Breast Health

Pomegranates May Affect Breast Cancer Risk

Pomegranates have long been known to be rich in antioxidants and generally beneficial. And now, according to an article in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, researchers have determined that an acid found in pomegranates may block aromatase, an enzyme that converts androgen to estrogen (a hormone that plays a role in the development of breast cancer). Many women who have had breast cancer actually take medicines called aromatase inhibitors to keep estrogen from feeding tumors. Scientists have found that 10 natural compounds in the fruit may potentially prevent estrogen-related breast cancer. They’re quick to recommend that women NOT replace their aromatase inhibitors with pomegranate juice and say more studies involving animals and humans are needed to confirm the findings.

Click here to read the full Reuters story: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6045JT20100105

New Guidelines Say Breast Cancer Screening Should Begin at 40

The new breast cancer screening recommendations compiled by the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging say that women with an average risk of developing breast cancer should start annual mammography screening at age 40. This contradicts the earlier guidelines published by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that recommend against women aged 40 to 49 getting mammogram screenings, citing the potential harms that can result from screening. Doctors have called for a more balanced view of screening, providing information on the possible harms that can result from false positives or unnecessary biopsies, but most women still consider the greatest harm to be breast cancer.

Click here to read the full Medscape article: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/714670?sssdmh=dm1.579014&src=nldne&uac=123328BV

Nutritional Health

Fiber May Help You Shed Pounds

According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, dietary fiber may help prevent weight gain and shrink your waist. Results from the study showed that there was an inverse association of total fiber intake with subsequent change in weight and in waist circumference. For each 10-g/day increase in total fiber intake, the pooled estimate was –39 g/year for weight change, and –0.08 cm/year for waist circumference change.

For each 10-g/day increase in fiber intake from cereals, there was a weight change of –77 g/year and a change in waist circumference of –0.10 cm/year. Researchers concluded that higher intake of dietary fiber, especially cereal fiber, may help prevent gain in weight and waist circumference. Some cereals high in fiber are Bran Buds, All-Bran, Fiber One, and Grape Nuts. A high fiber diet can also normalize bowels, lower cholesterol, and help control blood sugar.

Click here to read the full Medscape article: http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/714652?sssdmh=dm1.579014&src=nldne&uac=123328BV

Click here for more on the benefits of a high fiber diet: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

Mental Health

Debate Over Traditional Mental Health Therapy

A November report published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest says too many clinicians favor personal experience over scientific evidence when deciding on a patient’s treatment. On the one side, authors of the study say too many clinical psychologists are not looking to research or science as a treatment method. On the opposing side, psychologists say the quality of treatment matters over type. They fear that the push for cognitive therapy (a medical model that aims to correct misguided beliefs and reactions that contribute to mental disorders), which is cheaper but not necessarily effective for everyone, is being used by insurance companies to cut down on costs. At the core of the debate is a difference over how clinical psychologists approach therapeutic practice. One group, largely academic, believes psychology should follow this medical model, addressing specific ailments with specific treatments developed and tested for that purpose. Another group, largely practicing therapists, prefers a less confining treatment method that emphasizes a strong relationship between therapist and patient. Instead of rigidly dictating the “right” type of therapy up front, some health plans have shifted toward an “outcomes” system that measures a patient’s response to treatment regardless of what kind it is. While it’s not possible to determine what’s right or wrong, this debate comes at an important time as the treatment rate for people with mental disorders has nearly doubled in the last 20 years. And this number is likely to rise even higher with growing unemployment rates and as more soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder.  

Click here to read the full LA Times story: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-psychotherapy11-2010jan11,0,3973704.story?page=1

Aging

Live Well

According to a projection of the century-long rise in life expectancy published in The Lancet in October, more than half the children born since 2000 in wealthy countries can expect to live to 100. Living long is one thing, but living long and well is quite another. A lot of us look to herbs and supplements to ensure our latter years stay golden, but scientific evidence has shown that many of these products may have no benefit at all and some may actually do harm. So how can we live well longer? One way is diet. Less red meat and saturated fat and more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. A diet based on more plant-based foods has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and dementia. The other is exercise. The single most effective activity, studies have found, is about 30 minutes a day of an aerobic activity like brisk walking. So eat a good diet, exercise, and hopefully live well, longer.

Click here to read the full New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/health/12brod.html?ref=health