Charred meat ups cancer risk

WASHINGTON - REGULARLY eating meat cooked at a high temperature, to the point of charring, could increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 60 per cent, researchers said on Tuesday.

'Our findings in this study are further evidence that turning down the heat when grilling, frying, and barbecuing to avoid excess burning or charring of the meat may be a sensible way for some people to lower their risk for getting pancreatic cancer,' said Kristin Anderson of the University of Minnesota, who led the study.

Dr Anderson said the research, presented at the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Denver, Colorado, found that well and very well done meats cooked by frying, grilling or barbecuing formed carcinogens.

Meat that is baked, stewed or cooked at lower temperatures does not form carcinogens, she added.

The study tracked the eating habits of 62,581 healthy people over nine years, after which 208 cases of pancreatic cancer were found.

Subjects who preferred very well done steak were nearly 60 per cent as likely to get pancreatic cancer as those who ate stake less well done or did not eat meat at all.

'Those with the highest intake of very well-done meat had a 70 per cent higher risk for pancreatic cancer over those with the lowest consumption,' Dr Anderson said.

'We cannot say with absolute certainty that the risk is increased due to carcinogens formed in burned meat,' said Dr Anderson.

'However, those who enjoy either fried or barbecued meat should consider turning down the heat or cutting off burned portions when it's finished; cook meat sufficiently to kill bacteria without excess charring,' Dr Anderson said.

She also said that the precursors of cancer-causing compounds can be reduced 'by microwaving the meat for a few minutes and pouring off the juices before cooking it on the grill.' -- AFP

Walnuts prevent breast cancer

'Walnuts contain multiple ingredients that, individually, have been shown to slow cancer growth including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols,' Dr Hardman's team wrote in a summary presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting in Denver. -- ST PHOTO: ALAN LIM

WASHINGTON - BY EATING walnuts, women could reduce their risk of breast cancer, researchers said on Tuesday.

Researchers at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, found that lab mice bred to develop breast cancer had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer if fed the human equivalent of a handful of walnuts a day.

'Walnuts are better than cookies, french fries or potato chips when you need a snack,' Elaine Hardman, one of the researchers working on the study, said in a statement.

Dr Hardman said while the study was done with laboratory animals, likely the same mechanism would be at work in people.

'Walnuts contain multiple ingredients that, individually, have been shown to slow cancer growth including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols,' Dr Hardman's team wrote in a summary presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting in Denver.

The researchers used specially bred mice that normally always develop breast cancer. Half got the human equivalent of two ounces of walnuts per day and half got a normal diet.

The mice eating the walnuts had fewer and smaller breast tumours and those that did get them got them later than the other mice.

'These laboratory mice typically have 100 per cent tumour incidence at five months; walnut consumption delayed those tumours by at least three weeks,' Dr Hardman said in a statement.

'It is clear that walnuts contribute to a healthy diet that can reduce breast cancer.' The study adds to evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can provide a range of health benefits, from preventing heart disease to lowering cancer risks.

Scientists have been unsure whether the types found in nuts and leafy green vegetables work as well as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. -- REUTERS

Breastfeeding 'protects mother'

Women who breastfeed their babies may be lowering their own risk of a heart attack, heart disease or stroke, research suggests.

A US study found women who breastfed for more than a year were 10% less likely to develop the conditions than those who never breastfed.

Even breastfeeding for at least a month may cut the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The research features in the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting breastfeeding has health benefits for both mother and baby.

Research has found that breastfeeding reduces a woman's risk of ovarian and breast cancer and osteoporosis in later life.

And the list of benefits for the baby is long, with breast milk credited with protecting against obesity, diabetes, asthma and infections of the ear, stomach and chest.

The latest US study, by the University of Pittsburgh, focused on nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women.

On average, it had been 35 years since the women had last breastfed - suggesting the beneficial impact lasts for decades.

As well as cutting the risk of heart problems, breastfeeding for more than a year cut the risk of high blood pressure by 12%, and diabetes and high cholesterol by around 20%.

Fat stores

It has been suggested that breastfeeding may reduce cardiovascular risk by reducing fat stores in the body.

However, the researchers believe the effect is more complex, with the release of hormones stimulated by breastfeeding also playing a role.

Researcher Dr Eleanor Bimla Schwarz said: "We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies' health; we now know that it is important for mothers' health as well.

"Breastfeeding is an important part of the way women's bodies recover from pregnancy.

"When this process is interrupted women are more likely to have a number of health problems (including heart attacks and strokes).

"The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them."

In the UK, the Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

June Davison, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Breastfeeding has long been thought to be beneficial to baby and mother.

"This research suggests that it might have also have heart health benefits for mum too.

"However, it only showed an association between breast feeding and these health benefits. We will need further research to understand why this is the case."