March 29, 2024

Tomatoes & Cancer; Strawberries & Strokes

Posted on May 1, 2014 by in NewsUCanUse

Tomatoes May Lower Breast Cancer RiskTomatoesQRMay2014
A tomato-rich diet may help protect at-risk postmenopausal women from breast cancer, according to new research accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Breast cancer risk rises in postmenopausal women as their body mass index climbs. The study found eating a diet high in tomatoes had a positive effect on the level of hormones that play a role in regulating fat and sugar metabolism.

Strawberries72Citrus and Stroke Risk
Eating foods with vitamin C may reduce your risk of the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke, according to a study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papaya, peppers, broccoli and strawberries.

Hemorrhagic stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, but is more often deadly. Participants in the study were tested for the levels of vitamin C in their blood. Forty-one percent of cases had normal levels of vitamin C, 45 percent showed depleted levels of vitamin C and 14 percent were considered deficient of the vitamin.

On average, the people who had a stroke had depleted levels of vitamin C, while those who had not had a stroke had normal levels of the vitamin.

White-Coat Hypertension Not HarmlessDocInWhiteCoat
People diagnosed with “white-coat hypertension” (WCH) are often told by their healthcare providers they don’t need treatment because their blood pressure is high only when measured during a visit with the doctor. This phenomenon is thought to result from tension or anxiety about seeing the doctor.

However, new findings from a study of hypertension in older adults indicate WCH in people older than 80 may not be harmless after all. The study suggests it may be associated with increased risk of a cardiovascular event such as a stroke or a heart attack, and that treatment for the condition is likely beneficial.

The findings are from a small sub-study of a larger, randomized clinical trial, the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial. But the takeaway message is clear.

If you’re over 80 and your doctor suggests WCH may be the cause of your high in-office blood pressure readings, ask whether you might benefit from drug treatment and other measures to reduce blood pressure, such as exercise, weight loss or dietary strategies.
From Johns Hopkins Health Alerts, www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com

SilouetteHands&DigiCameraBabiesNew Skills, Better Memory
Forget crossword puzzles. Researchers are saying that to keep your memory sharp you should be doing more mentally challenging tasks like learning a new skill. A new study, published on-line in Psychological Science, had some participants (ages 60 to 90) learn digital photography, quilting, or both. Others engaged in non-demanding mental activities at home, such as solving word puzzles and listening to classical music, or in social activities like going on field trips, watching movies or playing games.

Researchers told the participants to spend 15 hours a week on their “assignments.” After three months, only those participants who actively acquired new skills — photography and/or quilting — showed improvement in memory.

Overall, people who learned digital photography, which included photo editing on a computer, had the most memory improvement. The researchers attribute the memory improvement to the sustained working and long-term memories used to actively learn a new skill. The other activities were more passive, relying on existing knowledge and familiar actions.
From Johns Hopkins Health Alerts, www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com

Fish Oil and Brain Cells
People with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may also have larger brain volumes in old age, equivalent to SalmonHoripreserving one to two years of brain health, according to a study published in the on-line issue of Neurology®. Performed as part of  Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. Shrinking brain volume is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease as well as normal aging.

HoneyInJarHoney Fights Antibiotic Resistance
Honey could be one sweet solution to the serious problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers announced at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in Dallas. Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but researchers predict it could play a larger role in fighting infections.

“The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels,” said study leader Susan M. Meschwitz, Ph.D., “making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance.”

Honey uses hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and polyphenols, all of which actively kill bacterial cells. The osmotic effect, the result of the high sugar concentration in honey, draws water from the bacterial cells, dehydrating and killing them. Another advantage of honey is that unlike conventional antibiotics, it doesn’t target the essential growth processes of bacteria, which can result in the bacteria building up resistance to the drugs.

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