Category Archives: Cancer Prevention

A Link in the Puzzle: Diet, Microbiota and Breast Cancer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

BC ribbion & L. puzzle to microbiota_Sm4LI

The microorganisms are important players in human health and disease. Specifically, as we know, the human gut microbiota contributes to colon health and various chronic conditions including obesity and colorectal cancer. Gut microbiota can also exert their effect distantly, e.g., on the brain.

In addition to previously described risk factors of breast cancer and the aforementioned findings, here I’d like to discuss how gut microbiota are tied to the risk for breast cancer in three ways.

1.      Estrogen as a causal link

Estrogen is a causal link to an increased risk of breast cancer. In particular, breast cancer risk is directly associated with high levels of endogenous estrogen and a difference in estrogen metabolism.

We also know that gut microbiota can modulate circulating estrogen levels. Conversely, estrogen-like compounds may regulate or promote certain bacterial species in a large quantity. Moreover, postmenopausal estrogen metabolism is correlated to microbial diversity.

2.      Microbiota as an active player  

Microbiota has been linked to cancer development and progression. The microbiota profile of women with breast cancer differs from that of healthy women. The breast microbiome in women with malignant disease is also remarkably different from that of women with benign disease. Additionally, in breast cancer, changes in microbial composition and totality are noted in tumor tissue, but not much in normal controls.

The differences don’t tell the whole story. Research findings show that certain gut microbes play a helpful role in breast cancer by supporting anti-cancer immunity and immune surveillance and by altering systemic estrogen levels. On the other hand, evidence indicates that dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut microbiota) has been linked to breast cancer, under which conditions a reduced metabolic ability of microbiota and a weakened immune system occur. The microbiota distress can lead to elevated levels of blood estrogens and its metabolites, thereby increasing the risk for breast cancer.

Collectively, not only composition and totality of the microbiota but also their functionalities contribute to tumor growth in the breast tissue through inducing chronic inflammation, triggering uncontrolled immune responses, and modulating hormonal metabolism such as important estrogen levels.

3.      Diet as a critical modulator of gut microbiota  

Diet can modify the composition of gut microbiota, which has a key role in maintaining gut homeostasis and is closely related to our inflammatory and immune responses. Functional foods such as prebiotics and probiotics can help your health.

So, how do you apply today’s knowledge, particularly through diet? Five key points

  • Eat more fermented foods such as yogurt or sauerkraut. They function as probiotics (i.e., “live microorganisms”) to foster good bacteria.
  • Eat abundant fiber-rich vegetables, fruits and whole grains. These foods function as prebiotics (i.e., indigestible fibers to feed beneficial bacteria). Beyond their basic nutrition and anti-inflammatory capacity, they have a positive effect on the composition of gut microbiota, and facilitate a lowered reabsorption of estrogens.
  • Avoid or limit meat-rich and sugar-rich foods, processed foods, sweetened beverages, and artificial sweeteners.
  • Consume real foods, not dietary supplements. Take supplements like probiotics or prebiotics only when necessary. Consult with your physician first regarding your need.
  • Practice personal health hygiene. Hygiene is one of several factors that determine the composition of gut microbiota (besides age, race, diet, genetics, environmental exposures, and antibiotics usage).

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In summary

Pathophysiological alterations in the composition and totality of the microbial community, along with abnormal changes in the cells, have a significant impact on cancer development.

To prevent breast cancer, one fundamental strategy is to modify individual estrogen metabolism, and achieve this through lifestyle modification and/or chemopreventive approach, particularly through diet. A healthy, balanced diet can keep gut microbiota in a dynamic balance with your body and mind.

Key reference:

Fernández MF, Reina-Pérez I, Astorga JM, Rodríguez-Carrillo A, Plaza-Díaz J, Fontana L. Breast Cancer and Its Relationship with the Microbiota. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(8). pii: E1747. (Review)

 

Image credit: Pixabay.com and CPD

 

Melatonin: Beyond Inducing Sound Sleep

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Melatonin in Blue Words_BaptistHealth.comHow would you like to learn more about melatonin? Better yet, what if I showed you how it can defend against cancer?

As you may have known, the human body produces melatonin naturally. Melatonin is a hormone synthesized and released by the pineal gland, and also from other sites including the immune system, gastrointestinal tract, brain and skin. Melatonin is well-known for its sleep-inducing benefit, and mostly used as a sleep aid for insomnia or improving sleep quality under various circumstances.

But its usage for sleep is not the attention here.

There are numerous novel insights into the actions of melatonin, based on credible evidence from experimental and human studies. I summarized them in three areas as follows:

1.      Antioxidant properties

There is a causal relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and many chronic conditions including cancer. Particularly, research reveals that ROS levels are higher in cancer cells than those of normal cells.

Melatonin is a bioactive molecule and ubiquitously distributed in the cells. It has remarkable antioxidant capabilities through direct detoxication of ROS, indirect stimulation of antioxidant enzymes, resulting in a decrease in cellular ROS. In addition, Melatonin may chelate transition metals involved in generating harmful free radicals. So, antioxidant effects of melatonin can prevent potential oxidative damage.

2.      Anticancer effects

Compelling evidence shows that melatonin exerts inhibitory effects on cancer development through multiple mechanisms.

First, melatonin mitigates cancer at the initiation, progression and metastasis phases. The inhibition is attributed to suppressing tumor growth and promoting apoptosis (i.e., cell death) of many cancer cells. Importantly, melatonin also targets at blocking angiogenesis, thus cutting off nutrients and oxygen supply to cancer cells. This is of significance because increased angiogenesis is a key feature of cancer progression and metastasis. (Note that in tumor, angiogenesis implies the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow.)

Women may think they’re no more appealing to female cialis online devensec.com their spouse. Some of the most popular kinds of generic drugs include same ingredient of the original and show viagra cheap no prescription parallel effects on male sexual potency. Doctors are very well aware of the clinical and performance advantages gained by restoring optimal mobility, viagra shipping flexibility, and stability to the muscle/joint complex. It is therefore important to do your homework. about viagra 100 mg viagra price in india Second, melatonin may combat inflammation and strengthen immune system. Poor sleep promotes inflammation as we know, and melatonin plays a role in anti-inflammation. It can modulate the immune response by producing Interleukin-1 and Interleukin-2, through these components to prevent microbial infections and control T cells, B cells as well as natural killer cells, thereby lowering cancer risk.

Third, melatonin inhibits a molecular process associated with metastasis by limiting cancer cells to enter into blood stream, and preventing them from establishing secondary growth at distant sites.

Lastly and clearly, although the influence of melatonin is mediated via the activation of its receptors (MT1 and MT2, proteins located on the cell membrane), many actions of melatonin can be receptor-dependent and receptor-independent. The later involves indirectly through alterations in intracellular events; for example, directly detoxifying ROS and promoting apoptosis by melatonin.

Because melatonin is generated and distributed in a variety of tissues, it may provide a defense against diverse types of cancer, including lung, breast, prostate, gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer.

3.      Synergetic advantages with chemotherapy

While increasing efficacy of chemotherapy, melatonin has the ability to attenuate acute and chronic drug toxicity, therefore, it can improve patients’ well-being.

Intriguingly, co-administration with melatonin can enhance the sensitivity of cancers to the inhibition by conventional chemo drugs, and reduce cancer’s previous or total resistance to the treatments. Many types of cancer are susceptible to melatonin-induced inhibition.

In brief, melatonin can cheer you up with cancer fighting spirit and shell while it calms you into a good night sleep.

 

References: Here 

Image credit: https://www.baptisthealth.com/pages/home.aspx

Integrity of the Immune System Is Like Peace in the Storm

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Immune-system_Sm640_1359197You got sick; maybe you contracted a virus infection. However, if your immune system is strong, it probably warded off your condition.

That’s because the human immune system is our “silent defender.” It is also a complex system, and much is involved in how it performs its functions.

Recent conversations with some folks prompted me to emphasize the importance of nurturing your immune system (although I’ve covered related topics previously).

Essentially, the cells in the immune system and immune-regulating proteins are key players in the “inner storms” that occur in our body. They participate in controlling the body’s pro-inflammatory status, active anti-inflammatory responses, and healing process. The balance and integrity of the immune system are paramount for fighting diseases from acute infection and inflammation to chronic illness such as hypertension and cancer.

In daily life, we have all experienced stress or inner conflict that may cause our peace of mind to disappear, leaving us moody, discontent, or feeling lousy. Sometimes we temper it or fight it off, while at other times stress may overwhelm us, affecting our physical and psychological well-being. Chronic stress, via prolonged elevation of the stress hormone cortisol, proves to have a negative impact on immunity and increase our vulnerability to illnesses.

As we age, the immune system weakens, which contributes to more infections and more illnesses. A pervasive feature of aging is chronic inflammation, a significant risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Other factors (e.g., dietary and environmental) also influence our immunity.

However, when our health is great, with our body operating well, our immune system provides us peace in the storm. That’s why we need to develop inner reserves from which to draw strength in difficult situations, and that’s why we shouldn’t do things that detract from the peace and asset that our immune system provides our body.

In light of that, let’s recap 10 very effective ways to strengthen your immune system:
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  1.  Get enough sleep. That means for adults, 7–8 hours of sleep each night.
  2.  Manage stress and minimize it. Nobody is immune to stress in these modern days. Stress burden and sleep deprivation are connected. To keep your stress in check, one of the best strategies is to integrate a relaxation practice into your daily routine; it could be deep breathing, meditation, or yoga, or even tai chi—whatever you enjoy and works for you.
  3.  Never smoke and avoid tobacco smoke.
  4.  Curb alcohol consumption. There is no safe level of alcohol intake.
  5.  Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds to obtain a variety of micronutrients. Also important is to drink a lot of water.
  6.  Get more active. Physical activities have profound beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and immune function as well as in reducing inflammation. There are many ways to become more active throughout a day, at work or at home.
  7.  Enjoy the sun with adequate protection. Sunlight triggers the skin’s production of vitamin D, and a sufficient level of vitamin D helps lower the risk of some infections. But excessive indulgence in sunbathing or tanning elevates the risk for skin cancer.
  8.  Maintain personal and food hygiene. Wash your hands habitually, clean fruits/veggies meticulously, cook meats thoroughly, and get a flu shot when advised. All can avoid infections.
  9.  Have a positive outlook on life and a sense of humor. Love and laugh! Laughter boosts immunity.
  10.  Consider probiotics with care. Because of the role of gut microbiota in immunity and diseases, probiotics are the buzz now. However, know that these supplements are not for everyone. For some, probiotics could do more harm than good, especially for people with a weak or compromised immune system (such as HIV and cancer patients). Plus, supplements are not regulated. So, it’s safer to consult with your physician before taking them.

Collectively, these are long-term solutions to boosting your immunity, rather than a quick fix.

 

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/immune-system-defense-infection

Sensible Caring for a Healthy Heart and Healthy Body

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Heart & Lifestyle_Clipart-CPDFebruary is a month filled with love, festival events, and health observances, including the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Black History Month, World Cancer Day, and Heart Health Month.

In addition to sharing love and celebrating festivities, let’s direct our love to two major health issues.

Consider the top two killers in the US—heart disease and cancer. Heart disease causes about 23% of all deaths, and cancers about 22% of all deaths.

Not long ago, one of my husband’s associates described her story of a heart attack. It was not as dramatic as the kind of sudden onset that you often see on TV or read about in the newspaper, but it was indeed a vivid and a life-or-death event. To cut a long story short, her feeling of fatigue, nausea, and left shoulder pain led her to a hospital ER at her husband’s urging. Once there, she suddenly became unconscious at one point during tests and treatment, with a “flat-line” on the electrocardiogram (ECG) that lasted for three to four minutes. Fortunately, the medical team was able to revive her heart using treatments including shocks by a defibrillator and chest compressions.

The incident, consistent with what science tells us, shows that heart attack is not an old man’s disease; it doesn’t discriminate between genders or among ages. A fairly healthy middle-aged lady may experience a heart attack. Strikingly, symptoms of heart attack differ in men and women, particularly the fact that the typical chest pain or chest pressure commonly seen in men may not be a major complaint in women.

The incident reminds us of what is termed a silent heart attack. This is a heart attack without apparent symptoms that can go unnoticed. However, it may be detected by ECG during a routine check-up or a visit for some reason at a clinic.

The incident also reinforces how essential it is to learn the risk factors for heart disease and live a healthy lifestyle. Heart disease and cancer have some common risk factors, esp. those modifiable ones, a healthy lifestyle can offset them. So, every step counts and every choice counts.

Let me take hypertension as an example, because it’s a known “silent killer.” High blood pressure initially doesn’t have symptoms and doesn’t affect daily functions until after it has done severe damage to the heart and vasculature. Hypertension is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Although a causal link between hypertension and cancer has not been established, hypertension and hyperlipidemia are common among patients with cancer. High blood pressure is also associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.
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However, when digging deeper, we find that salt (sodium, diet salt) is a sneaky, slow, and silent killer. More salt intake can increase blood pressure. Average Americans’ daily salt intake exceeds the recommended amount of <2300 mg/d or 1 teaspoon measure, with about 75% of salt coming from hidden sources—particularly processed and packaged foods. Ideally, it’s better to limit salt consumption to <1500 mg/d, as American Heart Association advised.

Take another example, stress. Stress is inescapable in modern life. However, uncontrolled or chronic stress poses a higher risk for the development of hypertension and heart disease. Furthermore, a higher level of stress hormone cortisol in the blood can exhaust or compromise immune system—fundamental defense that keeps cancer at bay.

Therefore, rethink stress and reduce stress. When facing demanding tasks or difficult situations, stop and smell the roses, or at least stop and take a few deep breaths, telling yourself “all shall pass.” Plus, apply any stress-relief techniques that work best for you.

Taking everything into account, there is a lot you can do to lower your chance of having heart disease and cancer. Whatever steps you take, make it attainable and stick with it. And if you stray, get back on track as quickly as you can.

Remember: On your journey each day you have a silent partner—your immune system. You can strengthen it by consuming a healthy diet and drink, daily exercise, adequate sleep, and keeping a positive attitude and a joyful spirit. Collectively, these approaches help you prevent both heart disease and cancer.

The bottom line is –

Your heart health and overall wellness deserve your attention all year long, not just on one day or one month.

 

Image Credit: Clipart and CPD

 

How Bottlenecks Affect Weight Management

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Wt. loss w-water_M_PixabayThe Bottleneck Effect on Weight Gain

From time to time, most of us have gotten stuck in a traffic jam or a slowdown when driving through so-called bottlenecks. These bottleneck areas often result from the merging of a three-lane to a two-lane highway, a lane closure due to construction, a stop signal, or an accident in busy traffic. Afterwards, the cars begin to speed up again.

Like traffic bottlenecks, other bottlenecks occur in our life that affect our health, including our weight management.

With the start of a new year, many people likely made a new year’s resolution for reducing to a healthy weight, given the fact that obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and worldwide. Weight gain is a big challenge for many, many people.

We have previously addressed the various health consequences and cancer risk of obesity. In this post, I suggest a new approach to help you with weight gain or weight regain.

Let’s picture you as a problem-solver and use your willpower to get your resolution done.

First, the complexity of obesity

I understand your frustrations and struggles, especially given that genetics is nobody’s fault. Based on what science tells us, many factors can contribute to weight gain or weight regain after a weight-loss triumph. What I focus on here is behaviors, of course, without throwing biology out of the window.

Visualize this simple model of energy balance: Energy intake = Energy expenditure, or Calories in = Calories out. (See the schematic illustration below.)

Imagine what happens when energy imbalance occurs: Calories in > Calories out, then you gain weight.

Now consider this situation: suppose that you eat healthy and exercise regularly, but as you’re aging, your pounds start piling up, and you wonder where did they come from?

Energy balance & imbalance_CPD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scientific evidence shows that many factors may regulate your weight, some of them being:

  •           Eating a fat-, sugar-, salt-rich, red-meat-heavy, or a processed-food-oriented diet
  •           Overeating, whether out of habit or for emotional comfort
  •           Sedentary lifestyle
  •           Exposure to environmental pollutants or chemicals (natural or synthetic)
  •           Intensive stress (work, finance, or personal life, etc.)
  •           Lack of sleep, particularly obstructive sleep apnea
  •           Aging
  •           Medication(s) you take
  •           Chronic conditions

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No doubt, each individual’s condition is unique. That’s how you can be a problem-solver for your weight gain and be a part of the solution.

Where is your bottleneck?  

A starting point is to identify the bottleneck for your weight gain or regain. For example, maybe you eat less and move more, but you are in your golden age when your body’s hormones change—a bottleneck.

Or you may be exposed heavily to environmental chemicals (at work or home) that tilt your body toward getting obese by promoting fat production and reducing metabolic rate—another bottleneck.

Or maybe you do have a healthy weight under your watch, but unexpectedly, you then take a drug for some treatment that alters your metabolism (as many medications do), causing a different kind of bottleneck.

So, you get the idea.

Moreover, what happens if those folks with debilitating pain are unable to exercise as needed despite eating healthy? That’s not just a bottleneck, but more like a funnel clogged at the bottom—leading to limited or minimized energy expenditure. In this case, consult your physician for pain relief and to deal with the underlying problem(s).

Whatever it is, there is a likelihood that somehow or somewhere there is a bottleneck(s) for your weight gain or regain that is likely to be associated with your disrupted energy balance.

Finding the bottleneck is certainly helpful, but not the final solution. Next, you need to re-set or re-tweak your behaviors and lifestyle based on your body’s recalibration to adjust to your situation. Make sure that your solutions are specific and realistic.

A healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination

Living a healthy lifestyle involves individual choices and behaviors. Modifying your behaviors is within your control. Keep in mind that every step counts. For instance, you may eat less, but do you eat right? By that I mean that you need to eat the right products (nutrition) in the right portions. In addition, beware of not just weight per se, but also how much and where the fat is distributed on your body. Any quick fix for weight loss is not a long-term solution.

Equally important is your perseverance with a balanced diet and regular exercise. Persistence can not only benefit your weight stability but also reduce your risk factors for various chronic illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The bottom line:

With this new approach in a new year, you can be a problem-solver by discovering your bottleneck(s), and tackling the challenge(s) on a weight-management journey. Remember the importance of teamwork too, such as your physician’s treatment, psychological counselling, and the support of family and friends.

Rooting for your health!

 

Image credit: Pixabay

2018 Noteworthy List of Top Health Concerns

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

2018 Sum_LTime flew. With the coming holiday season, we’re approaching the end of 2018. I can’t believe it…

First and foremost, thank you, dear readers, for taking time to read and support my blog articles during the year!

There is a lot that has happened this year. Looking back, I’d like to highlight a list of noteworthy health issues that should continuously call for our attention. Here goes:

1.      Consider cancer deaths of nearly 10 million

Thanks to scientific breakthroughs and technological advances, notable progress has been made in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Despite a steady decline in cancer mortality over the past two decades, cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the U.S., with 609,640 cancer deaths projected this year by American Cancer Society. However, cancer statistics from WHO indicate an estimated 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths worldwide in 2018 alone. Cancer is expected to be the No. 1 cause of global death by the end of the century. So, cancer remains a major public health problem.

2.      Act on climate change more and fast

Experts from 13 government agencies just underlined the science and urgency of climate change in a recent assessment. Briefly, climate change can impact human health in various ways, including apparently increasing extreme weather, polluted air and water quality, the spread of new diseases via insects and pets, and changes to the availability of food. Any climate denial or skepticism is dangerous. Because global warming is a man-made problem, it goes beyond just acceptance, it requires pressing actions to protect our environment and preserve a healthy planet for the next generations.

3.      Take flu seriously and get vaccinated

Flu is a very contagious disease caused by the influenza virus. It kills more people than you may think. Last flu season (2017-2018) claimed a record-breaking 900,000 hospitalizations and 80,000+ deaths in the U.S. Particularly vulnerable are children aged 6+ months and adults older than 65 as well as people with heart and lung diseases; thus, a routine annual influenza vaccination is vital for these folks. Meanwhile, everybody should keep their immune system strong.

In fact, the CDC recommends that almost all children and adults get a flu shot. Remember that flu deaths primarily result from complications from flu, including pneumonia, dehydration, and ear or sinus infections. Flu can worsen existing medical conditions such as heart failure, diabetes, or asthma. So, learn the potential dangers of flu.

4.      End the opioid epidemic – complexity of addiction and suicide
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In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses (including illicit drugs and prescription opioids), according to the CDC. Also, U.S. life expectancy has dropped in recent years as opioid deaths rise. Current strategies and efforts still fall short, and relatively unnoticed are the data suggesting that considerable opioid-overdose deaths are suicides, as Drs. Oquendo and Volkow commented in “Suicide: A Silent Contributor to Opioid-Overdose Deaths”.

That’s why interventions should cover all bases from treating overdoses to screening suicide risk. Moreover, we all can help end the opioid crisis through actions such as raising more awareness, reducing stigma on individuals, and reaching out to those in social isolation.

5.      Protect our kids from e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug, although they don’t burn and release many carcinogens and chemicals as tobacco smoking does. They are increasingly popular among teenagers, especially with flavors appealing to kids. Important to remember is that e-cigarettes pose health risks for children, because nicotine can harm their brain development, and nicotine addiction can potentially lead them to traditional tobacco smoking. The FDA has taken steps to prevent the teen vaping “epidemic,” especially placing new restrictions on sales of flavored e-cigarettes and kid-friendly varieties. So, be aware of the dangers of this drug-delivery system called “e-cigarettes”.

6.      Recognize “The Year of Women” and beyond

Evidently, 2018 is the year of women in politics, as a record-breaking number of women candidates with a diversity of backgrounds were elected to our national leadership. I’d like to remind you of a less acknowledged concern for women—women’s health after experiencing sexual harassment or assault, because the problem can affect a woman’s long-term well-being significantly. Attack and trauma are associated with adverse effects on a victim’s mental and physical health, such as symptoms of gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and neurological problems. More common are also sleep loss, depression, impaired functionality, and worsened quality of life.

…..

Certainly, health headlines are beyond the short list above. Here I have focused primarily on serious or overlooked life-saving matters, which can be easily digested (without covering everything from Alzheimer’s disease to mass shooting). However, any of these changes won’t happen overnight, and require our continued efforts.

I wish you a happy, healthy holiday season and the best in 2019!

 

Image credits: labroots; clipartpanda; clipground; ogahealth; and CPD

TARCO – A Tool for Your Lifestyle Transformation

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Tools for Health Management_CPDYou say you want to have a healthy lifestyle to prevent cancer and heart disease, but abandoning unhealthy habits can be hard?

I hear you. So I want to suggest a tool I believe can help you achieve that healthy lifestyle you want and need. I call it TARCO, which stands for Trigger, Auto-Responder, Choice, and Outcome.

Before I show you how TARCO can help you ditch an old habit and transform to a new, more healthful one, let’s take a moment to talk about the horrible realities that can result when bad behavior is in play.

A few examples:

Smoking is a bloody wound. That wound hurts because you are bleeding, painful and injured, and worse, because deep inside and invisible it may be causing smoke-brewed cancer and/or the clogging of your arteries that can lead to heart attack.

Eating junk food is an addiction to SAD (Standard American Diet). The “toxic craving” may satisfy your taste or convenience, but it is dangerous because the prescription of animal fats, sweetness, and salts promotes weight gain and the development of many chronic diseases.

Tanning is a fever caused by vanity—caring about one’s appearance so much you allow yourself to be baked with UV radiation. It is dangerous because a hidden scar or lesion is roasted by a known carcinogen, and skin cancer finally surfaces.

So, how do you stop bleeding, the SAD addiction, or the burning? Stop the source. Specifically, to embrace a lifestyle change, work on the trigger (or triggers) to the unhealthy habit, and eliminate it or at least avoid it.

Triggers are ubiquitous in life, and inevitable.

Triggers that are relevant to health may consist of physical, psychological, or emotional signals, or inducements from the social environment.

For example, stress is often a major trigger, leading you automatically to smoke more or drink more or eat more fats and sweets. Any of these risky behaviors can be viewed as an auto-responder or a default mode that results in negative health consequences. At the same time, the behaviors themselves tend to make the stress worse, further exacerbating the unhealthy behaviors and their consequences.
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Now let’s switch to choices.

If you desire better health and are resolved to achieve it, you have various choices in responding to stress. Instead of reaching for that cigarette you feel you need, you can take a walk, take some deep breaths, or take a bath to alleviate the stress. Instead of going for that extra piece of cake you are craving, you can choose to keep a healthy, fiber-rich energy bar handy to substitute for the more harmful alternative. Choices are always available.

If you reinforce new behaviors so they develop into new habits, you improve your wellness in a new direction and with rewarding results.

Not all triggers are easily identified.

To find an original trigger, sometimes you need to retrace the steps, recount the environment or emotions, in order to discover what established the trigger in the first place. Then break away from the old “auto-responder” behavior.

For example, returning to stress, ask yourself what triggers your stress? Maybe it is anger with a situation, frustration from a demanding boss, or anxiety over your finances. Finding that trigger(s) may take some clear-eyed digging! Honest, not selective.

And remember: triggers are unavoidable, but they weaken when you identify them and realize that your choices are within your control.

Finally, as a sum-up for TARCO

Take some time to reflect on your work and personal life, examine what triggers initiate your auto-responders, and ask what can you do differently. Choose new choices that are specific, realistic, and immediately actionable. By fortifying a healthy lifestyle to counter an unhealthy one, you are bound to receive beneficial outcomes for your precious health and quality of life.

Cheers for your effort and success!

 

Care about Childhood Cancers

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Think about Childhood CancerYour cute baby girl is your joy of life, yet she is suffering from leukemia. A neighbor’s little boy with a gorgeous smile just completed his cancer treatment. Sadly, many precious young lives have been taken away by childhood cancers…

If you’d like to learn ways to protect children from cancer, to help childhood cancer patients, and/or to improve the quality of life for pediatric cancer survivors, you came to the right place.

Let’s start with the challenges of childhood cancer patients and survivors.

Unique risk factors

Children are not “small adults”. In general, their care challenges are attributed to multiple factors, including their growth and development, psychological features, health condition, socioeconomic status, family and cultural dynamics, nurture at home and support outside of the home.

Childhood cancers are full of complexity and unknown. However, some known risk factors for childhood cancer have been established – mainly genetic and non-genetic ones.

Genetic or inherent risk factors include parental age, birth weight and congenital abnormalities. Some pediatric cancer incidences also vary by age, sex, and race or ethnicity.

Non-genetic factors are controllable and preventable, such as

  • High-dose radiation (The human fetus is very sensitive to radiation)
  • Prior chemotherapy
  • Exposure to environmental toxins or carcinogens, pesticides and air pollution
  • Exposure to infections – especially related to risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
  • Pre- and perinatal lifestyle factors: parental diet, maternal smoking, alcohol or marijuana use, maternal medication, etc.

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Things we can help

Keeping these risk factors in mind, each of us can do our part at each stage of a child’s life. Here is a list of things:

  1. Take a good care during pre-conception and pregnancy period. Unhealthy diet, maternal tobacco or alcohol use, medications and radiation are among the casual link of environmental factors to childhood cancer risk. Particularly, maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with not only childhood cancer but also weight problems, other health and behavior issues. Avoid or minimize your exposure to second-hand and third-hand smoke too.
  2. Eliminate toxins and carcinogens from home and environment at large. Endless exposure to toxic chemicals through air, water, foods, and products results in a serious impact on public health. Then imagine the threat to pediatric cancer patients and survivors as well as all children, how harmful an early life exposure to toxic chemicals can affect their health decades later. It’s critical to underscore that only a small number of chemical exposures are known – leaving the unknowns are our exposure to many more chemicals in daily life and disease consequences. That’s why environmental protection is vitally important, and a green planet signifies healthful generations.
  3. Get genetic consultation if you question any genetic abnormality. Evaluate how parents’ occupational, environmental, medical or other exposures may contribute to a child’s cancer risk.
  4.  Prevent childhood obesity. This should start as early as possible. Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been linked to childhood obesity, and that may pose a risk to develop obesity in adult.
  5.  Monitor and control kids’ screen time. The radiation emitted from cell phone has been proposed as “a possible carcinogen for humans” by International Agency for Research on Cancer, though controversies still exist. Given the fact that it poses a cancer risk and cell phone exposure or use often begins from an earlier age, it’s wise to keep cell phone safety in mind.
  6.  Ensure overall health status, such as promoting healthy lifestyle, enough sleep and sun protection.
  7.  Foster individual hygiene and infection prevention.
  8.  Get vaccinated. Parents should encourage and educate their children/teens to have vaccinated against HPV and practice safe sex.
  9.  Team up care from society such as in the school setting and community setting. Family dynamic considerations, socioeconomic status or poverty, violence issues are various factors that contribute to pediatric health challenges.
  10.  Advocate healthcare models or payment changes to ease financial burdens of childhood cancer treatment, and to drive disease prevention.

Last but not the least, improve care and support for pediatric cancer patients and survivors, including all generations of these individuals (i.e. some of them are adults now). Consider what would their life after cancer look like – because of some painful and practical challenges they are facing in daily lives.

Let me elaborate a little more on this. Thanks to medical and technological breakthrough, 5-year survival rates for childhood cancer patients exceed 80%. However, the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment on the quality of life take a huge toll among these survivors.

Specifically, because their treatments take place when they are very young, especially during vulnerable periods of development, the complications from cancer treatment have significant, long-lasting health impacts on these children. The complications of cancer therapy range from impaired growth and development, neurocognitive and psychosocial deficits, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine organ dysfunctions, and gastrointestinal problems.

In addition, children who survive their initial cancers remain at risk for having a cancer recurrence or developing new cancers (secondary malignancies), yet a majority of cancer survivors do not receive risk-based care.

Summary 

Cancer impacts our children’s well-being and life. We all have the responsibility to take care of children, and to protect them from a variety of dangers, including interruptions during pregnancy, genetic anomalies, perinatal injuries, congenital defects, malnutrition, environmental hazards, infections, poverty, violence, and trauma. So, we can do a lot to help address their unique needs and find solutions when we open our hearts and minds.

Please share your thoughts and let us know how we can help pediatric cancer patients – via

Support@CancerPreventionDaily.com  OR http://www.cancerpreventiondaily.com/contact/

 

Image credit: https://www.pixelsquid.com; http://www.icpcn.org; CPD

 

Go Beyond Knowing Obesity Is Bad (Part 2)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Warn-Danger Fats_FitWtCare & CPDWhat comes to your mind when you hear “Belly fat”?

Call it “Belly fat” as you like, but what I’m specifically talking about is visceral fat, the fat stored deeply inside your abdominal cavity and around your organs – unlike subcutaneous fat (under your skin) that’s visible and pinchable. (Image Credit: FitWeightCare)

Fat on Visceral Organs (i.e. intra-abdominal fat)

Everybody likely has visceral fat whether knowing it or not. but how much is too much?

Although visceral fat can only be measured by CT and MRI now, if you or your loved ones have an overhanging belly and large waist, that’s a warning sign of dangerous fat inside. That said, it doesn’t exclude relatively lean (with normal waistline) folks.

So, how dangerous is visceral fat exactly?

Visceral fat has deleterious effects on a variety of your organs and their functions. Clearly, it is attributed to increased inflammation by provoking inflammatory pathways and releasing pro-inflammatory chemicals. Also, extra visceral fat is strongly linked to insulin resistance and metabolic diseases, and to an elevated risk of death, even for people who have a normal body mass index (BMI).

Carrying around excess visceral fat increases a risk for a long list of chronic conditions or diseases including, but not limited to –

  • Coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke
  • Cancer
  • High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high blood glucose
  • Obesity – making it hard to lose weight
  • Type 2 diabetes – due to insulin resistance
  • Dementia
  • Depression and mood problems
  • Sleep disorders (e.g. sleep apnea)
  • Endocrinal, sexual dysfunction
  • Arthritis

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Here, I want to lay emphasize on cancer, as cancer’s impact on public health is increasingly prevalent. Excess visceral fat is a risk factor for several cancers of the gastrointestinal system, particularly esophageal, stomach, small intestine, colorectal, pancreatic, liver and gallbladder cancers. This is because overloaded adiposity is associated with fat tissue-derived inflammation, alterations in insulin signaling and sexual hormones’ pathways, then turning normal cells into cancerous ones. Moreover, visceral obesity is greatly associated with breast cancer.

Fat’s Influence on Other Vital Organs (e.g. brain)

Just because visceral fat is wrapped around abdominal organs such as the pancreas, liver and kidneys, it doesn’t mean that its damaging effects are local. For instance, liver fat may have a direct association with brain aging or shrinking. What’s more, greater visceral fat is correlated with a smaller total brain volume, which has been linked to neurodegenerative processes, and used as one of predictors for dementia.   

Excessive visceral fat results from a combination of hormonal, dietary, lifestyle (i.e. sedentary), and genetic factors. Now you can see how any big belly and large waistline are unhealthy.

Obesity and Aging   

As we get older, we store more visceral fat, because changes in body composition occur and co-morbidities accumulate. However, hopefully by now, you’ve come to the realization – simply accepting a growing midsection as an unavoidable product of aging may ignore or tone down your health risks.

On issues of aging and obesity, it’s inevitable not to touch on the gut microbiome, the microbial communities inhabiting the human body and containing a diverse array of microbes (in trillions).

The gut microbiota has emerged as a crucial regulator between how our food interacts with our body. They modulate how we balance levels of blood sugar and how we store fat, as well as how we respond to hormones. They play a key role in obesity.

As we age, altered gut microbiota in their composition and metabolites (called Dysbiosis) occurs. Science reveals that our gut microbiota undergoes the most prominent changes during infancy and old age, and profoundly, our immune health is also in its weakest and most unstable state during these two critical stages of life, indicating that the gut microbiota and immune function develop hand-in-hand with age.

Sure enough, with aging, levels of inflammatory mediators in the blood rise, and hence age-associated inflammation becomes a strong risk factor for morbidity and mortality in elders. It turns out that the gut microbiota may act as invisible yet important players in chronic inflammation.

Aging-associated dysbiosis can promote intestinal barrier’s broken-down, systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction, which all contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases commonly seen in old people such as obesity-related disorders, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Age-related changes in the gut microbiota have also been associated with various neurological and neurodegenerative disorders due to disturbed gut-brain communication.

Clearly, the gut microbiota can have a potent impact on human health and diseases.  But to date, there is no knowledge on “Which” gut microbe is doing “What”, “Why” and “How”. Without doubt, we can anticipate to learn more soon as a remarkable pace of scientific research is going on.

The Key Point Is –

If fats deposit where they should not be or more than they should be, then that will change a physiological condition to a pathological one through the effects of inflammatory chemicals. Excess body fat is like an inflammation-pumping machine.

For this reason, any extra fat – from both body and diet – any big belly or larger waistline poses a hidden risk. With obesity, people carry not only fat or weight but pain and health consequences.

Obesity is serious, regardless of the debate whether obesity is a disease or a condition. Obesity is just as significant as high blood pressure and high cholesterol – while none of them are actual diseases (but symptoms), all need to be medically treated lest they lead to termed “diseases”.

Indeed, causes of obesity are multifactorial and complex. However, for some, obesity is caused by genetic factor(s) and could be a life-long condition, which needs to be medically treated and individually managed. 

Doses of Wisdom for Prevention

Obesity, in most cases, is a modifiable and preventable. Lifestyle, diet and physical activity are key factors to prevent, ease or slow down obesity even with aging.

So, please don’t see obesity as a death sentence, because it’s not.

Nutritional and physical approaches, that are within your control, can prevent dangerous fat buildup, and thus lower a risk for obesity as well as chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Furthermore, getting a good night sleep and reducing stress are also beneficial for a healthy weight, because the stress cortisol can increase the amount of visceral fat your body stores.

Ultimately, consider to recruit your hidden microbial players, keeping them in harmony and happy, which could help your weight control. 

Bonus: Valuable Principle on Diet

An optimal diet to manage obesity should be individual-focused and ensure a long-term maintenance of weight loss, along with the diet that’s safe, efficient, nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable and economically affordable.

Critically important and specifically effective are diet plans including low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-calorie but high-protein, high-fiber diet, and Mediterranean diet. Without fail, go for fiber-rich foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables and whole grains), because they are essential to boost growth and activity of beneficial gut microbiota.

Remember low-sugar diet too, as research findings indicate that a high-sugar diet increases visceral fat in humans and animals.

References (including Pt. 1 & Pt. 2) Click here

Image Credit: by FitWeightCare, CPD

 

Go Beyond Knowing Obesity Is Bad (Part 1)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Stop Obesity by CPD_2018As you no doubt know, obesity is a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. The condition results from genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Virtually everybody knows that obesity is bad for you; but in this post, I want to elaborate further. In particular, I’m going to emphasize FAT, the adipose tissue in our bodies.

Adipose tissue is not only an inert fat-storage tissue, but an active endocrine organ, being accountable for synthesizing and secreting several hormones and inflammatory substances – from angiotensin, leptin, TNF-alpha and IL-6 to adiponectin, just to name a few.

Let’s take one of them, angiotensin, as an example to explain the link between obesity and hypertension.

Fat tissue has a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which is well-known as an important regulator of blood pressure and a determinant of cardiovascular homeostasis. One of the components is angiotensin II (Ang II) generated from angiotensinogen (AGT). Ang II causes vasoconstriction, reducing the lumen of blood vessels, leading to elevated blood pressure.

Yiannikouris et al’s study (2012) provided compelling evidence that fat-derived AGT contributes to circulating AGT levels and blood pressure regulation.

Under normal condition, while most AGT in the blood comes from the liver, AGT produced by fat cells contributes significantly (~26%) to the circulating pool of AGT. Noticeably, in obese state, fat mass increases fat-derived AGT, which may become a major source of circulating AGT, leading to stimulated RAS, increased Ang II and elevated blood pressure. So, you can see how obesity is linked to hypertension through fat-derived AGT.

Now, what needs to be addressed is how fat mass is expanded. Well, increased caloric intake, a sedentary lifestyle, and/or various endocrine disorders can all promote the development of fat mass, leading to an increase in AGT gene expression and a high level of circulating AGT in obesity. Furthermore, with an increase in fat tissue and circulating AGT, increased Ang II initiates fat cell growth and thus enlarges fat mass. On the whole, RAS activation results in not only hypertension but also weight gain.

Next, let’s look at how the presence of fat on various tissues and organs impacts your health.

Fat on/around Blood Vessels

Under physiological condition, vascular endothelial cells, the inner lining of blood vessels, synthesize and release endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and/or other relaxing factors that induce endothelium-dependent vasodilation, increase blood flow, and play a critical role in the regulating blood pressure. We now know that functional changes in endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells contribute to the initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.

There is also fat tissue that structurally and functionally surrounds blood vessels.
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How could fat be involved in pathological changes?

Fat tissue around blood vessels can produce inflammation-promoting chemicals, subsequently promoting vascular diseases. Under conditions of hypercholesterolemia, high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS, i.e. free radicals) can rapidly destroy NO and impair endothelium-dependent vasodilation; the abnormality is evident in various disorders such as diabetes, coronary artery disease and hypertension.

After feeding mice with a high-fat diet for 2 weeks, researchers found a reduction in anti-inflammatory factors and an increase in pro-inflammatory chemicals in fat tissue around blood vessels (i.e. perivascular fat), but not fat surrounding abdominal organs (i.e. visceral fat) and under the skin (i.e. subcutaneous fat) in these animals. Consistent with functional studies, these data suggest that pro-inflammatory factors derived from perivascular fat play a key role in the development of vascular dysfunction, and vascular dysfunction is likely an early sign of cardiovascular diseases.

High fat mass can also raise your LDL (i.e. bad cholesterol) and blood pressure, and cause insulin resistance – a risk for type-2 diabetes. My research has demonstrated that bad cholesterol (especially its oxidized form) can cause endothelial dysfunction and reduced blood flow in small brain arteries. Other researchers have also found that fat diet, together with overexpression of oxidized LDL’s receptor, can cause vascular dysfunction in small mesenteric arteries.

It is worth mentioning that obesity reduces adiponectin, a substance that is secreted from fat tissue and protects blood vessels against endothelial dysfunction. Clinical data show that lower levels of blood adiponectin are correlated to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

How about fat inside blood vessels?

You have probably heard about the “plaque”, a combination of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances. In atherosclerosis, plaque builds up inside your arteries, grows larger due to chronic inflammation, and can eventually rupture. When this takes place, blood clots clog up the lumen of arteries, blocking blood flow and depriving oxygen supply. Consequently, heart attack and stroke may occur, depending on a clot’s location in the coronary or brain arteries.

Overall, as fat expansion outside and inside blood vessels, increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation promote cardiovascular aging and diseases.

Please stay tuned to learn hidden fat on intra-abdominal and vital organs (Part 2).

References (including Pt. 1 & Pt. 2) Click here  

Image by CPD