Optimal Functioning - positive psychology & physical health » Cancer

Fish Oil Linked to Colon Cancer Risk

Helge Bjorland — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:00:59 +0000

Fish oil — long encouraged by doctors as a supplement to support heart and joint health, among other benefits — induced severe colitis and colon cancer in mice in research led by Michigan State University and published October 2010 in the journal Cancer Research.

Don’t take this the wrong way though, this study seems to serve more as a reminder too much of anything can be bad for you. It’s also nice to contrast the information we hear, which is usually positive related to fish oil — omega-3 fatty acids. The fact of the matter is that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids we need for optimal functioning is still not known, so don’t go crazy with the supplements.

Fenton cautions people may not need to avoid fish oil; what the research shows is needed are guidelines on dosing. With any nutrient, there is a “bell curve” effect. On the left of the curve are those deficient in a nutrient; on the right are those in excess.

She said people already receiving enough omega-3 fatty acids through their normal diet and foods have no need for added supplementation.

[ScienceDaily]

Following Lifestyle Tips Could Save You From Bowel Cancer

Helge Bjorland — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:14:29 +0000

A study published on the British Medical Journal website suggest that following public health recommendation could reduce risk of bowel cancer by up to 23%. The study is not very specific as to causality, but at least supports the effectiveness of the public health goals.

The researchers created a healthy lifestyle index using internationally accepted public health recommendations from the World Health Organization, World Cancer Research Fund and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.

These included being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, having no more than seven drinks a week for women and 14 drinks a week for men, being non-smoker, having a waist circumference below 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men and consuming a healthy diet

If all participants had followed all five recommendations, then 23% of the bowel cancer cases could have been avoided.

The researchers conclude: “Our study reveals the useful public health message that even modest differences in lifestyle might have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer risk and emphasises the importance of continuing vigorous efforts to convince people to follow the lifestyle recommendations.”

[BMJ]

Starve cancer with a plant based diet

Helge Bjorland — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:00:29 +0000

A great video from TED where William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game

Lytix-Peptide Kill Cancer Cells and Multi-Resistant Bacteria

Helge Bjorland — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:26:26 +0000

Two Norwegian scientists have discovered a new molecule which could greatly reduce two of the biggest challenges in today’s health care: Cancer and multi-resistant bacteria. The Lytix-peptide derived from colostrum has a lofty potential, and hopefully human testing will soon confirm the initial results.

The Norwegian professors John Sigurd Svendsen of organic chemistry and Øystein Rekdal of biochemistry has started human testing with the Lytix-peptide. It’s a molecule found in colostrum, which has shown to have potential both as an antibiotic and to kill cancer cells. The discovery was made when the scientists tried to produce the peptide called lactoferricin¹, but where they tried to only produce half the molecule. They expected it to have less of a bacterial effect than the complete molecule, but the results were actually the opposite; it had an even greater ability of killing bacterias than the complete molecule. Multi-resistant bacteria is one of the biggest issues in modern medicine, since some types of antibiotics that were once life-saving medicine are now worthless. The need for something new to help us fight those bacterias are great and perhaps this peptide will help us win this battle which we are close to loosing.

“It was ghastly exciting. We had done something all scientists dream of: We had plowed untouched land and found something new. We had seen that the molecules we designed in the laboratory had the desired effect on the biological system”, states Svendsen.

…perhaps this peptide will help us win this battle which we are close to loosing

This was however not the only positive effect of the drug which the researchers discovered. They tested the peptide against cancer cells in mice and to their amazement it seemed it could also effectively kill cancer cells. The outer layer of cancer cells was peeled away and within 20 minutes the cell was gone. The peptide triggered an inflammatory reaction in the body, which made the body’s own immune system react and investigate the situation. This effect lead to the immune system learning to recognize cancer cells as alien, thereby preventing a relapse.

“A discovery like this is something that rarely happens in a researcher’s life. And we were completely alone with it. You have a feeling that everything you touch turns to gold. We were at work all the time – both mentally and physically. It was like surfing on a wave that lasted and lasted and lasted. A wonderful feeling”, remembers Svendsen.

…it seemed it could also effectively kill cancer cells

Their results from the lab has been great so far, but the human testing of Lytix-peptide only started in 2009 and the first results will be ready this year. It is still about five or six years until the researchers know whether they have been successful, and if Lytix-peptide is the future of medicine. By that time it has been over 20 years since their research began. Let’s hope it will not have been a waste!

¹ Lactoferricin is a peptide of the protein lactoferrin found in milk. Proteins are molecules made up of amino acids linked together in a chain. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that are built up in the same way as proteins.

[Forskning.no]

Statins does not lower risk of cancer

Helge Bjorland — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:12:16 +0000

Statins, which are drugs used to lower cholesterol, will not lower your risk of colorectal cancer like it has been theorized.

In a recent study of more than 400,000 Canadians Dr. Harminder Singh of the University of Manitoba demonstrate that there is no connection between risk of colorectal cancer and the use of Statins.

“This study did not find any statistically significant reduction in colorectal cancer risk with regular use of statins, irrespective of the dose or duration,”

“The best-designed studies of the issue indicate that statin use is neither a major risk factor nor a protective factor for colorectal cancer and that we have come very near to the end of the road for the hypothesis relating statins to colorectal cancer risk.”

[American Journal of Gastroenterology via Reuters]

Singh, H., Mahmud, S. M., Turner, D., Xue, L., Demers, A. A., & Bernstein, C. N. (2009). Long-Term use of statins and risk of colorectal cancer: A population-based study. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 104(12), 3015-23.