Charcuterie’s link to colon cancer

Blow for industry as government backs WHO data and vows to cut additives in ham and cured sausages

Agence France-Presse in Paris, 12 Jul 2022 10

“French health authorities say they have confirmed a link between nitrates added to processed meat and colon cancer, dealing a blow to the country’s prized ham and cured sausage industry. The national food safety body Anses said its study of data published on the subject supported similar conclusions in 2015 from the World Health Organization (WHO). Anses “recommends reducing consumption of the range of nitrates and nitrites by deliberately limiting exposure through food consumption”, it said in a statement.” “Nitrates are added to a range of food products to improve their shelf life and flavour, and to help give pork-based products their pink hue. France is one of the world’s biggest producers of cold cuts, known as charcuterie, which are often consumed as snacks or with early evening drinks. The government immediately announced it would launch an action plan to reduce the use of the additives later this year. “It is about limiting their use to the strictly necessary,” said a joint statement from the health and agricultural ministers. “The reduction must be done in a balanced way that guarantees food security for the consumer.” The 2015 WHO warning caused headlines around the world after the UN body’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that processed meats should be classified as group 1 carcinogens.”

Comment: simple start—cut out cold cuts. The next step should be to address our sweet tooth. It takes introspection—our inner demons drive us to sugar.

Association between moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron and cognitive decline,

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004039

“Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with higher iron levels in the brain. Brain iron accumulation represents a potential mechanism for alcohol-related cognitive decline. Key limitations are that changes in myelin may also alter imaging markers and alcohol intake was self-reported.”

Comment: moderate alcohol consumption, once deemed safe and glamorous, is going the way of smoking—not good at any level. If you are also scared of “old-timers” disease, you may want to reconsider bending the elbow.

Whole Milk Speeds Cognitive Decline in Older Population

Carla Nieto Martínez. Medscape Medical News, July 22, 2022

“MADRID, Spain — Evidence suggests that dairy consumption is associated with better cognitive health in older adults. However, the results of a recent investigation introduce an exception to this possible link. Researchers found that high consumption of whole milk was associated with a higher rate of cognitive impairment in older adults with a high risk for cardiovascular disease.

The study was carried out by the Online Center for Biomedical Research in the Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) and the Human Nutrition Unit of the Universitat Rovira.”

Comment: we all love milk, cheese and ice cream. Enjoy it in moderation, but we aware that dairy has a lot of sugar. As we age and worry about our brain, we do well to cut back a bit, especially if you have cardiovascular problems.

How We Treat Acute Pain Could Be Wrong

Emily Shiffer. WebMD Health News, June 17, 2022

“In a surprising discovery that flies in the face of conventional medicine, McGill University researchers report that treating pain with anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen or aspirin, may promote pain in the long term. The paper, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that inflammation, a normal part of injury recovery, helps resolve acute pain and prevents it from becoming chronic. Blocking that inflammation may interfere with this process, leading to harder-to-treat pain. “What we’ve been doing for decades not only appears to be wrong, but appears to be 180 degrees wrong,” says senior study author Jeffrey Mogil, PhD, a professor in the department of psychology at McGill. “You should not be blocking inflammation. You should be letting inflammation happen. That’s what stops chronic pain.”

Comment: the pharmaceutical approach, welcome in some cases, focuses on symptoms, not the root causes. Better to address the source of inflammation, your immune system. Our microbiome composes 70% of it. Consider changing your diet to manage inflammation.

Antibiotic potential of CBD

Healio, Minute, June 11, 2022

“Another study has added evidence that cannabidiol, or CBD, may have potential as an antibiotic, researchers said at ASM Microbe. Prior research has shown that CBD, the main non-psychoactive component in cannabis, has activity against gram-positive bacteria, including resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis.”

Comment: CBD oil is safe and effective. It may also be used for inflammation issues.

Prenatal antibiotic exposure triggers asthma, eczema

Healio Minute, June 21, 2022

“Prenatal antibiotics appeared linked to increased susceptibility to childhood asthma and diseases including wheeze, eczema/dermatitis and allergic rhinitis, according to a review published in Allergy.”

Comment: why? Antibiotics mess with your microbiome, the source of inflammation.

Ability to balance on one leg in later life tied to longer life

“CNN (6/21, Hunt) reports, “An inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in later life is linked to nearly double the risk of death from any cause within the next decade, according to a new study.” This “simple balance test may be useful to include in routine physical exams for people in middle and old age,” according to the research. The findings were published in the British J. of Sports Medicine.”

Comment: get into yoga.

Exposure to dim light during sleep may be tied to serious health issues in older adults

“CNN (6/22, LaMotte) Dim light can disrupt sleep, raising the risk of serious health issues in older adults. Investigators “gave 552 men and women between the ages of 63 and 84 an actigraph, a small device worn like a wristwatch that measures sleep cycles, average movement and light exposure.” Lead study author Phyllis Zee, “chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago,” said, “More than 53% or so had some light during the night in the room. In a secondary analysis, we found those who had higher amounts of light at night were also the most likely to have diabetes, obesity or hypertension.” The findings were published in Sleep.”

Comment: anything that disturbs sleep has been shown to increase insulin resistance, which, together with inflammation, is a core factor in health and disease.

Vitamin A may be a viable substitute for isotretinoin in acne

Healio Minute, July 05, 2022

“Vitamin A was comparable to isotretinoin in acne management, particularly when considering efficacy and relapse rates, according to findings from a literature review analysis. However, due to its potential for toxicity and over-the-counter accessibility, vitamin A should only be prescribed for acne management “with very careful attention to patient selection and education” and when isotretinoin is unavailable, according to the researchers. “Recent changes to the iPLEDGE platform left providers without the ability to prescribe isotretinoin to their patients,” Madison K. Cook, BS, of the center for dermatology research in the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.”

Comment: all nutrients, including vitamin A, have an effect on our body through the Microbiome. Hence the term “postbiotic.”