The Diet-Cancer Connection

Though the news was hardly surprising, the media went to town last week about a new French study linking ultra-processed food with cancer. Specifically, the analysis of data from over 100,000 adults found that

a 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet was associated with significant increases of 12% in the risk of overall cancer and 11% in the risk of breast cancer.

And just what is “ultra-processed” food according to these researchers? Just what you might imagine:

This group includes mass produced packaged breads and buns; sweet or savoury packaged snacks; industrialised confectionery and desserts; sodas and sweetened drinks; meat balls, poultry and fish nuggets, and other reconstituted meat products transformed with addition of preservatives other than salt (for example, nitrites); instant noodles and soups; frozen or shelf stable ready meals; and other food products made mostly or entirely from sugar, oils and fats, and other substances not commonly used in culinary preparations such as hydrogenated oils, modified starches, and protein isolates. Industrial processes notably include hydrogenation, hydrolysis, extruding, moulding, reshaping, and pre-processing by frying. Flavouring agents, colours, emulsifiers, humectants, non-sugar sweeteners, and other cosmetic additives are often added to these products to imitate sensorial properties of unprocessed or minimally processed foods and their culinary preparations or to disguise undesirable qualities of the final product.

The authors offered several reasons why such foods might contribute to cancer, from their lower nutritional quality to their additives; from contaminants that result from processing, such as acrylamide, to chemicals like BPA in food packaging.

All of these likely play some role. And along with them, we might also consider that ultra-processed foods tend to displace more healthful options, real food. So not only do you get potentially harmful ingredients; you also have deficits of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, such as phytochemicals, which have been shown to protect against cancer.

Another thing to consider: Those who ate the most ultra-processed food also tended to be smokers and less physically active than those who ate the least. No doubt, there are other lifestyle factors not accounted for that could likewise have an impact on cancer risk.

In fact, research has suggested that as anywhere from 70 to 90% of all cancers may be due to environmental factors. Diet is just one factor. We also have to consider things like exposure to toxins, willingly – as with smoking, say, or drug use – or unwillingly, as in the case of pollution. We have to consider things like chronic stress, sleep quality, physical activity (or lack of it), and more.

Like most modern chronic illness, cancer is often multifactorial. There is no single cause. So while a healthful diet is the foundation of good health, it’s no panacea. In fact, because of other external factors, we may not even be getting the most out of the diet we do eat. We may need supportive therapies that address the systemic imbalances that may be keeping us from reaching the level of health we desire.

This is why, if you’re looking to truly and profoundly improve your health naturally, it’s best to consult with an integrative physician, who can help you put together the big picture of your current health and help devise a roadmap to get your health to where you want it to be.

We partner with you and respect you as the decision-maker. For you, of course, are the author of your own health and well-being.

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Take Care of Your Heart This Valentine’s Day

Hearts, hearts everywhere!

It’s Valentine’s month, after all. They’re in ads. They’re in business decorations. They’re all over store shelves lined with Valentine goodies – cards and trinkets and, of course, candy.

Lots of candy. Even as candy is the last thing our real, beating hearts need.

Those literal hearts are at the center of another February observance: American Heart Month. And they certainly could use a bit more attention. After all, heart disease is the leading cause of death in our nation, with stroke not too far behind.

Together, these two conditions claim nearly 800,000 American lives every year, male and female alike. In fact, for every woman who dies from breast cancer, 8 will die from a heart attack.

Most of these deaths are largely preventable, mainly through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors.

While many simple measures can give us an idea of your risk of cardiovascular problems – blood pressure and lipid level readings, overweight or obesity, and the like – other tools can offer even more insight.

HeartSmart IMTplus is one of them. It can detect cardiovascular disease in its very earliest stages, when there’s still lots you can do to reverse the problem.

It works with ultrasonic scans of your carotid arteries. Those are the ones that supply oxygenated blood to your neck and head, including the brain. One runs up each side of your neck.

Viewing them through ultrasound, we can measure their width – their “intima-media thickness,” or IMT. The wider they are, the more easily blood can flow. But over time, plaque and lesions can narrow them considerably – a condition known as atherosclerosis.

Once we measure the IMT of your carotid arteries, the results are compared against a database of more than 40,000 patients. This gives us an accurate and reliable assessment of your health compared to others in your peer group.

Click the image below to see how it works in a brief clip from The Doctors.

Your detailed report is an easy to understand, comprehensive report card of your cardiovascular health. It leaves little room for misinterpretation. It even includes a copy of the ultrasound image, illustrating where heart disease may have been detected.

With this assessment in hand, along with your health history and other relevant test results, we can come up with a sound, sensible game plan to address the issue.

The test is quick (10 minutes), easy, and should be part of your annual health checkup. Scientifically validated, it’s endorsed by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology as a proven technique for the early detection of heart disease.

Why not show yourself a little love this Valentine’s Day by arranging to have a HeartSmart IMTplus scan? Or gift one to your beloved? After all, we think staying healthy is one of the best gifts partners can give each other.

Get more details about HeartSmart IMTplus

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