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High Intake of Vegetables and Fruit Reduces Risk of Lung Cancer

October 1st, 2010

From

According to an article recently published in the Annals of Oncology, a high intake of vegetables and fruit drastically reduces the risk of lung cancer. The reduced risk is particularly evident in smokers but is also apparent in non-smokers.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Although smoking is largely attributed to the prevalence of lung cancer, a significant portion of lung cancer patients have never smoked. Given the prevalence of this disease, researchers continue to evaluate ways to prevent or reduce the risk of the developing of lung cancer among both smokers and non-smokers. Diet has become an intense focus of such research in terms of its association with the risk of developing various types of cancers. In particular, studies have indicated that consumption of fruit and/or vegetables may significantly reduce an individuals risk of developing or dying from some types of cancers.

Researchers from China recently conducted a clinical study to evaluate a possible relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of developing lung cancer.

This study included 218 individuals with lung cancer and 436 individuals who did not have lung cancer or other smoking-related disease.

Individuals consuming the largest amount of vegetables had an approximate 60% reduced risk of developing lung cancer compared with individuals consuming the lowest amount of vegetables.

Individuals consuming the highest amount of fruits had an approximate 25% reduced risk of developing lung cancer compared with individuals consuming the lowest amount of fruit.

Smokers derived greater benefit from high vegetable and fruit consumption in terms of a reduction in the risk of developing lung cancer compared to non-smokers; however, non-smokers who consumed a large amount of vegetables and fruit also had a significantly reduced risk of lung cancer.

The researchers concluded that consumption of fruit and vegetables may significantly reduce the risk of the development of lung cancer, particularly among smokers. These data add to the growing body of evidence indicating the importance of fruits and vegetables in an individuals diet.

Reference:

Galeone C, Negri E, Pelucchi C, et al. Dietary intake of fruit and vegetable and lung cancer risk: a case-control study in harbin, northeast china. Annals of Oncology. 2007; 18: 388-392.

Dr. Perlmutter’s comment:

So let’s see. Increased consumption of friuts and vegetables reduces the risk of this and other cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and probably any other degenerative disease you can think of.

Low Cholesterol Associated with Impaired Brain Function

September 20th, 2010

From Memory Key

Data from 789 men and 1,105 women from the Framingham Heart Study has found that those who had the lowest total cholesterol performed significantly more poorly on tests of similarities, word fluency, and attention/concentration than patients with higher cholesterol levels. Those in the lowest total cholesterol group (a level of under 200) were 49% more likely to perform poorly and 80% more likely to perform very poorly than were participants in the highest total cholesterol group (240 to 380). The finding should not be taken as a warning against those with high cholesterol taking medication to lower it; the study applies to those with naturally low cholesterol levels, and previous studies have shown that both high and low cholesterol have led to poor cognitive performance.

The study findings were published in the journal

Psychosomatic Medicine

Binge on broccoli to boost the brain

August 24th, 2010

From DNAindia.com:

Eating certain fruit and vegetables could boost the memory, particularly broccoli, according to British research.

The study conducted by King’s College London,provides scientific backing to the theory and has major implications for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said.

Extracts found in five fruits and vegetables —broccoli, potatoes, oranges, apples and radishes — were found to contain substances that act in the same way as drugs used to treat the disease. Broccoli had the most.

Alzheimer’s, for which there is no cure, is the most common form of dementia among older people.

It seriously affects their ability to carry out daily activities, impairing parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Most of the drugs used to treat the disease act as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

It has been previously suggested that some common vegetables might have anti-acetylcholinesterase activity, but no detailed investigation has ever been carried out. The King’s College London research confirms this activity in all five of the fruit and vegetables.

Broccoli was found to have the most potent activity and was taken forward for further tests to identify the agent responsible.

These were found to be glucosinolates, a group of compounds found throughout the cabbage family. “As yet, it is unproven that eating broccoli, for instance, would have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s disease.

“As yet, it is unproven that eating broccoli, for instance, would have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s disease,” said professor Peter Houghton, from King’s College London.

“But the long-term effects of regularly consuming these compounds in vegetables belonging to the brassicaceae might certainly be beneficial in reducing a decline in acetylcholine levels in the central nervous system.”

ADHD and Obesity: Is There a Link?

August 13th, 2010

From HealthCentral.com:

There are many behaviors seen in children and adults with ADHD that just make sense, when you consider that the core symptoms are, among other things, inattention, impulsivity, distractibility and more. People with ADHD typically are sensory seeking, even though it may not always look that way, especially if the individual has the inattentive sub-type.

For example, many who are impulsive might find themselves having problems in the area of high risk behaviors, such as brief but many sexual encounters, over-spending, and gambling.

A hyperactive individual might get involved in dangerous activities like car racing. Or they might have an exercise addiction.

An inattentive person’s need for stimuli might be harder to see, but usually it’s there. It might be seen in the areas of internet, TV or even video game addiction.

Those who study ADHD and addictions have begun to look at the connection between eating disorders and ADHD and lately and more specifically, ADHD and obesity. For many, eating can be either stimulating or sedating…or even both.

There have been a few studies in recent years showing a correlation between obesity in children/adolescents and having ADHD. However, there has been little research on the possible link between ADHD and obesity in adults.

A new study, recently published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, explored why some adults have difficulty staying on weight loss programs. The researchers at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto (Canada) administered ADHD tests to 75 women who had been referred to an obesity clinic. The average age of the women was 40 and the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 43, which is considered to be in the severely obese range.
The ADHD tests included self-reports of retrospective childhood symptoms and a rating of current ADHD symptoms.

Their findings were interesting. Compared to the general population, the researchers found that 26.6% of the obese subjects were classified as having ADHD, whereas in the general population, 3-5% of adults are known to have ADHD. The researchers found the statistics significant.
Researchers J.P. Fleming and colleagues wrote: “While the current study does not allow us to ascertain the cause of the deficit, it is striking that a very high percentage of this sample of severely obese women report very substantial problems with the set of symptoms that we classify as reflecting ADHD.”

What prompted the study was an observation that a significant number of obese clients had tremendous difficulty keeping accurate records of their diet planning- planning and preparing their meals- as well as eating and exercising regularly. These observations prompted the team to research the reasons behind this, thus the discovery of the ADHD/obesity connection.

The researchers noted that, “while the current study does not allow us to ascertain the cause of the deficit, it is striking that a very high percentage of this sample of severely obese women report very substantial problems with the set of symptoms that we classify as reflecting ADHD.”

Broccoli sprouts may reduce asthma: Study

December 19th, 2009

From Nutraingredients-USA.com

A naturally occurring compound in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against asthma and other conditions due to respiratory inflammation, says a new study.
Consumption of broccoli sprouts led to a two- to three-fold increase in levels of antioxidant enzymes linked to the protection of human airways against oxidative tissue damage, which leads to inflammation and respiratory conditions like asthma, according to findings published in Clinical Immunology.

“This is one of the first studies showing that broccoli sprouts – a readily available food source – offered potent biologic effects in stimulating an antioxidant response in humans,” said lead researcher Marc Riedl from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

The tissue of cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, contain high levels of the active plant chemicals glucosinolates. These are metabolised by the body into isothiocyanates, which are known to be powerful anti-carcinogens. The main isothiocyanate from broccoli is sulphoraphane.

“We found a two- to three-fold increase in antioxidant enzymes in the nasal airway cells of study participants who had eaten a preparation of broccoli sprouts,” said Riedl. “This strategy may offer protection against inflammatory processes and could lead to potential treatments for a variety of respiratory conditions.”

The study extends out understanding of the potential health benefits of broccoli, with previous studies reporting that the isothiocyanates exert powerful anti-carcinogenic activity.

Listen to your mother! Eat your broccoli!

Riedl and his co-workers recruited 65 people and assigned them to receive varying oral doses of sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprouts or non-sulforaphane-containing alfalfa sprouts for three days. Rinses of nasal passages were collected at before and after the study and used to quantify gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione-s-transferase M1 (GSTM1), glutathione-s-transferase P1 (GSTP1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1), in cells of the upper airways.

No adverse effects were reported by the subjects, while the nasal rinses showed significant and dose-dependent induction of the antioxidant enzymes at broccoli sprout doses of 100 grams and higher, compared with the alfalfa placebo group.

Indeed, at a broccoli sprout dose of 200 grams (the maximum tested) a 101-per cent increase of GSTP1 and a 199-per cent increase of NQO1 were reported.

“A major advantage of sulforaphane is that it appears to increase a broad array of antioxidant enzymes, which may help the compound’s effectiveness in blocking the harmful effects of air pollution,” said Riedl.

The results of the study provide “vital information for planning additional clinical trials”, said the researchers. In particular, they noted that future human studies are necessary to “thoroughly investigate the potential beneficial effects of Phase II enzyme induction on environmentally-induced oxidative stress and associated allergic airway inflammation”.