Mineral Logic

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" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

HSI e-Alert - Mineral Logic

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 07:30:00 -0400

 

 

 

HSI e-Alert - Mineral Logic

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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June 02, 2005

 

Dear Reader,

 

Calcium is a multi-tasker. It lowers colorectal cancer risk,

strengthens bones, supports heart and muscle health, stimulates

digestive enzymes, and can even help make weight-loss diets more

effective.

 

But recent research suggests that very high levels of dietary calcium

intake - particularly from dairy products - may increase the risk of

one of the most common forms of cancer.

 

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Milky way

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Last month, researchers at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia

published the results of a study that examined the association between

calcium and dairy product intake and the increased risk of prostate

cancer.

 

Using data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination

Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study, nearly 10 years of medical records were

collected on more than 3,600 men. All of the men had completed dietary

questionnaires in the early 80s.

 

The Fox Chase team identified 131 cases of prostate cancer. After

adjusting for age, race, smoking and other factors, they produced the

following conclusions:

 

* Men who reported the highest dairy product intake were 2.2 times

more likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men who had the

lowest intake

* Similarly, men who had the highest intake of dietary calcium

were also 2.2 times more likely to develop prostate cancer

* Men who reported the highest intake of low-fat milk were 1.5

times more likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men who had

the lowest intake, but whole milk intake was NOT found to be linked to

increased risk

* Neither vitamin D nor phosphorous was linked with increased

prostate cancer risk

 

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Know your risk

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So...what gives? Low-fat milk raises risk, but whole milk doesn't, in

spite of the fact that high dairy intake does raise risk? In their

conclusions, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

the researchers write: " The mechanisms by which dairy and calcium

might increase prostate cancer risk should be clarified and

confirmed. " I would say that's putting it mildly.

 

I'll be keeping an eye out for further studies that examine the dairy

intake/prostate cancer association. Obviously, something important

seems to be going on here, but we're a long way from sorting out the

specifics.

 

In the meantime, men and their doctors should at least make note of

this potential risk factor for prostate cancer. And that's especially

true for men who are already in high-risk groups. Here are some of the

primary risk factors as cited by the American Cancer Society:

 

* Prostate cancer risk rises after the age of 50; men over the age

of 65 account for more than 70 percent of all prostate cancer cases

* Risk more than doubles in men whose father or brothers have

prostate cancer

* Risk is considerably higher if several relatives also have

prostate cancer, or if a relative was young when diagnosed

* African-American men have a higher risk than white American men

and Hispanic men; Asian men have the lowest risk of the four groups

* Risk is believed to be higher in men whose diets include large

amounts of red meat, especially if their diets do not include adequate

amounts of fruits and vegetables

 

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The old standbys

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As long as we're on the topic of prostate cancer risk, I'll quickly

review two nutrients that may significantly reduce that risk: vitamin

E and selenium.

 

In the e-Alert " Taking Yourself Off the List " (4/22/04), I told you

about a trial of 300 middle-aged men in Finland. Those who took a

vitamin E supplement for more than five years reduced their prostate

cancer risk by almost a third, compared to men who didn't supplement

with the vitamin. And risk dropped even further for those who also ate

foods rich in vitamin E (including almonds, spinach, mustard greens,

green and red peppers and sunflower seeds).

 

And in the e-Alert " Trace Mineral Key to Preventing Prostate Cancer "

(12/5/01), a Stanford University study demonstrated that men with low

blood levels of selenium may be four to five times more likely to

develop prostate cancer than men with normal levels of the mineral.

The study also confirmed that selenium levels decrease as men age -

mirroring the fact that prostate risk steadily rises as men age.

 

Besides the fact that selenium has excellent antioxidant properties

that have been shown to help increase insulin efficiency, selenium

also enhances the effect of vitamin E, making it a perfect match for

any vitamin E regimen designed to help prevent prostate cancer. Foods

that contain selenium include fruits and vegetables (if grown in

selenium-rich soil), beef, tuna, turkey, chicken, eggs and whole wheat

bread. Brazil nuts contain more selenium than any other food: 840 mcg

of selenium per ounce.

 

 

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....and another thing

 

In spite of its " wonder drug " reputation, the evidence against aspirin

just keeps mounting.

 

Earlier this week, in the e-Alert " Low Dose or No Dose " (5/31/05), I

told you how elderly people with no history of cardiovascular disease

may sharply increase their risk of bleeding in the brain and/or the

gastrointestinal tract if they take a daily low-dose of aspirin to

help prevent heart attacks.

 

But how does aspirin use affect people who already have cardiovascular

problems?

 

After a patient experiences a first heart attack or stroke triggered

by thrombosis (a blood clot in the heart or a blood vessel), many

doctors prescribe an anti-thrombotic regimen of aspirin or warfarin, a

prescription blood thinner.

 

As reported in the July 2004 issue of the American Heart Journal, UK

researchers at the University of Hull divided 279 subjects from the

Warfarin/Aspirin Study in Heart failure (WASH) into three groups: one

group received 300 mg of aspirin daily, one received a standard daily

dose of warfarin, and a third group received placebo. Each of the

subjects had experienced either heart attack or stroke, prompted by

thrombosis.

 

After an average follow up period of more than two years, the

researchers found that neither the aspirin nor the warfarin therapies

provided any greater protection against death, nonfatal stroke, or

nonfatal heart attacks than the placebo. In fact, subjects who

received aspirin therapy were nearly twice as likely to suffer a heart

attack or stroke as were those who took warfarin or placebo.

Gastrointestinal problems were also elevated in the aspirin group.

 

In an interview with Reuters Health, the lead researcher of the study,

Dr. John G. F. Cleland, stated that any theoretical benefit of using

aspirin after a heart attack, " is outweighed by real evidence of harm. "

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

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Sources:

 

" Dairy, Calcium, and Vitamin D Intakes and Prostate Cancer Risk in the

National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-Up

Study Cohort " American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 81, No. 5,

May 2005, ajcn.org

" Study Points to Puzzle of Calcium/Cancer Link " NutraIngredients.com,

5/23//05, nutraingredients.com

" What are the Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer? " American Cancer

Society, cancer.org " The Warfarin/Aspirin Study in Heart Failure

(WASH): a Randomized Trial Comparing Antithrombotic Strategies for

Patients with Heart Failure " American Heart Journal, Vol. 148, No. 1,

July 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov