Curry, friendships and physical movement may provide treatment for specific cancers.
Cancer Research UK and Leicester University
aims to conduct a two-year trial to investigate if a curry ingredient can
improve the treatment of patients with bowel cancer (www.thetelegraph.com.au, 8 May, 2012).
They will supplement traditional chemotherapy treatment with pills containing
curcumin, a compound found in turmeric—the yellow curry spice. The scientists
think that curcumin can boost the ability of chemotherapy drugs to kill bowel
cancer cells. Previous studies indicated that it may slow the spread of cancer,
improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, and protect healthy cells from the
effects of radiography. Curcumin is known to have anti-inflammatory properties
and it also acts as an anti-oxidant. It has previously been used to help treat
liver and digestive disorders, allergies, and even acne. The Cancer Research UK
trial will recruit 40 patients with bowel cancer that has spread to their
livers. Once bowel cancer spreads to the liver, patients often do not respond
to chemotherapy drugs, so it is hoped that the curry treatment may make a positive
difference.
Other research in Britain by the World
Cancer Research Fund and the National Prevention Research initiative found that
young girls with lots of friends were more physically active (www.thetelegraph.com.au, 8 May, 2012).
For each additional friend, the girl spent 10 minutes being physically active
at the weekend. Each extra friend was also associated with almost four extra
minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity after school during the week.
Scientists studied the health of girls and boys in the years between primary
and secondary school. However, the link between the number of friends and
exercise was only noticed in girls.
In an Australian study, teenage girls who
joined an obesity-prevention program became more active and sat at technology (computers
and television) less. However, they did not significantly reduce their body
mass index. The University of Newcastle spent a year tracking 357 girls aged
12-14 from low income areas as they undertook the nutrition and activity program.
The program was conducted in 6 schools in the Hunter Valley and Central Coast,
and offered sport sessions, nutritional seminars and used text messages for
support and encouragement. The aim was to reduce overall body fat. Even though
the program did not significantly reduce body fat, there were positive changes
to their body composition and there were reductions to screen time in front of
technological items. Girls in the program spent 30 minutes less per day on
screen activities including computer, television, and video games, compared to
other girls not on the program. The aim is now to study the link between extra
physical movement and the likelihood of preventing or delaying specific types
of cancer.
MARTINA NICOLLS is an international
aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of
Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet
(2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
Comments
Post a Comment