The Gary Null Show - 03.07.22

Study shows broccoli may offer protection against liver cancer   University of Illinois, March 3 2022   A new study from the University of Illinois reports that including broccoli in the diet may also protect against liver cancer, as well as aid in countering the development of fatty liver or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which can cause malfunction of the liver and lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer with a high mortality rate. "The normal story about broccoli and health is that it can protect against a number of different cancers. But nobody had looked at liver cancer," says Elizabeth Jeffery, a U of I emeritus professor of nutrition. "We decided that liver cancer needed to be studied particularly because of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. It is already in the literature that obesity enhances the risk for liver cancer and this is particularly true for men. They have almost a 5-fold greater risk for liver cancer if they are obese."   (NEXT)   More alcohol, less brain: Study finds an association that begins with an average of just one drink a day   University of Pennsylvania, March 4, 2022   The science on heavy drinking and the brain is clear: The two don't have a healthy relationship. People who drink heavily have alterations in brain structure and size that are associated with cognitive impairments. But according to a new study, alcohol consumption even at levels most would consider modest—a few beers or glasses of wine a week—may also carry risks to the brain. An analysis of data from more than 36,000 adults, led by a team from the University of Pennsylvania, found that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was associated with reductions in overall brain volume. The link grew stronger the greater the level of alcohol consumption, the researchers showed. As an example, in 50-year-olds, as average drinking among individuals increases from one alcohol unit (about half a beer) a day to two units (a pint of beer or a glass of wine) there are associated changes in the brain equivalent to aging two years. Going from two to three alcohol units at the same age was like aging three and a half years. The team reported their findings in the journal Nature Communications.   (NEXT)   Choosing to be with others is more consequential to well-being than choosing to be alone   Bar-Ilan University (Israel), March 4, 2022   A new study by researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel has found that the element of choice in our daily social interactions plays a key role in our well-being. Stable social relationships are conducive to well-being. But the effects of daily social interactions (or of time spent alone) on momentary feeling of happiness is not well understood. The current study, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, suggests that our sense of choice of being with others (or of being alone) is a central factor which shapes our feelings in these contexts. Importantly, it was suggested that choice matters more 'with others' than alone, because experiences with others are more intense.   (NEXT)   Researchers find certain onions have excellent anticancer benefits   Cornell University, March 4, 2022   When it comes to cancer fighting foods, onions are high on the list. But while all onions help to prevent cancer due to key chemicals and compounds, there are certain onions that have more anticancer health benefits than others, particularly when it comes to preventing the spread of colon and liver cancers. A study conducted by Cornell University food scientists looked at 10 varieties of onion and shallots. Researchers found that the Western Yellow, pungent yellow, Northern Red and shallot varieties of onions were the highest in cancer-fighting compounds. Pungent yellow and Western Yellow were found to be especially effective against colon cancer, while shallots, Western Yellow and pungent varieties helped to combat colon cancer. Pungent, bitter onion varieties provide strongest anti-cancer benefits While all onions have cancer-fighting effects, these varieties in particular have a high flavonoid and phenolic content, and these phytochemicals contribute to higher amounts of antioxidants that provide even more protection. These powerful chemicals literally help to “mop up” free radicals that would otherwise pose a damage to cells.   (NEXT)   A new study relates liquid fructose intake to fatty liver disease   University of Barcelona (Spain), March 3, 2022   A high-fat diet is not enough to cause short-term fatty liver disease. However, if this diet is combined with the intake of beverages sweetened with liquid fructose, the accumulation of fats in the liver accelerates and hypertriglyceridemia —a cardiovascular risk factor— can appear. This is explained in a study on a mouse experimental model, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research . Fructose is one of the most common sweeteners in the food industry. This simple sugar (monosaccharide) is industrially obtained from corn syrup, a product derived from this gramineae. With a great sweetener power and low production costs, fructose is used by the food industry to sweeten beverages, sauces and processed foods, despite the scientific evidence that associates it with metabolic diseases which are risk factors of cardiovascular pathologies.