According to the Centers for Disease Control, colon cancer is the third-most common cancer in both men and women, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US.
Since colon cancer tends to strike people over the age of 50, parents with kids at home might not be thinking about colon cancer prevention right now, especially if you’re dealing with everything from potty training to soccer practice to keeping everyone in the house flu free. I’d guess that most of the DrGreene.com community hasn’t had a colonoscopy, which is recommended for older age groups.
We who are busy wiping noses and going to PTA meetings are fortunate, in a way, that colon cancer has gotten so much attention as more cases come to light. This means that researchers are looking into more ways to prevent the problem so that we may not have to face the dismal news of a cancer diagnosis.
Aside from the always-applicable advice to eat more fresh vegetables and other fiber-rich whole foods, two recent studies give us even more hope for colon cancer prevention and provide more reasons to love two of my favorite nutritional building blocks: soy and vitamin D.
In one exciting recent study, results suggest that a family of natural fat molecules in soy, called sphingadienes, both prevent colon tumor cells from forming within the body (prevention) and are even potent at causing already cancerous cells to die (possible treatment) Click here for more information to help you sort out the soy facts from the myths.
The vitamin D study reported that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a 40 percent lower risk of colon cancer. This is consistent with a number of other studies about the protective effects of vitamin D.
It’s so simple to make changes to your life today to capitalize on these newfound insights into this deadly disease. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin: our body makes its own nutrients when our skin is exposed to sunshine. But most of us have learned to cover up with sunscreen and protective clothing (which we should). Click here to learn how much sun exposure is needed to get plenty of vitamin D. If you’re not sure your child is getting enough from the sun, I recommend getting at least 400 IU a day from some kind of milk or from a multivitamin or vitamin D3 supplement.
And adding soy to your diet in the form of foods made from the whole soybean can also give you the other health benefits of this wonderful bean. With the other benefits of vitamin D and soy, you’ll get much more out of the switch than just a reduction in the risk for colon cancer.
Your turn… what’s your favorite soy recipe or food, and how do you get your vitamin D?
Fryst H., Oskouian, B., Bandhuvula, P., Gong, Y., Byun, H.S., Bittman, R., Lee, A.R., Saba, J.D. “Natural Sphingadienes Inhibit Akt-Dependent Signaling and Prevent Intestinal Tumorigenesis.” Cancer Research, 15 Dec 2009, 69(24):9457-64.
Jenab, M., et al. “Association Between Pre-Diagnostic Circulating Vitamin D Concentraion and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in European Populations: A Nested Case-Control Study.” BMJ, 2010, 340:b5500.
Comments
Vitamin D is also known as
Vitamin D is also known as calciferol heterolípido unsaponifiables is a group of steroids. It is also called vitamin deficiency rickets because their causes this disease. Provitamin is a fat soluble and can be obtained in two ways:
* By eating foods containing this vitamin, such as milk and egg.
* For the transformation of ergosterol (proper plants) when reacted with solar radiation.
As already mentioned the lack of this vitamin causes rickets. Vitamin D is responsible for regulating the passage of calcium (Ca2 +) to the bone. Therefore, if lack of vitamin D, this step does not occur cisco dumps and the bones begin to weaken and curves produced irreversible malformations. This disease particularly affects children.
Vitamin D helps to maintain normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream.
Forms of vitamin D:
* Vitamin D2: ergocalciferol (obtained from ergosterol)
* Vitamin D3: cholecalciferol (obtained from 7-dehydrocholesterol)
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Thanks, Deb!
Deb, thanks for your passionate comment below, and for caring about what we eat. I've written a response to you here http://su.pr/2ffdNB as today's blog post.
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Just goes to show ya... there are pros and cons to everything
I'm intrigued by the exchange of ideas about soy, both pro and con. The debate is so indicative of the conflicting facts that parents (or very concerned aunts like me) have to sort through in order to make the right decisions about our health.
I vaguely recall and old country song about a guy trying to eat dinner. He couldn't eat eggs because they did this or a burger because it did that or drink a glass of milk because it's bad for whatever.... A hilarious song (I think the guy ends up crying and hungry in a corner -- I googled around but couldn't find the lyrics), but a valid point. We as conscious consumers have to evaluate the facts we hear about the things we put in our body and figure out what's the best thing for us and our lifestyles.
For the most part, I go with the idea of moderation. If I've heard some soy is good, I don't necessarily think lots of soy is better. We've heard reports both good and bad about red meat -- and my occasional burger after a fantastic 16-mile run satisfies my carnivorous craving but doesn't constitute a health risk, or at least that's what I choose to believe.
So, I think as we listen to these debates, we should filter through the noise from both sides and evaluate the messages based on which source of information we trust and which decision fits best with the lifestyle we'd like to live. We're always going to hear conflicting information, but chances are we'll listen to whom we trust to do the right thing for our health.
(PS -- I think an occasional cupcake is not only ok but ESSENTIAL to our health. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
Please Read These Articles About the Dangers of Soy
This is a partial excerpt. Please get the facts!
From: http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Alert/
"Confused About Soy?--Soy Dangers Summarized
* High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
* Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
* Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
* Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease."
Here is a comprehensive web site about soy.
http://soyonlineservice.co.nz/
Soy Dangers:
http://soyonlineservice.co.nz/03summary.htm
The truth is coming out!
I Need Your Spicy Szechuan Eggplant and Tofu Recipe!
Beth -- You can NOT tell us about a recipe that sounds that good and not pony up. Tell your boyfriend to share. And I mean details, too -- like what brand tofu you use, firm or soft, what kind of oil -- we NEED to know.
MsGreene
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Ok, I'll ask him
But I can't promise he'll share his secrets. I can't even promise that he KNOWS his secrets. He may just make it up as he goes along.
I do know that the eggplants are tender Chinese eggplants that he gets from a farmer's market. They're small and cute.
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If he doesn't know his secret recipe you can always ....
If he doesn't know his secret recipe, but he's willing to share, you can always video him and he can talk me through his thought process. You've got to understand, I NEED to make this dish :)
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He's going to make it again!
He told me he'll make it for us again (YEA!) so he can record the recipe. You will absolutely love it.
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This sounds good!
Ok Beth like you I am a bit ummm leary of the whole tofu thing... but this sounds good... so yes get him to make it soon so we can all try it!
My favorite soy recipe
Great news about soy, Dr. Greene! I have to admit I've been... well... fearful about tofu most of my life. To me both the texture and the aesthetics are less than appetizing. But my boyfriend is experimenting with Oriental cooking these days, and he created a Spicy Szechuan Eggplant and Tofu dish that I can't get enough of. I wish I could share the recipe -- he uses three or four different ones to get it just right. And it's so very, very right. Yum.
As for vitamin D, I actually am a fan of a certain multivitamin: Twinlab® Dr Greene™ Prenatal Complete Multivitamin & Mineral Supplement. As you know, of course, it has the vitamin D I need, plus a whole bunch of other stuff that keeps me running marathons. :)