Eating small fish whole may reduce risk of dying from cancer

 

Past studies show that following a healthy diet lowers a person’s cancer mortality risk, while eating unhealthy foods may increase a person’s risk of dying from cancer.

Now, researchers from the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan found that eating small fish whole may reduce the risk of death by cancer or any other cause in Japanese women. The study was recently published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

The study concluded that there was a significant reduction in all-cause and cancer death among female participants who habitually ate small fish whole after factoring in lifestyle habits that may impact mortality risk, such as smoking, BMI and alcohol consumption.

In fact, it is a common practice in Japan to eat small fish — including small horse mackerel, whitebait, Japanese smelt and sardines — whole, including the organs, bones and head.

Small fish have the benefits of being sustainable as they are not normally overfished like larger fish and generally have lower levels of mercury.

“I regularly recommend the consumption of small fish due to their impressive nutritional value and low levels of toxic mercury compared to large fish,” Molly Rapozo, registered dietician nutritionist & senior nutrition and health educator at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA.

“Small fish are a component of traditional Japanese and Mediterranean diets, which are both touted for their longevity,” she said.

In addition to being a healthy protein source, small fish also provide a variety of nutritional benefits including omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients such as calcium, vitamin A, iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

 “Tiny fish do not typically lend themselves well to being battered, deep fried, and served with french fries but are more delicate as well as naturally portion controlled. They tend to be more rich and flavorful in taste to the palate which lends itself to slower eating, savoring the bites and possibly needing less to feel satisfied,” Monique Richard, a registered dietitian nutritionist, said.

“This study adds to the existing evidence of fish consumption and cancer mortality. We’ve seen in previous studies that regular fish intake is associated with a reduced risk of gastrointestinal cancers, as well as being a potential benefit for cancer survivors who have diets high in oily fish,” Molly Rapozo, also a registered dietitian, said.

“This kind of research is important because what we eat has a significant impact on chronic disease. Lifestyle changes, such as food choices, are an opportunity to decrease the risk of early death and disability. Evidence-based dietary strategies offer a practical approach to reducing the burden of chronic diseases, including cancer, and improving longevity,” Rapozo said.

Eating More Garlic Could Help Improve Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Levels

 

Garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years.

The plant is part of the allium family, which also includes onions, scallions, shallots, chives, and leeks. Vegetables in this family contain high concentrations of sulfur compounds, including allicin, alliin, and methyl allyl trisulfide, which contribute to the health benefits.

Eating garlic may help improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels, according to a large new meta-analysis, published in the journal Nutrients.

It was found that garlic leads to some decrease in A1C levels and a small reduction in LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol. (Hemoglobin A1C is a blood test that shows a person’s average blood sugar level over the past two to three months.)

Previous research suggests that garlic can also help improve blood pressure, reduce inflammation in conditions like arthritis, and fight fungal conditions like athlete’s foot.

There are many types of garlic, including garlic extracts, garlic compounds, garlic powder, raw garlic and cooked garlic. To get the health benefits of garlic, you need to eat about 3 to 6 grams each day, says Brogan Taylor, a registered dietitian at Banner Health in Phoenix, Arizona.

Taylor also recommends adding fresh garlic, chopped or crushed, to foods to reap all the potential benefits.

And garlic is a great way to season foods if you are trying to cut down on sodium, she adds.

Regular physical activity can cut your risk of dementia

 

Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of developing dementia.

People between the ages of 40 and 79 who took 9,826 steps per day were 50% less likely to develop dementia within seven years, the study, published in JAMA Neurology, found.

Furthermore, people who walked with “purpose” – at a pace over 40 steps a minute – were able to cut their risk of dementia by 57% with just 6,315 steps a day.

And even people who walked approximately 3,800 steps a day at any speed cut their risk of dementia by 25%, the study found.

Thus you will need to walk between 3,800 and 9,800 steps each day to reduce the risk of mental decline.

But intensity of stepping does matter - over and above volume.

The largest reduction in dementia risk – 62% – was achieved by people who walked at a very brisk pace of 112 steps per minute for 30 minutes a day. Prior research has labeled 100 steps a minute (2.7 miles per hour) as a “brisk” or moderate level of intensity.

“While 112 steps/min is a rather brisk cadence, ’112’ is conceivably a much more tractable and less intimidating number for most individuals, especially if they have been physically inactive or underactive,” wrote Alzheimer’s researchers Ozioma Okonkwo and Elizabeth Planalp (Okonkwo is an associate professor in the department of medicine at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; Planalp is a research scientist in Okonkwo’s lab).

Hence, individuals looking to reduce their risk of dementia should focus on their walking pace over their walked distance.

While agreeing that the findings cannot be interpreted as a direct cause and effect between walking and a lower risk of dementia, and the results may not be generalizable to older populations, “the mounting evidence in support of the benefits of physical activity for maintaining optimal brain health can no longer be disregarded,” wrote Okonkwo and Planalp.

Besides walking, even regularly doing household chores could lower risk by 21% while daily visits with family and friends lowered the risk of dementia by 15%, when compared with people who were less engaged.

Another study found that exercise may slow dementia in active older people whose brains already showed signs of plaques, tangles and other hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases.

That study found exercise boosts levels of a protein known to strengthen communication between brain cells via synapses, which may be a key factor in keeping dementia at bay.

“Dementia is preventable to a great extent,” said del Pozo Cruz, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark, and senior researcher in health sciences for the University of Cadiz in Spain.

“Physical activity as well as other lifestyle behaviors such lack of alcohol and smoking, maintaining a healthy diet and weight and sleep can put you on the right track to avoid dementia.”

For Alzheimer's disease specifically, regular exercise can reduce the risk by 45%.

Aside from dementia, many studies have shown a clear link between physical activity levels and thinking skills. These studies suggest exercise might be an effective way to reduce cognitive decline in later life. Several studies have also shown people who were physically active at age 70 experienced less brain shrinkage over three years than those who were not.

There are two main types of physical activity – aerobic activity and strength-building activity. Each type will keep you fit in different ways. Doing a combination of these activities will help you to reduce the risk of dementia.

Aerobic activity helps to keep your heart, lungs and blood circulation healthy – and this is good for brain health.

On the other hand, strength-building activity works your major muscles (legs, back, stomach, shoulders, arms). This type of activity also helps you to control the level of sugars in your blood and reduce your risk of diabetes, which is a risk factor for dementia. Ideally you should do strength-building activities on at least two or more days each week.

Exercise has also shown positive effects on the brains of healthy older people. In one trial, a year of doing regular exercise resulted in a small increase in the size of the hippocampus (the key brain area involved in memory). This is the same as reversing one to two years of age-related shrinkage.