Coffee May Lower Risk Of Deadliest Prostate Cancer

For a long time scientists have wondered whether coffee might lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Previous studies have been relatively small and have shown mixed results.

But now we have results from a Harvard study that followed almost 50,000 male health professionals for more than two decades. A lot of them drank a lot of coffee, which seems to have helped.

More than 5,000 of them got prostate cancer — 642 of them the most lethal form. "For the men who drank the most coffee, their risk of getting this bad form of prostate cancer was about 60 percent lower compared to the men who drank almost no coffee at all," says Lorelei Mucci, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health and an author of the study.

When they saw the results, Mucci says, she and her colleagues said, "Wow, that's a lot!"

"Among risk factors that people have studied for lethal prostate cancer, this is one of the strongest," she told Shots.

The same group reported about a 50 percent reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer among men who exercised regularly — two or three brisk walks a week was enough.

The new study shows that getting a 60 percent reduction in risk of aggressive prostate cancer requires a lot of coffee — at least six cups a day. However, men who drank three cups a day had a 30 percent lower chance of getting a lethal prostate cancer, and that's not bad.

Only about one in 10 prostate cancers diagnosed these days is deadly. Most men get a less dangerous and curable kind. The study found no link between coffee drinking and overall risk of prostate cancer. Presumably previous studies didn't uncover the lowered risk of aggressive cancers because they didn't have enough of these cases.

Mucci says coffee drinkers got the benefit without getting buzzed on caffeine. "Whether they drank regular coffee or only decaffeinated coffee, there was the same lower risk of lethal prostate cancer," she says. "It's really the coffee; it's not the caffeine."

Another good thing is that it doesn't require decades of heavy coffee drinking to get the benefit. What mattered was how much they drank in the previous eight years.

The Harvard epidemiologist says the coffee effect persisted even after the researchers allowed for the effect of exercise, obesity, smoking and other factors that either raise or lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Neil Martin, a cancer doctor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, was impressed with the new findings.

"Results like these are very appealing for people," he says. "It supports things that they do. ... And I guess I don't really see the downside of that. I think people should feel empowered about being able to change their risk of diseases."

And yes, in this case it is "diseases" — plural.

Earlier research suggests coffee reduces the risk of diabetes, liver disease and Parkinson's disease — possibly because of its insulin-lowering effects, its anti-oxidant qualities and other properties, including some yet to be discovered.

And just last week, Swedish researchers reported that women who drink at least five cups of coffee a day have nearly a 60 percent lower risk of a particularly aggressive breast cancer that doesn't respond to estrogen.

Mucci says more research is needed before officially urging people to drink coffee for its health benefits. Meanwhile, she says, "there's no reason not to start drinking coffee."

And no, she does not take money from the coffee industry.

Exploding watermelons! Acres of crops erupt

Watermelon fields in eastern China are a mess of burst fruit after farmers used growth chemicals in an attempt to make extra money but ended up ruining their crops, state media reported Tuesday.

An investigative report by China Central Television found farms in and around Danyang city in Jiangsu province were losing acres of fruit to the problem.

The farmers sprayed forchlorfenuron, a growth accelerator, during overly wet weather and put it on too late in the season, which made the melons burst, CCTV said, citing agricultural experts.

White seeds
It said most watermelons sold at a wholesale market in nearby Shanghai were believed to have been treated with forchlorfenuron. Telltale signs are fibrous, misshapen fruit with mostly white instead of black seeds, it said.

Chinese regulations don't forbid use of the substance. It is also allowed in the United States for use on kiwi fruit and grapes.

But the report underscores how farmers in China are abusing both legal and illegal chemicals, with many farms misusing pesticides and fertilizers.

The government has already voiced alarm over the widespread overuse of food additives like dyes and sweeteners that retailers hope will make food more attractive and boost sales.

青年年脊椎侧弯的原因

时间：2011-3-3 16:46:08

　　核心提示：脊椎测弯原因及注意事项 青少年的脊椎受损大多与不良的生活习惯、学习姿势有关。脊椎的受损在治疗上难度较大，一般情况下，不能痊愈。青少年经常出现的有颈部酸痛、腰痛等诸多不适。如有的同学学习认真，长期坐在桌前看书写字，颈椎始终处于前倾位置，长期如此，会造成颈椎生理曲度改变，成年后重者出现骨质增生或骨刺、双...

脊椎测弯原因及注意事项 青少年的脊椎受损大多与不良的生活习惯、学习姿势有关。脊椎的受损在治疗上难度较大，一般情况下，不能痊愈。青少年经常出现的有颈部酸痛、腰痛等诸多不适。如有的同学学习认真，长期坐在桌前看书写字，颈椎始终处于前倾位置，长期如此，会造成颈椎生理曲度改变，成年后重者出现骨质增生或骨刺、双手麻木。

　　对青少年来说，学习是必要的。为了防止颈椎病的发生，最好的方法是在桌前学IJ 1个小时左l右，适当活动一下。如，做颈保健操，让颈椎有一个休息时间，这也是国家教育部门规定，每节课45分钟后中间需要休息10～15分钟的道理之一。在课间休息时，青少年不要继续坐在桌前学习。

　　有些青少年在看书或写字时坐位姿势不端正，喜欢趴着写字看书，这时的脊椎处于一个侧弯状态，两侧肢体受力不平衡。有些青少年为了追求时髦或其他原因，不喜欢使用双肩背包。由于现在学习用品重量大大超过或接近生理的负重能力，而单肩包只能一侧用力。为了负重，也就是说为了抵抗地球所产生的重力，只能耸高背侧的肩膀来取得平衡，脊椎就处在一侧用力状态，长此以往，就有可能造成腰椎侧弯。

　　有些青少年喜欢躺在床上看书，认为这样既可以休息，又能不耽误学习。其实，床上看书是一个很不好的习惯。床上看书一般都选用侧卧，并把头部抬高，这时的脊椎处于侧弯S形状态，脊椎的两侧受力是不均等的，这也是造成脊椎侧弯的重要原因之一。

脊椎通常称为脊柱，是人体重要的一组骨头，包括7个颈椎、12个胸椎、5个腰椎。在脊椎中间有脊神经通过。脊神经通导人体各部位运动和感觉的信号，连接着大脑。脊神经一旦受损就会出现截瘫，一经受压就会在相应部位出现麻木和诸多不适。

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Scoliosis-Prevention-Treatment-Chinese/dp/1460965612/

用于iPhone的ScolioTrack

Scoliotrack是使用 iPhone加速表每月跟踪个人的脊柱侧弯状况的一种安全且新颖的方法，iPhone加速表正如医生用的评价脊柱测量仪。评价脊柱测量仪是用于评估一个人脊柱弯曲量的仪器。它也可在脊柱侧弯和脊柱畸形弯曲筛查或后续跟进中作为一种工具使用。

评价脊柱侧量仪是类似于放置在背部弯曲顶峰（顶点）处的水平仪。它比X-线更安全，可用于两次X-线检查之间。 

程序特点：

• 可用于多个用户，并可将他们的数据方便地储存于iPhone中以备将来检查

• 跟踪并储存个人躯干旋转角度（ATR），ATR是脊柱侧弯筛查和制定治疗计划的一个重要指标。

• 跟踪个人身高和体重——是患有脊柱侧弯症成长中的青少年和关注健康状况成年人的理想选择。

• 绘制脊柱侧弯进展图表，使用者很容易了解其脊柱侧弯每月的变化情况。 

• 显示有关脊柱侧弯的最新消息，使用户及时了解和更新。

• 具有全面的帮助，并且容易按照指南进行操作，因此任何人都可在舒适的家中跟踪他们脊柱侧弯的状况。

• 欲了解更多信息或安装用于iPhone、iPod或iPad的Scoliotrack，请访问iTune 网站。

热卖中
要在iTunes点击这里查看

New spine therapy helps city teen keep dancing

Method doesn't require the rods and screws of traditional scoliosis treatment

By SHANTEÉ WOODARDS, Staff Writer

Published 05/13/11

Natalie Schott is a dancer, so she worried that a surgery to correct scoliosis would ruin her future.The 14-year-old learned of her diagnosis last year, when others noticed the shifting of her spine.

When her doctor diagnosed her with the condition, she wanted to avoid surgery that would place a rod and screws in her back, fearing it would limit her flexibility.

Parsley, Celery Carry Crucial Component for Fight Against Breast Cancer, Study Suggests

Parsley is usually used as a decorative accent to a scrumptious meal, but don't set it aside just yet. In a new study, a University of Missouri researcher has found that a compound in parsley and other plant products, including fruits and nuts, can stop certain breast cancer tumor cells from multiplying and growing. The study was published recently in Cancer Prevention Research.

In his study, Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professor in Tumor Angiogenesis and professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, exposed rats with a certain type of breast cancer to apigenin, a common compound found in parsley and other plant products. The rats that were exposed to the apigenin developed fewer tumors and experienced significant delays in tumor formation compared to those rats that were not exposed to apigenin. Hyder believes this finding could impact women who are taking certain hormone replacement therapies.

"Six to 10 million women in the United States receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT)," Hyder said. "We know that certain synthetic hormones used in HRT accelerate breast tumor development. In our study, we exposed the rats to one of the chemicals used in the most common HRTs received in the United States -- a progestin called medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) -- which also happens to be the same synthetic hormone that accelerates breast tumor development."

When tumor cells develop in the breast in response to MPA, they encourage new blood vessels to form within tumors. The blood vessels then supply needed nutrients for the tumors to grow and multiply. Hyder found that apigenin blocked new blood vessel formation, thereby delaying, and sometimes stopping, the development of the tumors. Hyder also found that the compound reduced the overall number of tumors. However, while apigenin did delay tumor growth, it did not stop the initial formation of cancer cells within the breast.

Apigenin is most prevalent in parsley and celery, but can also be found in apples, oranges, nuts and other plant products. However, apigenin is not absorbed efficiently into the bloodstream, so scientists are unsure of how much can or should be ingested.

"We don't have specific dosage for humans yet," Hyder said. "However, it appears that keeping a minimal level of apigenin in the bloodstream is important to delay the onset of breast cancer that progresses in response to progestins such as MPA. It's probably a good idea to eat a little parsley and some fruit every day to ensure the minimal amount. However, you can also find this compound in pill supplements in the health food section of many stores. Of course, you should always check with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle."

The next phrase of studies should include human clinical trials to determine the appropriate dosage amount, Hyder said. He believes further study on humans is necessary to address any health and safety issues that might exist.

The research team included Benford Mafuvadze, doctoral student in biomedical sciences, Indira Benakanakere, research scientist Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center; Franklin Lopez, research fellow in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology; Cynthia Besch-Williford, associate professor of veterinary pathobiology, and Mark Ellersieck, research professor of statistics in the College of Arts and Science.

Eating Local Honey Cures Allergies

Among allergy sufferers, there is a widespread belief that locally produced honey can alleviate symptoms — the idea being that the honey acts like a vaccine. Bees that jump from one flower to the next end up covered in pollen spores, which are then transferred to their honey. Eating that honey — just a spoonful a day — can build up immunity through gradual exposure to the local allergens that can make life so miserable for allergy sufferers.

Or at least that’s the thinking behind it. But when University of Connecticut Health Center researchers did a test, they found that the honey had no such effect.

In the study, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in 2002, the scientists followed dozens of allergy sufferers through the springtime allergy season. The subjects were randomly split into three groups. One consumed a tablespoonful daily of locally collected, unpasteurized and unfiltered honey; another ate commercial honey; and a third was given a corn syrup placebo with synthetic honey flavoring.

After tracking the subjects’ symptoms for months, the scientists found that neither of the honey groups saw improvements over the placebo group.

Dr. Stanley Fineman, president-elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said he has seen a growing number of patients ask about local honey. “Seasonal allergies are usually triggered by windborne pollens, not by pollens spread by insects,” he said. So it’s unlikely that honey “collected from plants that do not cause allergy symptoms would provide any therapeutic benefit.”

Sugar helps antibiotics work better, says study

A spoonful of sugar not only makes medicine easier to swallow, but it also might increase its potency, according to a new study.

The results show sugar can make certain antibiotics more effective at wiping out bacterial infections. The sugar tricks bacteria that would otherwise play dead into consuming the antibiotic and therefore end up really dead.

Adding sugar to medication may augment treatment for some chronic bacterial infections, including staph and tuberculosis, the researchers say.

Galactic Star Laboratory Shines in New Hubble Photo Internal Fire Bakes Jupiter's Pizza Moon Io Superflare from Crab Nebula Has Astronomers Mystified What's 96 Percent of the Universe Made Of? Astronomers Don't Know So far, studies have only been conducted in animals, and more research is needed to see if the same results hold true in humans. But if they do, it's possible the antibiotics we already have could be improved without needing to make new drugs, which can be expensive. In addition, patients may not need to take multiple doses of antibiotics to combat recurrent infections, which would save on health care costs, said study researcher James Collins, a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University.

The researchers hope the technique "would help to reduce recurrent infections," Collins said.

The results are published in the May 12 issue of the journal Nature.

Some bacterial infections, including staph, strep, tuberculosis, ear infections and urinary tract infections, become chronic and reoccur even when they are treated with antibiotics. This happens because some bacteria, called persisters, are able to survive antibiotic treatment. Infections with bacterial persisters can last months and return even after the patient appears to recover. These infections can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys.