/ serving)
*Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1 3/4oz (250 IU/ serving)
*Tuna Fish, canned in oil, 3oz (200 IU/ serving)
*Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole milk, (100 IU/ serving)
vitamin D fortified, 1 cup
*Margarine, fortified, 1 Tablespoon (60 IU/ serving)
*Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified, 1 cup (40 IU/ serving)
*Eggyolk, 1 whole (20 IU/ serving)
*Liver, beef, cooked, 31/2 ounces (15 IU/ serving)
*Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce (12 IU/ serving)

VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin transported throughout the body in fat. Any excess is then stored in the liver and fatty tissues which means that you don’t need to get it from food sources everyday. This is taken into consideration when daily requirements are set so it’s important to use the recommended daily allowance as a guide for your daily Vitamin D intake.

Supplements offer a convenient way to make sure your getting enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements are sold in two forms, vitamin D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 is preferable, since it has a stronger effect. It’s Vitamin D3 that is synthesized in the skin when it is exposed to UV rays from sunlight.

It’s best to consult your doctor before taking a Vitamin D supplement if you’re pregnant, breast-feeding or planning to become pregnant or if you suffer from any chronic disease or disorders of the kidney, liver, or pancreas.

.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Cutting down on carbs may help people lose weight, but it may not be so good for lowering cholesterol, new research shows.

People who ate a diet low in carbohydrates but relatively high in fat lost the same amount of weight over six weeks as those who consumed a high-carb diet.

But levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol increased significantly in the low-carb group, while they fell in the high-carb group. High LDL levels are a risk factor for heart disease because they are linked to clogged arteries.

Low-carb diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, and proponents claim they may be more effective for reducing diabetes risk and cholesterol levels, Dr. Teri L. Hernandez of the University of Colorado at Denver in Aurora and her colleagues write in their report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

But little is actually known about how these diets compare with higher-carb weight loss plans in terms of these effects, they add.

To investigate the effects of diet on these measures during active weight loss, Hernandez and her team randomly assigned 32 obese adults to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, including 20 grams of carbohydrate or less daily, or a high-carb diet with 55 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates for six weeks.

Both groups lost around 6 kilograms (13 pounds). But the individuals on the low-carb diet actually had an average increase of 12 milligrams per deciliter increase in their LDL levels, up from 109 milligrams per deciliter (less than 100 is considered optimal); the high-carb diet group showed a 7 milligram per deciliter decrease, down from 102.

The low-carb group also showed greater increases in their levels of free fatty acids, which are released into the blood when the body breaks down stored fat. High levels of free fatty acids make it more difficult for the liver to store glucose, which in turn ups sugar levels in the blood. Consistently high sugar levels define diabetes.

“These data suggest that a high-fat diet may have adverse metabolic effects during active weight loss,” Hernandez and her team conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online January 27, 2010.

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HEART DISEASE
A new study by researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah suggests that Vitamin D contributes to a strong and healthy heart and that inadequate levels of Vitamin D may significantly increase a person’s risk of stroke, heart disease, and death, even among people who have never had heart disease.

The study followed 27,686 people, aged 50 and older, with no history of cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into three groups based on their vitamin D levels: normal, low, or very low. After one year, those with very low levels of vitamin D were 77 percent more likely to die, 45 percent were more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke, and twice as likely to develop heart failure compared to those with normal vitamin D levels.

“We concluded that among patients 50 years of age or older, even a moderate deficiency of vitamin D levels was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and death,” said study co-author Heidi May. “This is important because Vitamin D deficiency is easily treated.”

Another study conducted by Framingham Heart Study researchers and reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association concluded, “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, above and beyond established cardiovascular risk factors,” said Thomas J. Wang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. “The higher risk associated with vitamin D deficiency was particularly evident among individuals with high blood pressure.”

DIABETES
A 17-year study conducted by the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland found that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D reduced their chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 40 percent. Of the more than 4,000 people in the study, the 187 diagnosed with type 2 registered the lowest vitamin D levels, regardless of age or sex.

Related Articles and Sources:
‘Sunshine vitamin’ may ward off breast cancer
Study Sees Link Between Vitamin D and Breast Cancer
Vitamin D and Colon Cancer
High vitamin D levels, lower colon cancer risk?
Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer prevention: What you can do
US News and World Report: Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Heart Disease
(AHA) Lack of vitamin D may increase heart disease
Can Vitamin D Help Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?
Vitamin D for Diabetes Prevention

VITAMIN D AND CHRONIC DISEASE
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays as essential role in the absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus leading to strong bones and teeth. However, Vitamin D is also important in preventing some chronic diseases and low Vitamin D levels have been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. In fact, many experts now think that current recommended daily allowances for Vitamin D are probably too low, particularly when new research shows that higher doses can protect us from several diseases.
BREAST CANCER
Two studies conducted by both the U.S. and Canada showed that women with high levels of Vitamin D could have up to a 50% reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

One study, led by Cedric Garland of the University of California in San Diego, involved more than 120,000 women participating in two studies at Harvard University and Saint George’s Hospital Medical School in London. Blood samples were obtained from 701 women with breast cancer and a similar group of 724 healthy women and it was found that those women with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had a 50 percent reduced risk of breast cancer.

A second study found that women who spent time outdoors or got a lot of vitamin D from their diets or supplements were 25 to 45 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than women with less of the nutrient. The study also pointed to Vitamin D levels in adolescence. “Exposure to vitamin D at the time breasts are developing, particularly around adolescence, might be important,” said lead researcher Julia Knight of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

Other studies have shown that low Vitamin D levels in women with breast cancer are more likely to die from the disease than those with normal Vitamin D levels.

COLON CANCER
In a new study published in the British Medical Journal on Vitamin D’s effect colon cancer occurance, researchers found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood had a nearly 40 percent reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest levels. And as with breast cancer, studies show that colon cancer patients with the highest Vitamin D levels were less likely to die from the disease than those with lower levels.

PROSTATE CANCER
According to the American Cancer Society “Recent studies have found that men with high levels of vitamin D seem to have a lower risk of developing the more lethal forms of prostate cancer.” In the United States, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men, after lung cancer. John Hopkins University said that “vitamin D is a most promising area for prostate cancer research.” Multiple studies have reported a link between low levels of vitamin D and an increased risk of developing various cancers including prostate cancer.

One study, published in the journal British Journal of Urology (BJU International), suggests Vitamin D supplementation as a viable treatment for prostate cancer patients. The study, conducted by reseachers at the Imperial College London, included 26 men with prostate cancer and each was assigned to take a daily vitamin D supplement. In men with prostate cancer, PSA levels are an indicator of disease severity. One participant experienced a decrease in PSA levels of less than 25 percent, two experienced decreases of between 25 and 50 percent, and two experienced decreases of more than 50 percent.

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By Dr. Wendy Bazilian
author of The Superfoods Rx Diet

If you’re having trouble losing weight and inches on your current diet plan, then try these 5 rules to make any diet more successful.

KNOW THE PERCENTAGES
Your diet should have about 50 percent carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains; 35 percent fats from healthy oils, nuts, seeds and fish; and 15 percent protein from legumes, fish, nuts, dairy, poultry and eggs.

LIMIT RED MEATS AND SWEETS
Get no more than 8 percent of daily calories as saturated fat. This means just 3 to 4 ounces of beef or lamb per week. Limit rich desserts to a few times per week. Otherwise, have fresh or frozen fruit.

EAT POULTRY, EGGS AND FISH
But not everyday. Have chicken, turkey or eggs every other day and have fish at least twice a week.

SWITCH TO NON-OR LOW-FAT DAIRY
Get two to three 8-oz servings of milk or yoqurt daily for calcium and other nutrients and limit butter.

FOCUS ON HEALTHY FATS AND CARBOHYDRATES
“The lion’s share of fat comes from what’s found naturally in such foods as olive oil, nuts, avocado and fish,” says Dr. Brazilian. Base your diet on healthy, whole grain carbohydrates such as pasta, whole grain breads, cereal and brown rice. Save white flour and white rice for special occasions.

Source: Ladies Home Journal, March 2010

By eating a Mediterranean Diet you not only lose weight, but you can increase your chances to a longer disease free life.

THE MORE DOCTORS TEST IT the more they find that eating Mediterranean is the absolute best way to lose weight. Based on the cooking and eating styles of Italy, France, Greece, Spain, and other Mediterranean countries, this diet features olive oil, fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes. fish and poultry, whole grains and even wine. “It’s hard to stay on extreme diets,” says Harvard nutrition expert Dr. Walter Willett, whose book Eat, Drink and Be Healthy popularized the extreme diet approach here in the United States. “This diet has lots of variety and wonderful flavors so people stick with it.”

LASTING WEIGHT LOSS A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet for two years lost more weight than low-fat dieters and maintained the weight loss. “You don’t feel hungry”, says Dr. Meir Stampfer, coauthor of the study and a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. The healthy fats and proteins in the Mediterranean diet keeps glucose, or blood sugar, levels stable which means you’re less likely to snack on high sugar junk foods.

HEART HEALTHY The same study also found that eating a Mediterranean diet decreases nearly every risk factor for heart disease. After surviving their first heart attack, 605 patients who following the Mediterranean diet for four years had a 50 to 70 percent lower risk of having a second heart attack, angina, or stroke. “There’s no single aspect of the diet that keeps your heart healthy,” says Dr. Stampfer; it’s the synergy of all the diet’s elements. Antioxidants in fruits, vegetables and beans help prevent plaque build up in the arteries and the Omega-3 fatty acids in fish lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Olive oil lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and wine in moderation may further lower risk of heart disease.

DIABETES PREVENTION In a Annals of Internal Medicine study, 215 type 2 diabetics were asked to follow either a low-fat or a Mediterranean diet. After four years only 44 percent of the Mediterranean group needed diabetes medication but 70 percent of the low-fat dieters did. The Mediterranean dieters also lost more weight. Other research shows that the Mediterranean diet helps people with pre-diabetes lower their blood sugar enough to avoid developing type 2 diabetes.

REDUCED ALZHEIMER’S RISK A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that by eating a Mediterranean diet, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is cut by 40 percent. And that people that included regular exercise with the diet reduced their chances by 60 percent.

LONGER LIFE A recent analysis of the Mediterranean diet from the British Medical Journal found that the Mediterranean diet sigificantly improved health and led to a 9 percent reduction in death from heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Other studies have found the the Mediterranean diet’s healthy fats may also lessen the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis and reduce the risk of Lou Gehrig’s disease by as much as 60 percent.

Related Articles:
Why We Need More Fiber
Legumes, Nature’s Wonder Food
Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables
Discover Resveratrol
Preventing Cancer with Proper Nutrition
Antioxidants, Why They’re Important

Source: Ladies Home Journal, March 2010 by Nancy Gottesman
Contributing editor: Becky Bullard

30 MINUTES A DAY
In 1995 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) issued the recommendation that Americans should engage in at least 30 minutes each day of moderate exercise. “Thirty minutes of physical activity is across the board to all adults, every day of the week,” says Russell Pate, PhD, who is a professor at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. “There is enormous scientific information to support this.” However, according to a 2009 study led by Gary Bennett, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, fewer than half of all Americans meet the 1995 recommendations and that only a third know of the national recommendations despite more than a decade of publicity campaigns.

Moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day can greatly reduce the risk of chronic disease and health professionals say there is substantial research backing the 30-minute a day recommendation. “Physical activity is important for protecting against a large number of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, some cancers, diabetes, even some cognitive disorders,” says Bennett. “So the physical activity recommendations are extremely important to help increase awareness among the American population about the amount of physical activity that is necessary to reduce the risk of developing these diseases.”

“Thirty minutes a day of moderate activity has a very significant health benefit,” says Catherine Jackson, professor and chair of the department of kinesiology at the California State University in Fresno and a spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR DOING MODERATE EXERCISE
Aerobic activity or “cardio” is any form of exercise that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. From pushing a lawn mower, to taking a dance class, or just biking to the store, all types of activities count. The Centers for Disease Control puts moderate aerobic activity at a 5 or 6 on a 10 point scale where sitting is 0 and 10 is working as hard as you can. It will make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. You’ll also notice that you’ll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song.

For most people, light daily activities such as shopping, cooking, or doing the laundry doesn’t count toward the guidelines because the body isn’t working hard enough to increase your heart rate.

GETTING STARTED IS EASY
Even something as simple as walking is a great way to get the aerobic activity you need, as long as it’s at a moderately intense pace. But whatever aerobic activity you choose be it walking, cycling, swimming, raking the yard, or playing basketball with the kids, make sure you’re getting at least the recommended 30 minutes each day. You can even break this down into three 10 minute or two 15 minute sessions. For example, you can take two 10 minute walks, one in the morning and one at lunch, then go for a 10 minute bike ride in the evening. Once you’re comfortable at that level, you may wish to increase the duration to 45 minutes or even a hour each day.

Related Articles:
Regular Exercise: Key to Good Health
Getting Active
Get Healthy with Aerobics
How Fit Are You

WASHINGTON, Dec 10, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/

It wouldn’t be surprising to find that registered dietitians (RDs) are among the healthiest eaters in the United States, but their healthy habits extend beyond diet. Registered dietitians demonstrate a commitment to the three pillars of health: a healthy diet, supplements and regular exercise. According to new research from the “Life…supplemented” 2009 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, eight in 10 registered dietitians view dietary supplements as important for maintaining health.

The study shows 81 percent of registered dietitians agree most people have gaps in their diets that can be filled with vitamins and other dietary supplements. Many include themselves in this group, with 76 percent agreeing that supplement use can address their own diet gaps. Registered dietitians’ actions follow suit, with nine in 10 (96 percent) taking supplements and recommending them to their clients (97 percent).

Which supplements are registered dietitians taking? Most commonly, they are taking a multivitamin (84 percent). RDs also take specialty supplements (64 percent take at least one specialty supplement), such as Omega-3 fish oils (47 percent), herbal or botanical supplements (46 percent) or fiber (22 percent). Over half of registered dietitians take supplements for improved bone health (58 percent) and overall health and wellness (53 percent).

“Registered dietitians know people’s eating habits, and we know that people don’t always eat correctly,” says Leslie Bonci, RD, director of sports medicine nutrition for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and advisor to the “Life…supplemented” campaign. “A healthy diet works in concert with exercise and responsible use of supplements for a wellness lifestyle. We’re seeing RDs champion these three components to overall wellness.”

Seven in 10 registered dietitians who recommend supplements to their clients report doing so for bone health (72 percent) and to fill nutrition gaps (69 percent).

According to Ms. Bonci the opportunity for registered dietitians to introduce the three pillars of health (healthy diet + dietary supplements + exercise) continues to grow as more consumers focus on wellness. Research shows the need for education about supplement use is significant: Less than one-quarter (23 percent) of RDs agree that their clients have a good understanding of the recommended daily intake of dietary supplements. “Registered dietitians can help fill the education gap for their clients,” she said.

A good way to start the conversation with a registered dietitian is to visit www.lifesupplemented.org and take “My Wellness Scorecard.” It’s a free, fast, fun interactive wellness quiz that helps identify realistic and personalized steps people can take toward better health. Ms. Bonci recommends that individuals take their results to their registered dietitian or other healthcare professional to develop a wellness regimen that works for them.

Methodology: Results from the 2009 “Life…supplemented” HCP Impact Study went public in December 2009 and comprise three separate surveys – (300) nurse practitioners, (300) pharmacists and (300) registered dietitians. Seventy-four percent of RDs taking the study identified themselves as members of the American Dietetic Association, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Margins of sampling error at a 95 percent confidence level are +/- 5.7 percentage points for each of the groups of healthcare professionals surveyed. A nominal honorarium was given to each healthcare professional completing the survey. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the survey online. The first “Life…supplemented” HCP Impact Study of primary care physicians, OB/GYNs and nurses was conducted online in November 2007. The second study of cardiologists, orthopaedic specialists and dermatologists was conducted online in September 2008.

About the “Life…supplemented” HCP Impact Study: The study is part of the “Life…supplemented” consumer wellness campaign, which is dedicated to driving awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral part of a proactive personal wellness regimen that combines healthy diet, supplements and exercise. The study evaluates the personal attitudes and use of dietary supplements by healthcare professionals and whether their attitudes toward supplements affect their clinical behavior and recommendations to patients. The “Life…supplemented” campaign is managed by the CRN Foundation, an educational affiliate of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry. For more information: www.lifesupplemented.org.

SOURCE Life…supplemented

Date: Dec 10, 2009 URL: http://www.lifesupplemented.org www.prnewswire.com

Excerpts taken from National Geographic Magazine
Written by Jennifer Ackerman

THE CONTROVERSY! ARE THESE FOODS SAFE?
The safety of genetically modified organisms in our foods is now of considerable concern and for several reasons. While top producers of genetically modified organisms, like Monsanto, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are claiming these foods to be safe, other independent research companies like The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), The Alliance for Bio-Integrity, and The Organic Consumers Association are reporting that these foods are linked to serious adverse health effects and that Monsanto has tainted and suppressed critical information about their safety from the FDA.

The AAEM is advising precaution because genetically modified foods have not been properly tested for human consumption and because there is significant evidence of probable harm. Therefore they advise: “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.”

Many countries, particularly in Europe, are now banning genetically modified food items unless they are clearly labeled so that people can decide for themselves if they want to eat them. “However, no engineered foods currently carry labels in the U.S. because the FDA has not found any of them to be substantially different from their conventional counterparts. Industry representatives argue that labeling engineered foods that are not substantially different would arouse unwarranted suspicion.”

What is clear, however, is that genetically modified foods were introduced quietly and that information about them has been scarce for the average consumer which raises even more suspicion. Margaret Wertheim, in a 2002 article in LA Weekly, expressed fears that “Quietly and stealthily, our fields are being turned into industrial factories. This is potentially the most dangerous technology since nuclear power, yet we have no way of finding out what is being done.”

WHAT DOES THE FDA SAY?
“The FDA reviews data on allergens, toxicity, and nutrient levels voluntarily submitted by companies. If that information shows that the new foods are not substantially equivalent to conventional ones, the foods must undergo further testing.” The following was reported by the Organic Consumer Association:

“In order for the FDA to determine if Monsanto’s growth hormones were safe or not, Monsanto was required to submit a scientific report on that topic. Margaret Miller, one of Monsanto’s researchers put the report together. Shortly before the report submission, Miller left Monsanto and was hired by the FDA. Her first job for the FDA was to determine whether or not to approve the report she wrote for Monsanto. In short, Monsanto approved its own report. Assisting Miller was another former Monsanto researcher, Susan Sechen. Deciding whether or not rBGH-derived milk should be labeled fell under the jurisdiction of another FDA official, Michael Taylor, who previously worked as a lawyer for Monsanto.”

To date the FDA maintains that genetically modified foods are safe and that no further testing is required.

SHOULD THESE FOODS BE LABELED?
With so much controversy surrounding genetically modified foods it would be in our best interest as consumers to have these foods labeled. If you would like to sign the petition urging our government to label these foods, go to www.responsobletechnology.org.


Related Sites and Sources:
Did You Know That Genetically Modified Foods are on Your Dinner Table?
America’s Declining Health
Take this Quiz about Genetically Modified Food
Report: Genetically Modified Crops are Harmful to Your Health!
Genetically Modified Foods: Are They a Risk to Human/Animal Health?
Court rules GM sugar beets, first grown in 2008, were illegally approved by the FDA
Opposing Views: Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe?
50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods
]]> http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/2010/02/genetically-modified-foods-are-they-safe/feed/ 3 http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/2010/01/low-fat-diet-may-cut-risk-of-ovarian-cancer/ http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/2010/01/low-fat-diet-may-cut-risk-of-ovarian-cancer/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:29:51 +0000 Tony Long http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/?p=3957

An eight year study conducted by the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle has revealed that a low-fat diet may cut womens risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 40 percent.

Researchers tracked about 49,000 post-menopausal women from around the United States for an eight year period and ask about 40 percent of them to cut nearly in half the amount of fat in their diet and increase their intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.The others were asked to eat their usual diet.

No difference was seen in ovarian cancer risk in the first four years of the study. But in the final four years, the study found that the women who ate the low fat diet were 40 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than the other women.

Ross Prentice, who led the study, said “We’re pleased to be able to say something positive to American women that following a low-fat diet is quite likely to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer.” The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Prentice said a diet with fat making up about 35 percent of the intake is common in the United States and that the women in the study who made dietary changes on average cut their fat intake to about 24 percent. The average age of the women at the start of the study was 62.
Read the Full Report


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Eat your Fruits and Vegetables
Antioxidants! Why they are important
Why we need more Fiber
]]> http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/2010/01/low-fat-diet-may-cut-risk-of-ovarian-cancer/feed/ 1 http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/2010/01/3921/ http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/2010/01/3921/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:47:35 +0000 Tony Long http://nutritionthehealthyway.com/?p=3921

HOW MUCH IRON DO YOU NEED (RDA)?

• The recommended iron intake for men and post-menopausal women is 8 mg. The recommended intake for pre-menopausal women is 18 mg and the recommendation increases to 27 mg for pregnant women.

• Children ages 7 to 12 months need 11 mg, 1 to 3 years 7mg, 4 to 8 years 10mg, 9-13 years 8mg, 14 to 18 years 11 mg (for boys), 15 mg (for girls).

IRON CONTENT OF SOME COMMON FOODS
List of Grains Rich in Iron:
* Brown rice, 1 cup cooked-0.8 mg
* Whole wheat bread, 1 slice-0.9 mg
* Wheat germ, 2 tablespoons-1.1 mg
* English Muffin, 1 plain-1.4 mg
* Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked-1.6 mg
* Total cereal, 1 ounce-18.0 mg
* Cream of Wheat, 1 cup-10.0 mg
* Pita, whole wheat, 1 slice/piece, 61/2 inch-1.9 mg
* Spaghetti, enriched, 1 cup, cooked-2.0 mg
* Raisin bran cereal, 1 cup-6.3 mg

List of Iron Rich Legumes, Seeds, and Soy:
* Sunflower seeds, 1 ounce-1.4 mg
* Soy milk, 1 cup-1.4 mg
* Kidney beans, 1/2 cup canned-1.6 mg
* Chickpeas, 1/2 cup, canned-1.6 mg
* Tofu, firm, 1/2 cup-1.8 mg
* Soy burger, 1 average-1.8 to 3.9 mg
* Raw Spinach, 1 cup-1 mg
* Cooked Spinach, 1 cup-3.5 mg
* Pumpkin Seeds, 1/2 cup roasted-8.5 mg
* Pistachios, 1/2 cup-4.4 mg

List of Vegetables Rich in Iron:
* Broccoli, 1/2 cup, boiled-0.7 mg
* Green beans, 1/2 cup, boiled-0.8 mg
* Lima beans, baby, frozen, 1/2 cup, boiled-1.8 mg
* Beets, 1 cup-1.8 mg
* Peas, 1/2 cup frozen, boiled-1.3 mg
* Potato, fresh baked, cooked w/skin on-4.0 mg
* Vegetables, green leafy, 1/2 cup-2.0 mg
* Watermelon, 6 inch x 1/2 inch slice-3.0 mg

Other Foods Rich in Iron:
* Blackstrap Molasses, one tablespoon-3.0 mg
* Dates or Prunes, 1/2 cup-2.4 mg
* Beef, Pork, Lamb, three ounces-2.3 to 3.0 mg
* Liver (beef, chicken), three ounces-8.0 to 25.0 mg
* Clams, Oysters 3/4 cup-3.0 mg
* Dark meat Turkey 3/4 cup-2.6 mg
* Pizza, cheese or pepperoni, 1/2 of 10 inch pie-4.5 to 5.5 mg

IRON AND OXYGEN
Iron is an essential trace mineral needed to make hemoglobin, the part of our red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout our bodies. Without enough iron, the body makes fewer red blood cells resulting in less hemoglobin which in turn causes less oxygen to be transported in the body, a condition known as anemia. Anemic individuals don’t have an adequate supply of oxygen in their body, which leaves them tired, pale, and short of breath.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Iron deficiency is the most common known form of nutritional deficiency. Its prevalence is highest among young children and women of childbearing age (particularly pregnant women). In children, iron deficiency causes developmental delays and behavioral disturbances, and in pregnant women, it increases the risk for a preterm delivery and delivering a low-birthweight baby.”

ANEMIA: CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS
The most common cause of iron deficiency anemia is not getting enough iron in your diet. This is especially true of people who need a lot of iron, such as small children, teens, and pregnant women. Women with heavy menstrual bleeding are also at a higher risk of becoming anemic.

Another more serious cause of low iron levels is internal bleeding and may be caused by problems such as ulcers, hemorrhoids, or cancer. This bleeding can also happen with regular aspirin use. Internal bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia in men and women after menopause. Low iron levels may also be from poor iron absorption which could indicate problems with the stomach or small intestine. It’s important to see your doctor if you think you have anemia to find out what is causing your condition. It’s also important not to take iron pills without talking with your doctor as this may delay the diagnosis of a serious health condition or cause you to have an iron overload.

At first, any symptoms of anemia may go unnoticed as they develop slowly over a period of time. However, as your condition worsens you may experience:

• Fatigue

• Feeling dizzy

• Irritability

• Headaches

• Looking very pale

• Shortness of breath

• Trouble concentrating

Babies and small children who have anemia may:

• Be fussy.

• Have a short attention span.

• Grow more slowly than normal.

• Develop skills, such as walking and talking, later than normal.

It’s important that children with anemia be treated so that mental and behavior problems do not last long.

PREVENTING ANEMIA
You can prevent anemia by eating the right amount of iron every day. Iron-rich foods include meats (especially beef liver), eggs, whole-grain or iron-fortified foods, peas, beans, oatmeal, and prunes.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following to develop and maintain normal iron levels in infants and young children:

• Breast-feed infants if possible. Breast-feed your baby for at least a year or for as long after a year as you and your child desire.

• If you do not breast-feed or if you only partially breast-feed, feed your baby iron-fortified formulas.

• After 6 months of age, in addition to breast milk or iron-supplemented formula, a child needs 2 to 3 servings of iron-rich foods a day. Iron-fortified cereals are a good source.

• Use iron-fortified foods for infants when they are no longer breast-feeding.

• Do not give cow’s milk or goat’s milk to children younger than 12 months of age. Children 1 to 5 years old should drink no more than 24fl oz. a day of these milks, which are low in iron.

Taking vitamin C with your food or iron supplement will allow for better absorption of the iron content while foods or beverages high in caffeine, calcium, and fiber will reduce iron absorption and should be avoided 2 hours before and 2 hours afterward.

IRON OVERLOAD
Iron overload, or hemochromatosis, is a condition that occurs when too much iron builds up in the body. Small amounts of iron are normally stored in the liver and heart, but excess iron over time can eventually damage these organs and cause serious health problems. Excessive iron in the body leads to a weakened immune system and can cause diabetes, heart failure, osteoarthritis, and liver cancer.

Hemochromatosis affects men five times more often than it does women. Because women lose blood through menstruation, women are unlikely to show signs of iron overload until 10 or more years after menopause.

Symptoms of hemochromatosis include:

• Liver disease

• Joint pain

• Fatigue

• Unexplained weight loss

• Skin with a bronze or gray color

• Abdominal pain

• Loss of sexual desire

Too often, people with iron overload don’t know they have it until they have serious health problems. The only way to know is to get tested for it. An iron level that continues to be over 1000 mcg/L (micrograms per liter) means you have iron overload. A simple blood test can tell you your iron level.

References:
1.American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Breastfeeding (2005). Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 115(2): 496–506.
2.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1998). Recommendations to prevent and control iron deficiency in the United States. MMWR, 47(RR-3): 1–29

Contributing Editor: Becky Bullard

OBESITY AND CHRONIC DISEASE
Nearly 75% of Americans are now considered overweight and there are now over 300 million obese adults worldwide, with more than 115 million suffering from obesity-related problems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, this according to the World Health Organization.

Just 20 years ago, the American obesity rate was 50% and 40 years ago it was only 20%. Americans have the shortest life span and the highest infant mortality rate than any other developed country and we spend more on health care than any other country in the world.

Since 1997, Americans with diabetes has doubled to 18.2.million people. 17 Million people have high cholesterol and 20 million have heart disease. Another 34 million Americans have high blood pressure and 17 million people in the U.S. suffer from clinical depression.

The Harvard School of Public Health states “aside from not smoking, the most important determinants of good health are what we eat and how active we are”. Former surgeon general C. Everett Koop stated that “diet related diseases account for 68% of all deaths”, referencing poor eating habits. But how is it that here in the U.S. where food is abundant and people are smoking less, instances of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases seem to be on the increase?

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), over one million people get cancer each year and that about 1 out of every 2 American men and 1 out of every 3 American women will have some type of cancer at some point during their lifetime. More and more scientists, and the public in general, are now becoming concerned that the answer may in part be found not necessarily in the foods we eat, but what’s in the foods we eat and their declining nutritional value.

Related Articles:
Did You Know that Genetically Modified Foods are on your Dinner Table?
America’s Declining Health
Genetically Modified Foods: Are They Safe?

TAKE THE FOLLOWING QUIZ AND SEE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD.

Quiz yourself about foods made from genetically modified crops

This quiz was developed in July 2000 by Peter Goldsbrough, a plant
scientist and expert in genetically modified crops at Purdue
University, in collaboration with Steve Tally, a writer in the
Agricultural Communications Service at Purdue University. The
questions allow you to test your knowledge of genetically modified
foods and agricultural biotechnology.

The answers and some discussion are provided at the bottom
of the page.

1. Have you eaten foods made from genetically modified crops?

a. Yes.

b. No.

2. Which foods use genetically modified organisms in their
production to the largest extent?

a. Cheese.

b. Vegetables.

c. Meat.

3. What are the current benefits of having foods made from
genetically modified crops?

a. They improve farm profitability and make some
farmers’ jobs easier.

c. They allow farmers to greatly increase the amount of crops
produced.

b. They improve convenience for consumers, e.g. by creating foods
with longer shelf lives.

c. They improve the nutritional quality of foods.

d. They cause less damage to the environment than conventional
chemical-intensive agriculture.

4. Of the foods we eat, how much contains the genetic material
DNA?

a. Less than 5 percent.

b. 20 percent.

c. 50 percent.

d. 80 percent.

e. Nearly 100 percent.

5. Most foods derived from genetically modified crops contain:

a. The same number of genes as food produced from
conventional crops.

b. The same number of genes as foods produced from hybrid crops.

c. One or two additional genes.

d. Hundreds of additional genes.

e. No genes at all.

6. What effect does eating genetically modified foods have on your
genes?

a. It could cause your own genes to mutate.

b. It could cause your own genes to absorb the excess genes.

c. It has no effect on your genes.

d. The effects on human genetics aren’t known.

7. Are foods made from genetically modified crops required to pass
human testing?

a. Yes.

b. No.

8. Are foods derived from genetically modified crops required to
be tested for possible allergic reactions in people?

a. Yes.

b. No.

9. Are foods derived from genetically modified crops nutritionally
superior?

a. Yes, they offer substantial health advantages over
foods produced from conventional crops.

b. Yes, they offer some health advantages over foods produced from
conventional crops.

c. No, they are neither better nor worse than foods from
conventional crops.

d. No, they are slightly less healthful than foods from
conventional crops.

e. No, foods produced from genetically modified crops are a known
health risk.

ANSWERS

1. Answer: a. Yes. “If you live in the United States, it’s almost
certain that at one time or another you’ve eaten foods made from
genetically modified crops,” Goldsbrough says. A large percentage of
the corn and soybeans grown in the United States comes from
genetically modified plants, and the crops from these plants are made
into common food ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and
vegetable oil as well as other food additives. The corn syrup is used
in a number of products, including soft drinks, and the vegetable oil
is used to fry foods such as fast-food french fries. According to the
Grocery Manufacturers of America, this year an estimated 70 percent
of the foods on grocery store shelves will have been made or
manufactured using genetically modified crops.

2. Answer: a. Cheese. Before the advent of genetically modified
organisms, cheese was produced using an enzyme obtained from the
stomachs of calves slaughtered for veal. Now genetically modified
bacteria produce that same protein. One result of this is that many
cheeses are now considered Kosher.

3. Answer: a. They improve farm profitability and make some
farmers’ jobs easier. Right now, genetically modified crops have made
life a little bit easier for the nation’s farmers who use them.
However, scientists and farmers believe that soon all of the answers
will be true: genetically modified crops will create foods that are
more nutritious, have longer shelf lives, contain fewer pesticides,
and are produced with less damage to the environment.

4. Answer: e. Nearly 100 percent. All plant and animal cells
contain DNA, so nearly all food contains genetic material regardless
of whether the food has been genetically modified. There are a few
exceptions, however. “During the processing of some food products,
such as vegetable cooking oils, almost all of the DNA is removed,”
Goldsbrough says.

5. Answer: c. One or two additional genes. Genetically modified
crops contain one or two additional genes than either conventional or
hybrid crops.

6. Answer: c. It has no affect on your genes. “Genes in foods are
easily digested and there is no evidence that these new genes are
going to have any affect on our genes,” Goldsbrough says.

7. Answer: b. No. “There are currently no regulations that require
human testing of these crops,” Goldsbrough says. “The producers are
required by the Food and Drug Administration to say where the genes
come from, and to disclose nutritional properties, but that is as far
as the requirements go.”

8. Answer: b. No. There are no requirements to test whether
genetically modified crops cause allergic reactions. “When Pioneer
put genes from brazil nuts into foods and found that they did cause
an allergic reaction by using skin tests, they stopped research on
that product,” Goldsbrough says. So far this system appears to work.
When conventional new foods are introduced into the U.S. market
&emdash;such as kiwi fruit &emdash; allergic reactions are common.
But after three years of widespread use in the United States, no
allergic reactions to genetically modified crops have been reported.

9. Answer: c. No. They are neither better nor worse than foods
from conventional crops. “Most of the genetically modified crops
currently available are designed to reduce farmers’ production costs.
Under some circumstances there may be less pesticides used, and there
is some indication that genetically modified corn is less likely to
be infected with fungal toxins that are natural carcinogens, but the
overall health effect of these benefits is minor,” Goldsbrough says.
“In the future these technologies hold the promise of delivering
foods that are nutritionally enhanced. For example, foods might
provide essential vitamins or contain natural compounds that can help
improve your health.”