November 2005 | Whole Health
How your job is killing you... Cancer-fighting foods... Bad news for casual smokers
by Elana Verbin Bizer
Occupational Hazards
Despise your job? No, you’re not being overly dramatic—according to new research, dissatisfaction at work may actually be killing you. And, ironically, it’s not the workaholic power-mongers among us who are most at risk. A recent study which looked at 900 male workers in Belgium discovered a significant link between feelings of little or no control over one’s job and increased levels of a blood-clotting factor called fibrinogen, a precursor to heart disease. It’s worth noting that the link between lack of job control and elevated fibrinogen levels remained significant even after controlling for factors such as age, smoking or use of cholesterol and blood pressure medications. Since the study also suggested that having a strong social support network may help temper some of work’s negative effects, consider those jaunts to the water cooler preventative therapy.
Cancer-Fighting Foods: the Facts Behind the Hype
Among the health-obsessed, it seems like there’s a new wellness-boosting super food every week. But the more food fad-resistant among us will be interested to learn that three celebrated cancer-fighting agents have recently been substantiated by further studies. According to findings presented at the International Research Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, green tea, berries and spicy foods well deserve to remain at the top of the cancer-fighting menu.
Recent studies conducted at the University of Rochester Medical Center showed that green tea’s active anticancer substance EGCG halts cancer in its tracks, binding with pro-cancer proteins and interfering with their ability to activate cancer cells. Meanwhile, researchers at Ohio State University found that high doses of ellagic acid, a phytochemical found in berries, can decrease instances of digestive tract tumors by as much as 80 percent. And, finally, Korean scientists are considering harnessing the inflammation-inhibiting power of spicy foods to inhibit tumors. Further research is underway on all of these foods, so keep enjoying them. You’ll likely thank yourself later.
Casual Smokers, Serious Consequences
If you’re thinking that a few smokes a day won’t hurt you, think again. An extensive study of 43,000 Norwegian men and women showed that smoking as little as one to four cigarettes per day triples one’s risk of dying from heart disease or lung cancer. In fact, the study, which tracked the health and death records of this group over a 32-year period, found that death rates from all causes rose as the number of cigarettes smoked each day increased. While the findings did not specifically focus on “social smokers”—those who indulge in a few cigarettes on the weekend—the message is crystal clear: even light smoking is a severe health risk. So if you—or a loved one—have been looking for an excuse to quit, consider cutting out this article and sticking it up on the fridge.
Elana Verbin Bizer is a holistic health counselor and journalist. Visit her blog at foodtherapy.blogspot.com.
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