Alcohol and Cancer Link Learned?

Hi and welcome to this week’s look at headlines in natural health on iHealthTube.com…

The question of whether certain amounts of alcohol can be healthy is an ongoing one… but new research out of the UK is helping explain how and why drinking an increase your risk of cancer.  Researchers used chromosome analysis in mice after giving them diluted alcohol.  They found that acetaldehyde… a harmful compound produced when the body processes alcohol… can break and damage DNA within blood stem cells.  That damage can lead to permanently altered DNA sequences in these cells.  When the DNA blueprint in healthy cells becomes faulty… it can lead to cancer.

Alcohol increases the risk of developing a handful of different types of cancer… mostly commonly breast and bowel cancer.

Because of our busy schedules, so many of us don’t get enough sleep.  Now new research is showing that might be leading to more health issues than previously thought.

A study our of New York is indicating sleeping less than 8 hours a night can be linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression.  The study looked at timing and duration of sleep in people with moderate to high levels of repetitive negative thoughts.  Researchers found sleep disruptions were linked to difficulty in moving away from negative information… possibly meaning that poor sleep can be part of what makes negative thoughts linger and disrupt people’s lives.  The researchers are also looking at how sleep may be connected to either the development or continuation of psychological disorders.

There are many suggested do’s and don’ts when it comes to expectant mothers’ diets… but new research is shedding light on one beneficial nutrient.

Research out of Cornell suggests eating sufficient amounts of the nutrient choline while pregnant can have cognitive benefits for their children.  Choline is found in egg yolks… lean red meat… fish, poultry, cruciferous vegetables and nuts and legumes.  What is an optimal level of choline intake is still up in the air.  Current recommendations are based on amounts required to prevent liver dysfunction… and those studies were done on men because no studies had been done on requirements during pregnancy.

That’s a look at what’s making headlines in natural health this week… make sure to go to iHealthTube.com and sign up for our free email newsletter to stay connected to the latest in natural health.