health briefs

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, doubleblind, 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.

Malignant Melanoma Linked to Seafood Consumption

Eating higher amounts of fish, specifically tuna and non-fried fish, appears to increase the risk of malignant melanoma, according to a

Brown University study of 491,367 U.S. adults published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control. Examining 15 years of data, the researchers found that compared to subjects with a median daily fish intake of .11 ounces, those with a median daily intake of 1.5 ounces had a 22 percent higher risk of malignant melanoma and a 28 percent increased risk of melanoma in situ, characterized by abnormal cells in the outer layer of the skin. “We speculate that our findings could possibly be attributed to contaminants in fish, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, arsenic and mercury,” says study author Eunyoung Cho, an associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology. Pending further research on the underlying biological mechanisms, the authors did not recommend any changes to fish consumption.

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 D 3 and one gram a day of marine omega-3s, plus a simple homestrength 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.