Health impact of soft drinks is proved again. A recent study showed excessive soda drinking increased the risk of pancreatic cancer nearly doubled.

Research carried out the Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States show for those who drank soda at least two times a week, 87 per cent more at risk of experiencing a fatal pancreatic cancer than those who rarely consume sodas.

“People who drink two times or more soft drinks per week had an increased risk of 87 percent or almost twice the risk of pancreatic cancer compared with individuals who do not consume soft drinks,” said the study’s lead author, Noel T Mueller MPH, a researcher at The Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States, as quoted by WebMD.

The study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a scientific journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Soft drinks companies respond immediately about these results. They stated that research directly disclose defects and other research that found that there was no link between soda consumption and pancreatic cancer.

In this study, Mueller and his colleagues conduct ongoing evaluation for 14 years on 60,524 men and women enrolled in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The study began in 1993 when researchers noted what they eat and whether it will suffer from cancer.
The researchers asked the participants to tell him what he ate, including soft drinks and fruit juices. However, Mueller said, researchers did not ask specifically about their dietary consumption, but most of them drank regular soda.

In Singapore at that time, Mueller explained, looking very little intake of soda in the community. “We followed the participants for 14 years. And each time a different record the cancer, “he said. The result, researchers recorded 140 cases occurred pancreatic cancer and began to look back to see if anything to do with the consumption of soda or fruit juice.

The researchers divided consumption of soda and juice into three categories, they are, do not drink at all, less than two times per week and two times or more a week. In conclusion, those who drank soda two times or more in a week the average number of five-year-old has a 87 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

However, it was found that there was no relationship between fruit juice consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer. So why soda can relate? He admitted it needs to be studied further. “However, what we believe is the sugar in soft drinks can increase insulin levels in the body, which we consider to contribute to the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Increased insulin may lead to cancer development, “said Mueller.

Even so, the researchers believe the risk of pancreatic cancer increases if other factors, such as advanced age, smoking, diabetes, and body mass index is associated with obesity. Pancreatic cancer risk increases as your age.

With this result, the soft drinks industry immediately launched a protest. “This study has many weaknesses in it,” said Richard Adamson, PhD, scientific consultant of the American Beverage Association in Washington, DC, United States. For example, according to Adamson, his little case of pancreatic cancer experienced by participants. He showed the 140 cases, 110 of these people do not drink soda at all, while the other 12 people eat less than twice a week and another 18 two times or more servings a week.

“This means that only a small number of cases of pancreatic cancer compared with the population studied,” he said. Other studies also, he added, did not find the relationship between soda and pancreatic cancer. The American Beverage Association points to a study in 2008 which found no such relationship. The study also only focused on the consumption of soft drinks, but did not see the overall dietary pattern. “You can be a healthy person and enjoy soft drinks without feeling anxious,” Adamson added.

Susan Mayne, PhD, Director of Yale Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, say, the results of the study is “interesting” because of small cases that found that does not prove direct causality. In fact, he included members of the editorial board of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. This study itself was funded the National Cancer Institute.

Colonel Laurence N MD, PhD, a researcher at the Cancer Research Center and professor of public health at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, said although the new study has limitations, but these findings relate to previous research. He and his colleagues say there is a relationship between added sugars in foods and the risk of pancreatic cancer. The results of this study was published in 2007. “In our study, found a positive relationship between high intake of fructose and pancreatic cancer,” he said. “Since high fructose corn syrup is the main sweetener of non-diet soft drinks, our findings and the latest study is quite consistent,” he said.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the 11 types of cancer most common in the UK. In the United States, according to the American Cancer Society, in 2009 about 42,000 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 35,240 of them died. This cancer claimed claimed 7700 lives every year.

The life expectancy of people with only 19 per cent per year. Of 100 people, patients who lived only 19 people. Meanwhile, who has a life expectancy over 5 years is only 4 percent. Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze and tenor Luciano Pavarotti is famous patient who died of pancreatic cancer.

Obesity and depression were closely linked. One study revealed that obesity increases the risk of depression. In contrast, depressed people are also at increased risk to obesity.

Research conducted by the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands,found that depression increased the risk of obese people who were not initially depressed by 55 per cent and depression increase the risk of obesity is initially normal weight by 58 percent.

“There is reciprocal relationship over time between depression and obesity,” says lead researcher Dr S Floriana Luppino from Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, told by Reuters Health. Luppino said, this analysis was not designed to determine what type of person is prone to the risk of depression, but only to find out how much obesity increases risk.

But as a comparison, a recent study was funded by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that nearly one in four cases of obesity associated with mood or anxiety disorders.

These findings, said the researchers at the NIMH as listed on the site, appears to support what other studies have found that obesity in which case the rise in the United States is associated with increased levels of depression citizens and the problems other mental health.

Meanwhile, recent research conducted Leiden University Medical Center also has the same result. The study was collected from approximately 15 studies have been published to see whether being overweight or obese is associated with depression, and vice versa.

Studies collectively involving more than 58,000 people, using a measure of body mass index (body mass index / BMI) to measure how fat or thin a person. For reference, the United States adults with a BMI 25 or more is considered overweight, but some were calling the size of BMI over 30 had declared obesity.

Being fat, said Luppino, not only increases the risk of depression, but depression may trigger a more violent, which is no longer centered around the symptoms of depression. In contrast to obesity, the relationship between depression and being overweight (but not obese) is not related reciprocity, but only one direction. He said, being overweight only increases the risk of depression in people who were not initially depressed. However, depression did not increase the risk of being overweight from time to time.

This finding itself was reported in a recent issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, which also showed that the relationship between obesity and depression are more likely evident in Americans than Europeans.

Why? ‘An association response, which means the higher the BMI the more people suffering from depression may explain the association, “said Luppino. The average weight of Americans are heavier than ratarata European citizens.

However, the researchers say, the effects of psychological stress in overweight people should not be ignored. Overweight and obesity can lead to low self-esteem, and dissatisfaction with body shape. “Especially in Western countries where thin is often regarded as an ideal of beauty. Both the low self and body shape dissatisfaction known to increase risk of depression, “said Luppino.

Because depression and obesity carry a greater health implication, it is important to prevent and treat both. The team of Dutch researchers are encouraging doctors and other health professionals, who work in various fields, to collaborate and exchange their expertise.

Luppino suggested, doctors who treat patients who are overweight or obese can also treat depression related problems. While psychiatrists or general practitioners who treat depressed people can advise patients who are obese are also to meet with dietitians.

While other studies mentioned, good habits at home as often eat with the family at home may prevent children are obese. Research published in March issue of the journal Pediatrics stated that children who are toddlers could decrease the risk of obesity by 40 percent if often have dinner with the family, limiting hours of watching TV, and enough sleep.

“Doing one or all three are proven to reduce the risk of obesity of children under five,” said Sarah Anderson PhD, lead researcher and assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University, United States, as quoted by webmd.com.

Children under five who live at home and followed the three lifestyle restrictions such routines can reduce almost 40 percent lower risk of obesity than those who did not do all three. These findings also take into account risk factors, such as maternal obesity and household income.

More than 41 million women in America suffer from heart disease. The number of people with heart disease in women over time, more and continues to grow. Even people with this deadly disease experienced by more women than men.

However, based on tests conducted in the Swedish study, heart disease problems can be overcomed by performing five healthy lifestyle, for an example, non-alcohol, healthy diet, exercise every day, normal weight and not smoking can prove to expel the risk of heart attack.

This method is believed could overcome the problem of heart disease as much as 92 percent. This research has been tested on 24,000 women.

Here’s how health designed to help you reduce the risk of heart disease. Try to start doing a series of healthy patterns for a week, and feel the benefits for the long term:

Day 1: Drinking Green Tea

This potent beverage contains several powerful antioxidants that can reduce cholesterol and even lower blood pressure. To make this healthy drink, prepare 20 ounces of boiling water, put three bags of green tea without caffeine, and let stand for 10 minutes. If visible change color, you can serve it in a teapot. Could also add ice cubes. Enjoy the aroma and taste intensity throughout the day.

Day 2: Consumption of Low-Fat Healthy Foods

To keep your heart health, fat consumption which is recommended not exceeding 30% of calories. And more importantly, avoid using saturated oil and replace it with unsaturated fats that can be obtained from olive oil, nuts, dark chocolate, avocado and polyunsaturated which can be obtained from salmon, flaxseed, and walnuts.

Limit your intake of saturated fat to 7% of total calories (1600 calories to the diet, it was about 12 grams per day). Avoid Trans fats are commonly found in cakes, biscuits, baked goods and other processed foods. Both these fats can increase LDL cholesterol that can clog the arteries, cholesterol.

Day 3: Healthy Cooking

Use a MUFA-rich olive oil in your food preparation whenever possible. Heart healthy fats can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” (HDL). Olive oil rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Provide always substitute olive oil for butter or margarine on the table, and use it to replace vegetable oils in cooking.

Day 4: Provide adequate rest periods

According to a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, each additional adult bedtime can reduce the risk of coronary artery calcification, the cause of heart disease, by 33%. When you have less time to sleep, your body releases stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and cause inflammation.

If you regularly feel tired when getting out of bed and always feel sleepy in the daytime, you need to be alert, so you can not sleep. Most adults need 7-8 hours a night to sleep.

Day 5: Consumption of many fiber

Studies show that the more fiber you eat, the less likely you are to have a heart attack. Reduce consumption of wheat bread and cereals that contain wheat, wheat bran. Expand consuming beans, soups, and salads. Within a day, you must consume 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

Day 6: Fish Feast

Meat saturated fats can clog your arteries. On the other hand, fish such as salmon and other fish species believed to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids that will help keep your heart still beat. Eat fish-fisheries that contain omega-3 may reduce the risk of death from heart attack by 52%!

Serious illness is more than a crisis of the body; it is a crisis of the soul. Many patients react to a serious disease by becoming paralyzed by fear. Resistance quickly crumbles, and is followed by depression and despair. Yet others marshal the inner resources needed to overcome the crisis.

How can people be empowered to mobilize their innate resources for health and healing? The twin keys to unlocking the door are Comprehension and Communication.

Comprehension means first understanding that the outcome of most common diseases-cancer and heart disease-is rarely inevitable. Yourillness need not be your fate. Every doctor has seen patients with a life-threatening illness make a miraculous recovery after they were thought to be beyond hope. Read the rest of this entry »

There was a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that concluded that taking antioxidants actually increased your risk of death, instead of making you healthier. This was reported in the Washington Post, without proper explanation of the JAMA article and its conclusions. It is true that studies, including the ones that JAMA referred to, show that antioxidants do NOT help users live longer. However, what was not pointed out by the Washington Post is that theses studies all used synthetic vitamin A and E, not natural sources. Read the rest of this entry »