Go healthy for good – November 2017

Eating cured meat may worsen asthma according to a study of almost 1000 adults. Researchers assessed asthma symptoms and diet for seven years. Those eating four or more servings of cured meat per week were 75 per cent more likely to have increased asthma symptoms than those eating less than one serving. Salt or nitrites used to cure the meat may be the trigger.—BMJ

Physical stress induces leaky gut, inflammation and an alteration in the balance of gut microbes. Military researchers in Norway studied 73 soldiers during a four-day cross-country ski march and found that intestinal permeability or ‘leaky gut’ increased by more than 60 per cent and led to a rise in inflammatory markers. The diversity and relative abundance of the various gut bacteria were altered. This changed almost a quarter of the chemical by-products made by the gut microbes.—American Journal of Physiology

Colon cancer patients who eat nuts may halve their risk of death from the disease. Eight hundred chemotherapy patients with Stage 3 colon cancer were asked about their diet, exercise, weight and alcohol intake. After seven years, those with the healthiest lifestyles had a 42 per cent lower risk of dying than those with the lowest scores. People eating tree nuts at least twice a week had a 57 per cent lower risk of death and 42 per cent lower risk of complications compared with the non-nut eaters. Peanuts gave no advantage.—ASCO

Fat around the waist increases the obesity-related cancer risk. The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer analysed data from more than 40,000 people and found an extra 11cm on the waist or 8 cm on the hips increases the risk of obesity-related cancers by 14 per cent. After smoking, excess weight is the single biggest preventable cause of cancer and is associated with cancer of the colon, breast, uterus, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, oesophagus, stomach, thyroid, ovary, meninges and blood.—British Journal of Cancer

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects children’s school performance as well as their health. A large Scottish study found kids with ADHD came from larger families and had younger mothers who were more likely to smoke during pregnancy compared with kids without ADHD. Learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder were more likely, as well as social, educational and behavioural needs. The likelihood of needing mental health expertise was 50 times greater. Five times as many boys were affected as girls, though girls were less likely to get treatment, and more likely to suffer depression and anxiety.—JAMA Pediatrics