Although nutritional supplements such as vitamin C may calm the symptoms of inflammation, it may be important not to ignore the signs.

Inflammation could be your body’s way of indicating abnormal cell growth that may lead to colon cancer. According to a new study published in The Journal of Nutrition, mice who were fed a high-fat diet were more susceptible to inflammation of the colon, which could eventually lead to cancer.

A diet high in fat and low in fiber, vitamin D and calcium has already been proven to be related to colon cancer. However, a new study suggests it sparks an inflammatory reaction that could eventually trigger the disease.

After feeding mice either a diet of 5 percent fat and a large amount of calcium and vitamin D or a diet made up of 20 percent fat and limited amounts of calcium and vitamin D, it was discovered that the mice in the second group gained more weight and experienced inflammation systems more frequently.

The inflammatory response was also shown to trigger the carcinogenic, or cancer formatting process.

New study done in some patients with prostate cancer have discovered that exercising at least 15 minutes a day may help reduce the fatality risk for this patients.

The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention research conference, and scientists indicated that moderate levels of exercise can offer benefits to those fighting the disease.

Prostate cancer, which is detected through moderating PSA levels, is a common cancer found in men aged 60 and older that can become fatal without treatment.

The researchers looked at the exercise levels of 2,686 patients. They found that men who engaged in at least three hours a week of exercises such as jogging, biking, swimming and playing tennis, had a 35 percent lower risk of mortality.

When it came to walking, men who walked four or more hours a week had a 23 percent less risk of dying than those who walked less than 20 minutes a week. Similarly, men who walked at a fast pace for at least 90 minutes a week had a 51 percent less risk than those who walked less than 90 minutes a week at a slow pace.

Although many people know the health risks that come with obesity, new research finds that it may increase the risk of cancer.

According to a study published in the journal Cell, obesity can lead to an increased risk of liver cancer. Researchers believe if they could curb obesity, they may be able to reduce cancer deaths by as many as 90,000 a year.

The study reveals that obese people have a 4.5-fold greater risk for developing liver cancer and a 1.5-fold greater risk of overall cancers.

Researchers believe that physicians spend too much time focusing on other obesity risks such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Doctors always worry about our weight, but the focus is often on cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, both of which can be managed pretty well with existing drugs,” said researcher Michael Karin. “However, we should also worry about elevated cancer risk.”

For people who are worried about their extra pounds, adopting an alkaline diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains may help control weight gain.

Couch potatoes and computer users face higher risk of death from heart disease, strokes and cancer, warn scientists.

Every hour spent watching television each day increases the risk of dying from heart disease by almost a fifth, say scientists.

Couch potatoes were warned that their lifestyle also increased the risk of death from other causes including cancer.

People who spent hours watching television greatly increased the chances of dying early from heart attacks and strokes, researchers in Australia found. Compared with those watching less than two hours of TV, people who sat in front of the box for more than four hours a day were 80% more likely to die for reasons linked to heart and artery disease.

The researchers monitored 8,800 adults for six years to see what impact watching television had on their long-term health. They found that each hour a day spent in front of the television increased the risk of death from all causes by 11%. It also raised the risk of dying from cancer by 9% and the risk of heart disease-related death by 18%.

The scientists warned it was not only telly addicts whose lifestyles put them in danger. Any prolonged sedentary behaviour, such as sitting at an office desk or in front of a computer, posed similar risks. It also made no difference whether or not a person was overweight or obese.

“Even if someone has a healthy body weight, sitting for long periods of time still has an unhealthy influence on their blood sugar and blood fats,” said the study’s lead researcher, Prof David Dunstan, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia.

The average amount of TV people watch each day is three hours in Australia and the UK, said the scientists. In the US, where two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, some people spent eight hours watching television ‑ the equivalent of a nine to five working day.

“What has happened is that a lot of the normal activities of daily living that involved standing up and moving the muscles in the body have been converted to sitting,” said Dunstan.

“Technological, social, and economic changes mean that people don’t move their muscles as much as they used to, and consequently the levels of energy expenditure as people go about their lives continue to shrink. For many people, on a daily basis they simply shift from one chair to another ‑ from the chair in the car to the chair in the office to the chair in front of the television.”

The scientists interviewed 3,846 men and 4,954 women aged 25 and older who underwent sugar tolerance tests and provided blood samples. Participants were recruited from 1999 and studied for the next six years. Based on their own reports of TV viewing they were grouped according to whether they watched less than two hours a day, between two and four hours, or more than four hours.

During the follow-up period there were 284 deaths, 87 from cardiovascular, or heart and artery disease, and 125 from cancer.

While the association between cancer and television viewing was modest, there was a strong link between TV watching and a higher risk of cardiovascular death. This was despite taking account of recognised heart disease risk factors such as raised cholesterol levels and lifestyle.

The findings were reported today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Dunstan had this message for members of the public: “In addition to doing regular exercise, avoid sitting for prolonged periods and keep in mind to ‘move more, more often’. Too much sitting is bad for health.”

Cigarette contains chemical such as tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine.

The prime ingredients, tar and carbon monoxide are instigators of cardiovascular diseases and lung ailments.

The cigarette’s third main component, nicotine, affects the heart, lungs and stomach.  There is definite evidence that this chemical effects the brain adversely in various ways.

Effects of Smoking

Smoking and tobacco-related health complications are the single largest cause of preventable, premature death.  Estimates are clearing that cigarettes are responsible for over 400,000 deaths each year. Smoking causes a significant increase in the risk for cancer (lung, larynx, esophagus), chronic bronchitis, and emphysema as well as diseases of the heart and coronary arteries. In addition, smoking  is a major contributory factor in the development of many other cancers.

Chewing tobacco and using snuff also dramatically increase your risk for cancers of the mouth and throat. A smokers baby is more likely to be a victim of cot death and, in childhood, suffers more respiratory infections, glue ear and asthma.

Smokers can successfully quit if they understand how to deal with their nicotine addiction, learn a relaxation technique to cope with their stress, get support from health professionals, family and friends and are able to change the behaviour and habits that are associated with smoking. Most long-term smokers are addicted to nicotine and will experience a craving to smoke and withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop smoking.

Such individuals find it very difficult to give up their smoking habit. They, with the help of health professionals can make use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to quit smoking. But the majority of smokers can give up without any help from health professionals or drug therapy.

Prepare mentally before you stop smoking and understand what to expect.

• Make a resolution to give up smoking.
• Think about why you want to quit and the benefits of quitting.
• Set a definite time to quit.Let it be today not the next day!
• Think ahead, how you are going to cope with craving or withdrawal symptoms you may experience.
• Visualise a change in your usual routine to avoid temptation and high-risk situations.
• Get all the support you can, from your loved ones.
• Understand that breaking habits take time and need regular practice.
• Be aware that there will be a constant temptation to go back and chances of a relapse. Think about the effort that has already been put in and don’t look back.

The good news is that once you quit, your body begins healing itself almost immediately. This includes a reduction in your risk for cancer, heart attack, and stroke. If you also begin exercising and eating better, the improvements will be even more dramatic. There are many benefits of quitting smoke like more stamina for work and play, Whiter teeth and fresher breath, Decreasing risk of serious illnesses and saving your money.

The longer you don’t use tobacco, the more your confidence will grow and the less likely you are to slip back to your old habits…

Going back for a second dessert after your holiday meal might not be the best strategy for living a long, cancer-free life, a new study has confirmed.

University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) researchers have shown exactly how restricted calorie diets, specifically in the form of restricted glucose (sugar), help human cells live longer.

This discovery could help lead to drugs and treatments that slow human ageing and prevent cancer.

“Our hope is that the discovery that reduced calories extend the lifespan of normal human cells will lead to further discoveries of the causes for these effects in different cell types…,” said Trygve Tollefsbol, researcher at the Centre for Aging and Comprehensive Cancer Centre UAB.

“We would also hope for these studies to lead to improved prevention of cancer as well as many other age-related diseases through controlling calorie intake of specific cell types,” he added.

Tollefsbol and colleagues used normal human lung cells and pre-cancerous human lung cells that were at the beginning stages of cancer formation.

Both sets of cells were lab grown and received either normal or reduced levels of glucose. As the cells grew over a period of a few weeks, researchers monitored their ability to divide, and tracked how many cells survived over this period.

They found that the normal cells lived longer, and many of the precancerous cells died, when given less glucose. Gene activity was also measured under the same conditions, said a UAB release.

“Western science is on the cusp of developing a pharmaceutical fountain of youth,” said Gerald Weissmann, medical expert and editor-in-chief of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal, which published these findings.

We can’t guarantee 100 years to all of you but if you follow these tips for a healthy body and mind, you may be able to live a longer (and healthier) life…..

You’re the life of the party

Outgoing people are 50 percent less likely to develop dementia. Researchers speculate that their more resilient brains may be due to lower levels of cortisol — studies show that oversecretion of this “stress hormone” can inhibit brain cells’ communication.
You run for 40 minutes a day

Middle-aged people who run for a total of about five hours per week lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older. They didn’t just get less heart disease — they also developed fewer cases of cancer, neurological diseases, and infections.

You like raspberries

Dietary fibre helps reduce total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss. Raspberries are high in fiber.

You feel 13 years younger than you are

Feeling youthful is linked to better health and a longer life. It can improve optimism and motivation to overcome challenges, which helps reduce stress and boost your immune system and ultimately lowers your risk of disease.

You embrace techie trends

Learn to Twitter, Facebook, or Skype to help keep brain cells young and healthy. Stay connected to friends, family, and current events, and you feel vital and relevant.

You started menopause after age 52

Studies show that naturally experiencing it later can mean an increased life span. Women who go through menopause late have a much lower risk of heart disease.

You make every calorie count

Men and women who limit their daily calories to 1,400 to 2,000 were literally young at heart – their hearts functioned like those of people 15 years younger

You had a baby later in life

If you got pregnant naturally after age 44, you’re about 15 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50. If your ovaries are healthy and you are capable of having children at that age, that’s a marker that you have genes operating that will help you live longer.

Your pulse beats 15 times in 15 seconds

That equates to 60 beats per minute – or how many times a healthy heart beats at rest. Most people have resting rates between 60 and 100 bpm, and the closer to the lower end of the spectrum, the healthier. A slower pulse means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard and could last longer.

You don’t snore

Snoring is a major sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that causes you to stop breathing briefly because throat tissue collapses and blocks your airway. In severe cases, this can happen 60 to 70 times per hour. Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and depression.

You have a (relatively) flat belly after menopause

Women who are too round in the middle are 20 percent more likely to die sooner, even if their body mass index is normal. At midlife, it takes more effort to keep waists trim because shifting hormones cause most extra weight to settle in the middle.

What do you think are the three

What supplements are the most important depends on your gender and your age. If your diet is lacking, a basic multivitamin is a good idea, which simply assures that you are getting the recommended daily doses of a number of essential vitamins. Beyond this, if you are a woman, I recommend you consider both calcium (600 mg twice a day) and magnesium (200 mg twice a day). 

Calcium is needed for bone health, and while we need approximately 1,500 mg a day, the average American woman has approximately 500 mg a day in her diet. The good news is that if you do not like to take pills, you can get your calcium in the form of chocolate chews! Magnesium is needed for bone health, and it also counteracts the constipating effects of calcium.

If you are premenopausal, you will be glad to know that calcium and magnesium have been shown to improve menstrual symptoms, including cramping, breast tenderness, mood swings, and even food cravings. (Chocolate is actually rich in magnesium, and it has been hypothesized that the need for magnesium may be why women crave chocolate around their periods.) Men do not need to supplement with calcium but should try to get 1,000 mg daily in their diet.

There are two other supplements for both men and women, and fish oil is one of them. Generally in this country, our diets have far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Oversimplified, omega-6′s are the bad fats and omega-3′s are the healthy fats. If your diet is not rich in fish and other omega-3′s, you should consider supplementing with 1,000 mg of fish oil a day, being certain that each pill contains at least 200 mg of DHA and 200 mg of EPA. Increasing omega-3′s decreases inflammation in your system, which can affect everything from heart disease to cancer.

Lastly, we are learning that many Americans are actually deficient in vitamin D, and this can cause a huge variety of symptoms including muscle aches and fatigue. You can ask your doctor to check a vitamin D level to know specifically if you are deficient. It is also safe to supplement with vitamin D3, 1,000 mg a day. Vitamin D is also critical in bone health, and seems to be associated with cancer risk as well. Supplementing at these levels poses no risk of toxicity.

Walter Willett, who chairs the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that there is a “direct causal link” between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and energy drinks and obesity, which is in turn linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes.

So he and a colleague, Lilian Cheung, a lecturer in the nutrition department, are suggesting that we all start focusing on drinks with a far lower sugar and calorie content: things like water, tea, seltzer with a splash of juice, and coffee with one lump of sugar. They call on beverage makers to create reduced-calorie beverages with no more than 1 gram of sugar per ounce, without using noncaloric sweeteners like aspartame and stevia.

[See why VitaminWater is a poster child for the importance of reading food and drink labels.]

That kind of beverage would have about 3 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounces and about 50 calories. Look at Harvard’s chart to see how soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks stack up next to that standard—the worst offender, cranberry juice cocktail, has 200 calories and 12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce serving. (No word yet on how the beverage industry trade group has received this suggestion, but I will write a post if it does respond.)

[Here's the skinny on caloric sweeteners like agave and corn syrup.]

Why the fuss over sugary beverages rather than, say, candy bars? Willett and Cheung say that these drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the diet of young Americans, with teen boys drinking more than a quart per day. In addition, other researchers, such as Barry Popkin, have suggested that liquid calories don’t prompt our bodies to feel full the way calories in solid form do.

The Harvard folks say we need to retrain our bodies away from intense sweetness, which is why their hypothesized beverages don’t include low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, either. “When adults get conditioned to everything being sweet, it’s hard to appreciate the gentle sweetness of a carrot or an apple,” says Willett. That means using even low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain, he says. (Or it may not: A study published last year suggesting low-calorie sweeteners led to overeating was done in rats, not people.)

As I’ve written before, whether or not you buy the idea that sugary soft drinks and energy drinks are any worse than sugar in solid form, cutting them out may be an easy way to lose weight. Harvard suggests alternatives including low-sodium miso soup, infused waters, and homemade fresh fruit coolers. If you’re not willing to give up your soda habit and are trying to lose weight, at least be aware of the calories and sugar the drinks are adding to your diet, and make up for that by paring back elsewhere.

Reuters reports that a South Korean study found females who ate the most folate had about a two-thirds lower risk of getting the disease than women who got smaller amounts of the vitamin.

The amount of folate in a man’s diet did not influence the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer, however.

Researchers involved in the study say the findings are significant because they suggest that diet modifications may help cut the risk of disease.

Folate is a B vitamin known to support red blood cell production and help prevent anemia and homocysteine build-up in the blood. It is also important for cell production, nerve function and prevention of osteoporosis-related bone fractures and dementias like Alzheimer’s, according to WHfoods.com.

It can be found in dietary sources like romaine lettuce, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, beets and lentils as well as in nutritional health supplements.