health briefs

Supplements, Exercise and Non-Western Diet Lower Cancer Risk

The critical importance of simple lifestyle strategies in cancer prevention has been borne out by two recent endeavors. In a five-year study of 2,157 physically active people over 70 from five European countries, international researchers found that 2,000 International Units a day of vitamin D3 and one gram a day of marine omega-3s, plus a simple home-strength exercise program, reduced the risk of invasive cancers by 61 percent. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, that analyzed the diets and health outcomes of 134,775 people, found that a Western-style diet rich in red and processed meat, sugar, refined grains and carbohydrates was linked with an E. coli strain prominent in colorectal cancer.

Probiotic May Increase Skin Moisture

Dry skin can afflict people at any age, particularly those living in dry climates, and it is commonplace in older people due to the natural loss of oil glands. Japanese researchers have found a possible solution: a probiotic originally fermented from a Southeast Asian rice-and-fish dish that boosts skin moisture within weeks. In a double-blind study, they tested 80 middle-aged adults with a supplement of heat-killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotics for 12 weeks. They found the supplement significantly increased skin water content and reduced transepidermal water loss in the face, particularly for seniors and those with the driest skin.

Cordyceps Sinensis Enhances Performance in

Distance Runners

A Himalayan fungus that has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cordyceps sinensis, attracted global attention in 1993 when Chinese athletes broke world records in track and field. To study its effects, Brazilian researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which they gave 30 amateur marathoners two grams of the fungus each day for 12 weeks. Compared to the placebo group, those in the Cordyceps group had significantly lower heart rates at eight weeks and improved aerobic performance at 12 weeks.