Pancreatic Cancer and Drinking

Heavy Drinking Associated
With Increased Risk of
Pancreatic Cancer

Heavy alcohol consumption, specifically three
or more glasses of liquor a day, is associated
with an increased risk of death from pancreatic
cancer, according to a report in the March 14

issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine",
one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"Alcoholic beverage consumption is related to several

cancers including: oral cavity, pharynx, larynx,
esophagus, liver, colorectum and female breast cancers,"
the researchers wrote as background information in their

article. "Heavy alcohol consumption causes acute and

chronic pancreatitis but has never been linked definitively
to pancreatic cancer."

Using data from the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II),
the team of researchersfrom the American Cancer

Society, Atlanta, examined the association between
alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer. The CPS-II is a

long-term prospective study of U.S. adults 30 years and
older. Initial data on alcohol consumption was gathered
in 1982, and based on follow-up through 2006, there
were 6,847 pancreatic cancer deaths among one million
participants.

Of the million participants (453,770 men and 576,697
women), 45.7 percent of men and 62.5 percent of

women were non-drinkers. The analyses of men only
and of men and women combined showed statistically

significant increased risk of pancreatic cancer death for
consumption of three drinks per day and four or more
drinks per day, whereas for women only the estimated
risk of death from pancreatic cancer was statistically

significant for consumption of four or more drinks
per day.

Compared with non-drinkers, consuming three or
more drinks of liquor per day was associated with an

increased risk of pancreatic cancer death in the total
study population, and consumption of two or more

drinks of liquor per day was associated with an

increased risk in both never smokers and in those
who had ever smoked. This association was observed
specifically for liquor consumption but not for beer or
wine.

In never smokers, there was a 36 percent higher risk
of pancreatic cancer death associated with consuming

three or more drinks a day compared with non-drinkers
for men and women combined. In those who had ever

smoked, there was a 16 percent higher risk of death
from pancreatic cancer after adjustments for smoking
history and other variables.

"Findings from the prospective study presented herein
strongly support the hypothesis that alcohol consumption,
in particular heavy liquor intake, also is an independent
risk factor for pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common
cause of cancer mortality [death] in the United States,"
the researchers concluded.

Journal Reference:

JAMA / Archives Journals.

Association of Alcohol Intake With Pancreatic Cancer
Mortality in Never Smokers. Arch Intern Med, 2011

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice,

diagnosis or treatment.

Olive Oil Is Benefit Heart Health

Olive Oil Is A Rich Source
Of Key Polyphenols
To Benefit Heart Health

Daily doses of polyphenol-rich
olive oil may boost levels of an
antibody that counters oxidized
LDL cholesterol, helping reduce
the risk of artery hardening and
heart disease, reported from a
new study five European countries.

According to results from the
"EurOlive Study", a daily dose of
olive oil polyphenols increased levels
of oxidized LDL autoantibodies (OLAB), which reduced
levels of oxidized LDL, an accepted risk factor for artery
hardening (atherosclerosis).

The study involves researchers from universities in
five European countries and is examining the potential
benefits of consuming polyphenol-rich olive oil at
optimum amounts.

"A direct protective role of OLAB on atherosclerosis
generation has been previously established and our
results provide further support to recommend the use of
polyphenol-rich olive oil as a source of fat, particularly for
individuals presenting a high oxidative status," wrote the
researchers in Clinical Nutrition.

Olive oil phenolic compounds, such as oleuropein and
cafeic acid have attracted attention because of their
potential anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-
inflammatory properties. Such compounds have been
also associated with the antioxidant activity of olive oil.

The researchers recruited 200 health men and randomly
assigned them to three week intervention sequences to
consume 25 milliliters per day of olive oils containing
different levels of phenolic compounds. The high group's
dose was 366 mg per kg of olive oil, the medium dose
was 164 mg/kg, and low dose was 2.7 mg/kg.

Results showed that OLAB levels were inversely
associated with oxidized LDL levels and that consumption
of the polyphenol-rich oil was associated with an increase
in OLAB levels. Indeed, the increase in OLAB levels were
dose-dependent, so the higher the polyphenol content,
the greater the OLAB increase, said the researchers.

"In our European populations we observed an inverse
relationship between oxLDL concentrations and OLAB,"
wrote the researchers.

"On the basis of our results two mechanisms could
be implied in high OLAB levels linked to high olive oil
phenolic compounds: 1) an immune response stimulation
by olive oil phenolic compounds, and 2) a lack of
clearance of free OLABS due to a reduction in oxLDL
levels by olive oil phenolic compounds," they concluded.

Source: Clinical Nutrition

Published online 10.1016/j.clnu.2011

"The effect of olive oil polyphenols on antibodies
against oxidized LDL. A randomized clinical trial"

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice,

diagnosis or treatment.

Banana peels show promise as superior water purification materials.

Banana Peels Studied As Effective, Cost-Efficient Water Purifier

Banana peels show promise as superior water
purification materials.

The inventive uses for banana
peels which include polishing
silverware, leather shoes, and
the leaves of house plants are
fascinating. Now scientists have
added purification of drinking
water contaminated with
potentially toxic metals as an

important use for banana peels.

Scientific reports show minced

banana peel performs better
than an array of other purification materials and appears
in the American Chemical Society's journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

The researchers note that mining processes, runoff
from farms, and industrial wastes can all put heavy
metals, such as lead and copper, into waterways.
Heavy metals can have adverse health and environmental

effects. Current methods of removing heavy metals from

water are expensive, and some substances used in the
process are toxic themselves. Previous work has shown

that some plant wastes, such as coconut fibers and

peanut shells, can remove these potential toxins from
water. In this report, the researchers wanted to find out

whether minced banana peels could also act as water

purifiers.

The researchers found that minced banana peel could

quickly remove lead and copper from river water as well
as, or better than, many other materials. A purification
apparatus made of banana peels can be used up to 11
times without losing its metal-binding properties, they
note. The research team conducting the study adds
that banana peels are very attractive as water purifiers
because of their low cost and because they don't have
to be chemically modified in order to perform effectively.

Story Source: American Chemical Society.

Journal Reference: Banana Peel Applied to the
Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from
River Water: Pre-concentration of Metal Ions with
a Fruit Waste. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
Research, 2011

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice,

diagnosis or treatment.

Lingonberry Extract Demonstrates Impressive Antioxidant Activity

High-Potency Antioxidants, Carotenoids and
Phytonutrients From Superfruits & Berries Are
Now Recognized For Building The Immune System,
Weight Management, According To New Research

An extract from the red Nordic lingonberry may
increase the body's total antioxidant status and boost
antioxidant defense enzymes, says new data.

According to data from experiments with laboratory
subjects, a dose of 23 milligrams per kilogram of body
weight was sufficient to prevent a decrease in levels of

beneficial glutathione, a non-essential nutrient and
co-factor in the antioxidant enzyme glutathione
peroxidase.

The study, using Chr Hansen's food-grade lingonberry
extract (Vaccinium vitisidaea), provides scientific support
to the ingredient.

Researchers from Chr Hansen, UMR408 INRA
(University of Avignon) France and Avantage Nutrition in

Marseilles report their fidings in a paper published online

ahead of print in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry.

Chr Hansen introduced the nutrititive ingredient globally
in 2008 of the Nordic red berry as part of its berry extract
range that includes cranberry, bilberry, blackberry,

blackcurrant, lutein and lycopene.

The lingonberry is commonly consumed in Nordic
countries in the format of a juice or a food ingredient,
but is relatively used of outside of Scandinavia.

Like most superfruits, the lingonberry has elevated levels
of phytonutrients such as flavonoids and phenolic acids.
It is being marketed on its heart health, immunity and

anti-aging benefits as well as urinary tract infection (UTI).

Study Details

Before testing the ingredient, the researchers
characterized the polyphenolic content. Results showed
that the extract contained procyanidins B1, B2, and A2,

along with other flavanol oligomers. The researchers
also noted large concentrations of aglycones for ferulic
acid, p-coumaric acid, and quercetin.

The main anthocyanin was confirmed as cyanidin-
3-O-galactoside, while "ten anthocyanins detected in
the processed extract were characterized for the first
time in lingonberry", they added. These included
"3-O-Galactoside derivatives of peonidin and malvidin,

respectively", they said.

For the study, the researchers divided subjects into
five groups: The first group received a cholesterol-free,
low-fat diet (control group); the second group received
a diet high in fat and cholesterol only, while the other
groups received the same high-fat, cholesterol diet
with supplemental doses of lingonberry of 41.7, 83.3,
and 250 mg per 100 grams of diet.

"As compared with high-fat and cholesterol only diet,
the diets enriched with lingonberry extract exhibit a
significant antioxidant protective effect and total

antioxidant status is lowered by 25 percent whatever
the dosage," reported the researchers.

"Although not statistically different, the total oxidant
status is 13 percent lower in the subjects consuming
diets the lingonberry-supplemented diets compared
to the low-fat control diet," they added.

In terms of antioxidant effect in vivo, the researchers
noted that all the doses of lingonberry used promoted
the apparent antioxidant protective effects, with the

optimal promotion observed for the intermediate dose.

"From this study, the use of lingonberry extract as a
dietary supplement may be considered in the future to

improve the antioxidant activity in human health while

minimizing the active volume to be ingested compared
to berries," they concluded.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

(Published online)

"Food Grade Lingonberry Extract: Polyphenolic
Composition and In Vivo Protective Effect Against
Oxidative Stress"

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice,

diagnosis or treatment.

Coffee May Reduce Strokes in Women

Reduced Stroke Risk In Women
Linked To Daily Coffee Drinking

Drinking more than
one cup of coffee a day
was associated with a
22 percent to 25 percent
lower risk of stroke,
compared with those
who drank less, in a
study reported in "Stroke"

Journal of the American Heart Association.

Low or no coffee consumption was associated with
an increased risk of stroke in a study of 34,670 women
(ages 49 to 83) followed for an average 10.4 years.
Although it may be too soon to change coffee-drinking

habits, the study should ease the concerns of some
women, the researchers suggested.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages
in the world. "Therefore, even small health effects of

substances in coffee may have large public health

consequences," said researchers conducting the study
from the Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, National

Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska

Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Groups of people who reported drinking 1-2 cups per
day, 3-4 cups per day or 5 or more cups per day had
similar benefits compared with those who reported daily

intake of less than a cup of coffee, researchers said.

The differences were unchanged by smoking status,
body mass index, history of diabetes, hypertension
or alcohol consumption, indicating that coffee's effects
are not influenced by those known cardiovascular risk

factors.

Scientists have theorized that coffee could have either
beneficial or harmful effects on the cardiovascular
system, but earlier studies have been inconclusive.
Only one previous prospective study, which was also

inconclusive, examined the association between coffee

consumption and stroke incidence in healthy women.

"Our research group has previously observed an
inverse association between coffee consumption and
risk in Finnish male smokers," the researchers said.
"We wanted to assess the situation in women."

The women participated in the long-running Swedish
Mammography Cohort, an epidemiological study

investigating the association between diet, lifestyle
and disease development. All the women were free
of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline in
1997, when they answered the food frequency
questionnaire analyzed in the study.

Researchers collected data on cases of first stroke
that occurred between Jan. 1, 1998 and Dec. 31, 2008,
by linking the study group with the Swedish Hospital

Discharge Registry that provides almost complete
coverage of Swedish hospital discharges.

Researchers documented 1,680 strokes: 1,310
cerebral infarctions/ischemic strokes (caused by
blockages), 154 intracerebral hemorrhages (caused
by bleeding inside the brain), 79 subarachnoid
hemorrhages (caused by bleeding on the surface
of the brain) and 137 unspecified strokes.

After adjustment for other risk factors, coffee
consumption was associated with a statistically
significant lower risk of total stroke, cerebral infarction
and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The small numbers of intracerebral hemorrhage could
have factored in the lack of an association with that
stroke subtype, she said. In general, cerebral infarction

is most strongly associated with dietary factors.

The food frequency questionnaire made no distinction
between regular and decaffeinated coffee but
decaffeinated coffee consumption in the Swedish

population is low.

Potential ways that coffee drinking might reduce
the risk of stroke include weakening subclinical
inflammation, reducing oxidative stress and improving
insulin sensitivity, they said.

The study's limitations include the use of a self-
administered questionnaire to determine medical

history and history of coffee consumption, which
inevitably includes some measurement error and

mis-classification of exposure, and the possibility
of an unrecognized confounding factor associated
with either low or moderate coffee consumption.

"Some women have avoided consuming coffee
because they have thought it is unhealthy. In fact,
increasing evidence indicates that moderate coffee

consumption may decrease the risk of some diseases
such as diabetes, liver cancer and possibly stroke."

More studies on coffee consumption and stroke are
needed before firm conclusions can be reached,
they said.

Story Source: American Heart Association

Journal Reference: Coffee Consumption and
Risk of Stroke in Women. Stroke, 2011;

B Vitamins and PMS

Increased B Vitamins
May Ease PMS Symptoms

Vitamins and Minerals
Valuable For Helping
Support Women's
Health, According
To Research

Higher intakes of the B vitamins
thiamine (B1) and riboflavin (B2)
from the diet may reduce the
incidence of premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) by about
35 percent, suggest important new findings.

According to a new report published in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the link between B vitamins
and PMS is biologically crucial since B vitamins such as

thiamine and riboflavin are known to play important roles
in the synthesis of various neurotransmitters involved in
PMS.

While most women experience mild emotional or
physical premenstrual symptoms, as many as 20% of

women experience symptoms severe enough to meet
the definition of premenstrual syndrome, which can
substantially interfere with daily activities and
relationships.

The new study, performed by researchers from the

University of Massachusetts, Harvard, and the University
of Iowa, indicates that increase intakes of certain
B vitamins from food sources may help reduce the
incidence of PMS.

Study Details

Using data from 1,057 women with PMS and 1,968
women without PMS participating in the Nurses' Health
Study II cohort, the researchers found that women with
the highest average intakes of riboflavin two to four
years prior to diagnosis were associated with a 35
percent lower incidence of PMS than women with the
lowest average intakes.

On the other hand, the researchers did not observe any
benefits with other B vitamins, including niacin, folate, B6,
and B12. In addition, supplemental intakes of these
vitamins was not linked to PMS incidence, they added.

"We observed a significantly lower risk of PMS in women
with high intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food
sources only," wrote the researchers. "Further research
is needed to evaluate the effects of B vitamins in the
development of premenstrual syndrome."

Other Vitamins

Beyond the B vitamins, there is also some evidence
for the potential of a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
to lower the risk of developing PMS, a condition that
affects up to a fifth of all women.

According to a study published in 2005 in the
Archives of Internal Medicine (Vol. 165, pp1246-1252),
researchers from the University of Massachusetts and

GlaxoSmithKline reported for the first time that calcium
and vitamin D may help prevent the initial development
of PMS.

Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Published online

"Dietary B vitamin intake and incident premenstrual syndrome"

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Tomatoes For Better Health

Emerging Science on
The Important Health Benefits
of Eating Tomatoes

Eating more tomatoes
and tomato products
can make people healthier
and decrease the risk of
conditions such as
cancer, osteoporosis and
cardiovascular disease, according to a review article the "American
Journal of Lifestyle Medicine."

Of all the non-starchy vegetables, Americans eat
more tomatoes and tomato products than any others. Researchers from the National Center for Food Safety
& Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and
ConAgra Foods, Inc., examined the current research
to discover the role tomato products play in health and disease risk reduction.

The researchers found that tomatoes are the biggest
source of dietary Lycopene; a powerful antioxidant that,
unlike nutrients in most fresh fruits and vegetables, has

even greater bioavailability after cooking and processing.
Tomatoes also contain other protective mechanisms,
such as antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory functions.
Research has additionally found a relationship between
eating tomatoes and a lower risk of certain cancers as
well as other conditions, including cardiovascular
disease, osteoporosis, ultraviolet light-induced skin
damage, and cognitive dysfunction.

Tomatoes are cost-effective and are available in many
forms. "Leveraging emerging science about tomatoes
and tomato products may be one simple and effective

strategy to help individuals increase vegetable intake,
leading to improved overall eating patterns, and
ultimately, better health." write the authors.

"Tomatoes are the most important non-starchy
vegetable in the American diet. Research underscores
the relationship between consuming tomatoes and
reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other
conditions," the authors conclude. "The evidence also
suggests that consumption of tomatoes should be
recommended because of the nutritional benefits and
because it may be a simple and effective strategy for
increasing overall vegetable intake."

The article is particularly timely since the recently
released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
moved tomatoes to a newly established category
of "orange/red" fruits and vegetables to encourage
higher consumption of these healthy foods.

Tomato Consumption and Health: Emerging Benefits. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 2010;