Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol’

Marinating Red Meats in Alcohol May Cut Cancer Risk Factor

Meat lovers have been told all to often that regularly eating large quantities of red or processed meats ups your cancer risk factor. This is why so many of us are trying to limit the amount of red meat we take in.

But if you love your steaks, is your only option banning them from your diet forever? Apparently not…

New research appearing in New Scientist magazine suggests that marinating steak in red wine or beer might cut down the number of cancer causing agents produced when these meats are grilled or fried.

The high temperatures associated with frying or grilling are known to change the natural sugars and amino acids in red meats into chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HAs for short).

Earlier work has shown that a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic cut HA levels in chicken by as much as 90%.

The Portuguese team from the University of Porto conducted this latest study (also published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) to look at the effectiveness of an alcohol-based marinade. Both beer and red wine were used in the research.

The researchers found that after 6 hours marinating in either beer or wine, two types of HAs were decreased by up to 90%, compared to unmarinated steaks.

Beer worked better on a third type of HA, and cut levels of the substance in just four hours. Wine took 6 hours to achieve this same effect.

The team suspects that the key could be water-retaining sugars that are in the alcohol marinade. These sugars, more abundant in beer than wine, keep water soluble molecules in the steak from moving to the surface where the high heat converts them into HA’s.

In case you’re wondering, the testers preferred the beer marinated steak for smell, taste and overall appearance.

Scientists have actually identified 17 different HAs that come from the high temperature (350ºF or higher) cooking of meats.

Of the four things that influence HA formation, (type of food, cooking method, temperature and time), temperature is most important.

Other sources of protein (milk, eggs, tofu and organ meats) have very little or no HA naturally or when cooked.

Meats that were microwaved for 2 minutes before being cooked had a 90% decrease in HA content. Pouring off any liquid that comes during microwaving causes the final concentration of HA to be reduced.

The way you like your meat cooked is also related to cancer risk.

Another study showed a link between eating cooked meats and stomach cancer, but those who liked meat medium well or well done were three times more likely to have stomach cancer as those who preferred rare or medium rare beef.

Cancers of the bowel, pancreatic and breast cancer have also been associated with red meat.

Of course cancer experts warn against thinking marinades provide protection from the cancer risk in red meat.

Eating less of these meats overall is a good way to reduce your cancer risk factor, as well as being sure that your diet also contains plenty of fruits, veggies and fiber while limiting the amount of red meat and alcohol you take in.

Alcohol May Raise Risk for Certain Breast Cancers

Alcohol May Raise Risk for Certain Breast Cancers
Study found drinking associated with increase in hormone receptor-positive cancers.

Read more on HealthCentral

Ladies, Alcohol Could Hurts your Breast Health!

Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Breast cancer occurs in men also, but the number of new cases is small. Early detection and effective treatment is expected to reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer, and development of new methods of prevention continue to be studied.

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer. Doctors can seldom explain why one woman gets breast cancer and another does not. However, research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer.

Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for breast cancer can be avoided, but many cannot.

Some studies suggest that the more alcoholic beverages a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.

So if you an alcoholic, there is a higher risk of breast cancer.

The equivalent of a glass of wine after work – this is a relatively safe level to drink. However even low levels of alcohol intake have been linked to breast cancer.

Besides cutting down on alcohol, being physically active is important, as it further reduces risk of breast cancer.

Women who are physically inactive throughout life appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being physically active may help to reduce risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.

It is especially important to remain physically active after menopause. The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. A woman over age 60 is at greatest risk. This disease is very uncommon before menopause. High levels of estrogen may be the reason that obese women have an increased risk of breast cancer. And some studies show that gaining weight after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.

Lack of physical activity is an important contributor to many of the most important chronic diseases for older Americans, including heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. Lack of physical activity, along with poor nutrition, is a major contributor to the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States.

Start to be physically active today, and always be in the pink of health as you age!

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Time To Put Focus On Links Between Alcohol And Cancer, Australia

Time To Put Focus On Links Between Alcohol And Cancer, Australia
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that more needs to be done to stop young people from taking up drinking at an early age, including banning alcohol advertising and promotions that are targeted at teenagers and adolescents. Dr Pesce said that excess alcohol consumption is known to be a contributor to cancer rates in Australia. The 2010 edition of Australia’s Health, released yesterday …

Read more on Medical News Today

How much alcohol increases your risk for breast cancer?

I read that alcohol increases your risk of breast cancer, but how much do you have to consume to increase your risk of getting it?