Whole Grains | Cancer

Whole Grains Reduces Cancer Risk

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You can prevent not only heart disease and diabetes but also deadly cancers like pancreatic cancer by eating two portions of whole grains like whole meal bread, corn, whole wheat, oats, and brown rice on a daily basis, according to a recent study done by the University of California in San Francisco.

The study found that those who ate at least two helpings of whole grains a day – the equivalent of a cup of brown rice or porridge, or two slices of whole meal bread (or more than 0.9oz (26.5g) of fiber a day) – were 40 per cent less likely to develop pancreatic cancers than those who ate less than one portion.

The study looked at whole grain intake among 532 people with pancreatic cancer and 1,701 people without the disease among the San Francisco Bay area population. The two groups were similar in age, gender, and body weight, and had a similar history of diabetes. It was found that those with pancreatic cancer were also more likely to be current smokers.

The study also showed that eating more refined and sweetened grains – such as two or more servings of doughnuts a week – raised the risk of pancreatic cancer. Doughnuts are notorious for its high amounts of sugars and fat/trans fat made even more potent by the frying process. Similar to doughnuts, cooked breakfast cereals such as oatmeal were also poises similar health risk indicating the body’s inability to distinguish between sweetened or ‘instant’ cereals and less refined cereals.

The study led by Dr. June M. Chan of the University of California in San Francisco and colleagues was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, November 15, 2007.

Whole Grains vs Sugar Intake

A scientist affiliated with foodconsumer.org, on the other hand, suggested that people who ate larger amounts of fiber and whole grains were more likely to be highly health conscious people who ate lesser amounts of simple sugars such as table sugar than other less health conscious people who ate comparatively lower amounts of fiber and whole grains but higher amounts of sugar.

The scientist further noted that while increasing the consumption of fiber and whole grains can reduce the risk of cancer, the reduced risk of cancer could also be due to the lower consumption of sugars and other simple sugars by this group of health conscious people.

This argument supports our view that both the increase in whole grains intake and the reduction in sugar intake have beneficial health effects.

What is “Whole Grain”

The term “whole grain” means that all three parts of the grain kernel (germ, bran and endosperm) are included. Like fruits and vegetables, eat grains whole – the way nature (or God, if you are a religious person) had made them.

Refined grains, on the other hand usually have the bran and germ removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm.

Brown rice is a whole grain, white rice is not. Other whole-grain foods include wheat breads, rolls, pasta and cereals; whole grain oat cereals such as oatmeal, popcorn, wild rice, tortilla and tortilla chips, corn, kasha (roasted buckwheat) and tabouleh (bulghur wheat). Of the whole grains tested, corn had the highest total antioxidant activity at 181, followed by whole wheat at 77, oats at 75, and brown rice at 56.

Benefits of Whole Grains

Whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and hundreds of natural plant compounds, called phytochemicals, which protect cells from the types of damage that may lead to cancer. In addition research suggests that specific substances in whole grains have been linked to lower cancer risk, including antioxidants, phenols, lignans, phytoestrogens and saponins.

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A whole grain diet also helps your digestive tract to digest food and prevent constipation and inflammation (diverticulosis).

Moreover, whole grains not only adds more texture and flavor to the diet, it is also rich in anti-oxidants like vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals which prevents colorectal, breast and prostrate cancers.
Introducing whole grain diets to your children early in their lives can help them avoid childhood obesity. Children are also less likely to develop asthma and wheezing if they eat more whole grains and fish.

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Whole grains are also sources of fermentable carbohydrate or “resistant starch,” so called because it is less digestible in the small intestine and does not actually break down until it reaches the large intestine. Here, the resistant starch is used by bacteria to form compounds (butyrate and other short chain fatty acids) that are thought to be protective against the formation of cancerous tumors.

How you can increase your Whole Grains intake

Here are some simple ways to boost your whole grains intake everyday:

1. Eat whole grain breakfast cereals, such as wheat flakes, shredded wheat, muesli, and oatmeal. Bran cereals are not actually whole grain cereals but their high fiber content also makes them a good breakfast choice.
2. Eat whole grain breads, rolls, tortillas, bagels, pita pockets and crackers instead of those made from refined grains.
3. Eat whole wheat pasta or pasta made from 50% whole wheat and 50% white flour instead of conventional pastas.
4. Eat wild or brown rice instead of white rice.
5. Add barley to soups and stews.

How to read ingredients labels

It is important to read food Ingredient Labels and Nutrition Lists to get the most nutritional value from your food budget. Here are some tips on how to read food ingredient lists:

1. The top 3 ingredients on the label are what you are basically eating. Make sure these 3 key ingredients are the targeted foods / nutrition you are paying money for.
2. Though ingredient labels do not state the presence of harmful chemicals, it does not necessarily mean they are not present in small amounts. Such chemicals may have originated from the farms before the food was processed and packaged. Buy fresh produce which are minimally processed or go organic. These are less likely to be contaminated with harmful chemicals like pesticides, solvents and other toxic chemicals.
3. If you don’t recognize the ingredients, don’t eat the product. Ingredients with long, chemical-like or unpronounceable words may contain toxic substances you want to avoid.
4. Higher quality natural foods are described as “sprouted” or “raw”. Whole grains are better than “enriched” grains.
5. Make sure you buy “whole grain wheat flour” product instead of “wheat flour” product. “Wheat flour” products are processed, bleached and stripped of most of its nutrients.
6. Herb-like ingredients listed way down the ingredient list are mere marketing tricks to get you in buy the product. These ingredients are so meager, it is not going to add any health benefit to the product.
7. Brown products are not necessarily better than white products. For example, brown sugar, brown eggs, brown bread etc may just be coloring and have nothing to do with the perceived natural ingredients.
8. Small serving sizes do not necessarily mean that the number of calories, grams of sugar or fat in the product are lower.

If you have not switched to whole grain foods yet, now you have good reasons for doing so – if you value your health.

Here is a 2-minute YouTube video on Whole Grains – How You Can Have A Healthy Diet on a Busy Schedule. Enjoy:

© teamrich.wordpress.com- whole grains reduces risk of cancer

The Corporation (2004)

The Corporation (2004) | DVD Review

This highly engrossing documentary begs the question – “Can Corporations be Moral in their Pursuit of Profits?” Judging from the state of the environment, the general health of the people and the widening gap of the rich and the poor, we have reasonable cause to worry.

If this is the situation, who is to blame? Is it the Government for not enacting laws to reign in these increasingly aggressive and powerful Corporations? Is it the fault of the Corporations for not acting responsibly? Or is it the general population across the globe for not making responsible choices in the products and services they use?

The problem is a highly complex one and there is no easy solution in the immediate horizon either.

Joe Balkan, a law professor notes that today’s Corporations are “singularly self-interested and unable to feel genuine concern for others in any context.” (pg. 56). This documentary is inspired by the works of Joe Balkan’s book – “The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power” (2004).

Dr. Robert Hare, a consultant to the FBI on psychopaths, draws parallels between a psychopath and the modern Corporation. In the documentary, it is revealed that his findings corroborate the following behavior:

• Callous unconcern for the feelings of others
• Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships
• Reckless disregard for the safety of others
• Deceitfulness: Repeated lying to and deceiving of others for profit
• Incapacity to experience guilt
• Failure to conform to the social norms with respect to lawful behaviors.

To be frank, though the arguments put forth in this DVD documentary may not as forceful as many other recent documentaries (see below), it does nonetheless, reward those who are prepared to sit through a nearly 3 hour exposé on the history and activities of Corporations since the birth of America.

The film touches on a variety of issues, such as sweatshop labor, the world bank, free trade, environmental problems, health and safety problems, corporate media control, anti-trust and monopoly violations, child advertising and corporate propaganda, genetically modified (GM) foods, et cetera.

This documentary is crammed with dense theorizing, it requires concentration, but viewers are rewarded by a thorough and well-argued film which doesn’t feel the need to couch its message in comedy.

Watching this DVD, one cannot help but feel sorry for the anti-Globalization protesters as their frustrations and desperation turn to violence.

The following recent documentaries overlaps some of the topics covered in “The Corporation” documentary:

Al Gore’s “The Inconvenient Truth” (2006),

A Must-See for everyone who is concerned about the environment by Director Davis Guggenheim with Al Gore as the poster boy of global warming. An Inconvenient Truth makes the compelling case that global warming is real, man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don’t act now. Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way: often humorous, frequently emotional, and always fascinating. In the end, An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired.

The documentary won an Oscar Award this year and Al Gore got a Nobel Prize for bringing global warming message to the fore.

Morgan Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” (2003)

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, rejected five times by the USC film school, won the best director award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival for “Supersize Me” – a irreverent look at obesity in America and one of its sources – fast food corporations.

Michael Moore’s “Roger & Me” (1989)

When General Motors Chairman, Roger B. Smith closes down a profitable auto factory in his home town, Michael Moore embarks on a journey to interview Roger hence the title “Roger & Me“. Michael Moore’s sharp wit and working class roots endears him to his audience and me as he goes on a quest to find out: “What is Corporate America’s responsibility to the country’s citizens?”. A question no one at GM wants to answer, certainly not Roger.

Eugene Jarecki’s Why We Fight (2006)

Why We Fight is the provocative documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (The Trials of Henry Kissinger) and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Why We Fight goes far beyond the headlines of various American military campaigns in the last half a century to the deeper questions of why America is seemingly so pre-occupied with war. What are the forces – political, economic, and ideological – that drive America to battle against an ever-changing enemy? This documentary challenges viewers to examine the mechanizations of the secretive and ever persuasive military-industrial complex and its influence on the US government decisions.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Fortune reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, this is a multidimensional study of one of the biggest business scandals that rocked Corporate America. The Enron documentary takes a look at one of the greatest corporate disasters in history, in which top executives from the 7th largest company in the USA walked away with over one billion dollars, leaving scores of investors and 20,000 employees with nothing in 2001.

Jamie Johnson’s “Born Rich” (2002).

Jamie Johnson, 20-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical empire, made this documentary about the lives of the children of the wealthiest families in the world. You would expect these Born Rich children from the elite of our society to have something important to say or do. Or at least get a glimpse of their glamorous lives. Instead, what you get is an insight of the aimless lifestyle of kids Born Rich. Paris Hilton, where are you when we needed you?

If you liked these documentaries, you will certainly like this hard hitting Canadian documentary “The Corporation”. It is a must-see for any one who is concerned about the products they buy and the companies they invest in.

Here are some short streaming video trailers of ‘The Corporation” on YouTube:

Dangers of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods:

Please visit our new movie review blog: goingtomovies for the latest movie reviews and the most anticipated movies for 2008 and beyond.

© http://teamrich.wordpress.com – the corporation

MSG | Heart Diseases and Cancer

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What is worst than alcohol, nicotine and drugs? Can be found on your kitchen shelves and sold in school canteens, supermarkets etc? It is MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate) a flavoring ingredient for foods. But they are only used in Chinese food right? Wrong! MSG can be found in most common foods as it boosts the marketability of food products (like salt and sugar) and is a cheap food flavoring agent.

 

MSG can be found in soups, biscuits, meats and even infant milk formulas, in fact, most processed foods and in junk foods. You won’t find MSG on food product labels but the following ingredients could indicate the presence of MonoSodium Glutamate:

• Gelatin
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
• Yeast Extract
• Malted Barley
• Rice Syrup or Brown Rice Syrup
• broth, casein, autolyzed, etc, making MSG very difficult for even the most sophisticated health conscious shoppers to detect simply by reading the food label.
• if the food tastes good, chances are it may have MSG in it.

 

MSG is said to be linked to obesity, the risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, cancer etc. At the very least, it can give you a heartburn – so called because of a burning sensation near your breastbone caused by gastric juices over-reacting because of MSG.

Studies showed that 40% of the population reacted adversely to high levels of MSG.

Aspartame has similiar compounds as MonoSodium Glutamate.

Our article was featured in CNN.com website on 3 October 2007.

 

 

Watch this three-part YouTube video by Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon, who says that MonoSodium Glutamate is a dangerous excitotoxin that can make you fat triggering the Big 2 Diseases – Cancer and Heart Disease. According to Dr Blaylock, MSG overexcites your cells to the point of damage, acting like a poison and causing free radical damage.

 

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