Reversing ageing process by putting young blood into older people?

A series of experiments has produced incredible results by giving young blood to old mice. Now the findings are being tested on humans.

Blood plasma from young people has rejuvenated old mice, boosting their memory, cognition and physical activity. The method shows promise for use in people, says Sakura Minami from Alkahest, the company behind the work. Earlier research found that injecting old mice with plasma from young mice can reinvigorate the brain and muscle. The team took blood samples from 18- year-olds, and injected them into 12- month-old mice. After receiving two human plasma injections a week, for three weeks, the middle-aged mice ran around like young mice. Their memories seemed to improve, and they were much better at remembering the route around a maze than untreated mice of the same age.

“The blood of young people must have something in it that’s important for keeping them young,” says Victoria Bolotina, at Boston University in Massachusetts.

Minami says she has pinpointed some factors in young blood that might be responsible for these benefits, but she won’t reveal what they are yet. She hopes to translate the findings into an anti-ageing treatment – one that might help those who are feeling the effects of their brain ageing. “There’s anecdotal evidence that people experience benefits after blood transfusions,” Minami says.

Alkahest is already trialling young blood in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

It is 400 years since Libavius proposed that young blood could rejuvenate older people. At the time, the idea was radical and dangerous. Even though modern science has made blood transfusions safe, blood remains a mysterious fluid: it ferries more than 700 proteins and other substances around our bodies; many are known, but what they do is less clear. Wyss-Coray suspects that among them are factors that orchestrate the ageing process. If scientists can understand how they work, the ageing process might be laid bare. It could be slowed down, or perhaps even reversed.

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://punemirror.indiatimes.com/others/scitech/TEENAGE-BLOOD-HAS-POWER-TO-RESTORE-YOUTH/articleshow/55585788.cms
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23231005-600-blood-from-human-teens-rejuvenates-body-and-brains-of-old-mice/
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/04/can-we-reverse-ageing-process-young-blood-older-people

The bioartificial kidney is about to come

Investigators are getting closer to creating a functional bioartificial kidney, with advances being presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15-20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

A national research project is under way to create a small, surgically implanted, and free-standing bioartificial kidney to treat end stage renal disease (ESRD).

The bioartificial kidney will give ESRD patients new hope beyond the short-term solution of renal dialysis and the longer-term, but impermanent, solution of a living kidney transplant for which donor organs are limited.

As well, the bioartificial kidney is expected to save national health care dollars.

A bioartificial kidney could replace the need for dialysis or transplantation in the millions of patients with kidney failure. A key requirement for such a device is the formation of a "living membrane" that consists of a tight kidney cell layer on artificial membrane surfaces and can transport molecules from one side to the other. In their latest work, Dimitrios Stamatialis, PhD (University of Twente, in The Netherlands), Roos Masereeuw, PhD (University of Utrecht, in The Netherlands), and their teams achieved this using conditionally immortalized human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (ciPTECs) on polyethersulfone-based hollow fiber membranes. They demonstrated that the cell monolayer is indeed functional as a living membrane.

"This study shows the successful development of a living membrane consisting of a reproducible ciPTEC monolayer on hollow fiber membranes, an important step towards the development of a bioartificial kidney device," said Prof. Stamatialis. "The strategies and methods of this work could be relevant to the development of other bioartificial organs, such as a bioartificial liver or bioartificial pancreas, and organs on chips—such as a kidney on chip, a lung on chip, or a liver on chip."

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

https://pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161119185930.htm

Work on autophagy gives Yoshinori Ohsumi Nobel Prize in medicine

The Nobel prize in medicine has been awarded to a Japanese cell biologist for discoveries on how cells break down and recycle their own components.

This year's Nobel Laureate discovered and elucidated mechanisms underlying autophagy, a fundamental process for degrading and recycling cellular components.  

Ohsumi was born on February 9, 1945 in Fukuoka, Japan. He received a B.Sci. in 1967 and a D.Sci. in 1974, both from the University of Tokyo. In 1974–77 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University in New York City.[1]

He returned to The University of Tokyo in 1977 as a research associate; he was appointed Lecturer there in 1986, and promoted to Associate Professor in 1988. In 1996 he moved to the National Institute for Basic Biology in Okazaki City, Japan. where he was appointed as a professor. From 2004 to 2009 he was also professor at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Hayama, Japan. In 2009 he transitioned to a three-way appointment as an emeritus professor at the National Institute for Basic Biology and at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, and a professorship at the Advanced Research Organization, Integrated Research Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology. After his retirement in 2014, he continued to serve as Professor at Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Currently, he is head of the Cell Biology Research Unit, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology.

The word autophagy originates from the Greek words auto-, meaning "self", and phagein, meaning "to eat". Thus,autophagy denotes "self eating". This concept emerged during the 1960's, when researchers first observed that the cell could destroy its own contents by enclosing it in membranes, forming sack-like vesicles that were transported to a recycling compartment, called the lysosome, for degradation. Difficulties in studying the phenomenon meant that little was known until, in a series of brilliant experiments in the early 1990's, Yoshinori Ohsumi used baker's yeast to identify genes essential for autophagy. He then went on to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for autophagy in yeast and showed that similar sophisticated machinery is used in our cells.

Ohsumi's discoveries led to a new paradigm in our understanding of how the cell recycles its content. His discoveries opened the path to understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as in the adaptation to starvation or response to infection. Mutations in autophagy genes can cause disease, and the autophagic process is involved in several conditions including cancer and neurological disease.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Monday, Ohsumi said: “As a boy, the Nobel Prize was a dream, but after starting my research, it was out of my picture.”

He said he chose to focus on the cell’s waste disposal system, an unfashionable subject at the time, because he wanted to work on something different.

“I don’t feel comfortable competing with many people, and instead I find it more enjoyable doing something nobody else is doing,” he added. “In a way, that’s what science is all about, and the joy of finding something inspires me.”

Ohsumi, who was in his lab when he received the phone call from Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee, admitted to being in a “slight state of shock” about the news.

Giovanna Mallucci, a professor of clinical neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, said that Ohsumi’s discoveries were paving the way for new approaches to treating diseases, from cancer to neurodegenerative illnesses.

“I think it’s very important that this area of science been recognised,” she said. “The important principle here is going for common mechanisms in disease. It opens up avenues to treating these disorders that are different from more conventional disease-specific approaches.”

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2016/press.html?ctkey=autophagy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinori_Ohsumi
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/03/yoshinori-ohsumi-wins-nobel-prize-in-medicine

Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation

The Sri Sri Yoga is a holistic way of life that integrates all elements of ancient knowledge of Yoga, to make a prayerful discipline uniting the body, mind and soul.

Along with the series of simple, yet effective yoga postures and breathing techniques, a greater emphasis is placed on the inner experience of meditation, for the well-being of mind and other hidden elements of human existence.

We believe when one is in harmony within, the journey through life becomes calmer, happier and more fulfilled.

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives.  It will not eliminate life's pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events.

It provides us with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding. Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.

Yoga works for everyone from people engaged in desk jobs to professional cyclists to runners to people looking for weight loss to housewives to students.

Mindfulness help individuals to:

• Recognise, slow down or stop automatic and habitual reactions.
• Respond more effectively to complex or difficult situations.
• See situations more clearly
• Become more creative
• Achieve balance and resilience at work and at home

Both Yoga and Mindfulness intended to be profoundly spiritual life-changing practices, not just the superficial stress-busting techniques that are popularised in our media.

Meditation involves concentration techniques, to focus on a particular exercise to quieten the mind. It can help us to connect with our deeper wisdom, so that we see those same auto-pilot reactions and make changes. It can help the mind to focus more clearly, slowing it down and preparing us for deep-acting techniques.


Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.mindfulnet.org/page2.htm
http://www.artofliving.org/es-es/yoga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgPizq1xzb4
http://www.clarejosa.com/articles/love-your-soul/meditation-vs-mindfulness-a-rose-by-any-other-name-would-smell-as-sweet/

14 people infected with Zika virus in south Florida

Florida confirmed Monday 10 more homegrown cases of Zika in people infected by local mosquitoes, leading federal health officials to advise women who are pregnant to avoid the area just north of downtown Miami where Zika is spreading.

Women who have visited the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami since June 15 should avoid getting pregnant for at least eight weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Zika, which can cause devastating birth defects, appears to have begun spreading among mosquitoes in this area around June 15.


How do people catch Zika virus?

Zika virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also transmits chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. The Culex mosquito may also transmit Zika.

A study, conducted by Fiocruz Pernambuco, detected the presence of Zika virus in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. These samples were collected in Recife, Brazil, in houses where people had Zika. Further studies are needed on the transmission potential of the Culex. WHO continues to update information and recommendations as more research contributes to the growing knowledge base on Zika virus and its complications.

Zika virus can also be transmitted through sex and has been detected in semen, blood, urine, amniotic fluids, saliva as well as body fluids found in the brain and spinal cord.

The infection, known as Zika fever or Zika virus disease, often causes no or only mild symptoms, similar to a very mild form of dengue fever. While there is no specific treatment, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and rest may help with the symptoms. As of 2016, the illness cannot be prevented by medications or vaccines. Zika can also spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus. This can result in microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth defects. Zika infections in adults may result rarely in Guillain–Barré syndrome.

The new Zika cases in Miami bring the number of Zika infections spread by local mosquitoes — as opposed to foreign travel — to 14.

Controlling the cluster of Zika cases is proving difficult, CDC director Tom Frieden said, noting that more diagnoses related to the neighborhood are possible.

All pregnant women should take steps to prevent mosquito bites, Frieden said. The mosquito species that spreads Zika, the Aedes aegypti, lives in 30 states, in addition to territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/08/01/florida-announces-10-more-homegrown-zika-cases/87910664/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus

Are sweeteners healthy?

Artificial sweeteners are increasingly used as a substitute for sugar as they achieve the same level of sweetness in a product while contributing little to no calories.

Sweeteners may be safe, but are they healthy? Food manufacturers claim sweeteners help prevent tooth decay, control blood sugar levels and reduce our calorie intake.

According to a new study, consuming artificial sweeteners could do more harm than good as they may make you feel hungry and actually eat more. Researchers identified a new system in the brain that senses and integrates the sweetness and energy content of food.

You may think you’re doing the right thing by eliminating sugar from your life, but replacing it with a sweetener can be more detrimental to your health.

The University of Sydney reported in a new study published in Cell Metabolism that, "Both animals and humans have suggested that consuming artificial sweeteners [sucralose, specifically] can make you feel hungry and actually eat more."

Billions of people worldwide consume artificial sweeteners and they are prescribed as a tool to treat obesity, despite little being known until now about their full impact on the brain and in regulating hunger, researchers said.

"Artificial sweeteners can actually change how animals perceive the sweetness of their food, with a discrepancy between sweetness and energy levels prompting an increase in caloric consumption," said Herbert Herzog from Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

Also revealed was that hyperactivity, decreased sleep quality and insomnia was elevated with consumption of artificial sweeteners. These behaviors are often displayed in those fasting or in a mild state of starvation and have been linked with artificial sweeteners in other human studies.

With artificial sweeteners recommended as an aid to control weight without substantial evidence on how they impact the brain or regulate hunger, the new findings highlight that artificial sweeteners may add to the risk of obesity rather than assisting in reducing the risk through weight control.

However, research into sweeteners and appetite stimulation is inconsistent. Also, there is little evidence from longer-term studies to show that sweeteners lead to increased energy intake and contribute to the risk of obesity. 

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/311605.php

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-artificial-sweeteners.aspx

http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/can-artificial-sweeteners-actually-increase-appetite-1430924

http://www.womansday.com.au/style-beauty/health-body/artificial-sweeteners-contribute-to-weight-gain-15930

The new drug TEV-48125 will be able to relieve Chronic Migraine within 7 days

An experimental drug may bring fast relief to people with debilitating chronic migraines, a new study finds.

Chronic migraine is a distinct and relatively recently defined sub-type of Chronic Daily Headache. The International Headache Society defines chronic migraine as more than fifteen headache days per month over a three month period of which more than eight are migrainous, in the absence of medication over use. Episodic migraine is the other migraine sub-type, which is defined as less than 15 headache days per month.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised the impact of migraine worldwide and categorised it as the same level of disability as dementia, quadriplegia and acute psychosis. Furthermore WHO classified chronic migraine as more disabling than blindness, paraplegia angina or rheumatoid arthritis.6

Many of the therapies prescribed for chronic migraine are the same as those prescribed for episodic migraine. These include both prescription and over the counter painkillers and as well as migraine specific drugs such as triptans. These are known as abortive or acute medications.

Preliminary trials had already found that the drug -- dubbed TEV-48125 -- can help prevent migraine attacks in people who've suffered long-term with headaches.

Dr. Mark Green is professor of neurology and anesthesiology at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, in New York City. "It appears that this antibody works quite quickly," said Green, who is also director of the Center for Headache and Pain Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Green, who was not involved in the study, called the findings "exciting." That's in part because if CGRP-blockers make it to the market, they would be the first drugs specifically designed to prevent migraines.

If TEV-48125 or its competitors are approved, it's unlikely that patients will be put off by having to take a monthly injection, according to Green. "These are people in chronic pain," he pointed out.

But cost could be an obstacle: In general, antibody drugs like TEV-48125 are very expensive. So patients might find it difficult to get insurance coverage, Green said.

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.


http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20160608/experimental-drug-acts-fast-against-chronic-migraine

https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/types-of-migraine/chronic-migraine/

How to prevent cancer: be proactive, not reactive

From my point of view, PREVENTION is the key word. If all all us would lead a healthier life, I am sure there wouldn't be as many cancer illnesses as currently are.

1) Come on!!! Do not smoke!!!

Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer — including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Xhewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don't use tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.



Avoiding tobacco — or deciding to stop using it — is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's also an important part of cancer prevention. If you need help quitting tobacco, ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other strategies for quitting.

2) But... Sip a glass of beer or wine.

Alcohol protects against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is known to cause ulcers and may lead to stomach cancer. A study out of Queens University in Belfast found that moderate amounts of wine, beer, lager, or cider might protect against H. pylori; drinking three to six glasses of wine or one to two half-pints of beer a week showed 11 percent fewer infections.



Don’t overdo it: Drinking more than one or two alcoholic drinks a day may increase your risk of mouth, throat, esophageal, liver, and breast cancers.

3) Keep your bedroom dark.

Research shows exposure to light at night may increase the risk of ovarian and breast cancer in women. Light suppresses the normal production of melatonin, the brain chemical that regulates our sleep-wake cycles, which could increase the release of estrogen-fueled cancer. A study showed breast cancer risk was increased among women who didn’t sleep during the times when their melatonin levels were highest.

4) But... Get 15 minutes of sun a day.

Almost 90 percent of your body’s vitamin D comes directly from the sunlight—not from food or supplements. Studies have shown that a vitamin D deficiency can reduce communication between cells, causing them to stop sticking together and allowing cancer cells to spread, according to Cancer.net, a patient information website from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Vitamin D may also help promote proper cell maturation and reproduction; kinks in these processes can lead to cancer growth. People with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of multiple cancers, including breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, and stomach, as well as osteoporosis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and high blood pressure. But avoid overexposure, which can cause skin cancer—you only need a few minutes a day to produce adequate vitamin D levels.

5) Stand more. Sit less.

New studies suggest that people who spend most of their day sitting are at a 24 percent higher risk for colon and endometrial cancer than people who spend less time in a chair. Other research showed that people who spent more time in front of the TV had a 54 percent increased risk of colon cancer than those who watched less TV. Time to switch to a standing desk? If that's not an option, get up and walk around for a few minutes at least once an hour.

6) Try to walk 30 minutes a day.

More than two dozen studies have shown that women who exercise have a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of breast cancer than less active women, according to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.



Moderate exercise lowers blood estrogen levels, a hormone that can affect breast cancer risk. Another study linked four hours a week of walking or hiking with cutting the risk of pancreatic cancer in half. The benefits are probably related to improved insulin metabolism due to the exercise.

7) Drop 10 pounds.

Being overweight or obese accounts for 20% of all cancer deaths among women and 14% among men, notes the American Cancer Society. (You're overweight if your body mass index is between 25 and 29.9; you're obese if it's 30 or more.) Plus, losing excess pounds reduces the body's production of female hormones, which may protect against breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. Even if you're not technically overweight, gaining just 10 pounds after the age of 30 increases your risk of developing breast, pancreatic, and cervical, among other cancers.

8) Filter your tap water.

You'll reduce your exposure to known or suspected carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals. A report from the President's CancerPanel on how to reduce exposure to carcinogens suggests that home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water, whose quality often is not higher—and in some cases is worse—than that of municipal sources, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group. (Consumer Reports' top picks for faucet-mounted filters: Culligan, Pur Vertical, and the Brita OPFF-100.) Store water in stainless steel or glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that can leach from plastic bottles.

9) Take an aspirin.

While it has been known for a while that a low-dose aspirin a day may help prevent the risk of heart attack, the latest evidence suggests it could also help prevent colorectal or bowel cancer, which strikes over 40,000 Brits each year.



In April, the United States Preventative Service Task Force up-dated its guidelines to recommend all adults aged 50-59 should take a low dose aspirin for ten years.

Though the UK is yet to follow, many medical experts are convinced of aspirin’s benefit. ‘The evidence is strong that taking aspirin for five years or more reduces the risk of developing bowel cancer,’ saysProfessor Peter Johnson,professor of medical oncology at the University of Southampton and chief clinician for Cancer Research UK.

‘It’s also been found that people who do get cancer are at less risk of having it spread if they take aspirin.’ If there is an inherited tendency toward bowel cancer, taking a low-dose aspirin is a good idea, he suggests.

‘Aspirin may work by reprogramming the way the immune system works, affecting the inflammation pathways in the lining of the gut, and thus helping it to recognise very early cancers and remove them,’ Prof. Johnson says. But it comes with risks such as bleeding from ulcers in the stomach, so always consult a GP first.

10) Do a folic acid check.

The B vitamin, essential for women who may become or are pregnant to prevent birth defects, is a double-edged sword when it comes to cancerrisk.

Consuming too much of the synthetic form (not folate, found in leafy green veggies, orange juice, and other foods) has been linked to increased colon cancer risk, as well as higher lung cancer and prostate cancer risks. Rethink your multivitamin, especially if you eat a lot of cereal and fortified foods. A CDC study discovered that half of supplement users who took supplements with more than 400 mcg of folic acid exceeded 1,000 mcg per day of folic acid. Most supplements pack 400 mcg. Individual supplements (of vitamin D and calcium, for instance) may be a smarter choice for most women who aren't thinking of having kids.

11) Up your calcium intake.

Milk's main claim to fame may also help protect you from colon cancer. Those who took calcium faithfully for 4 years had a 36% reduction in the development of new precancerous colon polyps 5 years after the study had ended, revealed Dartmouth Medical School researchers. (They tracked 822 people who took either 1,200 mg of calcium every day or a placebo.) Though the study was not on milk itself, you can get the same amount of calcium in three 8-ounce glasses of fat-free milk, along with an 8-ounce serving of yogurt or a 2- to 3-ounce serving of low-fat cheese daily.

12) Block cancer with color.

Choosing your outdoor outfit wisely may help protect against skin cancer, say Spanish scientists. In their research, blue and red fabrics offered significantly better protection against the sun's UV rays than white and yellow ones did. Don't forget to put on a hat: Though melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, it's more common in areas the sun hits, and researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that people with melanomas on the scalp or neck die at almost twice the rate of people with the cancer on other areas of the body.

13) Commit to whole grains.

You know whole wheat is better for you than white bread. Here's more proof why you should switch once and for all: If you eat a lot of things with a high glycemic load—a measurement of how quickly food raises your blood sugar—you may run a higher risk of colorectal cancer than women who eat low-glycemic-load foods, found a Harvard Medical School study involving 38,000 women. The problem eats are mostly white: white bread, pasta, potatoes, and sugary pastries. The low-glycemic-load stuff comes with fiber.

14) Eat clean foods.

The President's Cancer Panel recommends buying meat free of antibiotics and added hormones, which are suspected of causing endocrine problems, including cancer. The report also advises that you purchase produce grown without pesticides and wash conventionally grown food thoroughly to remove residues. (The foods with the most pesticides: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, and blueberries. See the full list ofdirtiest fruits and vegetables here.) "At least 40 known carcinogens are found in pesticides and we should absolutely try to reduce exposure," Sellers says.

15) Drink green tea.

More than 50 studies on the association between tea and cancer risk have been published since 2006, according to the National Cancer Institute. While findings have been inconsistent—partly due to variations in types of tea and differences in preparation and consumption—some papers have found tea drinkers have a reduced risk of breast, ovarian, colon, prostate and lung cancer.



The healing powers of green tea have been valued in Asia for thousands of years. Some scientists believe that a chemical in green tea, EGCG, could be one of the most powerful anti-cancer compounds ever discovered due to the high number of antioxidants.

16) Cut out fries and chips.

When foods are baked, fried, or roasted at high temperatures (think French fries and potato chips), a potential cancer-causing compound called acrylamide forms, a result of the chemical changes that occur in the foods. Studies performed on rats have shown that prolonged acrylamide exposure is a risk for multiple types of cancer. Human studies are ongoing; but even if the results are benign, it’s healthiest to switch from French fries and potato chips to foods like mashed potatoes and pretzels.

17) Eat cruciferous veggies.

People who eat broccoli and its cousins such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy at least once per week have a lower risk of kidney cancer compared with people who consume them less than once a month, according to a multinational European study.

18) Eat less high-fat animal protein.

After tracking food choices of more than 121,000 adults for up to 28 years, Harvard researchers found that people who ate three ounces of red meat every day were about 13 percent more likely to die—often from heart disease or cancer—before the study ended than people who didn’t eat meat.

A Yale study found that women who ate the most animal protein had a 70 percent higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, while those who ate diets high in saturated fat increased their risk 90 percent. Switch to low-fat or nonfat dairy, choose poultry or fish instead of beef or pork, and use olive oil instead of butter.

19) Eat "resistant starches".

Resistant starch, found in foods like green bananas, rolled oats, and white beans, may help reduce the increased risk of colon cancer from a diet high in red meat. According to the journal Cancer Prevention Research, participants in a study had a 30 percent increase in cell proliferation in the rectal tissue after eating 300 grams of lean red meat a day (about 10 ounces) for four weeks. After adding 40 grams of resistant starches a day while eating the meat, cell proliferation levels went back down to normal.

20) Steam your broccoli.

Broccoli is a cancer-preventing super food—one you should eat frequently. But take note: A study done in 2008 by Italian researchers found that steamed broccoli contains more glucosinolate (the healthy components of the vegetable) than boiled, fried, or microwaved broccoli.



Nutrients leach into the cooking water instead of remaining in the vegetable, according to the Harvard Family Health Guide.

21) Eat garlic.

This pungent herb contains allyl sulfur compounds that may stimulate the immune system’s natural defenses against cancer, and may have the potential to help the body get rid of cancer-causing chemicals and help cause cancer cells to die naturally, a process called apoptosis. The Iowa Women’s Health Study showed that women who consumed the highest amounts of garlic had a 50 percent lower risk of colon cancer compared with women who ate the least.

22) Eat artichokes.

Artichokes are a great source of silymarin, an antioxidant that may help prevent skin cancer by slowing cancer cell growth. To eat, peel off the tough outer leaves on the bottom, slice the bottom, and cut off the spiky top. Then boil or steam until tender, about 30-45 minutes. Drain and eat.

23) Eat wild salmon.

Women who ate fish three times a week or more were 33 percent less likely to have polyps, or growths of tissue in the colon that can turn into cancer, according to a study in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Fish, especially salmon, is packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which are likely responsible for the cancer-fighting effects. Australian researchers found that people who ate four or more servings of fish per week were nearly one-third less likely to develop the blood cancers leukemia, myeloma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Other studies show a link between eating fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and tuna, as well as shrimp and scallops) with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer in women.

24) Eat onions.

When it comes to cancer-fighting foods, onions are nothing to cry about. Cornell food science researchers found that that onions and shallots have powerful antioxidant properties, as well as compounds that inhibit cell growth, which appear protective against a variety of cancers. The study found that shallots, Western Yellow, pungent yellow, and Northern Red have the richest sources of flavonoids and antioxidants. Not a big fan of onion breath?



Although they have less antioxidant power, you can try scallions, Vidalia onions, or chives for a milder taste.

25) Eat fewer smoked and pickled foods.

Studies find that smoked and pickled foods contain various carcinogens, so, for examples, choose cucumbers over pickles, fresh salmon over lox. Many of these pickled vegetables are common in Japanese and Korean cuisine; the number of people with gastric cancers is higher in Japan and Korea than in the United States.

26) Go for fibre.

Simply increasing your fibre and your fruit and vegetable intake to five portions a day could help prevent 14 different types of cancers, the EPIC study found.

Increasing your intake of fibrous whole grains such as oats, brown rice and wholemeal bread was particularly associated with a lowered risk of bowel cancer and some research has suggested it may help prevent breast and prostate cancers too.

It’s not certain how it happens but some speculate that this also might be linked to gut bacteria.

‘Studies like EPIC show consistently that people who eat lots of fibre, fruit and vegetables have low levels of cancer and the reason could be that these people consequently have a healthy gut microbiome that helps the immune system fight off cancers,’ says Prof Spector.

27) Eat yoghurt.

Our gut bacteria or micro-biome has recently been linked to everything mood to obesity and a growing number of studies are now linking it to a lowered cancer risk.

The latest, published last month in the journal PLOS One, gave one group of mice beneficial bacteria through probiotic supplements and the other non-beneficial bacteria.



The mice receiving the good bacteria produced metabolites known to prevent cancer in their guts and were also better able to metabolise fats, which the researchers said could help lower the risk of cancer.

‘The results are positive and that’s probably because the microbes help break down some of the toxins in the gut that might normally cause cancer, but also because they keep the immune system in great shape generally so it beats off  cancer cells,’ says Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, founder of the British Gut Project and author of The Diet Myth (Weidenfeld and Nicholson £8.99).

To keep your gut bacteria healthy, eat a mix of probiotic foods such as live yoghurt, kefir (fermented milk drink) and sauerkraut as well asprebiotic foods such as fruit, vegetables and high fibre whole grains and legumes to feed bacteria and help it grow, Prof Spector explains.

28) Marinate your meat.

In the 1990s the biggest study into nutrition and cancer began tracking the diets of 500,000 healthy people aged 45-79 across ten countries in Europe and Britain to see who would get cancer.

Among the key findings from European Study on Diet and Cancer (EPIC) were that processed and red meat are associated with a higher risk of developing bowel and stomach cancers.

Current recommendations suggest sticking to 70 grams a day (about two rashers of bacon) and according to CRUK, this one change alone could prevent a staggering 8,800 cases of bowel cancer each year.

Research also suggests charred or well-done meats may be associated with increased risk because of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines (HCAs) which form when meat is cooked at high temperatures.

But meat lovers don’t despair, fascinating research from Kansas State University found that marinating meat in herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, sage and marjoram before cooking can lower the HCA components in meat (so could taking the skin off chicken).

29) Caffeinate every day.

Java lovers who drank 5 or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 40% decreased risk of brain cancer, compared with people who drank the least, in a 2010 British study. A 5-cup-a-day coffee habit reduces risks of oral and throat cancer almost as much. Researchers credit the caffeine: Decaf had no comparable effect. But coffee was a more potent protector against these cancers than tea, which the British researchers said also offered protection against brain cancer.

30) Head off cell phone risks.

Use your cell phone only for short calls or texts, or use a hands-free device that keeps the phone—and the radio frequency energy it emits—away from your head. The point is more to preempt any risk than to protect against a proven danger: Evidence that cell phones increase braincancer risk is "neither consistent nor conclusive," says the President'sCancer Panel report. But a number of review studies suggest there's a link.

31) Pick a doc with a past.

Experience—lots of it—is critical when it comes to accurately reading mammograms. A study from the University of California, San Francisco, found that doctors with at least 25 years' experience were more accurate at interpreting images and less likely to give false positives. Ask about your radiologist's track record. If she is freshly minted or doesn't check a high volume of mammograms, get a second read from someone with more mileage.

32) Ask about breast density.

Women whose mammograms have revealed breast density readings of 75% or more have a breast cancer risk 4 to 5 times higher than that of women with low density scores, according to recent research. One theory is that denser breasts result from higher levels of estrogen—making exercise particularly important (see #8). "Shrinking your body fat also changes growth factors, signaling proteins such as adipokines and hormones like insulin in ways that tend to turn off cancer-promoting processes in cells," Walker says.

33) Skip the dry cleaner.

A solvent known as perc (short for perchloroethylene) that's used in traditional dry cleaning may cause liver and kidney cancers and leukemia, according to an EPA finding backed in early 2010 by the National Academies of Science.



The main dangers are to workers who handle chemicals or treated clothes using older machines, although experts have not concluded that consumers are also at increased cancerrisk. Less toxic alternatives: Hand-wash clothes with mild soap and air-dry them, spot cleaning if necessary with white vinegar.

34) Burn off your risk.

Moderate exercise such as brisk walking 2 hours a week cuts risk of breast cancer 18%. Regular workouts may lower your risks by helping you burn fat, which otherwise produces its own estrogen, a known contributor to breast cancer. (Try these 14 Walking Workouts That Blast Fat.)

35) Stop topping your tank.

So say the EPA and the President's Cancer Panel: Pumping one last squirt of gas into your car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel and foil the pump's vapor recovery system, designed to keep toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene out of the air, where they can come in contact with your skin or get into your lungs.

36) Pay attention to pain.

If you're experiencing a bloated belly, pelvic pain, and an urgent need to urinate, see your doctor. These symptoms may signal ovarian cancer, particularly if they're severe and frequent. Women and physicians often ignore these symptoms, and that's the very reason that this disease can be deadly. When caught early, before cancer has spread outside the ovary, the relative 5-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is a jaw-dropping 90 to 95%.

37) Avoid unnecessary scans.

CT scans are a great diagnostic tool, but they deliver much more radiation than x-rays and may be overused, says Barton Kamen, MD, PhD, chief medical officer for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In fact, researchers suggest that one-third of CT scans could be unnecessary. High doses of radiation can trigger leukemia, so make sure scans are not repeated if you see multiple doctors, and ask if another test, such as an ultrasound or MRI, could substitute.

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit blog. My objective, as a young girl born in 1999, is just to share my passion for Medicine by giving the world some information about the latest tendencies in this field. Please click on the links below to obtain a more detailed information about the articles I have used as a source.






http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/health-advice/8-proven-ways-to-prevent-cancer/

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/everyday-cancer-prevention-tips

http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/how-to-prevent-cancer/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/cancer-prevention/art-20044816