We are aware that many lifestyle habits can cause cancer, that the causes are multifactorial and can be attributed to a range of causes. However, scientists, in a recent study, have said we may have to add another cause to the long list. That risk factor is height.The taller you are, the more likely you are to develop cancer, according to this study.
In fact, a few studies over recent years have made the connection between height and cancer, but this particular one is conducted on a large scale, involving 5.5 million men and women, and it really seems to suggest there is something to this connection.
For every extra 10cm in height, the risk of cancer rises by 18 per cent if you are a woman and by 11 per cent if you are a man. In addition, taller women have a 20 per cent greater chance of developing breast cancer too.
Taking the average woman in Sweden – where the research took place – as the starting point, the researchers estimate that the typical woman, who is 1.69m tall, has a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 10 per cent. As the risk increases with height, a woman who is 1.79m tall has a 12 per cent chance of getting breast cancer, and this rises again to 14.4 per cent in a woman who is 2.59m tall.
The greatest risk seems to be for melanoma, or skin cancer. That rises by 30 per cent for each 10cm increase in height and applies equally to men and women. The question is why? Researchers at the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden are not sure. However, lead researcher Emelie Benyi has a few ideas.
Taller people could have been exposed to more growth factors as children, which might lead to cancer later, or perhaps it is because taller people have more cells, so the chances of having abnormal cancerous ones are increased.If this makes all the tall readers want to crouch down, remember science’s golden rule: correlation does not prove causation. Just because the risk seems greater in one group, it does not mean the characteristics that define the group actually increase the risk.
Personally, my family have experienced all range of cancers and not one of them was over two metres tall. Perhaps it is a tall story.
Taking the contraceptive pill over many years can deplete the body of vital nutrients, especially folate and vitamin B12
Now let’s move on to something we can take action on. There are a number of things in our lives that are nutrient robbers. This means they take important nutrients out of our bodies. They are mainly prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. Many people are unaware of how they can rob our bodies of vital nutrients, causing substantial nutritional deficiency-related health problems. In fact, some of the adverse effects of drugs are not a result of the drugs but of the nutrient depletion caused by the drug, taken over time. So here are some of the most popular drugs and how to counteract nutrient depletion.
• Antacids – these are popular for heartburn and indigestion and are over-the-counter medications. They can block the absorption of iron and, to a lesser extent, they can also block vitamin C, D, E, K and B12, as well as calcium, beta carotene, folate and others. The most important action, if you are a regular user, is to eat iron-rich foods. These include spinach, beans, apricots and beef, as meat provides iron.
• Antibiotics – hopefully these are not being taken as much as they were in the past, now that we are aware of the dangers. They kill the friendly bacteria in the intestines and impede the production of vitamin K in the gut (Int. J. Vitam. Nutr. Res., 1990).
Eat foods naturally rich in gut-friendly probiotics, such as natural, live, cultured yogurts, kefir and sauerkraut (might be a bit difficult to find in Malta). Consider taking a multi-stream probiotic supplement to replace the friendly bacteria. Boost your vitamin K levels by eating plenty of dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.
• Antidepressants – these drugs can deplete the body of CoQ10 and all the B vitamins, as well as melatonin. Good sources of folate will help replace these depletions, such as lentils, asparagus, spinach, broccoli and pinto beans. Eating oats, bananas, tomatoes and pineapple can help the body to produce melatonin. Supplementing with CoQ10 will help.
• The pill – taking the contraceptive pill over many years can deplete the body of several vital nutrients, especially folate and vitamin B12.
B12 can be boosted by eating animal products as already mentioned, but include fish and eggs. Folate is found in cabbage, almonds, spinach and bananas.
• Diabetes drugs – medicaltreatments for diabetes (in particular insulin) can lead to magnesium deficiency (Curr. Sci., 2002).
Again, increase your intake of green vegetables, chickpeas, sesame seeds and bran – all of these are good sources of magnesium.
Finally, if you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment, it is known to employ platinum-based compounds such as cisplatin, the most widely used anticancer drug in orthodox medicine, and the cause of zinc deficiency. Take a zinc supplement or eat foods rich in zinc such as pumpkin seeds, fish and seafood, cheese, red meat and liver.
kathryn@maltanet.net