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

Evil E. coli is at it again! On Sunday, a Colorado meat company expanded it’s voluntarily recall of beef believed to be contaminated with E. coli, bringing the total from 380,000 pounds of meat to 421,000 pounds. The bad meat was distributed internationally and is suspected in 18 cases of illness. Currently, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are conducting an investigation; Reuters reports.

Just add beef to the pile. Last week, Nestlé Toll House recalled cookie dough tainted with E. coli, sickening 66 people in 28 states. E. coli is no joke. It can be fatal. Common symptoms of E. coli poisoning include urinary tract infection, diarrhea and bowel inflammation. Eek!

And don’t forget. In 2006, a spinach-E. coli crisis dragged on for months, causing some people to ditch large factory farms and explore locally grown fruits and vegetables.

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Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a new study claims high intake of saturated fat—specifically red meat and dairy—results in a 36% higher risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to people with lower consumption. And a high in take of total fat lead to a 53% increased risk of pancreatic cancer in men and 23% higher risk in women. Scientists examined data on 500,000 individuals, in which 1,337 were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; Food Navigator reports.

Meat, i.e. saturated fat, is risky and research paints a grim picture. Previous studies have linked meat with higher risk of heart disease, age-related vision loss and various cancers. Fortunately, foods like fruits and vegetables lower the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In related news, experts found people who regularly eat charred or barbecued meat have a 60% higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Burned meat builds up of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines.

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Honestly, there’s no reason to drink soda or soft drinks. They’re sugar water that sometimes comes with bubbles. Yippee! But the soda of the future will be much, much worse:

Then again, drinking a gooey discharge from a giant slug’s butt could be better than drinking a can of cola that’s engineered in a lab and bottled in a factory. Eek!

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Yeah, don’t get fat. New findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association show having a high body mass index in early adulthood may raise the risk of pancreatic cancer. The study involved 841 pancreatic cancer patients and 752 cancer-free people, with participants asked to recall their height and weight at ages 14 to 19 and in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Data found individuals who were overweight at 14 to 19 and in their 30s had a 60% higher risk of pancreatic cancer, but risk seemed to level off after age 40; ScienceDaily explains.

You can keep that risk down with diet. A previous report found eating green veggies like broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts helps fight pancreatic cancer. While charred or barbequed meat raises the risk of pancreatic cancer, due to cancer-causing heterocyclic amines.

In related news, obesity heightens women’s risk of pancreatic cancer. In some cases, as high as 70%, which worries researchers because obesity is largely a preventable problem.

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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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Milk and cookies may seem harmless. It’s not. On Friday, Nestlé Toll House recalled refrigerated cookie dough products due to risk of E. coli contamination, suspected to have sickened 66 people in 28 states. Health officials say the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system should avoid the raw cookie dough. E. coli can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, resulting in kidney damage and even death; HealthDay News reports.

Yuck. I may have a cookie from time to time, but milk! No way. Our food safety is a mess. We all remember the spinach-E. coli crisis in 2006 and then this year’s melamine contaminated milk. Oh, and don’t forget. In February, a study found 20% of Japan’s chicken is tainted with salmonella.

In related news, Nestlé shut down the cookie dough plant linked to E. coli, as a result 200 workers were laid off. So far, a total of 86.4 million cookies' worth of dough has been recalled.

Via CNN.

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New findings in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior claim teenagers cut back too much on dairy products as they reach their 20s. Experts followed 1,500 people, males and females, tracking their calcium intake during high school and after high school. Results showed many consumed less than the daily recommended level of calcium, leading researchers to recommend more milk at mealtime. Here’s Dr. Fuhrman’s take on all this:

Sounds like the dairy industry put their stamp on this one. It is amazing how successful they have been at marketing their product to nutritionally ignorant Americans. It is true that a diet comprised of animal foods, soft drinks and refined grains is deficient in calcium.

But cow's milk is the appropriate source of calcium for baby cows, not human teenagers. When we choose dairy instead of fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds as our source of calcium source we help fuel a cancer epidemic.

When you get your calcium from fruits and vegetables you also get a full load of cancer-preventing phytochemicals.

Via HealthDay News.

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Appearing in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, German researchers determined sewage treatment plants fail to remove artificial sweeteners—such as saccharin and aspartame—from waste water. Water samples were collected from two treatment facilities, turning up four different chemicals: acesulfame, saccharin, cyclamate and sucralose. Scientists fear these compounds will pollute neighboring streams and rivers; from ScienceDaily.

Water is all messed up! In March, a report came out saying America’s freshwater is clogged up with antidepressants and cholesterol drugs. As for artificial sweeteners, Dr. Fuhrman slammed them after a new study revealed people using fake sugar actually have MORE diabetes.

In related news, experts recommend well water be tested annually for harmful chemicals, bacteria and germs, because young children are very vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

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Flies buzz around at a zillion miles per hour, but not when they eat candies and cookies. The poor little guys get bloated and pass out. Then the ladybug laughs at them:

You shouldn’t take your nutrition advice from flies. After all, they eat poop. But these inchworms are smarter. Inchworms love apples, and each other!

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It’s a pretty simple idea. Eating a lot of meat is unhealthy. Raising a lot of meat whacks the environment with carbon dioxide. So a new movement called Meat Free Monday is encouraging people to eat vegetarian one day a week. Sir Paul McCartney is a big fan:

If you’re reading this blog, you already have a bunch of meat free days, but convincing our beef loving world to give up meat—even for a day—is going to be hard. But some people have high hopes. Chicago’s Health Commissioner wants all Chicagoans to go vegetarian.

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