Smart Bytes™
Feeling nutrition info overload? I will help you sort through to find what’s important to you. Read more. . .
Broccoli: Something Special or Just Another Green Vegetable?
Not-So-Boring-Broccoli from the American Institute for Cancer Research http://www.aicr.org/health-features/test-kitchen/six-on-the-side-dishes.html
Exotic tropical fruits come and go as “super foods” in the spotlight, but for years broccoli has maintained a place on the A-list of healthy vegetables. Is it really justified, or just another example of nutrition hype? Do some of us benefit more than others? Continue reading
The Diabetes-Cancer Connection: What does it mean?
OK, call me a Pollyanna, but some good can come from realizing the increase in cancer risk linked to type 2 diabetes. By supplying evidence of an important pathway in cancer’s development, we have more clarity on steps that can have double impact, decreasing risk of diabetes and all its complications AND decreasing cancer risk at the same time.
Last week I was fortunate to speak on this topic as part of a webinar for the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). My co-presenter was the distinguished Canadian researcher in this field, Michael Pollak, M.D. Don’t get me wrong – the diabetes-cancer link is worrisome, since the skyrocketing rates of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. suggest that in years to come, rates of diabetes-related cancers could soar as well. Today, though, let’s focus on the silver lining: if we act now to create a few basic changes in lifestyle and eating patterns, we might still turn this Titanic around in time. Continue reading
Fiber & Breast Cancer Risk: What you need to know now
Can dietary fiber reduce breast cancer risk? A new analysis adds fresh insights to a Smart Bytes discussion of just a few months ago about a previously published analysis on this subject. This new analysis includes additional studies and drills down to see if fiber’s effects differ by amount and type of fiber.
What to Do About Vitamin D & Cancer Risk: New Insights from Top Researchers (Part 2)
Is a vitamin D supplement a smart choice to reduce cancer risk?
Vitamin D’s potential to reduce cancer risk – and maybe even improve outcome of its treatment – is a field of research that is hot, hot, hot. As we discussed in last week’s post on the research, for now we have far more questions than answers. While we wait for answers, what do we do about vitamin D? Here are insights from some top researchers on the subject. Continue reading
Vitamin D & Cancer Risk: New Insights from Top Researchers (Part 1)
Good evidence supports the potential for vitamin D to play a role in reducing cancer risk. However, optimal levels remain unclear, since some studies raise concern that body levels of vitamin D that are too high could pose risk.
Does vitamin D help lower cancer risk? If so, how much is best? (Image courtesy of NCI)
Vitamin D’s relationship to cancer was a major session at the latest research conference sponsored by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), and new studies are underway to provide clearer answers. Here are insights from top researchers in the field to help us as we try to figure out what we should do while we wait for those answers. Continue reading
Extended Sitting: Why researchers see health impact & What you can do
Put aside thoughts of whether or not you meet recommendations for walking or other moderate activity, and answer two questions of newly recognized importance: How many minutes a day do you spend butt-in-chair or-car? And of that time, how much is extended sitting versus up-and-down?
Are too much sitting and too little activity independent health risks?
The potential relevance of these two questions to your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases was one of the major topics emerging from last week’s research conference held by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
Since I’ve been back from the conference, I’ve been plowing through the latest findings. There’s enough here that I will be making some simple changes in my life, and will be more intentional about encouraging them in my work with clients and in speaking.
Breast Cancer Risk: Does Boosting Fiber Help?
The latest major research report on diet’s link to breast cancer risk concluded that data is too limited to allow any conclusions about dietary fiber. Since then, a few more studies have added to the picture. In a recent combined analysis of ten population studies, involving more than 712,000 women, those who consumed the most dietary fiber were less likely to develop breast cancer than those who consumed the least. 
Is this enough to justify any change in steps we already take to reduce breast cancer risk?