Posts Tagged ‘health’

BRAC1 and BRAC 2 need a closer look. There just isn’t enough information in the public domain.  The sheer panic without the research is based on a limited view.

BRAC1 and BRAC2

First of all of us have these genes, and they perform a vary important function. What they do is repair cell damage. Both of these genes are tumor suppressors. They make repairs to breaks to the DNA molecules that have double stranded breaks.

Women with mutations to either the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a higher risk of breast cancer anywhere from 3 to 5 percent. There are other opinions that put it at 5 to 10 percent. These mutations are passed down though generations. These women have a risk of ovarian cancer that is ten to thirty times the norm.  Also, women with abnormal BRCA1 or BRAC2 gene have a higher risk of developing ovarian, colon, pancreatic and thyroid cancers, as well as melanoma.

These mutations can be inherited from either parent. Sons are also at risk. The child of a genetic carrier has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutated gene. Men also have the risk of developing breast, colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancer.

Prospective

Having an abnormal BRAC1 or BRAC2 gene doesn’t mean you will get breast or any other cancer. The interesting fact that seems to be overlooked is that ovarian cancer carriers a bigger risk. However, since more women get breast cancer the emphasis is placed here.

The estimates are hundreds of thousands of cancer free women worldwide are probably harboring these mutated genes. In the eary 1990′s these genes were first identified. Then the witch hunt began. We are in the beginning phase of understanding what we are dealing with. Even oncologist aren’t sure everyone should be tested.

Most people aren’t aware of what genes they have. There are people that can’t trace a few generations back, and others who have relatives who went from other illness before breast or any other type of cancer could manifest. The other fact is a women may develop cancer, but it came about because of other factors, not the mutated BRAC1 and BRAC2 gene.

Facts

BRAC1 and BRAC2 has brought with it a new level of fear. One that it may not deserve. This fact is so important that I will cover this in the next few articles. The reason is no research has gone into the role of diet and lifestyle. The triggers for any cancer are the sum total of a cascade of events.

There are some very interesting facts coming in the follow up article.

Plastics are a health hazard. Packaging has become a way to deliver products effectively. Packaging serves up mountain spring water, and soda in easy to handle bottles. We rely on lightweight bottles, storage containers, cups, baby bottles, and shampoo bottles. They are less prone to breakage, and lighter in weight which are factors that make them so popular.

Plastic Products

Plastics product demand keeps growing. This packaging is much more than an aesthetic change, it brings superior functionality while reducing costs. Environmental issues, facts and perspectives on the biodegradability issues are a growing concern. For the most part these products are likely destined for landfills.

The one thing plastic isn’t is “sustainable” in the sense of durable or long-lasting. America’s appetite for convince is at an all time high. On the surface innovative plastic packaging for things like milk, juice, sauces, ready made puddings, jello, and condiments seem to be what the consumer wants.

For the marketplace plastics are considered useful, convenient and cost effective. What is in store for both the planet and consumer is going to be costly. The short term gains are becoming long term headaches.

Dangers of Plastics

What Georgetown University, Plasticpure, and CertChem ( a chemical testing company)  scientists found was that only 70 percent of common plastic products tested positive for estrogenic activity, but the the percentage rose to 95 percent when put into the dishwasher or microwave.

BHA is Bisphenol A, a chemical that has been used for more than 40 years in the manufacture of plastic food containers. The latest research from the University of Missouri shows that BPA causes Male deer mice to become demasculinized and behave more like females in their spatial navigation abilities. They also became less desirable to females.

The World of Plastics

We may be tipping the scales in the evolutionary process. The world is increasingly becoming a different place, that doesn’t celebrate human existence as much as a contemporary interaction of buyers and sellers. Creating brands seems to be the manifesto of America interpretation of free enterprise.

People find brands comforting, it gives a sense of stability. The brands of the past are still visible today, but the warmth and con fort have been replaced by well-tailored marketing. The product is formulated and packaged differently from the past. What has emerged is a new coherent strategy to improve the revenue model. So for most companies the dispensers of their products have to meet the bottom line. Plastic grocery bags made from polyethylene, hold shrink wrapped food,  multi-colored plastic bottles, and clear see through beverage bottles.

Leading scientist have concluded that exposure to plastic products that release chemicals that have estrogen activity during human development may be damaging to both behavioral and cognitive functions that are unique the each sex and critical to reproduction capacity.

Plastic bottles are less prone to breakage, but our we designed to withstand this hormone-disrupting convenience. We may be sterilized along with the bottles.

How to stay motivated when trying to reach your goal weight begins with a strong desire to lose weight. Sustaining the enthusiasm usually dramatically diminishes as the scale doesn’t respond fast enough. The reality is it took some time to gain the weight, and reversing the trend will take time. Concentrating on the numbers isn’t the way to go about losing weight.

Weight Loss Rewards

The reward is in the effort as much as the outcome. This is the reality, the new and improved lifestyle says a lot on how you feel about yourself. When you diet just for the sake of losing weight you usually wind up with a short fix. This way is usually responsible for the yo-yo dieting. That is the one where it is akin to using duct tape and safety pins to take something and make it smaller.

The purpose of dieting has to be more that to get into a pair of jeans. The benefits are so huge that most recently it is considered a solution to type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, blood pressure problems, cardiovascular conditions, mobility, and even cancer prevention. Weight loss supports cellular energy, physical performance, and graceful aging.

Obesity and Liver Disease

Obesity leads to liver disease. There is a growing relationship between weight and liver disease. With nearly two-thirds of the population being either overweight or obese, we are seeing a rise in liver diseases. A malfunctioning liver is responsible for a host of health related conditions. These range from brain changes that mimic Alzheimer’s, because it results in memory lapses and lack of coordination. The liver detoxifies environmental pollutants, and chemicals that are in the air or food that we eat.

Dr. Naim Alkhouri, a hepatologist at the Cleveland clinic states “Its overwhelming how many patients we’re seeing with this problem. Dr. William Carey, also a hepatologist at the Cleveland Clinic says , “This is huge. We didn’t know this disease existed 30 years ago. Now, it’s the most common liver disease in America.”

Message

The message that isn’t being delivered to the weight loss crowd is this isn’t about the blubber that has hitched a ride and landed as a permanent guest. This isn’t only about beer bellies, thunder thighs, over flowing bosoms, expanded waist size of padded backsides, it’s about the quantity and quality of your life.

Accelerating weight loss by modulating your diet to increase healthy function is a long term goal. Enhancing your ability to enjoy life is one of the beneficial effects of weight management. Being chronically overweight suppresses immunity, causes some forms of hypertension, raises blood sugar, causes insulin resistance, reduces libido, causes erectile dysfunction, and accelerates aging.

One More Reason to Lose Weight

If you need one more reason to lose weight here it is. Soon enough you are going to have to defend yourselves.

Being overweight or obese turns out to be the leading medical reason why applicants fail to qualify for military service. The army had to respond to this by making allowances for recruits who are fat and out of shape. Sit-ups and long runs are out, while yoga like movements are in.

Between 1995 and 2008, the proportion of potential recruits who failed their physicals each year because they were over weight increased to nearly 70 percent of young adults between the ages of 17 to 24 were too fat for military service.

What more motivation is needed to minimize the portion of food on  plates, and change lifestyles in order to support health.