Whole Life Times: Body Talk

June 2007 | Healthy Living

Body Talk

Not just for Violet Beauregarde

Help yourself to a few extra pints of blueberries this picking season. New research from Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that the sweet-tart fruit may help protect against colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. After eight weeks on a diet supplemented with pterostilbene— a potent antioxidant that’s abundant in blueberries—nine of the study’s rats had 57 percent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in their colon than a group of rats that weren’t fed pterostilbene. “This study underscores the need to include more berries in the diet, especially blueberries,” notes lead study author Bandaru Reddy, Ph.D.

Another antioxidant-packed berry to gobble up: black raspberries, recently found to fight some forms of cancer. When compared to a control group in an Ohio State University study, rats that had eaten black raspberry extract developed up to 80 percent fewer colon tumors and up to 60 percent fewer esophageal tumors.

Got cigarettes?

For many a smoker, coffee and cigarettes are the most savory combo since PB & J or mac ‘n’ cheese. But for those trying to quit, swapping out the joe for a tall glass of milk might make for a smart strategy. In a recent Duke University study, researchers asked 209 smokers to list foods and drinks that made cigarettes tastier or less appetizing. While 45 percent said that caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea enhanced the flavor of their smokes, 19 percent noted that milk and other dairy products worsened the taste. Alcoholic drinks were also named as top taste boosters, but juice, fruits, and veggies were among the most likely to spoil cig flavor.

The findings could help make quitting easier and possibly lead to the development of a gum or lozenge that decreases cigarettes’ palatability, according to lead study author Joseph McClernon, Ph.D.

Chiropractic for healthy blood pressure

Just one trip to the chiropractor could cause a blood-pressure drop equal to taking two hypertension drugs at once, according to research from the University of Chicago Medical Center. The study focused on an adjustment that targets the Atlas vertebra, the bone that works to hold up the head. Located high in the neck, the Atlas vertebra was misaligned in the study’s 50 participants, all of whom had high blood pressure. Half of the study members received a tailor-made adjustment to realign the vertebra, while the other half underwent a sham intervention. Eight weeks after the treatment, those who had their Atlas vertebra realigned experienced an average 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure and an average 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure.

Although the study’s authors didn’t determine how aligning the Atlas vertebra might lower blood pressure, past research has shown that injury to that bone can impede blood flow in the arteries at the base of the skull.

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