Genomic Functions – Health News

Posts Tagged ‘Cancer’

The myth of nervousness and sleepless nights that is going to a better life. The properties of coffee are increasingly accepted by all professionals, at least in moderate doses.

Thus, coffee may be a natural product that can help prevent some diseases and help keep as memory and increase mental and physical performance. Apparently, the moderate consumption of this tea is “recommended for health” and may prevent or even help neurodegenerative diseases such as protective against type 2 diabetes, delaying the development of Parkinson’s disease and helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, coffee contains four times more health beneficial compounds than other beverages of natural origin, the large amount of antioxidants that may influence the delay of the aging process. Also, a couple of cups of coffee a day helps to maintain concentration and alertness.

Here are some benefits

01) You full of energy. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, facilitating coordination, improving your mood and your motivation. It also increases energy, stamina and speed, and thus reduces fatigue.

02) reduces the risk of developing cancer. People who take more than four cups of coffee a day are less likely to develop colon and rectal cancer because it inhibits the secretion of bile acids that are precursors of this disease. Read the rest of this entry »

A new review of studies confirm that there is no convincing evidence that taking high doses of selenium prevents cancer. Selenium is a natural mineral essential for humans, is also found in soil and rocks.

While the recommendations of the U.S. and the World Health Organization vary between 30 and 55 micrograms daily for adults, companies that sell supplements claim that higher doses have several benefits, including prevention of cancer.

But “not yet have a complete idea of ​​how selenium acts on human health,” said Dr. Marco Vinceti, co-author of the review of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Vinceti team analyzed 55 studies on the relationship between selenium and various cancers. Most were observational studies, the six remaining trials.

The former had suggested that consumption of selenium would be associated with a slightly reduced risk of cancer, more men than women. But in randomized trials, groups treated with doses of selenium at least four times higher than the daily recommendation had not been less likely than placebo users to develop cancer, especially prostate and skin. Read the rest of this entry »

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that can be harmful to health. The body mass index (BMI) is a simple indicator of the relationship between weight and height that is commonly used to identify overweight and obesity in adults. Is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilos by the square of height in meters (kg/m2).

Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk factor of death in the world. Die each year at least 2.8 million adults as a result of being overweight or obese. Moreover, 44% of the burden of diabetes, 23% of the burden of ischemic heart disease and between 7% and 41% of the burden of some cancers are attributable to overweight and obesity.

What causes overweight and obesity?

The fundamental cause of overweight and obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and expended. In the world, has produced:

* An increase in intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat, salt and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients, and
* A decline in physical activity as a result of the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, new modes of travel and increasing urbanization. Read the rest of this entry »

According to recent research, men who drank at least six or more cups of coffee a day could be reduced by 60 percent their risk of advanced prostate cancer.

This is the first large study specifically analyzes the relationship between coffee and metastatic prostate cancer, said lead researcher Kathryn Wilson. “This is an exciting finding, because there are few modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer.” Is far from demonstrated a clear cause and effect, experts say, and it is not clear how that coffee might help prevent prostate cancer.

“Coffee contains many compounds that have various biological effects. Is an important source of antioxidants and it may have anticancer effects,” said Wilson, a researcher in epidemiology at the School of Public Health at Harvard in Boston. “Additionally, the café seems to have effects on insulin and has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. It is considered that insulin plays a role in many cancers, including prostate cancer.” The study compounds in coffee also have an impact on levels of sex hormones.

However, the immediate, the findings only point to a relationship between the love of “Java coffee” and a healthier prostate. Will need further study to confirm the findings and to see if there is a biological explanation for the phenomenon, said Wilson. In short, said: “It’s probably too early to tell someone that he [or she] should start drinking coffee just because of this study.” Read the rest of this entry »

Bitter melon, also known as bitter melon or cundeamor Chinese, is a plant that is known for its antibacterial properties and also interesting, to reduce blood sugar levels. Very expanded throughout Asia (especially China and India) was also used in Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean, has now been introduced to the world at the hands of its good benefits.

Bitter melon is not as rich as melon tracicional, though culturally in tropical fruit is highly prized. It is used extensively in these regions of the planet and has been successfully exported to several countries, making it world famous and easily accessible.

Now researchers at the University of Colorado at St. Louis published research in the journal Cancer Research where they have studied the properties of bitter melon extract, reaching the conclusion that this fruit can be used to fight breast cancer if consumed regularly. Read the rest of this entry »

Most women should begin to control their weight during pregnancy to avoid gaining weight too much and risking their babies, experts said. A U.S. team found that women who gained more weight during pregnancy gave birth to heavier babies, putting them at greater risk of becoming obese adults. Large birth weight also more predisposed to cancer, allergies and asthma.

“The study suggests that the best time to start preventing obesity would indeed before birth, with a focus on weight gain and diet of the mother during pregnancy,” said Dr. David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston, who worked on the study published in The Lancet.

Ludwig and Janet Currie, an economist at Columbia University in New York, looked at data on all babies born in Michigan and New Jersey for a period of 15 years between 1989 and 2003. The authors analyzed 1.1 million women and 513,500 babies.
“Women who gained 50 pounds (24 kilos) had twice the risk of giving birth to a baby with high birth weight, compared to up 20 pounds (10 kilos),” said Ludwig. Babies born to women who gained more than 50 pounds during pregnancy were about 150 grams heavier than babies of women who gained 20 pounds or less. Read the rest of this entry »