Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

In 2007, 7.6 million people died from cancer worldwide, but a new study by World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research reveals better diets, more exercise and controlling weight is enough to stifle global cancer rates. Calling cancer “mostly preventable” researchers found 43% of colon and 42% of breast cancer in the U.K., 45% of bowel and 38% of breast cancer in the U.S., and other cancers, like prostate and pancreas, could be avoided with healthier lifestyles and diets consisting of more fruits and vegetables and less meat and dairy; Reuters reports

No real shocker here. Foods high in saturated fat, i.e. meat and dairy, are constantly being linked to cancer, like adenocarcinomas and carcinoid tumors in the small intestine, disease progression after prostate cancer surgery, and dioxin, a toxic compound found butter and cheese, is a prominent risk-factor for cancer. So don’t be like this dope and ignore everything and only eat bacon for a month!

Now, flip the script for a second, fruits and vegetables have the opposite effect on cancer. Recently, research determined sulforaphane, a chemical found in green veggies like broccoli, induces enzymes that protect against cancer and eating 28 servings of vegetables a week can cut the risk of prostate cancer by 33%. And fruits, like pomegranates, are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants.

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• I guess squirrels don’t get peanut allergies. But kids don’t have to get them either! A new study in the journal Allergy claims kids fed increasing amounts of peanut flour over a period of six weeks actually built up higher thresholds to peanuts over time; via FoodNavigator.

• Cinnamon is already an aphrodisiac, but now new research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests eating 3 grams of cinnamon per day could also help control blood glucose levels, by lowering insulin response after a meal; NutraIngredients reports.

• Now, quite the opposite, new findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reveal drinking beverages sweated with pure fructose, not high-fructose corn syrup, with food raises triglycerides in obese people after eating; back to FoodNavigator.

• Global food production may face more problems by 2050, like even higher food prices and 50% of food grain being diverted to livestock due to stagnant cereal crops. But right now, there is some good news. Organic agriculture is up 128% in East Africa; from TreeHugger.

• Video games can distract you from our food woes. But don’t play too much! Some gamers are developing painful lumps on their palms from the Sony PlayStation controller, called "PlayStation palmar hidradentitis." They’re actually skin lesions; Reuters investigates.

• Killer video games are not the only danger to young people. New data from the CDC reveals people between the ages of 18 to 29 aren’t as healthy as we assume. They smoke too much, nearly a quarter are obese and they don’t exercise nearly enough; via Fit Sugar.

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Wow, new findings in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggest being mentally tired may cause you to become exhausted more quickly during exercise, but researchers claim your muscles and heart don’t underperform. It’s your “perceived effort” that’s dragging you down. On one day 16 participants were given a demanding 90-minute test and on another day they watched TV for 90-minutes. When put on a stationary bike 15% of subjects stopped exercising sooner when they were mentally pooped; Reuters explains.

I relate to this big time! Tell me if you do too. A year ago I exercised a ton; Yoga, running, weights and more running! But I couldn’t do it anymore, too busy. Nowadays, DiseaseProof draws major attention, so I had to step up my game, hopefully you’ve noticed. Long story short, I was leaving the gym near death. Now I’ve cut back. I still exercise 6 days a week, but for shorter intervals and no more working out twice a day. That was crazy!

Clearly, pushing yourself to mental and physical exhaustion is a dumb idea. Our bodies need sufficient rest and recovery to function properly and previous reports insist Americans are overworked and under-slept. So cut yourself a break. You probably need it.

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• At 66 years old rock and roll immortal, Sir Paul McCartney, isn’t slowing down. In fact, the newly named Fireman does Yoga six times a day. He does eye Yoga, something he picked up during a recent trip to India. It involves various eye movements to keep the eye muscles strong; from Healthy Hollywood.

• New findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggest postmenopausal women who exercise more have improved mental and physical wellbeing. Participants in all 3 exercise groups (the fourth was a control group) reported better quality of life and weight-loss of up to 4.10 pounds; via HealthDay News.

• The United Kingdom Conservative Party has placed a bid to change the law for stricter country-of-origin labeling of meat. Current regulations allow imported meat to be processed in Britain, i.e. made into prepared meals, sausage, pies and other foods, but labeled as British meat; FoodNavigator reports.

• Apparently an owner of the peanut company linked to the deadly peanut butter-salmonella outbreak that caused 600 illnesses and 8 deaths, urged his workers to ship tainted products after receiving test results identifying salmonella contamination. The owner was worried about lost sales; ENN explains.

• Another study in the Archives of Internal Medicine claims bad sleeping habits might cause psychiatric illnesses, like depression, or lead to unusual behavior that may cause doctors to mistakenly diagnosis someone with mental problems and prescribe unnecessary psychoactive drugs; NewScientists reports.

• A U.S. court has ruled against three families who claimed vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella vaccine caused their children's autism, concluding that the families were misled, saying evidence does support that thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, damages immune systems; from Reuters.

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Reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association researchers reveal weight-loss and lifestyle changes are more effective than insulin therapy for overweight individuals with insulin-resistant type-2 diabetes. High insulin levels overload tissues with fatty molecules, leading to insulin-resistance. And treating people with MORE insulin does not overpower the resistance, but can cause organ damage. Losing weight and improving diet is much safer; Medical News Today explains.

An estimated 24 million Americans now have diabetes. And drugs are not answer. According to Dr. Fuhrman, a diet rich in healthy foods, such as green vegetables, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, raw nuts, seeds and some fruit, in combination with weight-loss and exercise can help you kick insulin and reverse diabetes.

America needs to take the hint! More and more of us have chronic conditions, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, than ever before. And all this extra fat isn’t helping.

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• Some health experts believe our obsession with cleanliness is making us sick. They’re even being so bold to suggest we eat some worms and dirt and, get your vomit bags ready, ingest fecal bacteria. Exposure to filth may bolster our immune system; via DiscoBlog.

• Misdiagnosed food allergies may be on the rise and in extreme cases putting children at risk for malnutrition. And reports claim avoiding certain foods for fear of mistaken food allergies may make children more sensitive when foods are eventually eaten; from Well.

• We all know antioxidants in fruits and vegetables keep you healthy. Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants. So, one company has invented cranberry dental floss and claims using it attaches phytochemicals to your teeth and prevents gum disease; via Vitamin G.

• On Tuesday, the owner of the U.S. peanut company responsible for the salmonella-peanut butter outbreak pleaded the 5th and refused to answer questions before Congress, while internal company messages show him complaining about lost profits; Reuters reports.

• Nintendo’s Wii Fit is different than other video games systems. In that it requires some moving around, rather than just sitting on your butt all day, but gaming experts call Wii Fit an exercise fad with very few people continuing to use it after a month; Forbes explains.

• Speaking of exercise, given America’s bulging weight problem, the accepted standard of 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week may not be enough for long term weight-loss. Rather, some people are in favor of 200 to 300 minutes of exercise per week; Reuters investigates.

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You might not realize it, but osteoporosis is an epidemic, effecting 8 million American women and 2 million men, yes men can get it too, and causes 1.5 million bone fractures each year. Now, in his brand new DVD, Osteoporosis Protection for Life, Dr. Fuhrman discusses the causes of osteoporosis, offers prevention strategies, like nutrition and exercise, and dispels a lot of the misinformation about osteoporosis.

Like how drugs aren’t the answer. In January, a study came out linking the popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax with esophageal cancer. From October 2005 to May 2008, the FDA received 23 claims of patients being diagnosed with esophagus cancer and Fosamax is the suspect drug in 21 cases and the concomitant drug in 2. And previously, Fosamax and its generic alendronate were found to be associated with irregular heartbeat. Eek!

Then later in January, we learned not all exercise is created equal. Cyclists, despite being thin and fit, actually have more osteoporosis. That’s why researchers suggested bike-riders add running and weight-training to their workouts. Strong muscles mean strong bones and no hip fractures. Because just the other day a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed mortality, i.e. death risk, after a hip fracture lasts for at least 10 years.

So, if broken hips, brittle bones and drug side effects aren’t your thing, give Osteoporosis Protection for Life a try. In it, Dr. Fuhrman also talks about how much calcium people need and the importance of getting vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, what foods are loaded with calcium, such as Bok-choy and spinach, and for you fitness nuts, like me, Dr. Fuhrman demonstrates some funky exercises, like squat jumps, lunge walks and superman swim. It’s a bird, it’s a plane!

Okay, not to be all salesy, but if you’re a man or woman, or just a smart-alecky twenty-something like me, Osteoporosis Protection for Life could be a launching pad on your way to strong, healthy bones. No one wants to be a hunchback when they’re older—right?

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It’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room. The recession, depression or whatever we’re in. People are worried. Things are bad! And during an economic slump people’s health is at risk, particularly their diets. History shows candy consumption goes up and newer reports reveal people eat more fast food and less fruits and veggies when money is tight.

Resist the temptation! Eat your fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans. And, listen to these tips by a professor from the University of California for staying heart healthy during the recession, such as exercising more, eating lots of fresh simple foods at home, avoiding secondhand smoke, and find ways or activities to reduce stress; via HealthDay News.

And ignore companies like Krispy Kreme who hock free coffee and doughnuts to mark the Great Depression. Oh, you’re broke? Now get fat too!

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Obesity is on the rise, especially among children. So getting kids to run around is a good idea, but a new study in Child Development reveals many children in preschool spend only 8% of their day involved light physical activity and just 3% doing moderate to vigorous physical activity, but the rest of the day, 89%, is spent sedentary and teachers were unlikely to encourage kids to be more physically active. But placing toys outside in open spaces made kids more likely to get moving; from EurekAlert!

No doubt, this isn’t helping to lessen the obesity trend and to make matters worse. Pediatricians are failing to diagnosis weight problems in children. In an earlier report, only 10% of children studied were given a weight-related diagnosis. And many parents don’t even realize their kid is overweight.

In December, a study found that parents’ genetics are linked to a child’s risk of obesity, but social factors, like lifestyle choices, physical activity and meals, are just as important. Everyone, exercise!

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Last week, Howard Stern said he wanted six-pack abs. So, being a super-fan, I asked Dr. Fuhrman to help him out. And today, Lisa G. of Howard 100 News talked about it on the show!

Here’s the transcript of Lisa in the studio with Howard and Robin from today’s show:

Howard: Anything else?

Lisa: Yes, an online health blog has given advice to you. Advice on how you might be able to finally get the six-pack abs that you’re hoping for. Dr. Joel Fuhrman recommends that you eat carefully every other day, just vegetables, beans and fruit with no grains, oils or animal products. You should be avoiding bread, olive oil and egg whites on those careful days.

Howard: If I did that, I would probably lose another 20 pounds and I’d look like a skeleton.

Robin: But your abs would be flat!

Lisa: You’d get cut.

Howard: I see these guys and they’re also big on top and stuff. I don’t know how they do it. Me, I just start looking more like I was just released from Auschwitz. I don’t get it.

Lisa: Well, the bodybuilders I know they eat eggs whites chicken and broccoli.

Howard: Nah. I don’t think they run. I think that’s what the secret is.

Robin: No. But you got to run. Because you got to take down the body fat, right?

Howard: I don’t know. I don’t know how they do it. And you know what, I’m a little passed my prime.

Robin: You think it’s that. You’re passed the prime.

Howard: My trainer says if I stood up straight I would have no belly.

Everyone laughs.

A mention on the Howard Stern Show, so freaking cool! Thanks again to Lisa G. And Lisa, come on. Take me up on my offer. You and me, let’s do dinner! I’ll bring you free books.

Hey everyone, email Howard 100 News and tell Lisa G. she needs to have dinner with yours truly: howard100news@sirius-radio.com. Help a brother out!

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