Study Links Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Prostate Cancer

VOA: July 12, 2013

Fish oil supplements that are high in omega-3 fatty acids have been quite popular among people who take them to help with issues such as heart health.

Past research has indicated that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, fish oil and other foods such as wild rice and walnuts, can decrease the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.

But now new research released this week indicates that too much omega-3 could put men at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, especially a deadly form of the disease. The finding confirms similar conclusions made in several earlier studies.  

While some experts have expressed skepticism about the study’s findings, men taking the supplement may find themselves weighing the benefits fish oil capsules may provide for their heart health versus the possible harm and increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

The study, conducted by researchers at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, found that high concentrations of three anti-inflammatory and metabolically related fatty acids called eicosapentaenoic acid - EPA, eocosapentaenoic acid - DPA and docosahexaenoic acid – DHA that are found in fatty fish such as salmon as well as in fish-oil supplements, are linked with a 71 percent increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer, the kind that experts say are more likely to be fatal.

The Seattle study also revealed that too much of the fatty acids can also lead to a 44 percent increase in the risk of low-grade prostate cancer – which grows slowly - as well as an overall 43 percent increase in risk for all forms of prostate cancers.

Fish oil capsules are popular for heart health benefits

To reach their findings, the researchers studied a group of about 843 men who had prostate cancer and another group of 1,383 men who didn’t have the cancer. They found that the prostate cancer patients had higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids in their blood than those in the non-cancer group.

The researchers said that the consistency of their findings suggest that these fatty acids are connected with the development of prostate tumors. They also caution those who want to increase their dosage of omega-3 fatty acids to consider any potential risks.

The researchers said they’re unclear so far about why the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids would increase prostate cancer risk. They do point out that omega-3 fatty acids converting into compounds could damage cells and DNA, and their role in immunosuppression.  They said that they don’t know whether or not these effects can actually impact cancer risks and that further research into possible mechanisms will be needed.

These new findings, published July 11 in the online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, confirm those made in 2011 by the same Seattle researchers.

Technorati Tags: fatty acids,Omega-3 fatty acid,Cancer,prostate cancer,immunosuppression,fish oil,salmon

Great news for coffee drinkers - Men–Have another cup of coffee!

Sometimes it seems like the only kind of news I bring you is bad news. So, today we’re shifting our focus to a couple of pieces of VERY good news. Grab a cup of coffee — you’ll see why in a second — and get to reading!

Sometimes it seems like the only news I write about is bad news. So, today we’re shifting our focus to a couple of pieces of VERY good news.

Grab a cup of coffee — especially you men — and read on.

The first piece of good news comes from a study published in the journal Diabetic Medicine. Researchers in Hong Kong have added another item to the list of reasons you should be getting plenty of omega-3s, and this one is especially good news for diabetics.
Because it turns out that those wonderful fatty acids may actually improve your kidney health if you have diabetes. People who supplemented with omega-3s saw a big drop in creatinine levels in their blood, a common measure of kidney damage.

In the 12-week study, participants received either 4 grams per day of fish oil or a placebo—olive oil. (Side note: When’s the last time you saw the contents of a placebo disclosed by a Big Pharma drug study?)
At the end of the study, those who had taken fish oil had significantly lower creatinine levels than those who had been taking olive oil. So there’s one more reason to keep taking that fish oil — as if you really needed another one!

The second piece of good news gets us back to that cup of coffee. Men, this is particularly welcome news for you. Especially if you can’t get through the day without several cups of Joe.

Recently, a 20-year study involving 50,000 men showed that coffee-drinkers are at a lower risk for prostate cancer.

And the more coffee you drink, the lower the risk…For men who drank the most coffee (six or more cups a day), the risk fell a whopping 60%. Even men who drank only one to three cups per day had a 20% lower risk.

Now, what if you’re a decaf drinker? That doesn’t seem to matter — guys who drank decaffeinated coffee saw the same benefits. Researchers say that coffee impacts insulin, glucose metabolism, and sex hormones — all of which play a role in the development of prostate cancer.

They want to do more research to determine what component of coffee gives this protection, but in the meantime you can harness the benefits with a hot, steaming cup of coffee every morning.

This article from Dr. Jonathan V. Wrigth, MD website www.wrightnewsletter.com

Sources:
“Be a Java Junkie: New Study Reveals Coffee May Prevent Deadly Prostate Cancer,” Alternative Health Journal (www.insidershealth.com)

“Omega-3 may boost kidney health in diabetics: Study,” NutraIngredients (www.nutraingredients-usa.com)

ObamaCare… This Will Knock Your Socks Off!!

THIS VIDEO IS A GUIDE TO THE ORIGINAL HEALTHCARE BILL H.R. 3200.  H.R. 3962 is the actual bill that passed, but virtually everything the public and the GOP fought against was just moved, buried and hidden somewhere else in the new bill or is a contingency to be added later.  Just like the circus created over not funding abortions with taxpayer money quickly proved to be all smoke and mirrors, after being one of the pivotal points of compromise to get the bill past… at any cost. It was all a game of smoke and mirrors. Remember Nancy Pelosi’s famous statement: “You have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it”, and we certainly are… virtually everything that was in H.R. 3200!

Recently we are finally reading news report and article after article about things that someone has finally found and verified that is hidden in the ObamaCare Bill.  You can bet that all the negative things in this video and more are part of the revised bill H.R. 3962.  It really is the gift from Hell that just keeps on giving…

Please watch this video:

Video:  Know the TRUTH about the Government Health Care Bill H.R.3200 - Key Points

Update With Video: THIS IS A GUIDE TO THE ORIGINAL HEALTHCARE BILL H.R. 3200. Yes the healthcare bill HR3962 passed. Now it's up to us to do all we can to repeal it!! This video is based on HR3200 but it is very closely related to HR3962 with the exception that HR3962 is deemed to be worse! If we don't get this bill thrown in the trash where it belongs we can expect to see much if not all of what this video shows us. THE PDF.OF THE BILL HR3200 NOTED AT THE END OF THE VIDEO IS NO LONGER VALID. HERE IS THE UPDATED LINK TO THE PDF. http://candicemiller.house.gov/pdf/hr3200.pdf

I am well aware of the typo in this video, I apologize but It's too late to fix it now.

Healthcare is only a powerful stepping stone to their government takeover plan. Open your eyes America, they don't care what "we the people" want or need, they simply want control.
Aug. 2009

Original Bill (Video): This is a point by point description (A guide not the actual reading of the bill!) of the Government Healthcare plan taken from the ACTUAL proposed bill H.R.3200 http://candicemiller.house.gov/pdf/hr3200.pdf

Though not opposed to healthcare reform most Americans do not want this KIND of reform which is a dangerous UN-AMERICAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL We want reform that makes sense and that is helpful for all not a destructive death warrant for the unborn and the elderly. We want government to stay out of our personal life decisions period. This is America !!

Here is the link to H.R. 3590: http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/PDF/hr3590.pdf

Docs 4 Patient Founder and president Hal Scherz, M.D., released the following statement today regarding the US Preventative Services Task Force recommendation to stop the routine PSA screening of men:

"On Thursday, the US Preventative Services Task Force issued their recommendation that routine PSA screening of men looking for prostate cancer was no longer indicated. So said the chairperson of this group, pediatrician Virginia Moyer, of Baylor School of Medicine. There were no urologists on this committee- the universally recognized experts on the treatment of prostate cancer.

"This is the same body that issued the controversial recommendations to stop routine mammography.

"It is unlikely that this task force took into account that in the years that PSA screening has been routinely done, that mortality from prostate cancer has dropped significantly. Over 32,000 men die BECAUSE of their prostate cancer every year, and it is the second most common cancer in men, with a particular predilection for African Americans. It is important to note that the death rate from prostate cancer in England, where routine screening is not performed in order to save money, is dramatically higher than in the US.

"It can only be concluded that this task force is doing the bidding of the federal government, under the guise of science and evidentiary medicine, to justify the intent to covertly ration care. This attempt to put bureaucrats between patients and doctors is precisely why groups like the Preventative Task Force needs to be exposed for what it is and marginalized. Patients make the best decisions about their care along with the good counsel from their own personal doctors- in this case urologists, not pediatricians."

This is just one example of many of the beginning of the cutting back process of services and procedures.

The Supreme Court will hear the case against ObamaCare in the upcoming session and each of the GOP candidates has sworn to overturn this bill by Executive Order and whatever means necessary to undo it  if they are elected in 2012, and then put forth a  real healthcare reform bill or program. If one of those two things does not happen and ObamaCare is allowed to go into affect, it will destroy our Republic!  This was never about healthcare for the poor or better health care for all, it was about the Progressive Movement getting control of one-sixth of the U.S. economy and ‘control’… over you!

Prescription for Truth: Daniel Hannan from England - HealthCare Worse for Elderly

Daniel Hannan, a British 37-year-old member of the European Parliament, says socialized medicine is worse for the elderly; long waits for services, rationing and no option to pay for better services or procedures yourself. He cannot imagine that Americans would consider trading in what we have for European-style Socialized Medicine.

Is this what you guys want? He lives with this system and wonders why the heck we would want it: They have more bureaucrats than doctors and the British Healthcare System is the 3rd largest employer in the world! ...So once we have it, there are so many bureaucratic jobs involved that there is no going back. And it is exactly that fact that makes it so enticing to Team Obama and the Dems; giant government and huge control of funds and power.

In the Unites States if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer we have a 100% minimum 5 year recovery and survival rate. In Canada it is 95% and in Britain it is only 77%.

Daniel Hannan from England on U-Tube - Healthcare Worse for the Elderly

Daniel Hannan on ObamaCare: Are you people insane?

A desperate intervention from a man who’s already seen this car crash up close, wondering why any free people would tolerate it short of a major war forcing them to. The words of one of the world’s most eloquent conservatives need no elaboration from me, but as companion reading to Beck’s point about how lame the arguments are for this boondoggle, try Ramesh Ponnuru’s piece on the paradoxes of ObamaCare in Time.

Quote:

There are two basic points about health-care reform that President Obama wants to convey. The first is that, as he put it in an ABC special in June, “the status quo is untenable.” Our health-care system is rife with “skewed incentives.” It gives us “a whole bunch of care” that “may not be making us healthier.” It generates too many specialists and not enough primary-care physicians. It is “bankrupting families,” “bankrupting businesses” and “bankrupting our government at the state and federal level. So we know things are going to have to change.”

Obama’s second major point is that–to quote from the same broadcast–”if you are happy with your plan and you are happy with your doctor, then we don’t want you to have to change … So what we’re saying is, If you are happy with your plan and your doctor, you stick with it.”

So the system is an unsustainable disaster, but you can keep your piece of it if you want. And the Democrats wonder why selling health-care reform to the public has been so hard?

Exit question: How do we get Hannan to run for office here? Seriously.

by ALLAHPUNDIT – Hot Air

Posted: True Health is True Wealth

Green Tea Slows Prostate Cancer

Active compounds in green tea may slow the progression of prostate cancer, according to a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research.

The study, which was conducted at Louisiana State University, also showed that green tea might lower the incidence of prostate cancer in the first place.

The study is one of the few green tea trials that evaluated biomarkers in order to predict prostate cancer’s progression, said study leader James A. Cardelli, director of basic and translational research in the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at LSU University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport.

The biomarkers tracked were PSA (prostate specific antigen), HGF (hepatocyte growth factor), and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor).

The study, which used compounds of green tea polyphenols in the form of Polyphon E provided by Polyphenon Pharma, involved 26 men ages 41 to 72 who were scheduled for radical prostactectomies. For an average of about 35 days up until the day before surgery, each man took four capsules of Polyphenon E, which was equal to drinking 12 cups of normally brewed green tea.

The researchers found that the green tea compounds significantly reduced serum levels of PSA, HGF, and VEGF, with reductions as great as 30 percent in some patients.

There were few side effects, and other biomarkers were “positively affected,” Cardelli said.

Referring to the LSU study and to a year-long clinical trial in Italy involving green tea polyphenols, Cardelli said, “These studies are just the beginning and a lot of work remains to be done. However, we think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence.”

-James A. Cardilli - Director of basic and translational research in the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at LSU University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport

Posted: True Health Is True Wealth

Beat Prostate Cancer Naturally

At some point in life, about one in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, which is second only to lung cancer among the leading causes of cancer deaths in men.

Scientists are just beginning to understand that inflammation may play a key role in prostate cancer’s development, but they have found that the degree of inflammation may play a huge role in survival chances. Men with prostate cancer who have higher levels of inflammatory chemicals have poorer prognoses than those with lower levels, researchers say.

The inflammation may be too subtle for a doctor to pick up, but obvious inflammatory conditions have been present for decades in a majority of cases. For example, one might have chronic prostatitis for 15-20 years before prostate cancer develops. 

Most cancer researchers believe the most common risk to developing cancer is age. The older we get, the more likely we are to develop a cancer. As we age, our bodies become more inflamed, and those with the greatest inflammation are at the greatest risk of cancer.

As we age, our DNA becomes damaged and our bodies become less able to repair it. That’s when a healthy diet is especially vital. Diets are a major factor in the chances of developing prostate cancer. Scientific evidence indicates that a diet high in vegetable oils, red meats, trans fats, and sugar, but low in selenium, natural vitamin E, zinc, and lycopene greatly increases a man’s risk.

But special nutrients and nutrient combinations help fight prostate cancer. They include:

• Selenium. One double-blind study found that selenium supplementation reduced prostate cancer by 63 percent.
• Vitamin E. In one study, men with the highest gamma-vitamin E had a five-fold reduction in prostate cancer risk.
• Quercetin. This nutrient found in onions dramatically reduces inflammation in the prostate gland and protects DNA
• Cucurmin. Found in the Indian spice turmeric, curcurmin curtails the growth of prostate cancers.
• Lycopene. A powerful anti-inflammatory, it’s the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color.
• Indole-3 carbinol. A broccoli extract that can reduce a swollen, inflamed prostate dramatically when combined with lycopene.

One study found that the most common link to prostate cancer was the consumption of milk, especially non-fat milk. In fact, more than two-thirds of cases were attributed to milk consumption. The reason appears to be high amounts of calcium, since taking calcium supplements also dramatically increased risk.

Other studies have shown that diets containing more than 2,000 milligrams of calcium a day (from all sources) dramatically increase the number of advanced prostate cancers when compared with diets containing fewer than 500 milligrams.

There is also a strong correlation between calories from sugars and carbohydrates and the early development of prostate cancer. High caloric intake increased risk 267 percent in one study. This is a significant risk factor because Americans consume tremendous amounts of sugar.

You can take many to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. If you combine all of the factors that we know, you can make your risk of developing prostate cancer extremely low. 

Night Light Hikes Prostate Cancer Risk

A new study links high levels of nighttime artificial light with high rates of prostate cancer. The study, conducted jointly by the University of Haifa and the University of Connecticut, analyzed data collected by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and found that the highest rates of prostate cancer occur in countries with the brightest lights at night.

The researchers weighed several factors when determining the “amount of artificial light per night per person,” including a country’s consumption of electricity, density of urban population, and overall socioeconomic status. They then divided countries into three groups according to the average amount of light per person: little exposure, medium exposure, and high exposure.

Countries with low exposure had 66.77 prostate cancer patients per 100,000 people. For countries with medium exposure, the rate increased 30 percent to 87.11 patients per 100,000. Countries with the highest exposure jumped 80 percent to 157 patients per 100,000. The researchers say there is a definite cause and effect between artificial light and prostate cancer, but no one can explain the mechanism, although there are several theories, such as light at night upsetting the body’s biological clock.

In a previous study, the same researchers found a similar link between light at night and breast cancer. 

Basics To Avoid The Four Deadliest Cancers

About 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year and about 500,000 die from the disease. Some cancers claim more victims than others, and there are things you can do to avoid becoming a victim. Here are the four deadliest cancers and how you can avoid them:

• Lung. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in America and will claim more than 157,000 victims this year. More than 80 percent of lung cancers are linked to smoking. Even if you don’t smoke, but live or work with smokers, your risk rises due to second-hand smoke. Don’t smoke and encourage the smokers in your life to quit.
  
  
• Colon. Colon cancer will kill about 57,000 Americans this year, but it is a highly curable cancer if caught early. Follow your doctor’s advice for screening. Since high-fat diets and sedentary lifestyles double the risk of colon cancer, switch to a diet rich in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables and add exercise to your daily routine.
  
  
• Breast. Although 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year, 85 percent of breast cancer patients are alive five years after diagnosis. The five-year survival rate rises to 95 percent if the cancer is localized, so early detection is essential.
  
  
• Prostate. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men over the age of 70 and will kill 29,000 Americans this year. Although scientists aren’t sure just exactly what triggers prostate cancer, many believe it’s linked to a high fat diet heavy in red meat.

To avoid all cancers:

• Exercise
• Watch your weight
• Don’t smoke
• Eat a low-fat, high fiber diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Get regular check-ups and screenings -  But do your research on mammograms and others
• Consider genetic testing if certain cancers run in your family
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Drink lots of water but avoid plastic bottles and containers

Even the deadliest cancers can be conquered if they are caught early enough. If you have a family history of cancer, screening and early detection can make the difference between life and death. Avoiding known lifestyle risk factors for cancer such as smoking help you avoid the “Big C.” 

Red Wine -- It's Like the New Green Vegetable

Red wine seems to be the new “green vegetable”… good for practically everything. New research points to a surprising and counterintuitive connection between moderate wine consumption and the lower risk of a certain kind of liver disease... plus, I recently saw another study that suggests serving red wine with steaks can help diminish the harmful effects associated with eating red meat. Once again it appears that modern science is confirming age-old wisdom, in this case those who revered the “nectar of the Gods.”

SHALL WE DRINK TO THAT?

Of course, experts are quick to point out that wine is beneficial to your health in moderation only. That said, following are a sample of the many benefits that moderate wine consumption may confer upon your health…

• Lowers risk of liver disease.  Considered by some to be an emerging epidemic, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease in the United States today, due in large part to our Western lifestyle and obesity, notes study author Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, MD, at the University of California, San Diego. He and his colleagues found that moderate wine drinkers are significantly less likely to develop NAFLD than nondrinkers, even after controlling for other possible contributing factors.

• Healthier heart. Wine in particular possesses potent heart-healthy benefits, according to a large-scale study, published in 2000, which included Copenhagen City Heart Study data. Researchers found the risk of death significantly lower than for people who did not drink wine and believe it’s due to ethanol and the substances in wine. Other research shows that the high polyphenol content in red wine protects the linings of cardiovascular blood vessels and may inhibit plaque formation.

• Prostate cancer protection. Men who drink four to seven glasses of red wine weekly are half as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as men who do not drink red wine, according to research from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Doctors speculate that healthful antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids and resveratrol are responsible for this effect. White wine was helpful too, but not as much as red wine, which is a richer source of these health-promoting compounds.

• Kidney care.  Drinking at least two glasses of red wine a week may lower the risk of kidney cancer, say doctors at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Beneficial effects were also found with white wine and strong beer, but not liquor. Other research, conducted in part at Harvard Medical School, suggests that men who consume seven or more drinks weekly have a 29% lower risk of developing kidney problems.

• Longer life.  One day resveratrol may prove to be the key to unlocking the secret of lasting youth. Laboratory tests demonstrate that this antioxidant compound in red wine prevents early death in mice that were fed high-fat diets.  (For more on the health benefits of resveratrol, see Daily Health News, August 2007.) Yet so far no human research has taken place, so further study is needed.

TO YOUR HEALTH

So it seems there’s some merit to such toasts as “salud” (health) and “l’chaim” (to life).  Enjoying a glass of red wine with your evening meal may indeed improve your health and extend your life -- but do so with restraint, and drink at mealtime, since food slows alcohol absorption. Most experts suggest that an intake of one to two glasses of wine a day for men and one for women is optimal for health benefits. More, however, may increase the risk of some of the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. Red wines have more polyphenols than white (which, as noted above, can also be beneficial) but not all red wines offer equal potency of this health-promoting compound. A study in the scientific journal Nature reported that the most powerful heart-healthy polyphenols are procyanidins, which is the main source of the vascular health benefits in red wine. Wines from Southern France and Sardinia were found to have higher concentrations, due to production methods. Other research shows that the darker the wine, in general, the healthier.

However none of this is meant to suggest you ought to cultivate a wine habit if you don’t want to or don’t particularly enjoy it.  Immoderate alcohol consumption has a greater negative effect than the positive beneficial effects. Dr. Schwimmer takes cautionary advice a step further, warning that people at risk for alcohol abuse or alcoholism (for example, those with a personal or family history) should not consume wine or other alcoholic beverages.  Fortunately for teetotalers, there’s an excellent alternative -- red grape juice and grapes themselves are rich sources of many of the same beneficial compounds as red wine. Other antioxidant-packed options include blueberries, cranberries, elderberries and pomegranates. If you’re worried about the consequences of imbibing too much nectar of the Gods, just reach for a bunch of grapes.

Source(s):

Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, MD, director, Fatty Liver Clinic, associate professor of pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, California