EDMONTON — A new University of Alberta study of heart failure patients is casting doubt on a common obesity test, suggesting instead that muscle mass may be a better indicator of such patients' potential lifespan.

The research led by PhD student Antigone Oreopoulos was, in part, an attempt to delve into a medical puzzle known as the "obesity paradox."

The conundrum is that while obesity has been linked to numerous health problems, the trend doesn't seem to hold in all cases. Studies in recent years have found that patients who have experienced heart failure tend to have a better prognosis if they are obese rather than a more lean shape.

In other words, obesity increases the risk of developing heart failure, but those who already have heart failure appear to benefit from the extra body fat.

"It doesn't make sense, because how can obesity be providing protection to people in one case and then in other cases be causing all these problems?" Oreopoulos said. "What are the implications of that? Should we be telling these patients to lose weight or not?"

Oreopoulos began to wonder if something were wrong with the way obesity is measured. She noted the previous studies typically used body mass index, or BMI, a simple equation in which a person's weight is divided by their height.


Full article:  http://www.vancouversun.com/mobile/story.html?id=3306666

When I first learned that agribusiness and the pesticide industry were launching a new PR campaign to discredit EWG and our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides, I thought it was a joke. The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides dissuades people from eating fruits and vegetables?

No way. We at EWG always believe that you should eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can, and organic whenever possible. We put together the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
 so that you would know which fruits and vegetables are must-buy organic, and which are fine if you go conventional -- information that conventional agribusiness doesn't want you to know.

Full article:  http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Shopping/Food/eat_your_pesticides_1607101009.html

After any illness it will take some time to regain your health and proper nutrition and sensible exercise are two of the most important factors for a speedy recovery. Apart from that, it is also true that a recovering patient would want to do whatever it takes to prevent an occurrence of the disease. Breast cancer can reoccur and while there are some risk factors in cancer that can't be controlled, a nutritious diet is within the patient’s means.

According to Melanie Polk, director at the American Institute for Cancer Research, the research done about the best foods for cancer survivors is much more limited compared to the research done about cancer-preventive foods. She further states that it makes sense to believe that cancer-preventive foods will have the same value for breast cancer survivors as a preventive measurement against a recurrence of the illness.

Full article:  http://www.helium.com/items/1895290-what-food-should-be-eaten-after-breast-cancer-treatment

Christchurch researchers have come up with another good reason to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables – they help fight cancer.

Otago University, Christchurch, research published in the international journal, Cancer Research, shows vitamin C can help prevent cancer and curb the growth of cancer cells.

Study leader Associate Professor Margreet Vissers said the research was the first real evidence of a connection between vitamin C and tumour growth, which had been debated for years.

People with cancer used more vitamin C than usual, so their levels tended to be lower.

Full article:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/3934507/Vitamin-C-helps-fight-cancer-researchers

If you’ve been taking a vitamin E supplement in the hopes of defending your brain from Alzheimer’s disease, consider eating more spinach and sunflower seeds instead.

According to a new study published this week in the Archives of Neurology, getting more vitamin E from your diet – not supplements – offers significant protection from the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and degenerative brain disease that likely begins years, even decades, before the signs of impaired memory and thinking show up.

Full article:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/vitamin-e-rich-diet-is-key-to-alzheimers-protection/article1639415/

Building a strong immune system is an important step you can take toward protecting yourself form all sorts of ailments like colds and flu, and perhaps even cancer.

For years, scientists have recognized that vitamins and antioxidants derived from fresh fruits and vegetables are the key to building and strengthening the immune system. Makers of vitamins and other nutritional supplements would have you get your share of antioxidants by taking a pill.

However, eating plenty of fresh vegetables will provide benefits beyond building your immune system--benefits like tasty meals, dietary fiber and an interesting, diverse meal plan.

Full article:  http://news.peacefmonline.com/health/201007/57217.php

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Eating broccoli, in particular raw broccoli, may increase bladder cancer survival, according to a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. According to the researchers, the cruciferous vegetable is a great source of dietary isothiocyanates that provide an antiproliferative effect.

Using information from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Tumor Registry, patient medical records, and routinely collected questionnaire data, researchers examined potential associations between intake of cruciferous vegetables and survival among bladder cancer patients. Since cooking can substantially reduce or destroy isothiocyanates, consumption of raw versus cooked cruciferous vegetables was examined separately.

Full article:  http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2010/07/eating-raw-broccoli-ups-bladder-cancer-survival.aspx

Eating fruit and vegetables regularly may lower the risk of lung cancer.
Research based on 700 people shows that those who ate the most were significantly less likely to develop the disease compared with those who ate the least.

This was true for smokers and non-smokers.

Another study, also presented to the American Thoracic Society, found eating 1½ pieces of fruit or a large tablespoonful of vegetables every day can protect against emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

People who ate the most celery had a 60 per cent lower risk than those who ate the least.

Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1292330/Fruit-veg-cuts-smokers-cancer-risk.html

OLIVE oil may slow the growth of breast cancer, a study has found.

Compounds found in the fat appear to damage cancer cells as well as blocking the genes that fuel tumours.

The study by a team in Spain sheds new light on why people who eat a Mediterranean diet have a lower risk of cancer.

Although many studies have shown that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and pulses can reduce the risk of many types of cancer, the role of olive oil has not been clear.

The latest study, published in the journal Carcinogenesis, suggests that olive oil could add to the dietary information. The team from the Autonomous University of Barcelona fed 60 rats with breast cancer either olive oil, high corn oil or a controlled diet.

Full article:  http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/184360/Now-olive-oil-can-help-in-cancer-fight/

Long-term exposure to nitrates through food and water may increase a woman's risk of thyroid disease, finds a study of older women in Iowa. Public water supplies contaminated with nitrates increased the risk of thyroid cancer in the women. Eating nitrates from certain vegetables was linked to increases in thyroid cancer and hypothyroidism, one type of thyroid disease.

This is the first study to show a link between nitrates and thyroid cancer in people, although nitrates have been shown to cause thyroid tumors in animal studies.

Thyroid cancer is the eighth most common cancer among women. In the United States, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased steadily since 1980.

Nitrate is a common contaminant of drinking water, particularly in agricultural areas where nitrogen fertilizers are used. High rates of fertilizer application may also increase the natural nitrate levels found in certain vegetables, such as lettuce and root crops.

Full article:  http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/nitrates-in-water-food-may-increase-thyroid-disease-risks