The link between soft drinks and cancer. Why beer may actually help you stand up straighter. These and other interesting news stories from the world of health and medicine in this week's Medical New Notes!
Coke Causes Cancer?
Not just good old Coca-Cola, but all sugar-sweetened soft drinks, according to a widely publicized 14-year study recently published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. According to the study's authors, the sugar in soft drinks puts added pressure on the pancreas to produce insulin, which in turn promotes the growth of cancer cells. In fact, the researchers found that people who had just two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week had an 87% greater chance of getting pancreatic cancer than their control group. The good news: Even with the higher odds, pancreatic cancer is still fairly rare compared to other forms of the disease. The bad news: Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of only 5%. So maybe it's best to switch to diet sodas. Until they publish another exposé on artificial sweeteners …
But Beer is Good for Your Bones.
Beer is a major source of a key mineral necessary for bone health, according to researchers from the University of California-Davis' Department of Food Science & Technology. Studying the way beer is produced, the researchers discovered that brewskis are rich in orthosilicic acid (OSA), a form of silicon that is easily absorbed by the body. And silicon is critical to the growth and maintenance of bone and connective tissue. So while alcohol does nothing good for the liver, moderate intake of beer may actually help keep bones strong and help avoid degenerative diseases like osteoporosis. We'll drink to that!
More Good News for Bone Health.
If you're young, diseases of the "aged" like osteoporosis hardly seem worth worry about. But bone loss can start early in many people, which is why a new discovery by researchers at New York's Columbia University Medical Center is so exciting. They have found that serotonin, a chemical known for regulating moods, is also responsible for bone loss. By using drugs that inhibit serotonin production in the stomach and intestines, they've found that they can effectively cure osteoporosis — at least in mice. If this simple once-a-day treatment works as effectively in humans, it could mean the end to one of the most dangerous and debilitating parts of getting older.
Mediterranean Diet Keeps Thinking Sharp.
In a recent study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers discovered that eating a Mediterranean Diet — one high in vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, fish, olive oil and small amounts of alcohol — prevents the kind of brain damage associated with cognitive problems and memory loss. The researchers discovered that not eating a Mediterranean-style diet, particularly ones high in fat, calories and red meat, can be just as dangerous to the brain as high blood pressure. So you want to keep your brain firing on all cylinders? Time to pass the fish, green beans and red wine!
Professional Medical Assisting Programs at Everest College
Are you interested in a career in the fast-growing and exciting health care field? Everest College is forming classes right now that can help you qualify for a variety of entry-level positions. For more information, please contact Everest today!
