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February 7, 2023

Ultra-processed foods may increase ovarian and brain cancer risk

Boxes of cake mix, which are considered ultra processed foods, on a packing line in a factory. — Consuming ultra processed foods has been linked to many negative health consequences. Andy Sacks/Getty Images

For many years, scientists have linked a healthy diet to a lowered risk for certain diseases.
Researchers from Imperial College London found that eating ultra-processed foods increases a person’s risk for developing cancer overall, specifically ovarian and brain cancers.
Scientists also found eating those foods heightens a person’s risk of dying from all cancers, especially ovarian and breast cancers.

Doctors have known for some time now that what we eat has a direct effect on our overall health.

The body requires specific nutrients to perform its routine tasks. And a healthy diet is linked to lowering a person’s risk for certain diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as promoting better mental health.

Now, researchers from Imperial College London say eating ultra-processed foods increases a person’s risk for developing all cancers, specifically ovarian and brain cancers. And these foods also heighten a person’s risk of dying from cancers, especially ovarian and breast cancers.

The study was recently published in the journal eClinical Medicine.

Ultra-processed foods make up the fourth category of the NOVA food classification system.

According to this classification system, a food is considered ultra-processed if it is:

an industrial-made food with five or more ingredients
made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as oils, fats, sugars, and starches
includes food substances not normally found in culinary preparations, like hydrogenated oils and modified starches
features additives whose main purpose is to imitate aspects of natural foods such as flavors, colors, and emulsifiers

Examples of ultra-processed foods include:

sodas and “energy” or sports drinks
packaged cookies
candies
pre-prepared pizza and packaged meats
sweetened and flavored yogurts
“instant” soups and other mixes
sweetened juices
baked goods made with hydrogenated vegetable fat, emulsifiers, and other additives

Previous research shows eating ultra-processed foods increases a person’s obesity risk and can accelerate a person’s biological aging.

Additionally, consuming ultra-processed foods has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer, dementia, and all-cause mortality.

For this study, researchers used U.K. Biobank records to analyze the diets of 200,000 middle-aged adults. Scientists reviewed participants’ health over a 10-year time span, looking to see if they specifically developed 34 different types of cancer.

Upon review, the research team found people with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods had a greater risk of developing cancer overall.

For every 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, that person had a 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increased risk of developing cancer overall.

Additionally, researchers found for every 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase in ultra-processed food consumption, a person increased their overall cancer death risk by 6{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

“The findings of this study on overall cancer risk are in line with what we know about the importance of a healthy diet in reducing our cancer risk,” Dr. Eszter Vamos, a clinical senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London and lead/senior author of this study told Medical News Today.

“There are many potential ways ultra-processed foods may increase cancer risk, and we need further research to better understand these,” she continued.

“UPFs have poor nutritional quality, are often high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats and low in fiber, and promote obesity — which is in itself a risk factor for many types of cancers. Ultra-processed foods may also contain potentially cancer-causing agents such as some controversial food additives, chemicals generated during food processing, and chemicals from packaging.”
— Dr. Eszter Vamos

In addition to overall cancer risk, Dr. Vamos and her team also found for every additional 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of ultra-processed foods in the diet, a person increased their risk of developing ovarian cancer by 19{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and dying from it by 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

“This is the first study to assess associations of ultra-processed food consumption with many different types of cancers, including ovarian cancer,” Dr. Vamos explained, adding: “We need further studies from other populations to confirm these findings.”

“However, previous studies suggest that diets high in unhealthy fats and low in vegetables may increase the risk of ovarian cancer,” she said.

“Ultra-processed foods may also promote inflammation that could contribute to cancer risk. Furthermore, some potentially cancer-causing agents such as acrylamide, which may be generated during processing, have been implicated.”
— Dr. Eszter Vamos

Researchers also found for every 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase in ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet, they raised their breast cancer mortality rate by 16{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Dr. Parvin Peddi, a medical oncologist and director of Breast Medical Oncology for the Margie Petersen Breast Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, California, who was not involved in the study, reiterated that breast cancer has a known correlation with people who are overweight as they can have higher levels of estrogen, which promotes risk breast cancer.

“We do know that people who have ‘unhealthy habits’ like dietary habits, meaning they eat more fatty or they are overweight, and perhaps now ultra-processed foods, have an increased risk of breast cancer.”
— Dr. Parvin Peddi

Medical News Today also spoke with Dr. Steve Vasilev, a board certified integrative gynecologic oncologist and medical director of Integrative Gynecologic Oncology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Professor at Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California, about this study and how ultra-processed foods may cause increased cancer risk. Dr. Vasilev was not involved in the study.

He said the “old school thought” was that various toxins from food processing, as well as added preservatives, lead to genetic mutations that cause cancer.

“That’s probably true to some extent. However, we now know since the Human Genome Project that there’s something called epigenetics, which basically is a study that looks at how genes are turned on and off. For example, if tumor suppressor genes are turned off, it will lead to diseases like cancer,” Dr. Vasilev explained.

However, he said that even if a person is born with the BRCA1 gene that increases their risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer, that does not necessarily mean that person will get one of those diseases. The epigenetics, he explained, leads to that gene being switched on or off in the body.

“So you do have a proactive ability to modulate which genes are turned on and off in your body. And what influences those, some of it is literally the toxins that accumulate from the preservatives and things like that in ultra-processed foods,” Dr. Vasilev added.

So how can people improve their diet to help decrease their cancer risk?

Kate Cohen, a registered dietitian at the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Medical News Today that while correlation is not causation, medical experts know that around 50{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of cancers can be prevented through diet and lifestyle changes.

“Hence diet is a controllable risk factor that every single one of us can and should take ownership of. You can’t control the physiology of how your body responds to food, but you can control what food you put into your body.”

Cohen, who was not involved in the study, also said this study gives doctors more ammunition to explain, encourage, instruct, and direct patients that a healthy diet has a direct effect on so many different health conditions.

“And now we see that breast, ovarian and other cancers may be on that list. If patients are at higher risk of developing any cancer — man or woman — doctors should be jumping up and down about this, as well as familiarizing patients with the other modifiable risk factors for cancer. We haven’t cured cancer, but we can cure bad diets.”
— Kate Cohen, dietitian

January 13, 2023

Gardening may help reduce cancer risk, boost mental health

A person plants an outdoor garden in the mountains — New research indicates that gardening provides various health and fitness positive aspects, which include a lessened hazard of continual conditions like cancer. Manu Prats/Stocksy

A new review shows that individuals who work in community gardens get different overall health benefits that may well support minimize the threat of long-term diseases like most cancers and can boost psychological health.
The randomized managed trial concerned 145 individuals who never ever gardened ahead of and tracked their physical and psychological wellbeing all through and after a increasing time.
Individuals eaten a lot more fiber, received a lot more training, and felt extra linked and less nervous as a result of their group gardening expertise.

Taking part in community gardening decreases the risk of building really serious health problems, including most cancers and mental overall health issues, in accordance to a the latest review.

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) have shown that people today receive several wellbeing-marketing added benefits from neighborhood gardening.

Gardeners increased their intake of fiber by ingesting far more refreshing make, received additional exercise tending a garden, and felt more related socially, all of which are protecting components towards most cancers, psychological overall health concerns, and different persistent ailments.

Former observational experiments have instructed that gardening, in normal, may well provide some of these benefits, but the CU Boulder study is the initially randomized controlled demo (RCT) investigating the profit of gardening, and local community gardening in distinct.

The analyze is released in The Lancet Planetary Overall health.

The researchers recruited 291 older people who experienced not gardened right before. Persons averaged 41.5 several years of age, and 34{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} recognized as Hispanic. Of the members, 18{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} ended up male (52 participants), and half arrived from reduce-revenue households.

The researchers carried out a few gardening waves spanning 1 12 months each and beginning in May well, just soon after the past frost in Denver and Aurora, CO, in which the gardens have been situated. Half of just about every wave’s individuals gardened, and 50 percent did not, serving as a manage team.

Each participant acquired an introductory gardening training course from Denver City Gardens and was allocated a conventional, 10-sq. meter neighborhood yard plot, as properly as seeds and seedlings.

The similar was supplied to the regulate-group people as payment for delaying their gardening for the system of the examine.

Direct study writer Jill S. Litt, Ph.D., professor of environmental research at CU Boulder, instructed Health care News Nowadays that just about every participant put in an ordinary of about 90 minutes a week gardening and frequented their garden at the very least 2 times during the week.

“We located that being new to gardening was not a barrier to staying successful at gardening, as our examine only included new gardeners,” Dr. Litt claimed.

Scientists assessed participants’ wellbeing just before the review and group assignment, at harvest time, and the following winter. People today done surveys concerning tension, anxiety, and diet and wore thigh-mounted accelerometers for 7 days at every evaluation.

In the review, the scientists discovered that gardeners eaten slightly more nutritional fiber than the regulate team, though however below the proposed stage of 25–38 grams per working day. They also exercised somewhere around 5 minutes much more at harvest time than the command team.

“I assume it is a fantastic examine, searching at just the logistics of how they did it,” Rebecca Crane-Okada, Ph.D., R.N., advanced oncology nurse and professor of oncology at St. John’s Most cancers Institute in Santa Barbara, CA, not involved in the analyze, advised MNT. “It was a really sophisticated analyze to implement.”

Dr. Litt claimed the analyze tackled an present investigate gap given that scaled-down observational reports suggesting a hyperlink to better health and fitness could not establish if gardening led to a extra wholesome way of living or if it was the other way close to.

She observed the research confirmed “that a holistic intervention this sort of as group gardening can have an affect on various outcomes — fiber, moderate-to-vigorous bodily action — and psychosocial health and fitness — anxiety and anxiety — in an acceptable and cost-effective way, for persons of different social, economic, and demographic backgrounds.”

Dr. Litt mentioned that gardening addresses multiple aspects that are important for lowering the danger of long-term sickness and selling over-all wellbeing.

In accordance to Dr. Crane-Okada, group gardening offers a likelihood to handle regarded “modifiable threat factors” for diseases this kind of as:

Denise Dillon, Ph.D., affiliate professor of psychology at James Cook University in Singapore, was not concerned in the research but has printed former research on the psychological health positive aspects of group gardening.

“In our exploration, individuals who engaged in neighborhood gardening scored better on particular subjective wellbeing and resilience than did individuals who gardened by itself at dwelling or those who engaged in non-gardening, team outside things to do, even with reporting identical amounts of perceived strain.”

– Denise Dillon, Ph.D., psychology professor

Dr. Dillon extra there is “ample evidence from throughout a variety of research paradigms to reveal benefits of direct exposure to normal environments for the purpose of restoration, whether or not physiological or psychological.”

There are hundreds of urban neighborhood gardens in the United States.

Portland, OR, for instance, has 4.45 group gardens per 1,000 men and women, and these kinds of gardens are not restricted to temperate regions — St. Paul, MN, has the next-finest density of local community gardens in the U.S., with 3.84 gardens for every 1,000 folks.

Dr. Crane-Okada credited the gains of local community gardening to remaining outdoors in character and fostering a connection to the earth. She observed that bodily action is needed to get ready, nurture, and harvest a backyard and that being a component of a community rewards psychological nicely-getting.

People today who have been diagnosed with a serious disorder like most cancers can also reward psychologically from time expended operating in a local community backyard, Dr. Crane-Okada reported.

“The nature of gardening, usually outdoor, entails actual physical exercise, a emphasis on something outside the house oneself — that’s why can also be a aware activity — may perhaps be performed in local community, as in this study, which can serve as an more social assistance,” she concluded.

Posted on June 5, 2022
How stage 4 kidney cancer diagnosis didn’t stop this young woman from getting a great new job

Katie Coleman stood experience-to-deal with with a choice no job seeker should ever have to make. She could notify her prospective employer she had stage 4 kidney cancer, the most everyday living-threatening stage of all.

Or she could stay mum.

She realized she risked shedding any shot at the occupation by remaining genuine about her prognosis — or risked dropping her self-respect by maintaining tranquil about it.

This may possibly seem like the plot of an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” It is not. It is the selection that confronted the 31-calendar year-aged resident of Austin, Texas, who has been battling the deadly disorder for nearly a few a long time.

“The number of ppl advising me to not disclose my [diagnosis] is astounding,” she tweeted in mid-April. The worry was that companies might fret about the charges and absenteeism that can outcome from these a situation — even even though federal law prohibits employers from getting wellness concerns into account when employing.

But, though interviewing for the superior-tension application engineering task she desperately desired, Coleman shared her diagnosis with the CEO of MDisrupt, an Austin-primarily based firm that connects clinicians and experts with electronic well being companies.

Ruby Gadelrab, CEO and founder of MDisrupt, was unfazed. Times just after interviewing Coleman for a work, she tweeted: “Today I met a applicant who applied for one particular of our work opportunities, and she may well just be the most inspiring person I have at any time satisfied.”

Professional medical historical past is personal

Coleman’s particular story is both hair-increasing and hope-inducing. It took 18 months to get an accurate analysis in the to start with location, just after 8 medical practitioners insisted she was as well youthful for most cancers and the genuine dilemma should be anxiety. Last but not least, on New Year’s Eve 2020, an ultrasound performed in an crisis room assisted decide she experienced metastatic renal oncocytoma, a rare kind of kidney most cancers, which turned malignant only following it unfold to her liver. Then she underwent considerable operation to remove a 12-centimeter tumor from her suitable kidney and several tumors from her liver. In a second technique, medical professionals burned very small tumors off her liver that have been too compact to see during the initially surgical treatment. Coleman asked medical professionals at the Nationwide Cancer Institute to accomplish the surgical treatment and process mainly because they were the only types who she consulted who have been willing to operate. She also knew they ended up fascinated in studying exceptional kidney cancers like hers.

None of this — not the operation, the prognosis, her honesty — stopped Coleman from snaring her aspiration, nor MDisrupt from hiring her as a total-time software developer.

Coleman’s working experience has grow to be one thing of social media lore as she shares updates about her most cancers struggle and her new task in posts on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. She’s leaving a deep footprint across social media that she thinks could aid fellow most cancers individuals for years to occur.

At the same time, her tale has turn into a large-profile reminder to companies and career candidates that a future employee’s health care heritage is their have enterprise — except if they decide to share it.

The Individuals with Disabilities Act prohibits inquiring prospective employees everything about their clinical history — or applying wellness challenges as a basis for not selecting them, reported Joyce Walker-Jones, senior lawyer and adviser at the U.S. Equivalent Employment Chance Fee.

I seem at my prognosis as my biggest energy.

Katie Coleman

Walker-Jones does not propose sharing professional medical data with opportunity businesses. “If an applicant knows they have a severe health-related situation, they do not have a obligation to disclose it — even if they will require sensible accommodations if they get the position,” she claimed.

In that regard, Coleman threw caution to the wind.

She used for the job at MDisrupt simply because a recruiter who’d spotted her cancer-be-damned social media posts approached her. Gadelrab stated she wasn’t conscious of Coleman’s most cancers battle and never ever requested about her wellness. But Coleman opted to guide with her prognosis and shared her story.

“I seem at my diagnosis as my greatest strength,” Coleman stated. The type of tumor she has is practically usually benign, but in her case, it was not.

Coleman contacted Pushed to Remedy — an group for unusual kidney cancers — for aid. And Driven to Treatment connected her to the National Cancer Institute.

Since slide, she has been off remedy and said she is on “active surveillance,” checking with scans every three months to continue to keep a shut eye on a several suspicious places as well smaller to handle.

She also is on a particular mission to demolish her most cancers — in element by holding digital tabs on all the twists and turns in her health-related journey with an application she designed. Coleman started operating on her app strategy immediately after her surgery but before her liver procedure in 2021.

The application makes it possible for her to retain monitor of her medical professionals — and all the things else she demands for her treatment — in a single place. She shared her development for other people to use cost-free of cost. Gadelrab “really favored that I was making a positive out of a detrimental,” Coleman claimed.

Gadelrab mentioned she seeks 3 significant attributes — none well being-linked — in new staff: enthusiasm, reason, and likely. She reported she observed all three in Coleman.

“Katie was so passionate. She has a way of communicating her empathy to suppliers and patients that’s unique from many others,” reported Gadelrab. “That is exactly the sort of contemplating that we need to have to have as a firm: empathy for our consumers. Katie came in with that.”

Even now, Coleman was hesitant about having the work after she obtained the supply. She was ready for nonetheless an additional vital most cancers scan. She was nervous about leaving a enterprise that experienced been excellent to her. And she was nervous about modifying insurers. Then, a little something sudden persuaded her to take the offer you.

While at residence packing her bags to go to the clinic for the scan — which the people at MDisrupt understood was coming — she listened to a knock at her door. When she answered, she saw a large bouquet of orange roses — the coloration that signifies kidney cancer consciousness. It was from MDisrupt. The take note claimed: “Good luck on the scans.”

She took the occupation.

Coleman’s 1st day was in late April. She performs from household most of the time but visits the office environment at the time or 2 times weekly for group gatherings. She doesn’t advise that all individuals with really serious ailments be so open with possible companies.

“My guidance is to very first do the research on the company that you want to work for and know that they will be supportive,” she stated.

Coleman, who has 40,000 TikTok followers and practically 5,000 Twitter followers, proceeds to doc her cancer struggle on social media — and in a new weblog. She pokes fun at herself in her posts since, she explained, her self-deprecation frequently elicits a lot more donations to the kidney cancer research she encourages. Maybe her modern tweet says it ideal:

“My pet peeves can be summarized by: 1. Cancer. 2. Mansplaining. 3. Missing sauce packets w/takeout.”

Posted on May 4, 2022
Can tea prevent cancer and improve overall health?

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Drinking tea may improve heart and brain health, immune function, and reduces cancer risk, a study found. BONNINSTUDIO/Stocksy

During a recent symposium on the health benefits of tea, researchers from across the globe shared evidence suggesting that tea consumption may improve cardiovascular health, immune function, cognitive health, and reduce the risk of cancer.

The researchers noted that better quality evidence is needed to further establish these beneficial effects of tea consumption, including larger cohort studies and randomized clinical trials.

The researchers advocated that people incorporate 2-4 cups of unsweetened tea into the daily diet as a source of flavonoids, which are responsible to a large extent for these beneficial effects.

Leading scientists in the field of tea research recently met virtually at the Sixth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health to discuss the current state of knowledge and the gaps in understanding about the benefits of tea. Researchers discussed many topics at the symposium, which included the potential beneficial effects of tea on cardiovascular health, cognitive function, and the prevention of cancer.

The conference was organized by the Tea Council of the USA, the public relations arm of the Tea industry whose primary aim is to encourage greater tea consumption. It accomplishes this by furthering tea science and “establishing tea as a healthy, good for you beverage.”

Here is a breakdown of the main findings, and why it may be too early to draw definitive conclusions.

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, after water. The four primary types of tea include white, green, Oolong, and black. All four teas are derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, but differ in how they are processed after harvesting.

Tea contains a wide array of components that have biological activity, including flavonoids, L-theanine, and caffeine. Many of the beneficial effects of tea are due to the high levels of flavonoids, such as catechins, which have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.

The differences in the manufacturing process can influence the chemical composition and the beneficial effects of the different tea types. For instance, green tea is roasted before it can oxidize and hence, contains higher levels of catechins. In contrast, black tea is allowed to oxidize and has lower levels of catechins. Meanwhile, black tea contains larger amounts of other flavonoids called thearubigins and theaflavins, which also possess antioxidant properties.

A number of observational studies suggest that tea consumption is associated with improvements in cognitive function. A few small randomized controlled trials have suggested tea intake may result in short-term improvements in attention.

Each cup of tea contains about 35-60 mg of caffeine, which may contribute to the increase in attention and improvements in mood some people experience after consuming tea. Tea also contains theanine, which has been suggested to enhance attention while reducing anxiety and stress.

Researchers think that the presence of theanine and caffeine may potentially produce a simultaneous feeling of calmness while improving attention. In addition, limited evidence suggests that the intake of theanine and caffeine together may result in a greater increase in attention than either component alone.

The flavonoids present in tea may also exert protective effects against common age-related cognitive decline and dementia. Dr. Jonathan Hodgson, a professor at the University of Western Australia, told Medical News Today:

“Several recent large long-term prospective cohort studies have explored the relationships of tea intake and intake of flavonoids found in tea with dementia outcomes. The two main types of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Flavonoids are components of tea that are believed to play an important role in the prevention of vascular diseases.”

“[S]tudies have shown that higher intakes of tea, starting at as little as 1 cup and up to 5-6 cups [a day], are associated with reduced risk for dementia, moderate intakes of flavonoids present in ~2-4 cups of tea are associated with reduced risk for dementia, and for both tea and its flavonoids, maximal benefit may be obtained from moderate intakes of ~2-4 cups[ a day].”
— Dr. Jonathan Hodgson

However, Dr. Hodgson said high intakes may not be needed to see tea’s full benefits.

“Finally, these studies indicate that the protection provided may be strongest for vascular dementia,” he added.

A higher intake of dietary flavonoids is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic conditions, including diabetes.

According to a meta-analysis synthesizing data from 39 studies, the daily intake of each additional cup of tea was associated with a 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} lower risk of a cardiovascular event, a 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} decline in the risk of stroke, and a 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} lower risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease. These positive effects of flavonoids on cardiometabolic health are associated with lower inflammation and oxidative stress, improved regulation of blood glucose and lipid levels, healthier gut microbiome, and protective effects on blood vessels.

Thus, consumption of tea could be especially beneficial for individuals whose diets are deficient in other sources of flavonoids, including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Dr. Taylor Wallace, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University, says, “Adding two cups of unsweet tea to the diet can be a simple and cost-effective [preventive] healthcare approach for cardiovascular diseases.”

After cardiovascular disease, cancer is the second leading cause of mortality. Modifying lifestyle factors such as diet, physical inactivity, smoking, and obesity can prevent 30-40{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of all cancers.

Thus, adopting healthier lifestyle choices that increase levels of flavonoids could reduce the risk of cancer incidence, although the evidence for tea reducing cancer remains limited.

Commenting on the evidence, Dr. Raul Zamora-Ros, a professor at IDIBELL Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, told MNT:

“There is a lot of plausible preclinical evidence showing anticarcinogenic properties of tea, and mainly its bioactive compounds (flavonoids), against cancer initiation promotion and progression.”

However, he pointed out that more research was needed to confirm these benefits in humans.

“In humans, there is limited-suggestive evidence showing that tea consumption may reduce the risk of biliary tract, breast, endometrial, liver, and especially, oral cancer. The evidence for the rest of cancer sites is still inconclusive,” he said.

Dr. Zamora-Ros noted that larger observational studies and clinical trials are needed to further assess the association between tea consumption and cancer incidence. Moreover, some of the studies have not distinguished between the effects of green and black tea, and future studies must address this shortcoming.

Tea consumption may also improve immune health, with studies suggesting a potential role of green tea in preventing bacterial and viral infections. For instance, a number of human studies, including randomized controlled trials, suggest that green tea consumption could reduce the risk of incidence of influenza infection.

Dr. Dayong Wu, a professor at Tufts University, Massachusetts, said the health benefits of consuming tea on the immune system fell into two categories.

“First is the protective effect against infection. Current research shows that tea/tea catechins may directly act on a variety of viruses and bacteria to prohibit them from attaching to and thus blocking their entry into the host tissues, inhibit their replication, and limit their spread. Tea/tea catechins may also enhance the anti-pathogen response of the host immune cells to help fight pathogens and clear the infection,” he explained.

Second, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea may also help prevent tissue damage caused by excessive inflammation in response to an infection. Given its anti-inflammatory properties, green tea could also help alleviate symptoms of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Autoimmune disease represents a disrupted immune balance, and it is characterized by immune cells of a host attacking its own tissues. Tea/tea catechins have been shown to modulate complex immune cell function in a way to help correct this disorder, perhaps by suppressing overactive response and promoting tolerance,” Dr. Wu elaborated.

However, he also cautioned that most of these results are based on cell culture and animal studies, and more studies assessing the impact of green tea on immune function in humans are needed.

The studies discussed at the symposium suggest that tea consumption is associated with a multitude of health benefits. However, before changes are made to dietary guidelines, more research may be needed on individual compounds within tea to negate the negative effects.

Addressing some of the key areas of future research in tea science, Dr. Johanna Dwyer, a professor of medicine and senior scientist at Tufts University, said, she believes “it would be profitable [..] to pin down the continuing puzzle of why it is that some green tea supplements seem to be associated with liver toxicity and what compounds are responsible for these effects.”

Tea has also been associated with side effects such as reduced iron absorption as well as increased anxiety, and restlessness, largely owing to the caffeine it contains.

Experts point out that there are caffeine-free ways to consume the beneficial flavonoids present in tea, such as by eating vegetables and fruits, which also contain fiber.

“On a more basic level, it is still important to study the health-related properties of the various compounds in tea,” added Dr. Dwyer.

There is growing research examining the health benefits of green tea extracts enriched in flavonoids and other components.

The role of beverages in diet

Dr. Mario Ferruzzi, professor and chief of the section of Developmental Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, touched on tea’s place in current dietary guidelines.

“Currently, dietary bioactive compounds like flavan-3-ols are not part of food-based dietary guidance. Polyphenols make up 30 to 40 percent of the solids in a cup of green and black tea. The dietary guidelines have mentioned phytochemicals as a beneficial part of fruit and vegetables, but not beverages.”

To rectify these shortcomings, Dr. Feruzzi noted that current guidelines on healthy beverages need to be expanded to include tea and coffee as a source of bioactive components, such as flavonoids.

Moreover, dietary guidelines should include an adequate intake value for dietary flavonoids to ensure sufficient intake of these nutrients that can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Dr. Feruzzi cautioned that ready-to-drink products tend to have lower levels of flavonoids, and hence, consumers should favor brewed tea over these products.

Posted on March 3, 2022
Eating less meat associated with reduced cancer risk

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A the latest investigation identifies an affiliation among having fewer meat and a decreased risk of most cancers. Cavan Visuals/Getty Visuals

Researchers are checking out food plan as a doable component in the progress of cancer.

Preceding study has indicated that having meat is linked with a greater threat of some varieties of most cancers.

A new study has identified that men and women who take in less meat have a decreased danger of finding all kinds of cancer.

The study, on the other hand, cannot confirm result in, and the association among meat use and cancer risk may possibly be thanks to other variables.

Scientists from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom not long ago introduced the benefits of a significant analyze that investigated the effect of various degrees of meat use on the likelihood of building most cancers.

The examine observed that vegetarians, pescatarians, and individuals who consume very little meat have a appreciably reduced possibility of establishing cancer.

The authors of the research analyzed statistics regarding most cancers conditions in standard and also took a near seem at the influence of meat taking in on three of the most widespread cancers: postmenopausal breast most cancers, prostate most cancers, and colorectal most cancers.

The study’s direct writer is Cody Watling, a DPhil pupil at the Most cancers Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Section of Inhabitants Health and fitness. He informed Professional medical News Today:

“Our findings incorporate more proof that subsequent a vegetarian, pescatarian, or minimal meat eating diet program may be involved with a lower danger of getting diagnosed with most cancers. These conclusions also recommend that cancer hazard for various diet program teams might be unique by cancer sorts.”

The analyze appears in BMC Medicine.

The scientists followed 472,377 folks in the Uk Biobank databases above an typical time period of 11.4 several years.

None of the participants, who have been aged 40–70 yrs when the staff recruited them amongst 2006 and 2010, experienced a cancer analysis at the beginning of the review interval. Above the class of the review, people today documented their meat ingestion to the researchers.

The researchers divided the research cohort into 4 groups:

Meat eaters noted consuming processed meat, poultry, or red meat — which include beef, pork, and lamb — extra than 5 situations each and every 7 days. There have been 247,571 individuals in this group, representing 52.4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the overall research populace.

Low meat eaters ate the same food items but a most of five situations each and every 7 days. Of the analyze population, 43.5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, or 205,385 persons, ended up in this group.

Fish eaters, who ate fish but not meat, accounted for 10,696 men and women, or 2.3{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the research population.

Vegetarians and vegans, who ate neither meat nor fish, constituted 1.8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the whole cohort, or 8,685 folks.

Watling stated, “Due to the big range of most cancers circumstances in the British isles Biobank, we have been ready to look at frequent most cancers types in relation to diet regime groups, even with the low amount of vegetarians and pescatarians, and discover this association further more.”

At the end of the research time period, 54,961 individuals experienced made most cancers of some form. The scientists mentioned 5,882 cases of colorectal cancer, 9,501 circumstances of prostate cancer, and 7,537 conditions of postmenopausal breast most cancers.

With the meat consuming team serving as a baseline, the scientists calculated the risk of creating cancer for the other 3 teams.

The information confirmed that the vegetarian and vegan group was 14{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} significantly less likely to build cancer than the other groups.

The fish eaters were being 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} considerably less probable to get most cancers, and the reduced meat eaters reduced their hazard by 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.

Postmenopausal females who were vegetarian had an 18{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} decreased risk of breast cancer, though pescatarian and vegetarian gentlemen had a 20{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and 31{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} lower chance, respectively, of prostate cancer. When the analyze authors appeared at colorectal cancer, they discovered that minimal meat eaters experienced a 9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} decreased risk of establishing the sickness, which, they notice, is steady with prior exploration.

The authors write:

“It is not apparent whether the other variations noticed for all cancers and for prostate cancer replicate any causal interactions or are because of to other components, these kinds of as residual confounding or variations in most cancers detection.”

Amongst these likely confounders is physique mass index (BMI). When the scientists factored in BMI, the reduction in the threat of breast most cancers for vegetarian women of all ages turned insignificant.

Watling spelled out to MNT, “BMI would be a probable confounder if dissimilarities in BMI by eating plan groups are not due to dietary variances.”

“For case in point,” stated Watling, “maybe vegetarians physical exercise more than meat eaters and sustain a balanced BMI as a final result.”

Watling pointed out that “there are variances in BMI by eating plan team, and better BMI is affiliated with better cancer threat.”

“However,” he included, “BMI may also be a mediator if variations in BMI by diet program teams are, in fact, because of to dietary discrepancies. This is difficult to disentangle, as you may suspect. As this sort of, we considered BMI as equally a prospective confounder and a opportunity mediator in our analyses.”

For now, Watling suggested:

“My suggestions would be for men and women to limit the intake of processed and red meat in their food plan and consume a diet regime prosperous in entire grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans while keeping a nutritious entire body fat.”

The examine authors located that vegetarians and pescatarians were being more probable to be younger and effectively-educated and less probable to smoke and drink. This indicates that it is possible that the conclusions may well be thanks to confounding things.

Also, the United kingdom BioBank volunteers had been all aged 40–70 several years at recruitment, which suggests that the findings may not be generalizable to all age groups.

Posted on January 15, 2022
Do vitamin D supplements reduce cancer, cardiovascular risk?

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A new study searches for links between vitamin D supplements, cancer, and heart disease. Raymond Forbes LLC/Stocksy

Initial research has suggested that vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer.

However, there have been few large, higher-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to corroborate this.

A recent RCT examined the effects of vitamin D supplementation in Finland.

It found no association between vitamin D supplementation and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which improves bone strength. Among other roles, it also contributes to the functioning of muscles, nerves, and the immune system.

Many scientists have set out to understand how vitamin D deficiency and supplementation may influence disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is some evidence that vitamin D may help protect against respiratory tract infections, for example.

Over the past 2 years, researchers have also explored whether vitamin D reduces the risks associated with COVID-19. Although investigations are ongoing, there seems to be some evidence that these supplements might improve intensive care unit admission rates.

Two other areas of particular interest are vitamin D’s potential effects on cardiovascular disease and cancer risk. However, few RCTs have looked into this. These types of studies are the gold standard for identifying causal relationships in scientific research.

A recent study, which appears in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, goes some way toward addressing this knowledge gap.

Speaking with Medical News Today, Vimal Karani, a professor of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics at the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom, confirmed that there has been a gap between the initial research and findings from clinical trials.

Prof. Karani was not involved in the recent study but has worked with some of its authors.

He explained that past large epidemiological studies “have established a link between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of [cardiovascular disease] traits in various ethnic groups.” This, he said, suggests that vitamin D supplements might lower cardiovascular risk.

“However,” he continued, “clinical trials have not provided convincing evidence of the blood pressure-lowering effect of vitamin D supplementation.”

Prof. Karani said that there could be a wide range of reasons for this, including “differences in the sample size, duration of supplementation, dose of the supplementation, age of the participants, geographical location, sun exposure, and the outcome measures. Further research is required to replicate the findings in multiple ethnic groups.”

To provide further evidence of the relationship between vitamin D, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, the researchers behind the present study conducted the Finnish Vitamin D Trial.

This took place between 2012 and 2018, and it was double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled.

“When we started to plan the trial, there was a lot of evidence from observational studies that vitamin D deficiency would be associated with nearly all major chronic diseases, such as [cardiovascular disease], cancer, type 2 diabetes, and also mortality,” said Dr. Jyrki Virtanen in an interview with Medical News Today.

Dr. Virtanen is an associate professor of nutrition and public health at the University of Eastern Finland, and a co-principal investigator of the study.

“Also, we had shown that among [the] Eastern Finnish population, low vitamin D content of the body was associated with higher risk of mortality and glucose metabolism disturbances. However, these kinds of studies do not give evidence for causality.”

“At that time, there was little evidence from RCTs that improvement of [the] vitamin D status of the body with vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of diseases.”

“Therefore, our aim was to start a long-term vitamin D supplementation trial in Finland, where vitamin D insufficiency had been quite prevalent due to the long winter, and investigate whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of major chronic diseases and death.”

The researchers looked at data from 2,495 people, including male participants 60 years or older and female participants who were postmenopausal and 65 years or older. The participants also had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer.

The participants either took a placebo, vitamin D at a dosage of 1,600 international units (IU) each day, or vitamin D at a dosage of 3,200 IU each day.

Compared with the placebo, neither dosage of vitamin D reduced the incidence of cardiovascular disease or cancer in this cohort, the team determined.

One factor that complicated this analysis was that the participants tended to have high levels of vitamin D at the start of the study. This, the authors believe, stems from the implementation of policies to fortify foods with vitamin D in Finland, which began in 2003–2011.

“It is likely that vitamin D supplementation does not provide major health benefits, especially in populations where the vitamin D situation is already good at the start of the trial.”

– Dr. Jyrki Virtanen

“A ‘problem’ with most large vitamin D supplementation trials has been that the starting levels of vitamin D have been pretty high in a large part of the study populations,” explained Dr. Virtanen.

“This may reflect the well-known fact that people who take part in these kinds of studies tend to be more health-conscious and more interested in their health, so they are, on average, healthier than the average population.”

“They may have a better diet and are more likely to take supplements and exercise, which all are associated also with higher serum vitamin D levels,” he told MNT.

“Those who might benefit from the vitamin D supplementation — i.e., those with low serum vitamin D levels — are a small minority in the trials. It is tricky to target this deficient population, though, because for ethical reasons it would not be possible to screen people and only admit people with low vitamin D levels in the trial. It would not be ethical to keep a part of the study population, the placebo group, deficient [in] vitamin D for several years.”

MNT spoke with Prof. Sean Strain, Dr. Emeir McSorley, and Dr. Pamela Magee, of the Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health, at Ulster University, in Northern Ireland.

They explained that despite the low recruitment levels — the study authors had hoped to recruit 30,000 participants — the results showed some signs that vitamin D had health benefits.

“Even though recruitment was challenging and didn’t meet expectations, there is some indication that the cohort investigated had lower incidence of both [cardiovascular disease] and cancer, compared to national statistics, which would have been gathered prefortification.”

“This may indicate that improvements to vitamin D status nationally are having benefits to the overall health of the population over and above the well-known bone and muscle health effects. Because of the low numbers recruited, the cohort may not be nationally representative, and care should be taken when interpreting these findings,” said the scientists.

According to Prof. Karani: “The unique feature of this RCT was the use of two different vitamin D doses to see the dose-response effect over a period of 5 years. Despite the large doses, the study failed to see any effect of the supplementation on lowering the incidence of [cardiovascular disease] and cancer.”

“The findings have significant public health implications,” continued Prof. Karani. “However, the findings cannot be generalized to other populations, given that [the] Finnish population is a well-known example of an isolated population, where multiple bottlenecks resulting from consecutive founder effects have led to the gene pool of current-day Finns.”

Dr. Virtanen said that while there is some evidence of broader health benefits from vitamin D supplementation, there were also conflicting findings.

“At the moment, there is no consensus [about] what would be the optimal vitamin D intake and [whether it is] the same for all health outcomes and for all people. For example, there is some evidence that high-dose vitamin D supplementation may modestly reduce the risk of cancer death, but not overall cancer incidence.”

“And although there, so far, is no evidence that vitamin D supplementation could prevent [SARS-CoV-2] infection, it is well-documented that those, especially with the severe form of COVID-19, have low serum vitamin D levels.”

“It is also possible that this is a consequence of the [SARS-CoV-2] infection rather than the cause, because it is known that acute infection leads to lower serum vitamin D levels, and many of the COVID-19 patients are overweight or obese or have a chronic disease like type 2 diabetes, which all are associated with lower serum vitamin D levels,” explained Dr. Virtanen.

Prof. Strain, Dr. McSorley, and Dr. Magee highlighted the role that vitamin D may play in a healthy immune system.

“There is recent strong evidence that vitamin D supports your immune system, and given the global pandemic, it does appear that those who are vitamin D replete don’t have as severe a response to COVID-19 as those who are deficient — and importantly, recover quicker.”

“Vitamin D plays a key role in musculoskeletal health. Vitamin D can be obtained via sunlight and dietary sources. However, a vitamin D supplement may be required to meet the recommended dietary intakes — that is, 600 IU per day in the United States for those aged 1–70 years, and 800 IU per day for those over 70 years — in order to maintain a sufficient status.”

“Supplementation may be particularly relevant in populations residing at northerly latitudes, where vitamin D cannot be synthesized from sunlight during the winter months, and in populations that spend little time outdoors and/or obtain limited amounts of vitamin D from food sources.”

“It is very difficult to obtain vitamin D from food intake alone, unless that food is fortified with vitamin D. Furthermore, those with illnesses that affect vitamin D absorption may require vitamin D supplementation,” said the scientists.

Prof. Strain, Dr. McSorley, and Dr. Magee suggested that the research could be developed by studying a population with low levels of vitamin D.

“This research needs to be undertaken in a suitable population, where many have a low vitamin D status and can therefore benefit from vitamin D supplementation.”

“It would be important to explore whether vitamin D supplementation can decrease the incidence of [cardiovascular disease] and cancers, as that would make a strong case for mandatory vitamin D fortification or promotion of fortified foods in the population.”

“There is some tantalizing evidence that the Finnish national [vitamin D] fortification program is having benefits by decreasing the incidence of [cardiovascular disease] and cancers, as well as the expected beneficial effects on bone health.”

“Another very important area that needs to be explored further is the link between sufficient vitamin D status and a fully functional immune system, especially in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.”

As Prof. Karani notes, “A similar RCT with a longer duration of vitamin D supplementation is highly warranted in ethnically diverse populations to see if the findings from the present study could be generalized.”

Dr. Virtanen told MNT that his current focus is on further analyzing the results from the Finnish Vitamin D Trial.

“At the moment, we don’t have plans to start another vitamin D trial, but we are of course going to publish several other results from the Finnish Vitamin D Trial, for example effects [on] heart arrhythmias, infections, type 2 diabetes, falls and fractures, pain, [and] mood changes.”

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