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Sugary, Starchy Diet May Raise Chances of Lung Cancer

Maggie Fox

People who eat a sugary, starchy diet may be raising their risk of lung cancer, even if they don't smoke, researchers say.

They found that people who recall eating more foods that have a high glycemic index also were more likely to develop lung cancer. Glycemic index is a term that's familiar to people with diabetes. It describes food that raises blood sugar and stimulates production of insulin — think bagels, white rice and some fruits such as melon and pineapple.

It's not the first study to link glycemic index with cancer risk, but it's rare to link it with lung cancer. That may be mostly because lung cancer is so overwhelmingly caused by smoking.

The team at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston studied 1,905 people who had just been diagnosed with lung cancer and compared them to 2,415 people without cancer. They quizzed them about their eating habits, smoking, income and other factors.

People who ate the most foods with a high glycemic index were about 50 percent more likely to be in the lung cancer group than people who reported they ate the fewest high-glycemic foods, the team reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers.

The link was stronger among people who never smoked; non-smokers were more than twice as likely to have lung cancer if they reported eating a high-glycemic diet.

"The results from this study suggest that, besides maintaining healthy lifestyles, reducing the consumption of foods and beverages with high glycemic index may serve as a means to lower the risk of lung cancer," said Dr. Xifeng Wu, who led the

How can this happen? Doctors aren't sure, but there's a theory that high-glycemic foods stimulate the body to make insulin, which in turn affects the growth of cells via compounds called insulin-like growth factors or IGF. Cancer is the uncontrolled proliferation of cells, so it might be that the high-glycemic foods are fueling the growth of tiny tumors.

"IGFs have been shown to play a critical role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation in cancer and there is evidence to suggest that IGFs are elevated in lung cancer patients," Wu's team wrote.

It's a suspect in several types of cancer.

"Previous studies have investigated the association between glycemic index, and the related measure glycemic load, and a variety of cancers including colorectal, stomach, pancreas, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, and thyroid but these studies are limited and results have been largely inconclusive," the researchers wrote.

This study is not conclusive, either. For one thing, the researchers asked their volunteers to remember what they ate. For another, it's an association. People who eat high-glycemic foods may also do something else that also raises their risk of cancer. And this particular study focused only on non-Hispanic white people.

Marji McCullough, an expert in nutritional epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, says it will be important to look at people who don't have cancer now and watch what they eat for years or decades, and see who develops cancer.

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer in the U.S., killing more than 150,000 people a year. It causes only vague symptoms at first, so when most people are diagnosed, the cancer has already spread and is then far more likely to be fatal.

Experts know diet and lifestyle can affect cancer. Obesity, lack of exercise, eating red meat and lots of high-fat dairy foods, and eating too few fruits and vegetables can all raise a person's odds of developing cancer.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that people can lower their cancer risk not only by staying away from tobacco and exercising more, but by choosing a healthier diet.

"Aside from not smoking, it's important to follow cancer prevention guidelines that maintain healthy body weight, physical activity, and eating an overall healthy diet rich in vegetables and plant food and lower red and processed meat. Choose foods that help maintain healthy body weight," McCullough said.

According to the American Diabetes Association, low-glycemic foods include:

• 100 percent stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread
• Oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli
• Pasta, converted rice, barley, bulgar
• Sweet potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils
• Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots

Medium glycemic index foods include:

• Whole wheat, rye and pita bread
• Quick oats
• Brown, wild or basmati rice, couscous

High glycemic index foods include:

• White bread, including bagels
• Corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal
• Shortgrain white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix
• Russet potato, pumpkin
• Pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers
• melons and pineapple

International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day! Here's to all amazing women around the world! Yes, our little girls can grow up to be and do anything! #iwd2016

19 Totally Doable Ways To Actually Keep The Weight Off

1. Focus on where you are now and how far you’ve come.

2. Set some creative food goals that have nothing to do with weight.

3. Set one simple health-related goal each month.

4. Or, each month focus on two of the following: diet, exercise, and alcohol.

5. Eat healthily 80% of the time (and don’t feel bad the other 20%).

6. Don’t spiral because of one day of overeating.

7. Put vegetables in EVERYTHING.

8. Compete with friends or family to stay active.

9. Have a hearty breakfast, a medium-sized lunch, and a light dinner.

10. Don’t let your routine get boring in the name of maintaining your goal

11. Eat slowly and savor your food.

12. Make going to the gym basically part of your work day.

13. Or use your workouts to legit train for…life.

14. Evaluate your progress by how you feel and how your clothes fit.

15. Only ‘cheat’ if you’re going to enjoy it and NOT feel guilty about it.

16. Expect some fluctuation with your weight; it’s totally normal.

17. Jot down what you eat — and how you feel — in a journal.

18. When there’s an actually really special treat around, go ahead and eat it.

19. Or just make dessert a part of your daily routine.

11 Nutritionist-Approved Late Night Snacks

Caroline Kee

Maybe you ate dinner early or you stayed up late and now you’re hungry again. Or you just really want a snack to go with Netflix. But you’ve also heard it’s not great to eat right before bed, so what’s the best thing to snack on when you’re starving at night?

We checked in with registered dietician Abby Langer and registered dietician Despina Hyde, diabetes expert at NYU Langone Weight Management Program, to find out.

First of all, it’s kind of a myth that you won’t burn off anything you eat right before bed.

Sure, your metabolic rate slows down a bit, but it doesn’t stop, says Langer. Yes, when it comes to weight management, it’s better to eat your biggest meals around the time of day you’re most active, but in general, your total calories matter more than the timing. And a reasonable snack that satisfies your hunger before bed isn’t enough to derail your healthy eating efforts. The only time Langer really suggests restricting nighttime eating is if you’re exhibiting symptoms of binge-eating disorder and having a cutoff time at night is helpful for you.

So if you’re actually hungry, you should eat — no matter how late it is.

“If you go to bed hungry, you won’t sleep, which is probably worse,” says Langer.
But if you’re noticing that you’re always starving before bed, that probably means you’re not eating enough throughout the day. You might be eating too few calories or not enough protein to actually fill you up, both of which can cause you to overeat later. “If you restrict too much or fast during the day, your body will tell you it’s starving,” says Hyde. This intense, stomach-pang hunger can lead to bingeing, especially on high-carb or high-fat foods because your body wants instant energy.

If you’re going to eat before bed, pick something relatively light and leave some buffer time before you lay down.

Avoid a too-big meal, since your body will have to work harder to digest, which might actually keep you awake. But if your schedule leaves you with no choice but to eat dinner close to bedtime, Hyde suggests something that’s about 40% veggies, 40% carbs, and 20% protein.
And don’t go immediately horizontal after you eat — spend some time sitting up reading, watching TV, doing the dishes, whatever. This reduces your risk of indigestion and acid reflux, says Hyde. If you notice any acid reflux symptoms, don’t eat within an hour of laying down, says Langer.

And avoid anything fatty, spicy, super sugary, or caffeinated.

Capsaicin, which makes food spicy, can cause indigestion and discomfort, which wrecks your sleep. And foods with a lot of oil or fat (like deep-fried anything) will also take forever to digest. Not only will this keep you up, but it also means those acidic stomach juices are around for longer while your body is horizontal, which can cause acid reflux, says Hyde.

Sugar also isn’t great for sleep, so try to avoid things with lots of added sugar like candy or chocolate. If you’re really craving something sweet, something with naturally occurring sugar like fruit or dairy are better options.

A good nighttime snack would be around 200 calories with complex carbs and protein.

“Complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads are great because they release serotonin when digested, which helps calm you down,” says Langer. And adding a little protein will keep you full until breakfast. Hyde also suggests drinking a big glass of water or a cup of hot tea (decaf), to help you feel full and hydrated.

Here are some nutritionist-approved snack ideas to get you started:

1. High-Fiber Cereal and Milk

Serving size:
½–¾ cup high-fiber cereal (like Kashi Go-Lean, All-Bran, Fiber One Twigs)
½ cup milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
¼ cup fruit (optional)

2. String Cheese or Babybel

Serving size:
1 Babybel round
1 string cheese stick

3. Avocado or Hard-Boiled Egg on Crispbread

Serving size:
2 Ryevita or Wasa crispbreads
1 hard-boiled egg or ¼ avocado

4. Banana With Peanut Butter

Serving size:
1 banana
1–2 tablespoons peanut/almond/cashew butter

5. Fruit and Nuts

Serving size:
¼ cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts)
½ cup fresh fruit or ¼ cup dried fruit

6. Turkey Slices on Bread

Serving size:
2–4 slices turkey breast
1 piece whole grain toast
2 tomato slices or 6 cucumber slices

7. Greek Yogurt With Granola or Fruit

Serving Size:
¾–1 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons granola or nuts
¼ cup fruit

8. Cheese and Whole Grain Crackers

Serving size:
1 oz cheese
4–6 wholegrain crackers

9. Whole Grain Toast With Nut Butter

Serving size:
1 piece whole grain toast
1 tablespoon peanut/almond/cashew butter

10. Pistachios

Serving size:
¼–⅓ cup dry salted pitachios

11. Cottage Cheese

Serving size:
½–¾ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup fruit or veggies (optional)

Why Stress Makes Your Hair Fall Out

The times when I’ve pulled fistfuls of hair out of my head in the shower, my life wasn’t particularly stressful—or at least, it wasn’t until my hair started coming out. Then, of course, I assumed I was either balding or belatedly inheriting my family’s matrilineal thin hair. Faced with the stark reality of my hair-related vanity, I would try to comfort myself with the fact that I could at least wear fun wigs. You know, the natural cycle of things.

Julie Beck

But the explanation for this actually lies in another cycle—the life cycle of a hair.

Basically, a hair grows, then stops growing, then falls out. (Revelatory, I know. But stay with me.) The growth phase, or anagen, of a human head hair can last two to six years, which is why our head hairs can get so long. Other hairs have much shorter growth phases—an eyelash’s, for example, is 30 days. After anagen, a hair goes into catagen, a very short phase lasting just a couple days, in which the follicle shrinks a little bit. That’s followed by telogen, when the hair pretty much just sits there, doing nothing. Then, at last, exogen, when it falls out.

This process is always happening, and it’s totally normal for a person to lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day this way. That’ll plug your drain up, but compared to the 90,000 to 150,000 total hairs on the average person’s head, it’s pennies.

Stress is thought to disrupt this process, prematurely kicking hairs out of the growth period. Rather than leaving anagen at their own pace, they all go through the resting phase at the same time and fall out together in bigger numbers—up to 10 times more than usual, according to the dermatologist Kurt Stenn, the author of the new book Hair: A Human History. This has been shown in mice, when the stress of being exposed to loud noises led their hairs to go into catagen prematurely.

“Stress does affect the human hair follicle as well, and we assume that what we see in the mouse is the same thing we see in the human—the same transition occurs,” Stenn says.

What exactly kicks the hairs into resting isn’t totally clear, but a review of the literature suggests neurotransmitters or hormones produced under stressful situations may be the cause. And a study done on rhesus macaque monkeys found that monkeys with more cortisol (a stress hormone) in their hair were more likely to have hair loss.

Because there’s a delay between when a hair stops growing and when it falls out, there’s likewise a delay between a stressful event (which can be physical, like surgery or trauma, or emotional, like a divorce or loss of a job) and when hair loss might occur.

In human head hair, this delay lasts three months, the combined length of the the catagen and telogen phases. It’s like clockwork. And indeed, those times when I was pulling my hair out in the shower, I was always able to trace it back three months to something atypically stressful, like a breakup or a death. (I asked Stenn if body hair falls out too. “That’s a wonderful question,” he said. “I don’t know that!” Even if it does, the resting period length is different for different kinds of hair.)

Mass shedding is also often seen after women give birth. (About three months after, most likely.) That’s thought to be hormone-related, Stenn writes—pregnant women have higher levels of hormones, which prevent shedding during pregnancy, and once they go away, so goes the hair. The American Academy of Dermatology ascribes it to “falling estrogen levels.” Giving birth is also, you know, a stressful event.

Post-pregnancy hair loss may be caused by a similar mechanism to other stress-induced hair loss, or it may not be. But “it’s a rule of thumb,” Stenn says, that if a patient comes into a dermatologist’s office worried about hair loss, the first thing they’ll ask is, “What happened three months before?”

Gene study gets to the roots of gray hair, thick beards and unibrows

Maggie Fox

A gene that affects cancer risk, freckles and eye color also plays a big role in turning hair gray, researchers reported Tuesday.

Their giant study of the genetics of hair also explains who some people have monobrows, why Asians and Native Americans have straight, glossy hair and why some men find it easier than others to grow a thick beard.

The findings may eventually help criminal forensics teams reconstruct what criminals or victims look like using a DNA sample, and could eventually lead to ways to prevent gray hair, the team reports in the journal Nature Communications.

The study also helps explain why people with certain hair types or colors are prone to certain diseases. For instance, one previous study found that people with lighter hair have a higher risk of Parkinson's disease.

While going gray early doesn't mean you have a higher-than-average cancer risk, the study strengthens the confusing links between hair color and disease risk.

"We were looking at beard density, eyebrow density and monobrow," said Kaustubh Adhikari of University College London, who helped lead the study.

"We were looking at hair color, hair shape, gray hair and balding. For each of them we found a set of genes that define these features."

Adhikari's team looked at the entire gene maps of more than 6,000 Latin Americans, who have a very mixed genetic heritage. The volunteer populations are about half European, half Native American and have about 10 percent African ancestry.

"It is a genetic melting pot," Adhikari said. "That gives you a huge genetic diversity."

They found 10 genetic variations that affect how soon people go gray, how thick their hair is and how much facial hair they have, among other factors.

None overlaps much, they reported in the journal Nature Communications. Genes contributing to thick unibrows or monobrows are separate from the genes for balding or heavy beards.

For instance, they found a gene called IRF 4 (interferon regulatory factor 4) was known to play a role in hair and eye color, freckling and in how the body responds to viruses and leukemia.

Straight hair evolved in colder climates

Another gene called PRSS53 is associated with straight black hair, and was found only in people of east Asian and Native American descent. Adhikari believes it may have evolved as east Asian ancestors adapted to cold northern climates tens of thousands of years ago. "Straight hair is a consequence of your hair being thicker and stronger," he said. And strong, thick hair may insulates the head better than curly hair, he said.

And do you have a thick unibrow? Blame a gene called PAX3. Adhikari's team found that gene was common in people with thick eyebrows that meet over the nose.

That's not a complete surprise — rare mutations in PAX3 are linked with Waardenburg syndrome type 1, an inherited disorder marked by deafness, a wide nose and a thick, single brow.

It's far too soon to think about a pill for gray hair. If nothing else, IRF4 is linked with cancer and it's unlikely anyone would want to swap youthful locks for a higher cancer risk. In fact, the leukemia drug Gleevec can turn gray hair darker — but no one advocates using such an expensive drug, which also has side effects ranging from nausea to rash to hemorrhage, as a substitute for hair dye.

But it might be possible to use knowledge about the IRF4 gene to find other ways to affect hair as it grows out of the follicles, Adhikari's team said.

And none of the genes appeared to act alone. "The genes we have identified are unlikely to work in isolation to cause graying or straight hair, or thick eyebrows, but have a role to play along with many other factors yet to be identified," Adhikari said.