New prostate cancer test avoids unnecessary biopsies

Currently, one of doctors' best methods for detecting prostate cancer is a blood test for prostate-specific antigen, commonly known as the PSA test. Elevated PSA levels may indicate cancer, but the majority of men with an elevated PSA do not actually have prostate cancer.To determine which patients do and do not have cancer, men with an elevated PSA test undergo an invasive procedure called a transrectal biopsy. Prostate biopsies are uncomfortable for patients and carry a small risk of complications. MRI scans are also used to detect prostate cancer, but these can also miss cancerous lesions and come with much higher costs and limited availability. "Our ultimate goal was to determine whether the MyProstateScore test could be a practical, reliable test that could rule out the need for more costly or invasive testing in men referred for a prostate biopsy," says study lead author Jeffrey Tosoian, M.D., M.P.H., a clinical lecturer in urology at Michigan Medicine. Tosoian and two of his co-authors were founders of LynxDX and hold an equity stake in the company. Not all prostate cancers are equally worrisome. Many arise later in life and are so slow growing that the best course of action is to simply monitor them. It is patients with these slow growing cancers or no cancer who, despite elevated PSA levels, could be spared from the more invasive or expensive procedures if doctors had better tests, the researchers say. The validation study included patients seen at academic health centers and in community health settings. Among these 1,525 patients, 338 -- 22% -- had cancers detected on biopsy that were group grade 2 or higher, meaning they were serious enough to warrant immediate treatment. If the MyProstateScore test had been available to patients in the study, 387 biopsies that found no cancer or slow-growing cancer could have been avoided, the study found. Meanwhile, the test would have missed only 10 clinically significant cancers that would have warranted immediate treatment. "The data show that this straightforward, secondary testing approach could reduce the use of more costly and invasive procedures following a PSA test," Tosoian says.

Source: Eurekalert

New cervical cancer screening guideline says start Pap tests later, screen less often

A girl is vaccinated against HPV in a file photo. Women who have been

vaccinated with the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine also need to be screened because 

the shots do not protect against all forms of the virus.Photograph by: Wayne Cuddington , Ottawa Citizen

 

OTTAWA – Doctors should stop ordering yearly Pap tests for most women, and routine screening for cervical cancer in younger women should be abandoned altogether, a federal task force is recommending.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has released an updated guideline for cervical cancer screening that recommends starting screening when women are older, and screening them less often in order to avoid the harms of excessive testing.
Published  in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, a guideline recommends that women aged 25 to 69 without symptoms of cervical cancer who are, or who have ever been, sexually active, be screened once every three years with a Pap test, which detects abnormal cells in the cervix.
The 1994 guideline recommended screening every three years, but only after two consecutive negative Pap test results.
The old guideline also recommended Pap smears for women once they turn 18 or become sexually active.But the task force says it could find no benefit to outweigh the potential harms of screening women under 25.
Nearly half (42%) of women aged 18 to 19 have reported being screened at least once within the previous three years, the authors write in the CMAJ. But the incidence of cervical cancer in women less than 20 is low (0.2 cases per 100,000) and no deaths from cervical cancer were reported among Canadian women under 20 between 2002 and 2006.
Neither could the task force find any data to support the argument that screening younger women helps prevent deaths from cervical cancer when they’re older. The risk of cervical cancer increases after age 25, and peaks in a woman’s 50s.
Younger women are more likely to have abnormal Pap results. A substantial proportion will have “false positive” results, leading to unnecessary and invasive treatments for abnormalities that would never progress to cancer — procedures that can cause pain, bleeding and irreversible damage to the cervix that can jeopardize a woman’s chances of carrying a future  pregnancy.
Over the past 50 years, deaths due to cervical cancer have fallen dramatically, the panel writes. Today, a woman’s risk of dying from the disease is 0.2%.
“It is likely that much of the change seen in the incidence of cervical cancer in Canada is due to screening, but early and frequent (often annual) cervical screening is unnecessary: other countries have achieved similar outcomes with less frequent testing and starting screening at older ages,” the panel reports.
“The American have said very specifically, no woman should have annual Pap testing,” said Dr. James Dickinson, a member of the task force and chair of the guideline-working group.
“Cervical cancer was, and still is a horrible disease to get. It spreads right through the whole of a woman’s pelvis and causes horrible problems with bowel and bladder. It can be a truly horrible disease,” said Dickinson, a professor of family medicine and community health sciences at the University of Calgary.
Without Pap testing, the disease would affect 1.5% of women. “This is the most successful screening test that we have available,” Dickinson said. “It really can reduce the disease by more than 80%-90%, and that’s fantastic.”
Expert advisory bodies have for several years been recommending doctors do away with annual Pap testing and instead screen every three years. “It’s just that (doctors) and women have got into this habit of annual Pap smears, and we’d like to get them out of that habit,” he said.
“The evidence says that three years is enough to get the benefits.”
Some women do need more frequent screening, including those who have HIV or are immune suppressed.
Overall, for younger women, “We said look, this disease is almost non-existent in women under the age of 20, so we really should not do it for women under 20,” Dickinson said. “Even for women between 20 and 25, it’s extremely rare.”
“The test doesn’t work very well for the sorts of cancers that seem to develop between the age of 20 and 24,” he added.
“On balance, we say that under (the age of) 25, it’s not worth doing.”
For women aged 25 to 29, the panel recommends screening every three years. But they’ve assigned it a “weak” recommendation, because of their concerns about the rate of false-positives and the harms of over-treatment. “Although most women would want to follow the recommended course of action, many would not.” Women in this age group should discuss the potential risks and benefits with their doctor, they said.
Over the age of 30, the risks of cervical cancer are substantially higher, Dickinson said. “Between 30 and 69, we strongly advise screening” every three years, he said.
Screening can stop in women at age 70 and older after three successive negative Pap test results in the last 10 years, according to the new guideline.
The Canadian Cancer Society currently recommends women have regular Pap tests starting by age 21 if they’re sexually active.
The whole article here: http://www.canada.com/health/women/cervical+cancer+screening+guideline+says+start+tests+later+screen+less+often/7785198/story.html

Cyanide in Bitter Apricot Kernels

Apricot kernels are the seeds found inside the pits (stones) of fresh apricots. There are two types of apricot kernels, bitter and sweet. Bitter apricot kernels naturally contain a compound called amygdalin, which has the potential to release cyanide when ingested by humans. Small amounts of cyanide are detoxified by the human body but high doses can be lethal. Alternatively, sweet apricot kernels and the fruit (flesh) of apricots do not pose a risk of adverse health effects from cyanide exposure because they contain lower levels of amygdalin. Some people use ground or whole bitter apricot kernels to flavor foods, as a health food, or for medicinal purposes. Apricot kernels may be promoted in some health foods as a medicinal ingredient. Apricot kernels with unapproved medicinal claims may be offered for sale. These products may recommend very high quantities of apricot kernels be consumed, which would result in exposure to amygdalin doses higher than those considered to be safe by health authorities and other international jurisdictions. Together with the related synthetic compound laetrile, amygdalin has been marketed as an alternative cancer treatment. However, studies have found the compounds to be ineffective in the treatment of cancer, as well as potentially toxic or lethal when taken by mouth, due to cyanide poisoning.

7 great reasons you should concider eating avocado daily

Image courtesy of anat_tikker at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You have probably heard about avocado being a superfood and how good it is for your health. This is true, avocados are very healthy. The next time you are ordering that burrito, don’t forget to add some extra guacamole. Here are seven reasons why you should consider eating this fruit every day.

1. Avocado Is Superfood

Avocados are extremely nutritious, this particular fruit is a very concentrated food, more like a nut than a fruit. Although avocados are high in calories, they are very high in most of the B vitamins except B12, being particularly good in folic acid. They also have some vitamin C, good amounts of vitamin A, and vitamin E. As you already know, avocados are rich in potassium. In addition, they have good amount of other minerals, including magnesium, iron, and manganese. For vegetarians who do not eat a lot of fatty foods, avocados may be a good source of needed oils.

2. Reduced Risk of Cancer

Avocados give our body numerous phytochemicals that may help prevent cancer. The fruit contains elements that have been known to decrease rates of oral cancer. Some research show that there is a potential that avocados can reduce risk of both breast and prostate cancers. Although, there is some research available on cancer preventive qualities of the fruit, future research is required to obtain more conclusive results.

3. Reduced Risk of Heart Diseases

As a matter of fact, heart disease is the number 1 killer in the United States. Heart disease is often linked to poor diet and lifestyle. Therefore, making right food choices is essential.

Avocados contain low level of saturated fat and high level of unsaturated fat, which has positive effect on our cardiovascular system. Unsaturated fat in your diet also may help to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), maintain HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

Furthermore, eating avocado can improve your insulin sensitivity. In addition to good fats, avocados also contain a great variety of nutrients, including antioxidants. This fruit may help prevent inflammation and oxidative stress in the blood vessels while improving blood flow.

4. Weight Loss Helper

Would you ever think that eating fat will help to lose fat? Recent studies show that avocados help to maintain healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). Avocado in meals helps to extend the feeling of fullness and reduce desire to overeat. Each fruit contains about 14g of fiber, which helps to reduce your waistline.

5. Skin and Eyes Protection

There are some nutrients (carotenoids and lutein) in avocados that can help to slow age-related ocular decline and prevent vision dysfunction. In addition, the same nutrients protect our skin from UV damage, making it smooth and healthy.

6. Blood Pressure Regulator

Since avocados are an excellent source of potassium (actually even better than bananas), they can be helpful in lowering high blood pressure. Potassium is important in the human body, along with sodium, it regulates the water balance and acid-balance in the blood and tissues. Thus, for most individuals with high blood pressure, increasing potassium intake is a much more reliable way to lower blood pressure than decreasing intake of sodium. Potassium is also important for normal growth and for building muscles.

7. Avocados Are Delicious And Very Versatile

Besides being so healthy and nutritious, avocados are also delicious and go well with different foods. They are commonly used in salads, dips such as guacamole, in sandwiches, stuffed with seafood, as spreads on your morning toast, or simply plain on its own. When choosing an avocado, aim for a heavy fruit with unbroken skin. The fruit should yield to gentle pressure without denting. If it dents, it is overripe. Leave unripe avocados on the kitchen counter for a few days and they will be ready to eat! Ripe avocados will keep for four-five days in the fridge. Unripe avocados will never ripen if you put them in the refrigerator. The flesh is the part eaten, the seed and skin should be discarded. Once cut, you can sprinkle the flesh with lime or lemon juice to prevent from turning dark. Enjoy!

600,000 cases of cancer 'may have been avoided' | Irish Examiner

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

More than four in 10 cancers could be avoided if people made changes to their lifestyle, according to Cancer Research UK. Life style changes such as smoking cessation , balanced diet and weight management would have prevented 600,000 cases of various cancers.
Smoking accounted for more than 314,000 cases in the past five years, the charity said.
A further 145,000 cancers might have been averted if more people ate a balanced diet low in red and processed meat and salt, and high in vegetables, fruit, and fibre.
Maintaining a healthy weight could have prevented around 88,000 cases, while tens of thousands of cancers were linked to excess alcohol, failing to protect the skin from sun, and lack of exercise. Read the whole article here:
600,000 cases of cancer 'may have been avoided' | Irish Examiner

Darker Skin Evolved To Reduce Cancer Risk

Image courtesy of ponsulak/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A long-discounted theory about the evolution of skin color may have had it right all along, new research suggests.
Darker skin gives individuals much greater protection from UV light-induced skin cancer. Pale-skinned people are roughly 1,000 times more likely than individuals with dark skin to suffer from the three most common skin cancers. But for years, researchers believed the lowered risk was an incidental benefit, not one derived through the pressure of natural selection.
Even Charles Darwin poo-poohed the notion that pigmentation could be an adaptive trait. A new study, however, finds evidence that skin cancer was in fact a driving evolutionary force for early hominids to have darker skin.

 Darker Skin Evolved To Reduce Cancer Risk - D-brief | DiscoverMagazine.com

Surprising effects of green tea on cancer

You might want to consider switching your black tea to green based on two recent human clinical studies into the anti-cancer effects of catechins, antioxidants found in green tea leaves.
Prostate cancer results
A study published in the journal Cancer Research showed that men who supplemented with 600 mg a day of green tea catechins exhibited a preventive effect in the transition from pre-malignant prostate lesions to full blown prostate cancer. Only 3% developed prostate cancer, compared to 30% in the group not taking catechins. The catechins group also had consistently lower PSA levels.
Breast cancer study
In a study reported by the American Association for Cancer Research, a group of women diagnosed with hormone-receptor negative breast cancer were given various doses of green tea catechins (400, 600 or 800 mg, twice daily) or a placebo for a period of six months. The green tea catechins encouraged cancer cell suicide (a good thing!) and inhibited signaling pathways within cancer cells linked to the spread of tumours.
How much?
Although animal studies have shown that high doses of catechins may damage the liver, humans have not shown liver damage at dosages used in the studies above.
Hepatologists suggest not supplementing with more than 10 mg of catechins per kilogram of body weight, daily. For green tea drinkers, 10 cups per day is the recommended limit.
Supplement containing 600 mg of green tea extract could be a typical dose. It also contains chromium and hydroxycitric acid. The synergistic effect of these three ingredients has been shown to help keep blood sugar and triglycerides in the ideal range, burn excess body fat and enhance lean mass when combined with exercise and adequate protein intake
Which type?

•  White tea is very unprocessed, and likewise there's more beneficial chemicals or compounds associated with it.
• Green tea is a little bit more processed, it's been steamed a little bit more; oxidation of the chemicals occur.
• Black tea is the most processed of the tea leaves. The chemicals become more oxidized and there's fewer reported benefits from black tea than green or white tea.

10 Steps to Remove BPA from Your Body in Less Than a Week BPA is Everywhere.

It’s in everything we touch, everything we eat, everything we buy: it’s hidden in grocery store receipts and beauty products, in coffee cups and soda cans, in the very food and water we need to live. So, what’s the big deal? We’ve survived so far. Or… have we? Cancer and autoimmune disease rates continue to rise steadily. In 2009, EWG tests found estrogen-disrupting  levels of BPA in 9 of 10 umbilical cord blood samples. We all have BPA in our bodies. There’s nothing we can do about it. Right?
 

You can Remove BPA from Your Body.

And you can do it in less than a week. BPA is metabolized by the body very quickly. A recent study found that participants were able to reduce the levels of BPA in their body by 65% in three days just by avoiding packaged foods. By eliminating additional hidden sources of BPA in your environment you can increase that number, as well as reducing many other toxic chemicals that are found in plastics like phthalates, and polyethylene. Here’s how.

1. Just Say No to BPA-loaded Receipts

Did you know that some receipts contain 250 to 1,000 times the amount of BPA typically found in a can of food?  If that isn’t scary enough, BPA transfers readily from the receipt to skin and cannot be washed off. Different types of receipts contain varying levels of BPA. If you aren’t sure whether or not a merchant uses BPA in their receipts, either ask directly or let them know early in the transaction that you will not need your receipt. Gas station receipts are particularly notorious for containing huge amounts of BPA.

2. Avoid Packaged Food

True, you might have to give up potato chips. But, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. So, what will you possibly eat? There are many safe options available to replace the packaged staples in your kitchen. You can buy fresh bread from the bakery in paper, milk in glass bottles, bring a glass container for cheese and meat from the deli, buy cereal in bulk, get beans and grains from the bulk bin in your own cloth or paper bag. Forgo the packaged salad greens for unpackaged – use cloth or paper bags in the produce aisle.

3. Switch to a Safe BPA-free Water Bottle

You know that funny taste that your plastic water bottle gets when you leave it in the sun? That’s the taste of chemicals leaching into your water. Doesn’t sound very refreshing, does it? There are many safe stainless steel and glass alternatives to plastic bottles. My favourites are those made with 100% safe glass, with stainless steel or silicone in place of a plastic top. If you choose a stainless steel option, make sure to get one that is not lined with plastic. While you’re at it, skip the water cooler for fill-ups. Those big plastic jugs are loaded with BPA too. Tap is safer.

4. Store Food in Glass

Did you know that even “safe” plastics can leach toxic chemicals³ once they are washed in a dishwasher or scrubbed with detergent and a sponge? Why take the chance? Ditch those plastic tubs in place of safe all-glass alternatives. For on the go or smaller items, forgo plastic wrap and plastic sandwich bags in place of small glass containers, wax paper bags, or parchment paper.

5. Avoid Canned Foods

92% of all canned food is lined with BPA coating. Look for alternatives in glass jars (most will have BPA lined lids but overall contamination is much less) or stick to these safe BPA-free brands: Eden Foods (except tomatoes), Wild Planet tuna, Vital Choice tuna, Native Forest  and Native Factor canned goods.

6. Give up Soda

Believe it or not, even aluminum soda cans are lined with BPA. If you can’t give up soda, you can always buy a brand that comes in a glass bottle.

7. Eat at Home

Most  food  in restaurants originates from highly packaged sources or is stored in plastic. As a result, almost all restaurant food is loaded with BPA. Eating at home and bringing your lunch to work more often will help reduce the BPA in your body.

8. Make your Own Coffee

Unless you’re lucky enough to have a local coffee shop that brews in glass, a cup of  to-go coffee comes in contact with BPA during each stage of the brewing process. From the plastic bag the beans are stored in, to the hot plastic coffee maker it’s brewed in, the thermos it’s kept hot in, and the plastic – lined cup it’s served in. For a BPA- free brew, buy beans from bulk, store in glass, and drip brew with paper filters, a stainless steel filter and glass carafe, or stainless steel French press. Pour into a ceramic cup and, voila! BPA-free coffee to go.

9. Buy Personal-care Products in Glass, Paper or Metal.

BPA, phthalates, and other toxic chemicals can leach into beauty products from a plastic container and absorb into your skin. Work to eventually phase out these items by replacing them with safe-packaged alternatives as they run out. If you are on a budget, most beauty products can be made from simple ingredients.

10. Replace Plastic Items with Safer Alternatives

Because BPA, phthalates and other plasticizers are not chemically bound to the plastics they’re added to, they are continuously released into our air and transferred to our skin when touched. Begin to replace plastic items in your household as you are able. Children are especially vulnerable to plastic chemical exposure. Gradually replace children’s toys and tableware with safer, non-plastic options. Even choosing natural fibres over synthetic clothing (did you know spandex is made of plastic?) can reduce the amount of plastic chemicals stored in your body.
 

Of course, we can never completely eliminate plastic from our lives

But, the more plastic we avoid, the less BPA in our bodies. Have I eliminated synthetic clothing? Um, no. And I do eat a bag of potato chips now and then. Although it can be done in 3 days, gradual changes will result in a slow and steady reduction of BPA too. It’s all about knowing how BPA gets into our bodies and cultivating an awareness of plastic so we can consider opportunities to avoid it. It’s about empowering ourselves with the knowledge to make healthy choices.

Genetic screening improves lung cancer treatment

CT scan of lungs

An international group of scientists has identified three genetic regions that predispose Asian women who have never smoked to lung cancer. The finding provides further evidence that risk of lung cancer among never-smokers, especially Asian women, may be associated with certain unique inherited genetic characteristics that distinguishes it from lung cancer in smokers.  
Lung cancer in never-smokers is the seventh leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and the majority of lung cancers diagnosed historically among women in Eastern Asia have been in women who never smoked. The specific genetic variations found in this study had not been associated with lung cancer risk in other populations.
Although environmental factors, such as secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) or exhaust from indoor cooking are likely account for some cases of lung cancer among Asian women who have never smoked, they explain only a small proportion of the disease. 
About 10 to 20 per cent of all lung cancer patients carry a mutated epidermal growth factor receptor gene that speeds tumor growth. That number rises to about 40 per cent among all East Asians with non-small-cell lung cancer, the most common type. Among non-smoking East Asian women from China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea, it rises to between 60 and 80 per cent.The mutated gene drives tumor growth and yet also responds to a line of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or TKIs.Previously, TKI medication was given to all cancer patients in the hopes of slowing its spread, but targeting patients through genetic testing is proving to be more effective.The treatment won’t eradicate cancer, but can prolong lives

Low levels of vitamin D in blood double risk of bladder cancer

Low levels of vitamin D in the blood double the risk of developing bladder cancer, Spanish researchers reported recently. The low levels increase the risk of the most aggressive form of the disease almost six-fold, the researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Spain has about 11,000 new cases of bladder cancer per year, one of the highest rates in the world. The United States has about 73,500 new cases per year, with nearly 15,000 deaths. It is primarily a disease of the elderly, with nine out of 10 victims over the age of 55.
Low levels of vitamin D have previously been linked to increased risk of breast and colon cancer, but no one has studied the potential association with bladder cancer, according to Dr. Nuria Malats, a geneticist at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center.
The team collected blood samples from 1,125 patients with bladder cancer in 18 Spanish hospitals and from 1,028 individuals with no sign of the disease. They measured levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3, the most stable form of the vitamin. The team found that those with the lowest levels of the vitamin were 1.83 times as likely to have bladder cancer as those with the highest levels. When the team separated out patients with the most aggressive form of invasive bladder cancer, they found that those with the lowest vitamin levels were 5.94 times as likely to develop the disease.
Molecular studies also showed that vitamin D regulates the production of a protein, FGFR3, that plays a role in bladder cancer. the risk of developing invasive bladder cancer was highest in patients with the lowest levels of the protein and the lowest levels of vitamin D.
"These results indicate that high levels of the vitamin are associated with protection from the illness or, similarly, that low levels are associated with a higher risk of suffering from it," Malats said.

Alkaline Diet:Fad or cancer cure?

Photo: CHRISTOPHER JONES

By Victoria Lambert

Has the Marchioness of Worcester’s 'alkaline diet’ helped her beat cancer?There’s no evidence that certain foods can cure the disease, despite much research on the subject.

The Marchioness of Worcester – environmental campaigner, mother of three, film-maker and thoroughly modern Marchioness – was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

Who could fail to be cheered by the news that the Marchioness of Worcester – environmental campaigner, mother of three, filmmaker and thoroughly modern Marchioness – is in remission from breast cancer? The Marchioness was diagnosed in 2009. Next year, she will join the 85 per cent of women who survive it longer than five years. Although Tracy, married to the Duke of Beaufort’s heir Harry, has not talked about her cancer before – “it is so boring” – her story is now attracting attention thanks to her controversial views on what aided the treatment.

For while confirming she underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the Marchioness, a former director of the Soil Association, the charity that promotes organic food, added that an “alkaline diet”, which bans processed food, meat and alcohol, helped her overall health. “My doctor said he had never known anyone be quite so well. I would put it down to complementary medicine and 'alkalining’ my body. I am almost religious about it now.”

Despite making clear the diet was an “additional” therapy, the Marchioness’s enthusiasm has caused some concern. Will the alkaline diet find its way into the panoply of cancer “cures” at the expense of mainstream medicine?

Diet-based alternative cancer regimes are not new, many draw heavily on a system developed by the German physician Max Gerson in the 1920s, which suggests that cancer is due to the accumulation of unspecified toxins. To rid the body of these, the patient must eat a predominantly vegetarian diet, including hourly glasses of organic juice and dietary supplements. Patients also receive enemas of coffee, castor oil and even hydrogen peroxide.

By contrast, Tracy Worcester’s diet sounds relatively normal: treatment centers on making body fluids such as urine less acidic apparently by increased consumption of raw vegetables, supplements such as omega 3, and avoiding meat. The claims of efficacy centers on theories that acid somehow “fosters” disease, or that cancer cells can grow faster in an acid environment.

Thousands of studies are carried out on foodstuffs to see if eating or avoiding them will have an effect on cancerous cells. We are assailed by well-researched accounts of the benefits of vegetables and fruits.
However, we know the vast majority of cancer is due to environmental factors: researchers from the University of Texas put it at 90-95 per cent in a 2006 report in the journal Pharmaceutical Research. Their conclusions? Cancer prevention involves increased ingestion of fruits and vegetables, moderate intake of alcohol, caloric restriction, exercise, minimal meat consumption and use of whole grains.
But the key is that this is preventive advice – not the basis of a curative regime. Jean Slocombe, Cancer Research UK’s senior information nurse, says: “Many breast cancer patients feel better and more in control of their illness when they do something proactive such as following a certain diet. But there is no strong scientific evidence to suggest that eating organic foods and following alternative diets can treat breast cancer or reduce the risk of it coming back.”
Robin Pritchard, spokesman for the Dimbleby Cancer Care charity, says: “A lot of research we have funded has found that any kind of complementary therapy can have a really positive effect, improving the sense of wellbeing.”
Learning how to eat healthily may even help recovery, found a 2011 report in the British Journal of Cancer. Evidence suggests that a low-fat, high-fibre diet might be protective against cancer recurrence and progression.
So might the Marchioness’s akaline diet have had more than a placebo effect? 

While countless books suggest alkaline eating can make you slimmer and fitter, scientists point out that the body self-regulates so efficiently that it’s virtually impossible to change the pH balance of its fluids. And the American Institute for Cancer Research warns that the idea that we can become “less acid” is a “myth”. 

Interestingly, though, a 2011 Canadian review in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health of published scientific literature found an alkaline diet could have some benefits, including improved bone health, reduced muscle wasting, as well as mitigating chronic diseases such as hypertension and strokes. Lead researcher Dr Gerry Schwalfenberg said: “Alkalinity may result in added benefit for some chemotherapeutic agents that require a higher pH.” 
Read more here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9772928/Has-the-Marchioness-of-Worcesters-alkaline-diet-helped-her-beat-cancer.html 

The case for nuts: Healthiest snack in the cupboard

By Grant Cochrane/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 Almonds, cashews and walnuts have many benefits for your body and brain, research shows.

Almonds: A handful of almonds a day will keep the cardiovascular surgeon away. The lowering of LDL cholesterol, known as the mother of all evil cholesterol, is essential for routine heart pump maintenance. In fact, in those who are at risk of heart disease, the aggressive lowering of LDL cholesterol is necessary. According to the nutty professors at Harvard who study these things, a daily handful of almonds can lower LDL cholesterol enough to reduce cardiovascular disease by a whopping 20 per cent! In some cases, a handful of almonds may be used instead of cholesterol-lowering medication. Almonds are also rich in folate, a vitamin important in keeping hearts, fetuses, bone and brain healthy.
Cashews: Gesundheit. These luxurious nuts are nothing to sneeze at. Cashews are rich in selenium, a mineral shown to protect against prostate cancer. Cashews, like most nuts are best eaten unsalted and raw while the oil is fresh. Like almonds, these nuts are loaded in monounsaturated fats, which is good fat. If “good fat” makes as much sense as “slumber party” or “cat owner,” realize that, like good cholesterol, unsaturated fat acts biochemically to reduce the risk of cancers and coronaries.
Walnuts: Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, walnuts are, like fish, beneficial in lowering cholesterol. They are also rich in arginine, an amino acid important in the synthesis of nitric oxide, which helps relax tense blood vessels.
Pistachios: Pistachios are an excellent source of copper and manganese, and a good source of phosphorus. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin B6 (offering 20 per cent of the daily value per serving) They’re high in fibre, too. A serving of pistachios delivers three grams of dietary fibre (about 12 per cent of the daily value of fibre).
However, these nuts have been known to cause an unfortunate disease known in the medical field as “pistachio nail.” Wrestling vigorously to get at a pistachio may cause scrapes under the tender thumbnail skin, which when further irritated with salt will cause its victim to insert the injured thumb into the mouth.
Peanuts: Peanuts are not your normal nut. In fact, they are legumes. But as we can salt them, roast them and sell them in bulk-food containers, let’s consider them nuts. Peanuts are high in fibre, niacin and a powerful antioxidant called Resveratrol, the same flavenol that gives red wine its reputation as a protector of hearts. Same benefit, less hangover.
While a corn doodle or other empty-carb snack leaves the snacker hungry again in 30 minutes, a handful of nuts satisfies hunger pangs for several hours. Nut snackers actually eat less, lose weight and have less diabetes. Satisfying, high-fat, tasty and highly nutritious.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/health/case+nuts+Healthiest+snack+cupboard/7797133/story.html#ixzz2Hbnhm71P