In todays Monday Edition of
Health News Weekly, Im going to tell you about a devastating health problem that affects many people and why some scientists think one nutrient may provide a surprisingly simple cure.
Plus youll discover more simple, safe and effective solutions you can put to usestarting today!
Are you ready? Lets go!
Sunshine Vitamin May Boost
Colon Cancer Survival!
Theres more good news about the important role of vitamin D in protecting your health. A new study found that colon cancer patients with high blood levels of vitamin D showed a 48 percent increase in their survival odds!
According to a statement from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., this is the first study to examine whether vitamin D could improve survival among people who already had the disease.
Lead researcher Dr. Kimmie Ng said vitamin D may boost survival rates in colon cancer patients by slowing the growth of tumor cells and the blood vessels in tumors. It may even help kill cancer cells.
Ngs team gathered data on 304 patients diagnosed with colon cancer between 1991 and 2002. All of these patients were participants in either the Nurses Health Study or the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Researchers measured all study participants vitamin D levels at least two years before being diagnosed with colon cancer.
The researchers tracked the patients health until 2005 or until they diedwhichever came first. They found that of the 123 patients who died96 people died from colon or rectal cancer.
But when they compared survival rates of patients with the highest and lowest levels of vitamin Dthey found that people with high vitamin D levels were 48 percent less likely to die from colon cancer or any other cause.
When Ngs group looked at incidents of colon cancer alonethey found patients were 39 percent less likely to die when their vitamin D levels were high.
Our data suggest that higher prediagnosis plasma levels of [vitamin D] after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer may significantly improve overall survival, the authors wrote. Future trials should examine the role of vitamin D supplementation in patients with colorectal cancer.
Despite these promising results, Ngs group plans additional clinical trials to gather more definitive evidence linking these results to vitamin D. She said the group would like to determine if adding vitamin D to chemotherapy after surgery improves colon cancer survival.
The report is published in the June 20 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Fast Fact
The next time you feel a headache coming ondont just reach for the pain pills. That throbbing pain could be caused by dehydration or a skipped meal.
Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, plus eat balanced meals and snacks. This can help clobber headaches before they start!
Testosterone Gel Improves Insulin
Response in Diabetic Men!
Heres some exciting news about a health breakthrough for diabetic men whose testosterone levels have started to decline.
New study findings suggest applying a testosterone gel to your skin may improve your bodys response to insulinand even boost your sexual performance!
Men with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome often suffer from low testosterone levels. This is due to decreased testicular functiona condition called hypogonadism.
Dr. T. Hugh Jones, of Barnsley Hospital and the University of Sheffield in the UK, said studies showed a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity for patients treated with testosterone gel.
Consideration should be given to screening type 2 diabetic and metabolic syndrome patients for hypogonadism, Dr. Jones said at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Francisco.
Jones and colleagues tested the effect of the testosterone gel Tostran on insulin resistance and symptoms of hypogonadism in 221 men with low testosterone levels. The men had an average age of 60 years with a body mass index of 32classified in the obese range.
Eighty percent of the participants had metabolic syndrome, 64 percent had type 2 diabetes and 44 percent had both. They were randomly assigned to use the testosterone gel daily or a matching placebo gel.
According to a statement issued by gel manufacturer ProStrakan Group, men who used the testosterone gel showed a statistically significant improvement in insulin sensitivity at six and 12 months. Whats more, the testosterone therapy also improved the mens scores on a standard test of erectile function after six and 12 months!
These data tell us that replacement therapy for low testosterone in hypogonadal males not only improves sexual function, but more importantly, can also have an impact on insulin sensitivity, Jones said. Long-term improvements in insulin resistance may help to improve cardiovascular and other diabetes complications and improve quality of life in this at-risk population.
Health E-Hints
A Homemade Heating Pad for Instant Pain Relief!
If aching muscles and joints have knocked you on your keister, you might find some quick relief from a homemade heating pad.
Allison Scheetz, M.D., and David Mathis, M.D., from Mercer University School of Medicine said you can fill a tube sock with uncooked rice. Knot the top of the sock and then microwave the sock on high for three minutes.
This low-cost heating pad will easily mold around any joint. And the heated rice can hold its heat for about one hour. Be sure to test the temperature of the homemade pad to avoid burns. This simple solution can help you knock out pain and get you moving again!