Health News

REPORTING POINT 06/07

HEALTH NEWS

“Live healthy...live well”

Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.

by Larry Kline

SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net

Past issues of “Health News” are available at http://health.theballfamily.org. It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles. LK

CANCER GENETIC BREAKTHROUGH – scientists have identified the bulk of the genes that cause breast and colorectal cancers. By analyzing the genetics of certain cancers in a patient, physicians could adjust the current standard treatments to specifically address patients’ tumors.

The researchers expected to isolate just a handful of cancer-causing genes. Instead, they found nearly 200, with 69 genes driving colorectal cancer and 122 leading to breast tumors. Previously, doctors knew of only about 10 genes linked to these cancers.

Doctors focused on breast and colorectal cancers because they are two of the leading cancer killers. About 211,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and 40,000 people die of the disease; 145,000 cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed each year, and 56,000 people die from the disease.

Researchers were surprised to find that each tumor they analyzed was different. Even tumors of the same organs had only about five genes in common, which could shed light on why many chemotherapy drugs help only a fraction of patients. Many doctors in recent years have noted that cancer is not one disease but hundreds of diseases.

Physicians have been moving away from “one size fits all” cancer treatments toward a goal of eventually providing personalized medicine.

The new findings indicate that doctors may not have to tackle rogue genes in a tumor, but that treating just one of those genes could be enough to keep a tumor in remission. Such treatments could take a decade or two to develop, but these results could help to better tailor therapies in two or three years. Using a genetic profile of a tumor may better enable physicians to choose specific drugs to treat cancer. USA Today 9/8/06.

LOSE WEIGHT AND SAVE YOUR KNEES – overweight people are three times more likely than their leaner counterparts to tear the meniscus cartilage in the knee and obese people are 5 to 25 times more likely, according to researchers fro the University of Utah School of Medicine. This cartilage bears much of the load on the knee joint, and excess weight greatly increases the stress on it. About half of the 850,000 meniscus tears that require surgery each year in the U.S. can be attributed to extra weight. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/05.

DON’T CHILL – watermelon loses nutrients after chilling. It is better to consume watermelon at room temperature. USDA scientists analyzed watermelon for carotenoids (powerful antioxidants linked to decreasing the risk of heart disease, various cancers, and boosting the immune system.) The scientists found that whole watermelons stored at 70 degrees had the most carotenoids. Compared with freshly picked fruit, room temperature watermelon had up to 40 percent more lycopene and 50 to 139 percent more beta-carotene. Watermelons continue to produce the nutrients after they are picked, and chilling slows the process. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

DECEIPHERING SUPPLEMENTS’ LABELS - when buying vitamin or mineral supplements, be skeptical about the following terms on the labels:

CHELATED. Chelated minerals are bonded to amino acids or other compounds, supposedly to enhance absorption. At best, any benefit would be small, and in some cases chelation may impair absorption.

COLLOIDAL. These minerals supposedly have a natural negative electrical charge that aids absorption and has all sorts of claimed health benefits. There is no evidence for any of the claims, and maybe some cause for safety concerns.

NATURAL. Natural and synthetic vitamins are chemically identical, except for vitamin E. Natural vitamin E (labeled d-alpha tocopherol) is much better absorbed than synthetic (dl-alpha tocopherol).

TIME-RELEASE. No clear evidence of any real benefit. Time-release high-dose niacin is less likely to cause flushing, but many OTC brands are ineffective and increase the risk of liver damage. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/04.

SUNSCREEN UPDATE (this article is being republished by membership request from the Health News 1/04 – LK) - currently, the SPF rating on sunscreen labels refers only to protection against the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UVB energy penetrates the skin, damaging the skin and causing the skin to produce melanin, which results in a tan. Overexposure to UVB results in sun burns and increases the risk of skin cancer. The lotion’s SPF rating gives no indication whether the ingredients will protect against the sun’s other damaging rays - ultraviolet A (UVA). There is no standard for measuring and labeling UVA protection in this country, although there is such a labeling protocol in Europe.

UVA radiation penetrates the skin gradually and deeply than UVB, resulting in premature aging and increased skin cancer risk. To derive adequate protection from UVA and UVB, be sure to use a product that proclaims that it is “broad-spectrum”. Specifically, products containing Avobenzone (Parsol 1789), benzophenone, anthranilate, and dibenzoyl-methane, as well as physical sun blockers such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are best at protecting against both types of radiation hazards.

Sunscreens do have a shelf-life and probably should be discarded if they are more than a couple years old.

The FDA changed labeling requirements that went into effect early 2005. These regulations require manufacturers of sunscreens to list only 16 approved and allowed active ingredients, a new category of “30+” for SPF values above 30, sun-protection categories of “minimum”, “moderate”, and “high” plus optional claims to help consumers select sunscreen products, cessation of unsupported and misleading terms such as “waterproof”, and “all-day protection”, and standardized warning for tanning products that do not offer sunscreen protection.

Considering the amount of time that the average Southwest pilot spends exposed to UVA and UVB energy, consideration of daily use of sunscreens would seem prudent to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Cruising World 7/03.

HAVE A SWEET TOOTH? – cardiovascular exercise can curb the desire of calorie-laden junk foods, according to a preliminary study from Osaka University in Japan. Researchers found that exercise raises sensation-regulating endorphins, one of which, beta-endorphin, can cause sweet flavors to taste sickeningly strong. Men’s Health 9/04.

REDUCING COLORECTAL CANCER RISK – according to a Swedish study of over 61,000 patients, magnesium-rich foods may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The more magnesium the patients consumed, the less likely they were to develop this cancer, which is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and Canada. Good sources of magnesium include nuts, beans, some fish, whole grains, spinach, and other leafy greens, and dark chocolate. This is the first study of magnesium and colorectal cancer, and it focused only on food, not supplements. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/05.

WISDOM TEETH NOT WISE – having all your teeth sounds like a great thing. But researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry discovered that holding on to wisdom teeth increases the risk of gum disease. By analyzing dental data from a survey of almost 6,000 subjects, the scientists found that those who still had their wisdom teeth were twice as likely to suffer serious gum disease as those who had had them pulled. If you still have any of your wisdom molars, go see your dentist for a consultation to determine if this extraction is right for you. Once bacteria set up in the wisdom teeth, they tend to move forward. Men’s Health 9/04.

HOLY GUACAMOLE! – avocados are rich, creamy, and filling. They are often avoided by dieters for being “fattening” (averaging about 300 calories each, most from fat); avocados are actually heart-healthy if you eat them in moderation. Their oils are mostly monounsaturated, the kind that lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, but maintains HDL (good) cholesterol. Avocados, as with all plant foods, have no cholesterol.

Avocados provide important nutrients, including folate, vitamins C and E, and potassium, as well as fiber (about 12 grams in each). Their phytochemicals include beta-sitosterol (a sterol that lowers cholesterol, similar to that in Benecol margarine), glutathione (an antioxidant that may protect against certain cancers), and lutein (a carotenoids that may help protect against macular degeneration and cataracts). Recent studies show that avocados can significantly boost absorption of carotenoids from other foods, suggesting you should add a bit of avocado to your salads in place of less-healthful toppings.

Avocados ripen about a week after picking. Put them in a paper bag to speed the process. Wash them before cutting. Use avocados in dips, as a spread, and in place of ingredients that have more saturated fat. For every ounce of butter replaced with avocado, you will save about 150 calories and 18 grams of fat; for every ounce of cream cheese, you will save 50 calories and 5 grams of fat. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/05.

COLA AND BONE DENSITY – drinking at least three cans of cola a week, even diet cola, may lower hip bone density in women. Drinking more cola may lower bone density further.

Scientists studied over 2,500 men and women subjects. After taking into account the impact of calcium, vitamin D, physical activity, and other factors, they found about a 4 to 5 percent lower hip bone density in women who consumed one cola a day than in those who drank less than one cola a month.

Lower bone density was not linked to cola consumption in men. Women who drank other soft drinks had no lower bone density. However, it is possible that the researchers saw no link because fewer women in the study drank non-colas.