| Take control of your health
You can't control genetics or the guy on the bus who sneezes on you, but many factors that affect your health are well within your control. Here are some simple and surprising ways to improve your and your family's health in 2008. Get more vitamin D One of the hottest topics in medicine these days is vitamin D, says Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of aerobics and the founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. Insufficient levels of vitamin D was named as a key factor in osteoporosis in a July article in the New England Journal of Medicine. "More women will die from complications of osteoporosis of the hip than from breast cancer, and you can't just take calcium and expect it to prevent osteoporosis unless you have sufficient vitamin D," Cooper says. Insufficient vitamin D is clearly linked to colon cancer, and may be linked to prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer, Cooper says.
Pros and cons of veganism
People who eat only plant-based foods also have lower rates of type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer, such as prostate and colon cancer. Con -- Key nutrients found primarily in animal foods can be missed in poorly planned vegan diets. Of particular concern are protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, omega-3 fatty acids and iodine. Pro -- The old rule that "complementary proteins have to be eaten at the same meal" is no longer valid, according to research. Vegans can meet their protein needs if they eat a variety of protein-containing foods throughout the day. Con -- Plant proteins are generally lower quality and less digestible than animal- based proteins. Vegan children may need to eat 20 percent to 30 percent more protein than nonvegans.
We all need a little dose of sunshine, says scientist who sounded ...
Enjoying a little sunshine may not be as bad for you as people think. Research from the scientist who alerted the world to its role in skin cancer has suggested that its health benefits may outweigh the risks. The hazards of moderate sunbathing have probably been exaggerated, according to a study that shows how sunlight’s effect of boosting vitamin D production may actually protect the body against cancer. While ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun is the chief cause of malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, the new work from the US shows that synthesis of vitamin D can compensate in other ways. The vitamin appears to protect against tumours of the breast, lung, colon and prostate, the study found. The overall effect of sunshine on cancer risk may therefore be positive.
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