‘Red meat is not essential in our diet; we can live without eating red meat.’
RED meat, believe it or not, is a known carcinogen, a food item associated a lot with cancer. Studies have repeatedly shown and confirmed by new findings that eating red meat, especially processed red meat more than once a week, raises the risk of colorectal cancer and even higher among those with a genetic predisposition.
A recent report (pooled 27 studies, 29,842 cases) identified “two biomarkers associated with a higher risk for colorectal cancer from red meat consumption. Participants with these biomarkers had a higher risk for colorectal cancer when they consumed higher amounts of red meat… Colorectal cancer is one of the more serious cancer subtypes.”
Each year, almost 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancers (the second leading cause of death, next to heart attack) are found in the United States and 50,000 die each year from this disease. Eating red meat also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, besides other forms of cancer.
Red meat is not essential in our diet; we can live without eating red meat. Fish, chicken, and vegetables, some fruits and nuts, olive oil, and avocado oil, are popular items in the Mediterranean Diet, the popular healthy diet today.
Fasting is healthy
New studies revealed that intermittent fasting may offer other health benefits besides weight loss, such as protection against cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. It might also help in protecting the health of our gastrointestinal system, especially the small intestines (jejunum, which helps digestion, and absorbs nutrients and water), and it is also associated with better glucose control and decreased inflammation.
According to studies, “some of the more popular patterns of intermittent fasting include time-restrictive eating, where the fast lasts 12, 14, or 16 hours, and the eating period stretches over the remaining hours of the day, or the 5:2 method, where a person consumes only 500 calories for 2 days of the week and then eats normally for the remaining 5 days.”
Currently, the most popular diet, intermittent fasting, done properly, is deemed safe and is a healthy practice among 12 percent of Americans. It also benefits those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). This also improves cholesterol levels, better blood sugar control, and body composition.
If interested, especially among diabetics, consult with your physician about his recommendation on strategies: (1) Eating early dinner, and not eating from 6 p.m. till 8 a.m. the following day; (2) Eating on alternative days; (3) 5:2 diet, fasting for 2 days consecutively and eating normally for 5 days; (4) Time-restricted — “eating window” to 4-12 hours (normal calories), a fasting period of 12-20 hours, a very popular strategy. Of this, the 16:8 pattern, eating during an 8-hour window and fasting for 16 hours each day is the most recommended eating pattern.
Eating the Mediterranean diet for five years has been shown to reduce the rate of heart attack and stroke by 30 percent, without fasting. Combining the two strategies confers all those benefits from both.
Bird flu
The bird flu detected this week in some herds of dairy cows across six states in the US is the first time the virus has infected cattle. Texas health officials also “confirmed that a farm worker contracted the virus, only the second known case of H5N1 in the United States.”
With this outbreak, although human-to-human transmission of the bird flu is rare, experts are warning “against eating runny eggs for the time being.” Those who are working in close contact with animals are, obviously, more prone to get infected. The symptoms could be like those of common flu, sometimes only with pink eyes (conjunctivitis). The virus is also seen in wild birds. Caution is very important. For any concerns, consult your physician.
Pancreatic cancer
A great preliminary report: A new blood test “appears capable of detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer with up to 97 percent accuracy.” This very deadly cancer of the pancreas is usually diagnosed very late because of its posterior location in the abdomen. By the time it is discovered, it has spread to other parts of the body, precluding surgery. Patients with pancreatic cancer usually die within 4-6 months after diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate, with spread, is about three percent. The most current trial among 523 patients in the USA and Japan shows a 98 percent detection rate when the blood test was combined with the already-established bio-marker CA 19-9. This blood test will result in a greater survival rate from this treacherous fatal malignancy.
Sleep apnea and diet
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), breath holding for a prolonged period dozens of times while asleep, increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes T2, Alzheimer’s and even cancer. Breath-holding severely reduces the oxygen in the body which is detrimental to all vital organs. New studies found that eating a plant-based diet significantly reduces the risk for the development of OSA, but unhealthy plant-based ones (refined grains, sugar, salt, and animal-based food items), increase the risk, especially processed foods, which also elevate the risk for cancer.
Latest data also show that “consuming a diet high in ultra-processed foods may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea due to factors such as obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, poor sleep quality, and exacerbation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).”
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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle, prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life.
Any diagnosis, recommendation, or treatment in our article is general medical information and not intended to apply to or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and is your best ally when it comes to your health.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a cardiac surgeon emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, health advocate, newspaper columnist, and chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later presidential candidate Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
