Vaping/e-cig can kill
Vaping or electronic cigarettes were invented to be a safe substitute for smoking. As I have written in this column last year, e-cigarettes/vaping were unsafe and maybe worst than smoking regular tobacco. Recently, young people who did vaping suddenly develop severe shortness of breath, which needed the use of a ventilator, first suspected to be pneumonia, but later determined to be caused by vaping. This acute respiratory failure among these teenager users is potentially fatal. Studies have shown that exposure to e-cigarette vapor caused DNA and gene-level changes that could increase the risk for cancer of the lungs, oral cavity, and bladder. Smoking kills 480,000 deaths, 41,000 from second-hand smoke exposure. Do not add yourself to these statistics.
Genital gangrene
A rare “flesh-eating” disease, called Fournier gangrene of the genital or anal region which rapidly spreads is causing great concern, according to a new study among T2 diabetics taking the newer class of medications grouped as SGLT2 inhibitors, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Introduced six years ago (2013), they include canaglifloxin (Invokana) empaglifloxin (Jardiance), and dapaglifloxin (Farxiga). Between March 2013 to January 2019, 55 patients taking these medications developed Fournier gangrene. It is not clear at this time if it was caused by SGLT2 inhibitors. In 2017, 1.7 million prescriptions were dispensed. Further investigation is ongoing. Consult your physicians for any questions you might have.
Flavanoids for health and longevity
While eating red meat is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular illnesses and cancer (pancreas, colon, etc.), ingestion of a lot of vegetables and some fruits and nuts could stave off diseases and provide natural maximal longevity. Scientists believe that flavanoids (polyphenols) are the beneficial substances that are potent anti-oxidants responsible for these health benefits. The six subclasses of these compounds are flavanols, flavan-3ols, anthrocyanins, isoflavones, flavonones, and flavones. The new study on this subject involved more than 50,000 over twenty years. And the final conclusion was eating flavanoid-rich and antioxidants foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts) could prevent illnesses and allow people to reach the top of their life expectancy. Those technical terms could be could be confusing, but just remember these lifesavers: lots of vegetables, some fruits, and a handful of nuts every day to keep the doctor away.
Nature is good for the brain
There is something soothing and comforting when we commune with mother nature. Studies show that a simple walk in an area with grass, tress, on a beach, or near a lake or stream, basking under a subdued sun, breathing in fresh air, amidst calm, peace and quiet; are healthy, not only for the muscles but especially for the brain. It stimulates a happy countenance, uplifting the mood with happy hormones, reducing stress and depression, and making us feel more alive. Clinical research proves the overwhelming positive impact of nature on our brain. A University of Rochester study found that “spending time outdoors not only makes you happier, it can also lead to a surge of energy.” It also improves memory. This “wanderlust” is practice in Japan and is called shinrin-yoku, a good antidote for the hectic life in the city of noise and air pollution.
Tofu: good or bad?
Bean curd, from soy, has been around for millennia and treasured by Asians. It has been popular in the western world for about 6 decades. We see soy burgers, soy milk for kids with allergy to regular milk, soya-based meat substitute, tofu, tempeh, miso and soy sauce. Soy products are rich in protein, B vitamins, iron, fibers, zinc and calcium. The concern the past ten years or so has been its high content of isoflavones, which have estrogenic properties, which could disrupt our hormones and increase the risk for breast cancer among women. There are studies that show the opposite, as soya lowers cancer risk. Fang Fang Zhang, associate professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts, “carried out population research among 6,000 women with breast cancer living in the U.S. and found a 21 percent reduction in mortality among those who consumed more soya. High soya intake among women in Asian countries has been linked to their 30 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer compared to U.S. women, who eat much less soya. (The average person’s intake of isoflavones in Japan, for example, is between 30 and 50mg, compared to less than 3mg in Europe and the U.S.). Its benefits were strongest in women with hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer, a more aggressive type of breast cancer where tumours lack oestrogen and progesterone receptors, and therefore doesn’t respond well to hormone therapies. “Our findings suggest that, for women with hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer, soya food consumption may potentially have a beneficial effect to improve survival,” Zhang says. If soya does lower breast cancer risk, it may be because its isoflavones can enhance apoptosis: a genetically programmed mechanism that tells cells to self-destruct when they get DNA damage they’re not able to repair. Without this process, damaged cells can form into cancer. An extensive 2010 review of more than 100 studies “concluded that, overall, lab experiments have shown no significant increased risk of breast cancer.”
Vinegar pill and potion
On the market today are pills and potion made from fermented apples, called ACV (Apple cider vinegar). This so-called food supplement is claims to have several health benefits. The side effects include erosion of tooth enamel, throat irritation, and gastric upset, especially among those with gastro-esophageal reflux. The dosage is not clear. ACV is not approved by the US-FDA. I would not recommend this or any food supplements for anyone who eats properly, especially vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Food supplement scam
This is one of my favorite topics in my writings over the past 30 years. It is amazing to learn that the food supplement industry is worth $37 billion now and projected to be $194.63 billion by 2025. Can you imagine how many millions of people have been duped, scammed for decades, by the purveyors of deceit and fraud? Out of the thousand varieties of food supplements on the market, only about a dozen are beneficial. The rest are ineffective, useless, and even outright dangerous. To avoid wasting money, seek your physician’s advice.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
