Nuts Increase Health & Lifespan
November 24, 2013
by Robert Wascher
Filed under Atherosclerosis, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, Cancer, Cancer Death, Cancer Prevention, cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease risk, Colon Cancer Risk, colorectal cancer prevention, Colorectal Cancer Risk, coronary artery disease, diabetes, Diabetes Risk, diet, Eating, Folate, Folic Acid, health, Healthy Aging, Healthy Diet, heart attack, heart disease, Heart Disease Prevention, Heart Disease Risk, Lifespan, lifestyle, Longevity, Lung Disease Prevention, Mediterranean Diet, Monounsaturated Fat, mortality, Nutrition, nuts, premature death, prevention, risk, Risk of Death, Robert Wascher
Folic Acid Supplements Reduce Autism Risk
February 17, 2013
by Robert Wascher
Filed under A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Children, Folate, Folic Acid, health, Maternal, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Mother, Multivitamins, Neural Tube Defects, Nutrition, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Pregnancy, prevention, risk, Robert Wascher, Vitamins, Weekly Health Update
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A new study finds that taking folic acid supplements during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of autism by 39 percent.
FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS REDUCE AUTISM RISK For reasons that remain unclear at this time, the number of children diagnosed with autism has skyrocketed in recent years. While many cases of autism appear to be linked to specific genetic abnormalities that can be inherited, or to other factors that are strongly associated with autism, in the majority of cases, no specific causes are apparent. One important focus of autism research is in the area of the “prenatal environment,” which is to say, the environment that the developing fetus experiences prior to delivery. For example, maternal infections with certain viruses during pregnancy have been linked with autism. In other cases, maternal exposure to specific environmental toxins during pregnancy has also been associated with an increased risk of autism. Due to growing evidence that the fetal environment during pregnancy may play an important role in the risk of developing autism, there has also been an interest in looking at nutritional factors that may play a role in either the prevention or development of autism during pregnancy. Folic acid (Vitamin B9) has previously been shown to play an important role in the development of the brain and spinal cord during early fetal development. For example, devastating abnormalities in brain and spinal cord development, collectively referred to as neural tube defects, have been specifically linked to inadequate folic acid intake during early pregnancy. Because folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy reduces the incidence of neural tube defects by almost 50 percent, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated folic acid supplementation of all food products derived from grains and cereals in the United States. Now, a newly published clinical research study suggests that folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy may also significantly reduce the risk of autism. This study appears in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In this landmark study, more than 85,000 children born in Norway between 2002 and 2008 took part in the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. These children were closely followed in this study, until March 31, 2012. The use (or nonuse) of folic acid supplements by the mothers of these children, before and during pregnancy, was then assessed. The incidence of autism in this very large group of children was then correlated with their mothers’ use (or nonuse) of folic acid during early pregnancy. The findings of this study were rather dramatic. At the end of this study’s observation period, 270 children had been formally diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder, including 114 children with autistic disorder (autism), 56 with Asperger’s syndrome, and 100 with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Although the risk of Asperger’s syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder did not appear to vary with respect to folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy, the use of folic acid supplements prior to and during pregnancy was associated with a 39 percent decrease in the risk of autistic disorder (autism), when compared to the children of mothers who did not take folic acids supplements. (The authors of this study also noted that the statistical power of this study was not strong enough to detect a subtle impact of folic acid supplementation on the risk of Asperger’s syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and so a potential mildly beneficial effect of folic acid on the incidence of these two autistic spectrum disorders cannot be ruled out at this time.) Therefore, the findings of this large prospective clinical research study indicate that the incidence of autism can be significantly reduced by folic acid supplementation just prior to pregnancy, and during pregnancy, just as the incidence of neural tube defects has been reduced using this same strategy.
For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my bestselling book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! Within one week of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books. Within three months of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list.
Links to Other Breaking Health News Baby Boomers Appear Less Healthy Than Their Parents The Biology of Love in the Brain Millennials May be the Most Stressed-Out Generation Even Modest Alcohol Intake Raises Cancer Risk Horse Meat Scandal Rocks Britain Why Do Boys Receive Lower Grades than Girls? Negative Emotions and Feelings Can Damage Your Health Canker Sore Drug Cures Obesity (At Least in Mice…) How Technology is Changing the Practice of Medicine New Salt Intake Guidelines for Children High Levels of Distress in Childhood May Increase Risk of Heart Disease in Adulthood Quitting Tobacco by Age 40 Restores a Normal Lifespan in Smokers Cancer Death Rates Continue to Fall Self-Help Books Improve Depression Marines Try Mindfulness and Meditation to Reduce PTSD Dying Nurse Volunteers Herself to Teach Nursing Students about the Dying Falling Asleep While Driving More Common than Previously Thought Growing Immune Cells to Fight Cancer Celebrity Health Fads Debunked Thousands of Surgery Mistakes Are Still Happening Each Year New Graphic Antismoking Ads Debut in England Kids with Food Allergies May Become Targets of Bullies Obesity Among Young Children May Be Declining Tamoxifen for 10 Years (Instead of 5 Years) Significantly Improves Breast Cancer Survival Rate Fresh Fruits & Vegetables May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Satisfaction with Life May Actually Increase with Age Brain Changes in the Elderly May Increase Susceptibility to Being Scammed “Talking” Therapy May Help Depression When Antidepressant Medications Fail Graphic Cigarette Labels in Australia Predicting Childhood Obesity at Birth
Dr. Wascher’s latest video:  Dark as Night, Part 1 At this time, more than 8 percent of Americans are unemployed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, the unemployment rate for veterans who served on active duty between September 2001 and December 2011 is now more than 12 percent. A new website, Veterans in Healthcare, seeks to connect veterans with potential employers. If you are a veteran who works in the healthcare field, or if you are an employer who is looking for physicians, advanced practice professionals, nurses, corpsmen/medics, or other healthcare professionals, then please take a look at Veterans in Healthcare. As a retired veteran of the U.S. Army, I would also like to personally urge you to hire a veteran whenever possible. For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my bestselling book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! Within one week of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books. Within three months of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list. Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author
I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people from around the world who visit this premier global health information website every month. Over the past 12 months, more than 2.5 million pages of high-quality medical research findings were served to the worldwide audience of health-conscious readers. As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Alcohol, Folic Acid, and Breast Cancer Risk
December 2, 2012
by Robert Wascher
Filed under A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, alcohol, alcohol abuse, Breast Cancer, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, Cancer, Cancer Incidence, Cancer Prevention, cancer risk, diet, estrogen, Folate, Folic Acid, health, Healthy Diet, lifestyle, Nutrition
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A new study shows that both regular alcohol intake and decreased folic acid intake significantly increase breast cancer risk.
ALCOHOL, FOLIC ACID, AND BREAST CANCER RISK As I discuss in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, alcohol is an underappreciated risk factor for multiple types of cancer, including breast cancer. (As little as one alcoholic drink per day has been shown to increase breast cancer risk in women.) The mechanism, or mechanisms, whereby alcohol increases breast cancer risk is not well understood, although some have conjectured that increased levels of estrogen, which accompany regular alcohol intake, may be one such mechanism. The vitamin folic acid (sometimes referred to as Vitamin B9) has multiple functions, including DNA synthesis and DNA repair. Folate deficiency can occur for a variety of reasons, including frequent or excess alcohol intake. Because of alcohol’s ability to decrease folic acid absorption and increase folic acid excretion, some experts have also proposed that regular alcohol intake may increase breast cancer risk by depleting the body’s stores of folic acid. Now, a new public health study, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, adds important new information about the impact of both alcohol and folic acid on breast cancer risk. In this Japanese case-control study, 1,754 women with breast cancer and 3,508 age-matched patients without breast cancer were evaluated. Alcohol and folic acid intake was assessed for all of the women who participated in this clinical study; and other known breast cancer risk factors were identified and adjusted for. As has been shown in multiple other studies, increasing levels of alcohol intake were associated with an increasing risk of breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consumed 23 grams or more of alcohol per day experienced a 39 percent increase in the risk of developing breast cancer. (A single standard alcoholic beverage contains about 14 grams of alcohol.) In this study, an increased dietary intake of folic acid was associated with a decreased risk of developing breast cancer. When compared to women with the lowest intake of folic acid, women who took the highest amount of folic acid in their diet experienced a 21 percent decrease in the risk of developing breast cancer. In view of the known effects of alcohol on folic acid absorption and excretion, the authors of this study also sought to determine whether or not folic acid intake affected the risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol consumption. Based upon the findings of this study, it does, in fact, appear that folic acid has some potential beneficial impact on breast cancer risk associated with alcohol intake. Among women with very low folic acid intake, the consumption of at least 23 grams of alcohol per day was associated with a whopping 58 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer. At the same time, higher levels of folate intake seemed to significantly reduce any apparent increase in breast cancer risk associated with regular alcohol consumption. Based upon the findings of this important public health study, the average daily consumption of more than one-and-a-half servings of alcohol per day was associated with a significant increase in breast cancer risk. Additionally, this study found that low dietary levels of folic acid also significantly increased breast cancer risk. Moreover, the combination of daily alcohol consumption and low folic acid intake was associated with more than twice the risk of developing breast cancer than regular alcohol consumption or low folic acid intake alone, while higher levels of folic acid intake appeared to be protective against breast cancer associated with regular alcohol consumption. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that breast cancer risk can be significantly decreased by decreasing one’s alcohol intake, combined with a diet that contains adequate amounts of folic acid.
Get your copy of A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!
Links to Other Breaking Health News (New Feature) Graphic Cigarette Labels in Australia Predicting Childhood Obesity at Birth
A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race is now available in both printed and digital formats from all major bookstores. Dr. Wascher’s latest video: Dark as Night, Part 1 At this time, more than 8 percent of Americans are unemployed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, the unemployment rate for veterans who served on active duty between September 2001 and December 2011 is now more than 12 percent. A new website, Veterans in Healthcare, seeks to connect veterans with potential employers. If you are a veteran who works in the healthcare field, or if you are an employer who is looking for physicians, advanced practice professionals, nurses, corpsmen/medics, or other healthcare professionals, then please take a look at Veterans in Healthcare. As a retired veteran of the U.S. Army, I would also like to personally urge you to hire a veteran whenever possible. For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my bestselling book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! Within one week of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books. Within three months of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list. Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author
I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people from around the world who visit this premier global health information website every month. Over the past 12 months, 2,017,594 pages of high-quality medical research findings were served to the worldwide audience of health-conscious readers. As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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