Red meat linked to breast cancer
New research suggests eating too much red meat can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Women who eat too much red meat in early adulthood may be at increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life, according to new Harvard University research.
In the study, researchers analysed data collected from 89,000 premenopausal women over a 20 year period, and found that women who consumed high protein diets were associated with a 22% increased risk of breast cancer overall. Australian guidelines recommend small servings of red meat three to four times a week, as part of a healthy diet from the five food groups. Replacing red meat for legumes, poultry, nuts and fish was also shown to lower the risk of breast cancers, researchers say. Weight increases risk of diabetes
The number of Australians diagnosed with diabetes has doubled since 1990, with more than a million people now living with the disease, and obesity is likely to be the cause of this. In a report in Australia revealed two thirds of the population are overweight or obese, which increases the risk of developing diabetes, and likelihood of health problems including heart disease, kidney disease and blindness. But more alarmingly, the report showed childhood obesity rates have also doubled in Australia, with more than one in four children now classed as obese. Age and sedentary lifestyle are among the biggest risk factors for this preventable disease, and Australian men aged 65 to 69 were found to be most at risk, because of their higher rates of obesity. But healthy eating, regular exercise and avoiding smoking can reduce risk of developing this preventable disease, according to the report.
Soft drinks can harm kids
“Sugary drinks blamed for 180,000 deaths” screamed a headline in Time recently, as the US continues to debate whether banning the sale of oversized soft drinks is constitutional. This sensational soft drink death rate came from the highly respected Harvard School of Public Health, which has linked drinking sugary drinks to deaths from diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The researchers also found 78% of these deaths were in low- and middle-income countries. Now an Australian study has found excessive consumption of these sugar-dense, nutrient-empty drinks starts at home, during childhood. The study showed, primary and secondary school students are five times as likely to be high consumers of sugar-sweetened drinks if these drinks are readily available in their homes. The researchers said, these drinks provide substantial calories, but little further nutrition and consumption of these drinks has been associated with weight gain in youth, dental caries in young children and elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance and lower bone-mineral density in adolescents.
