Vitamin D Linked to Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk
The largest study of its kind to date may tip the scales on the controversial question of whether higher vitamin D levels are associated with reduced risk for colorectal cancer. Researchers drawing on data on more than a half-million participants in the European Prospec - tive Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) study concluded that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were up to 40% less likely to develop colo - rectal cancer compared to those with the lowest levels.
Nutritious Asparagus Can Put a Spring in Your Step
The quintessential vegetable of spring, asparagus has been credited in folklore with curing everything from toothaches to infertility. In more recent Internet lore, asparagus has been touted as a remedy for hangovers and a cure for cancer.
7 Keys to Ideal Heart Health
The American Heart Association has identified seven health and lifestyle factors key to what one expert called the fountain of youth for your heart. Citing the importance of prevention for the long term, the AHA for the first time is making better heart health a goal in itself. By 2020, it aims to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20%.
Omega-3s in Fish May Help Slow Biological Aging
The omega-3 fats in fish oil, touted for their heart-health benefits, may have a bonus for heart patients: slowing biological aging at the cellular level. In a study of patients with stable coronary artery disease, those with the highest blood levels of omega-3s also showed the least shortening of telomeres, a sign of biological rather than chronological aging. Patients with the lowest omega-3 levels, on the other hand, had the fastest rate of telomere shortening when researchers compared measurements from the start of the study to five years later.
High Blood Pressure May Also Alter Your Brain Circuits
Two new studies point to a link between high blood pressure and increased risk of dementia. In one eight-year study of 1,403 women ages 65 and older, MRI scans revealed that those with hypertension had significantly more white matter lesions- indicating weakening of the insulation around nerve cells in the brain necessary for communication. The higher the blood pressure, the more serious the damage.
Reducing Salt May Also Boost Bones
Cutting back on salt to fight high blood pressure may have a happy side effect: reducing calcium loss, thereby benefiting bone health and helping ward off osteoporosis. A new Australian study of 92 women, ages 45 to 75, with pre- or stage-1 hypertension found that those who reduced dietary sodium intake also reduced urinary calcium excretion.
Coffee Could Cut Womens Cancer Risk
Alarge new study in Sweden reports that women who drink at least two cups of regular coffee daily are less likely to develop endometrial cancer, which affects the cells lining the uterus. Emilie Friberg, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute and colleagues surveyed 60,634 women in the Swedish Mammo - graphy Cohort study about their coffee intake.
Coffee and Tea Drinkers at Lower Risk of Diabetes
Go ahead, have another cup of coffee. While satisfying your java jones, you could also be reducing your risk for diabetes. An analysis of 18 previously published studies totaling 457,932 participants found that drinking three or four cups of regular coffee per day was associated with about a 25% lower risk of developing diabetes, compared to drinking two cups or less. Each additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7% reduction in the excess risk of diabetes.
Shake the Salt Habit to Reduce Your Risk of Stroke and Heart Disease
Cutting your salt intake could significantly reduce your risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, according to a new analysis. Researchers systematically reviewed the scientific literature and identified 13 studies of salt/ sodium involving a total of 177,025 participants. Pooling this data, the researchers found that a decrease in intake of 5 grams of salt a day-a little less than a teaspoon-was associated with a 23% lower rate of strokes and as much as a 17% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Walnuts Linked to Healthier Blood Vessels
In the latest finding sure to please walnut lovers (not to mention growers), Yale researchers report that a daily dose of walnuts improved the blood-vessel health of type-2 diabetics. David L. Katz, MD, MPH, and colleagues recruited 24 diabetes patients, average age 58, and tested their endothelial function (a measure of the health of blood-vessel linings) before and after eight weeks on a diet containing about two ounces of walnuts daily. Those results were compared to eight weeks on patients usual diet.