We all know that aerobic exercise help us to keep healthy, and help avoid cancer and heart disease.

Moderate weight training – such as on machines at the gym – has been shown to help maintain muscle bulk as we age – an important factor, as many falls by old people are due to weakened muscles.

The latest research shows an additional benefit of weight training: it reduces cancer.

In this study, scientists led from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, tracked 8,677 men aged between 20 and 82 for more than two decades, and studied their weight training habits.

The results were that men who regularly worked out with weights and had the greatest  muscle strength were 30 to 40 per cent less likely to die from a cancerous tumour.

Exercise Regime

It seems clear that exercise needs to be of two kinds:

1. Aerobic exercise – such as fast walking, swimming, running – any exercise where there is no rest. This should be for 20 minutes or more twice a week.

2. Weight training of the major muscle groups, also twice a week, and perhaps for 45 minutes a time. However, previously, it was thought that this just prevented muscle degeneration with aging.  This study seems to show a protective benefit against cancer too.

Although the study was of men, women should benefit too. Weight training does not have to result in big muscles – your trainer will advise if you don’t want to ‘get chunky’!

Report

Weight Train To Avoid Cancer is a post from: Living To 150

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The poison – Acrylamide – is also in Tesco own label ‘hoops’, Hula Hoops and Duchy Original Crisps.

Acrylamide has the "potential to cause cancer even at very low levels of exposure". The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been studying the levels of acrylamide in common foods for 3 years. It has been tricky for them – because it is in so many foods. However, there is one common factor in all these foods. Preparation at high temperature.

Acrylamide occurrs when a reaction takes place between sugar and asparagine, an amino acid (part of a protein). Many scientists believe it is a by-product of the well-known Maillard reaction – similar to caramelization – which is what causes browning in food.

Acrylamide was discovered by chance in foods in April 2002 in Sweden, when scientists found large amounts of the chemical in starchy food cooked at high temperature; potato chips (crisps), french fries and bread.

A Dutch study of 62,000 women over 11 years concluded that those women with higher levels of acrylamide in the diet are twice as likely to develop womb or ovarian cancer,  

GLYCATION

I have commented before on avoiding foods cooked at high temperature because it causes Glycation End-products. These cause damaging glycation – wrinkling – throughout the body. Glycation accelerates aging.

Acrylamide – a potential cause of cancer – is another reason to minimize food which has been roasted, baked, grilled, fried or barbequeued.

The FSA can study it as much as they like; in the end, most people would benefit from cutting down on food cooked at over 250 degrees F and increase raw food in the diet.

Acrylamide has not been found in food which has been boiled, or in raw food.

COMMENT ON ACRYLAMIDE

Royal Society of Chemistry:
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/December/05120703.asp

Grocery Meanufacturers’ Association:  
http://www.acrylamidefacts.com/sitecore/content/Home/FAQs.aspx

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylamide

Food Standards Agency:
http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/acrylamide_branch/

FSA Identifies Cancer Poison in Pringles is a post from: Living To 150

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