Nutrition Update, Cancer, Women's Health

Chiropractic, Alternative Healthcare & Nutrition News:

• Good news for dark chocolate eaters- it may reduce C-Reactive Protein (inflammatory marker) just don’t eat too much since it can increase lipids (blood fats).
• Energy drinks-looking for a boost in your energy. LOOK OUT. Some of the energy drinks out there have the caffeine equivalent of 14 cans of Coca Cola. On top of that they are laden with sugar (I’ve seen them have been 20-30 grams of sugar). It’ll give you energy but what are the health effects. The caffeine will keep you up for a long time and once the sugar wears off you could have a serious drop in blood sugar. It gives a jolt-crash phenomenon and you people are particularly susceptible to it. It can cause heart palpitations. There may be some links with drug use as well.
• Vitamin C may prevent gout.
• Exercise and diet might help preserve muscle mass in the elderly.
• Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis.
• Mediterranean Diet and Disease-The researchers found that people who followed a strict Mediterranean diet were:
  9% less likely to die from heart disease or other cardiovascular problems
  6% less likely to develop cancer or die from it
  13% less likely to have Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease
  The Mediterranean diet was first popularized in the U.S. in the 1990s. It is low in saturated fat and high in fiber and monounsaturated fat and includes vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, fruit, and moderate red wine. The main cooking fat is olive oil.

Medical News:

• Progressive muscle issues and weakness may be an early sign of a serious problem developing called ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) according to a Medscape article.

Women’s Health News:

Women's Heart Attack Symptoms:

• Many women don’t have chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Unexplained fatigue
• Pressure in lower chest or upper abdomen
• Weakness
• Nausea
• Back pain
  

Cancer Information:

What Are the Symptoms for Endometrial Cancer?
Some women with endometrial cancer experience no symptoms until the disease has spread to other organs. However, endometrial cancer is usually diagnosed by the appearance of symptoms -- like vaginal bleeding -- as the malignancy begins to grow. The most likely symptoms are:
· Abnormal vaginal bleeding which occurs in 9 out of 10 women diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Before menopause, this means unusually heavy irregular menstrual periods or bleeding between periods. After a woman enters menopause, this means any vaginal bleeding, unless she is on post menopausal hormone therapy (HT). Postmenopausal women on HT may have monthly bleeding that resembles menstruation; any unusual or heavy bleeding should be reported to the doctor.
· Vaginal discharge that may range from pink and watery to thick, brown and foul smelling. Difficult or painful urination.
· An enlarged uterus, detectable upon pelvic examination.
· Pain during intercourse.
Unexpected weight loss; weakness and pain in the lower abdomen, back or legs. This occurs once the cancer has spread to other organs.

Colorectal Cancer:

• The second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States is colorectal cancer, according the March-April 2008 issue of CA: a Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
• The American Cancer Society guidelines for colorectal cancer screening include sigmoidoscopy every 5 years and colonoscopy every 10 years.
• Vegetables and fruit may protect men from colorectal cancer.
• Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) is likely helpful as a screening tool for colorectal cancer according to the Cochrane Report.