Mediterranean diet makes cancer cells die as normal

A study at The Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a compound in certain plant-based foods, called apigenin, could stop breast cancer cells from inhibiting their own death.

We know that one way that cancer cells thrive is by inhibiting a process that would cause them to die on a regular cycle. This study found that a compound in certain plant-based foods, called apigenin, could stop breast cancer cells from inhibiting their own death.

Parsley, celery and chamomile tea are the most common sources of apigenin.

The researchers of this study also found that apigenin binds with an estimated 160 proteins in the human body, suggesting that other nutrients linked to health benefits – called “nutraceuticals” – might have similar far-reaching effects.

"We see here that the beneficial effect on health is attributed to this dietary nutrient affecting many proteins. In its relationship with a set of specific proteins, apigenin re-establishes the normal profile in cancer cells. We think this can have great value clinically as a potential cancer-prevention strategy,”said Andrea Doseff, associate professor of internal medicine and molecular genetics at Ohio State and a co-lead author of the study.

"When we eat healthfully, we are actually promoting more normal splice forms inside the cells in our bodies,”said Doseff.

The beneficial effects of nutraceuticals are not limited to cancer, as the investigators previously showed that apigenin has anti-inflammatory activities.

How to get rid of belly fat?

The reason why our body stores excess abdominal fat is because certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment contain chemicals known as xenoestrogens (a type of xenohormone that imitates estrogen) that can react with our body.  Excess exposure to these chemicals can cause hormone balance disruptions and stimulate our body to store excess abdominal fat together with many other health

issues.

Luckily, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc. contain phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol that can help fight against these estrogenic compounds. So eat more of them!

Bananas

Bananas contain vitamin B6, causing our body to secrete dopamine. Thus we feel relaxed and so it can act as anti-depressant. Its another ingredient, tyrosine, can manufacture norepinephrine, which helps neurotransmission to relieve our tension. The tryptophan in bananas can help the body to manufacture serotonin, which in turn has sedation effect. 

 

In addition, bananas contain vitamin C, manganese, potassium and are an excellent source of soluble fiber, Consumption of bananas may also be associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma.

Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema?

According to the ISAAC (the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, which is a unique worldwide epidemiological research programme to investigate asthma, rhinitis and eczema in children) findings published online in the respiratory journal Thorax, asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema  are increasing in developing countries and that they have little to do with allergy.

The findings were based on a study from more than 319,000 teens (13-14 year's old) and 181,000 children (6-7 year's old) from 107 centres in 51 countries.

Three or more weekly servings of fast foods were linked to a 39% increased risk of severe asthma among teens and a 27% increased risk among children, as well as to the severity of rhinitis and eczema.

On the other hand, fruits seemed to be protective in both age groups across all centres for all three conditions among children—both current and severe—and for current and severe wheeze and rhinitis among the teens. Eating three or more weekly portions was linked to a reduction in symptom severity of between 11% and 14% among teens and children, respectively.

This might be due to the fact that fast foods contain high levels of saturated and trans fatty acids, which are known to affect immunity, while fruits are rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds, which are good for their health.

“If the association between fast foods and the symptom prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema is causal,then the findings have major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally,” they conclude.

Beetroot - Good for hypertensive people

Drinking a cup of beetroot juice can lower blood pressure, researchers say.

 

In their latest study, published online April 15, 2013 in the journal Hypertension, Dr Amrita Ahluwalia (Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK) and her colleagues, found that beetroot has high concentration of inorganic nitrate. The beetroot juice, after coming into contact with human saliva, increases levels of plasma nitrate and nitrite and leads to significant blood-pressure decreases.

 

Drinking 250ml (8oz) cut high blood pressure readings by 10mm of mercury in a study of 15 patients, bringing some into the normal range. This is because the nitrate in beetroot widens blood vessels to aid flow. Thus many people with angina use a nitrate drug to ease their symptoms.

 

The effect was most marked after three to six hours. And it was still detectable a day later.

 

Prof Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "It supports current advice that we should all be eating plenty of green vegetables.

 

"But we need larger studies in patients to determine if nitrate-rich vegetables are effective at lowering blood pressure over the long term."

 

The researchers, from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, also said more work is still needed.

12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables

American Environmental Working Group (EWG) listed fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residues:

1. Apple
2. Celery
3. Cherry tomatoes
4. Cucumbers
5. Grapes
6. Hot peppers
7. Imported nectarines
8. Peaches
9. Potatoes
10. Spinach
11. Strawberries
12. Sweet bell peppers

In addition, summer squash and leafy greens, specifically kale and collards, were usually contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system.

On the other hand, there are fruits and vegetables with the least contamination. These include:

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Cabbage
4. Cabtaloupe
5. Sweet corn
6. Eggplant
7. Grapefruit
8. Kiwi
9. Mangos
10. Mushrooms
11. Onions
12. Papayas
13. Pineapples
14. Frozen sweet peas
15. Sweet potatoes

And so you can lower the pesticide intake by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and choosing the least contaminated produce.

Although many fruits and vegetables have pesticide residues, the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all.

Obesity in early 20s curbs chances of reaching middle age

According to a research study published in BMJ Open (an online, open access journal dedicated to publishing medical research) in April, young men who are obese in their early 20s are significantly more likely to develop serious ill health by the time they reach middle age, or not even make it that far.

The study tracked the health condition of 6,500 Danish men for 33 years.It was found that almost half of those classified as obese at the age of 22 were later diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, blood clots in the legs or lungs, or had died before reaching the age of 55.

These obese young people were eight times as likely to get diabetes as their normal weight peers and four times as likely to get a potentially fatal blood clot (venous thromboembolism). They were also more than twice as likely to develop high blood pressure, had had a heart attack, or to have died by the age of 55.

In all, every unit increase in BMI corresponded to an increased heart attack rate of 5%, high blood pressure and blood clot rates of 10% and an increased diabetes rate of 20%. Obese young men were three times as likely to get any of these serious conditions as their normal weight peers by middle age, conferring an absolute risk of almost 50% compared with only 20% among their normal weight peers.