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

Alcohol can destroy your health. Last month, studies found alcohol heightens risk of both colon and prostate cancer, but now, new findings in the Journal of Food Science suggest nutrients in asparagus may protect the liver against alcohol toxins associated with hangovers.

Researchers at the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea analyzed the components of young asparagus shoots and leaves to compare their biochemical effects on human and rat liver cells. "The amino acid and mineral contents were found to be much higher in the leaves than the shoots," says lead researcher B.Y. Kim.

Chronic alcohol use causes oxidative stress on the liver as well as unpleasant physical effects associated with a hangover. "Cellular toxicities were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots," says Kim. "These results provide evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells."

Booze is no party, even moderate drinking is suspect. Dr. Fuhrman insists moderate drinking—commonly defined as one drink a maximum of one drink per day for women and two drinks for men—may cause health problems, such extra body fat, cancer and atrial fibrillation.

Consuming more than this is associated with increased fat around the waist and other significant health problems.1 Even a moderate amount of alcohol may also increase the risk of breast cancer in susceptible women.2 The other problem with alcohol, especially more than one drink a day, is it can create mild withdrawal sensations the next day.

These sensations are commonly mistaken for hunger, which leads people to eat more than is necessary. Because of this, moderate drinkers are usually overweight. Furthermore, recent studies have also shown that even moderate alcohol consumption is linked to a significantly increased incidence of atrial fibrillation, a condition that can lead to stroke.3

But asparagus is amazing! Dr. Fuhrman says it’s full of health-promoting vitamins and nutrients, such as calcium and folate. All these plant nutrients help protect against cancer.

Asparagus is one of the most healthful foods on the planet. It leads nearly all fruits and vegetables in the wide array of nutrients it supplies. Ten ounces (one box of frozen spears) have only 68 calories and 9 grams of protein, yet it is like a vitamin pill, giving you a variety of minerals such as selenium, zinc, calcium, copper, and manganese. Plus, it is very rich in folate.

Asparagus has an exceptionally high nutrient-per-calorie ratio and is the perfect weight-loss food. Anti--cancer compounds that have been shown to prevent tumors and cancers in animals are plentiful in asparagus. Asparagus also contains isothiocyanates, indoles, and sulforaphane, powerful compounds that promote cellular rejuvenation with anti-cancer properties.

According to Dr. Fuhrman, asparagus is also an excellent source of Vitamin E, along with whole grains, seeds, nuts, avocados, berries, green leafy vegetables and tomatoes.

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For those of you new to the blog, I was formerly an obese and chronically malnourished food addict who has been completely set free from all food addictions and eating disorders; including anorexia, nutrient restrictive dieting, yo-yo dieting, and binge eating disorder as result of embracing the nutritarian lifestyle that’s described in Eat to Live and Eat for Health. Here is my transformation.

Neil Steinberg used “lubrication” to describe alcoholism in his book, Drunkard.

Steinberg was referring to alcohol as "lubrication" for the continual stresses in a day.

Likewise, how much of our food choices, even healthy food, lubricate the stresses in our day?

It's not a perfection thing. It's a "let's be honest and face the truth of addiction" thing.

It's all about using wisdom in making choices that lead to optimal health. It's all about knowing ourselves and how we respond to stress.

I've lubricated the stresses in my life primarily with food for as long as I can remember.

When I was mothering a three-year-old, an eighteen-month-old, and a newborn the days were filled with continual stress. No sleep. No energy. No free time. No quiet solitude. I lubricated the stress with their half eaten hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, and pop tarts.

Health? That wasn't even a word in my vocabulary file.

Obesity? A year later, that word was.

We need to find other ways to lubricate stress in our day other than with food; because food, depending upon how it is used, has the power to give life or take it away.

Let’s all be mindful of the food(s) we eat, and why we eat them, because knowledge, not willpower, will enable us to live in freedom and optimal health.

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The days of the film noir private dick taking a slick drag off a cigarette and sipping a shot of stiff whiskey are long gone. He died from lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.

Now, booze might look cool up on the big screen, but it doesn’t do your health any favors. In the past, reports have linked alcohol to cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction. Eek!

Go on and add prostate cancer to the list. A new study in the journal Cancer found heavy drinkers—men who drank 1.7 ounces of pure alcohol each day, the equivalent of four shots of hard liquor, four or five times a week—had a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

That’s a lot of drinking! The typical beer has 4% to 6% alcohol by volume, wine 12.5% to 14.5% and around 40% for vodka.

The study aimed to test alcohol’s effect on finasteride—found in popular prostate cancer medications—showing that alcohol reduces the drugs benefits. Clearly, drugs aren’t the be-all-end-all of for prostate cancer. That’s why the researchers recommend men limit their intake of alcohol.

In related news, experts determined eating less meat and more vegetables helps prevent prostate cancer.

Via HealthDay News.

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Appearing in the British Medical Journal, a new study claims the Mediterranean diet—i.e. eating a lot of fruits and vegetables and avoiding meat, alcohol and dairy products—increases lifespan. Researchers examined the eating habits of 23,000 Greeks over 10 years, finding the presence of a diet rich in vegetables yielded health benefits, but when the heavy consumption of vegetables was removed, these benefits were negated; HealthDay News reports.

Sadly, many Mediterranean countries are loosing ground. In 2008, childhood obesity in Portugal, Spain and Italy jumped 30%. According to Dr. Fuhrman, all those healthy Mediterranean foods are giving way to western foods. That’s why the Mediterranean is getting fat, just like us!

And last September, a report revealed countries like Spain, Italy and Greece are buckling under the weight of fast food and the move away from their traditional dietary roots.

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You hear it all the time. “A glass of red wine a day is good for you.” But many experts insist no study has ever proved a relationship between moderate drinking and lower risk of death. Instead, the association may occur because healthy people—with healthy habits—just don’t drink a lot. Even supporters of booze for health are quick to point out that alcohol has been linked to breast cancer, liver disease and stroke when abused; The New York Times reports.

Hooch might be a great social lubricate, but it’s risky. Dr. Fuhrman doesn’t condone alcohol for health, saying the negatives of alcohol outweigh the supposed positives. For example, a previous report found heavy drinking harms the heart, by stiffening arteries and raising blood pressure.

In related news, excessive drinking has been shown to shrink brain volume and a lot of boozing may be lead to erectile dysfunction. So, don’t drink. You’ll go limp and dumb!

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Conducted by The George Institute for International Health, a new study suggests alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking drastically increase risk of bowel cancer. Data revealed drinking more than seven drinks a week is associated with a 60% higher risk of cancer, compared to non-drinkers, and smoking—along with obesity, diabetes and consumption of red and processed meat—was linked to a 20% greater risk of bowel cancer; via ScienceDaily.

Alcohol is tricky. Most of us equate it with a good time—I still do—but it’s not healthy. Reports have shown booze raises risk of breast cancer and hardens arteries. Dr. Fuhrman recommends avoiding alcohol, saying even moderate drinking is dangerous. Smoking is a bad too.

In 2008, California’s initiatives to stop smoking saved the state $86 billion in healthcare costs. In Pueblo, Colorado heart attacks have dropped 40% since smoking was banned in public places.

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I’m a huge Howard Stern fan and I love sidekick Artie Lange. He’s hilarious, but very unhealthy. Artie’s a recovering drug addict and heavy drinker. He’s obese, smokes and loves cupcakes and fast food. Now, Artie knows he’s a mess and is trying to get better, but for some reason he is always worried about his liver, it’s a running joke, but I was curious. So, I asked Dr. Fuhrman what liver health might mean for somebody with Artie’s past:

The leading cause of death for obese people is heart disease, not liver failure. But, the problem is they can suffer tremendously with heart failure, circulatory impairment, swollen legs, infections and pain before they die.

Abnormalities on a "liver function" blood test occur because dying and injured liver cells give off enzymes as they die into the blood stream. Fortunately the liver is a forgiving organ and can regenerate and heal itself before something like cirrhosis sets in.

Nevertheless, if your habits are so poor to injure your liver you have most likely also damaged other organs.

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• We’ve all seen these frat guys or good ole boys chugging insane amounts of beer and liquor and later vomiting their brains out. And now, a new study in Center for Disease Control Journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reveals among all adults, young white males are the highest binge drinkers. Data shows binge drinking in whites is 17.5% and 24.3% of white men. When broken down by age group, 27.4% for men 18 to 24 years old and 24.4% for ages 25 to 34; via Health and Men.

• Not much of a shocker, but recent findings in the journal Clinical Cardiology show physical activity is not a significant part of a morbidly obese person’s day. Those with a higher body mass index (BMI) could be sedentary for over 99% of their day, only exerting themselves for a brief time. Participants of the study were inactive for an average of 23 hours and 52 minutes a day; from Booster Shots.

• This is health news and green news. According to a new study in the International Journal of Epidemiology, thin people are more likely to take a walk if they need to run a quick errand, but the overweight and obese will probably jump in the car for brief trips, burning more fuel and releases more emissions, which is bad for the environment and contributes to global warming; Reuters reports.

• Boxed breakfast cereals are a disaster! That’s why an Australian consumer group called The Parents Jury is slamming cereal manufacturers for loading their products with too much sugar and salt and saying snacks like cereal bars are very low in fiber and are often marketed to young children, claiming these products are excellent foods for growing kids; Bakery and Snacks investigates.

• Onto a better food, presented at this year’s Experimental Biology Conference, blueberries were found to help combat abdominal fat. In the study, rats eating a lot of blueberries lost belly fat. Excess abdominal fat has been closely associated to heart disease and diabetes. The rats also experienced lower cholesterol and better glucose control, even if their diet wasn’t heart-healthy; via WebMD Health News.

• Beware of lead. Research in the journal Environmental Health links high blood levels of lead to increased mortality in older women, especially heart disease risk. Experts followed 533 women, ages 65 to 87, for 12 years. Women with elevated concentrations of lead were 59% more likely to die of any cause and three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than women with lower levels; Reuters reports.

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Put down the tequila! Appearing in the American Journal of Epidemiology experts believe alcohol use may increase women’s chances of developing cancer in one breast after having already having had cancer in the other. For the study, researchers compared patterns of drinking and cigarette smoking among 708 women with a history of cancer and 1,399 who did not. Drinkers who had breast cancer were 30% more likely to get it again in the other breast but oddly no association was found with smoking; via Reuters.

Other studies claim alcohol harms the heart and even shrinks brain volume overtime, about 1.9% per decade. Now, in addition to eating right, exercising and breastfeeding, Dr. Fuhrman recommends not drinking avoiding or smoking as ways to prevent breast cancer.

And drinking when you’re pregnant is a really bad idea. I’m sure most women don’t, but a previous report suggested some women fib about boozing while they’re pregnant.

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Everyone has their own light bulb moment to lose weight and get healthy. For me, it was like comedian Kevin James said, I was tired of my belly jiggling when I brushed my teeth, but for Ronnie it was after a night of heavy drinking and the painful aftermath that followed:

The doctors put 3 stents into one artery and performed balloon on another and sent me home with a packet full of prescriptions on July 10th. I was very depressed because I wanted to live again but was faced with the realization of what I had done to myself. I had to look at what was in front of me.

For the first time in my life I saw that it wasn't life that was killing my body, my God it was me. Me and all the poor choices I had been making. I wanted to change, but how? I knew it all centered around what went in my mouth. That was what was killing me and had gotten me to the fix I was in. That night (3:00 am) I woke up with chest pains again…continue reading.

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