Myths about Cancer

My Dear Sexy Reader,

Today, I've decided to be a bit lazy in the writing department. But it's only because in doing my research I came across this article on emedecinehealth.com that I thought was perfect.
The original article is actually part of a Cancer file where you can found amazing information on about anything you've always wondered about cancer. Here it is:

Cancer Myths and Reality 

Myth #1
Progress for people with advanced cancer has been so slow because there is a conspiracy between the American Medical Association and drug companies. Some people with cancer and their families think doctors are keeping the cure for cancer under wraps so that money can be made from cancer treatments.

Reality #1

Does any reasonable person think that a cure for cancer would remain secret for long? Obviously not.

• Now, let's think about this for a moment. Nurses get cancer. Pharmacists get cancer. Physicians get cancer, as do family members of these professionals. With the Internet and high-speed modems, it is inconceivable that some scientist laboring in isolation in a bunker someplace will have a cure for this problem.
• The World Wide Web can be your best source for sound information (but also at times a repository for some of the worst). A cure for cancer does not exist in cyberspace, or in a clinic in Mexico, or with a healer in the Philippines.

Myth #2

We can put a man on the moon. We can send a rocket around Jupiter. Why can't we cure cancer?

Reality #2 

This question underscores a common misbelief that cancer is one disease. In fact, cancer is a group of hundreds of diseases. Each disease has a unique biological record, and each of which may be caused by very different circumstances. One "magic bullet" will not eradicate all types of cancers.

• A major study from the University of Chicago stated that the survival from cancer is no different now compared with 30 years ago. This is an extreme view because, in fact, people with cancer are living longer and clearly have a better quality of life than they did a generation ago. Today, 2 of every 3 of those diagnosed with cancer are alive more than 5 years following their diagnosis. In 1970, this was only true for about 1 in 3.
• We know this because some cancers are indeed curable, even in the far advanced stages as with testicular cancer, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkins lymphomas, acute leukemia in both children and adults, and in a few other types of cancer.

Myth #3

If we can only hold on for a few more months, a cure will be on the horizon and all will be well.

Reality #3 

Although there have been spectacular advances in the treatment of cancer and although people are living far longer today than in any time in history, it is not reasonable to expect that, within the next years, there will be a "heat-seeking missile" or some magical vaccine to annihilate cancer. Progress against this dreaded group of diseases has been agonizingly slow, but it is moving forward in the right direction.

• Clinical trials and conventional therapies hold promise, but cure is not possible for most people with advanced cancer.
• But what is possible is a better quality of life because we now have far better treatments for pain, nausea, and vomiting than we did just a few years ago.

Of course, there are many more myths surrounding the complexities of cancer. If you are interested, feel free to leave me a comment with the myth or the info you may have heard and are not sure if it's true.

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

This article originally appears here:

Cancer: What you need to know

What are superfoods?

My Dear Sexy Readers,

Thank you all for the amazing feedback I got from you on the different social networks about my latest article "What's a gluten-free diet?".

Right after the holiday season, we all love a good detox program to purify our body and soul from all our Christmas sins. Some of us take the plunge and go for the latest fad diet. Whereas others feel they got the whole Healthy Diet with particular attention to superfoods.

But what are those Superfoods everyone seem to talk about these days? And most importantly is there any truth, medical or theoretical evidence that these foods are Super?

What are Superfoods?

Superfoods are nutrient-rich foods that are considered to be especially beneficial for our health and well-being.

Superfood Berries

However the name 'Superfood' has been disputed by many saying that it is a non-medical term used in marketing with little scientific evidence for it. The term itself has been prohibited in the European Union since 2007 unless it is accompanied by a medical notice approved by an medically and scientifically accredited name or organisation.

What are these superfoods?

Berries, nuts and seeds in general, dark green vegetables (such as spinach, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli), citrus fruits, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, vegetables with bright, dark, or intense colors (such as beets and their greens, and sweet potatoes), many legumes (peanuts, lentils, beans, raw cocoa), and whole grains as a group.

You might say, 'Well, if these are good foods to begin with, foods that could be part of a healthy diet, what's wrong with naming them Superfoods?'

Tweet This - If these are good foods, part of a healthy diet, what's wrong with naming them Superfoods?

And in essence, there's nothing wrong with it if these are actually eaten as part of a healthy diet and not popped in your mouth in a pill form!!!

Green tea leaves from Chengdu

For example, green tea is well known for its superfood quality as it is a superoxidant and contains B vitamins, folate (naturally occurring folic acid), manganese, potassium, magnesium, and caffeine. Many weight loss supplements include green tea extracts but there is currently insufficient scientific evidence that consumption of green tea or its specific extract EGCG has any health benefit.  The FDA itself sent a warning letter in 2013 about false advertising and health claims concerning the effects of green tea consumption.

Why are they called Superfoods?

Many Superfoods contain natural chemicals that have been shown to have positive health effects in laboratory studies. These include antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

It’s certainly true that a healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes but it is unlikely that any single food will make a major difference on its own.  

Cancer Research UK note that Superfoods are often promoted as having an ability to prevent or cure diseases, including cancer; they caution, 'you shouldn’t rely on Superfoods to reduce the risk of cancer. They cannot substitute for a generally healthy and balanced diet'.

Fighting Cancer with Superfoods?

From HERE

There is some lab data that show that some of these ingredients can affect cancer cells in a laboratory setting, including killing them and stopping them from growing. But unfortunately jumping to the conclusion that eating those nutrient-rich foods can affect your cancer outcome is a biiiiiiig leap!

First of all, your body is a complex organism and the interactions between the food we eat and our bodies are much more complex than those between a purified chemical and cells in a tube.
Secondly, food is itself complex: An isolated chemical may behave very differently in a test tube than when it is eaten as part of food.
Last but not least, dose as always is of paramount importance. Even eating very large portions of a ‘superfood’ might not provide enough of a specific ingredient to a sufficient amount to have any effect on our health. For example, garlic contains a nutrient alleged to help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. But you'd have to eat up to 28 cloves a day to match the doses used in the lab!

Is it bad though?

As part of a healthy diet, the short answer is not at all. With everything though, dosing and pacing are essential. You won't get a quick fix by gorging yourself on Superfoods, you won't cure any disease and your disease risk may not be that much reduced if you are already on a healthy diet. If anything, an exclusive diet might put you at risk of deficiency of other essential nutrients.
Some foods when eaten in large quantities can put you at risk of toxicities - think fish and mercury - for example, some seaweeds contain natural toxins which are thought by some to increase risk of cancer and liver damage.

Do you like your Superfoods? Do you include them in your diet on purpose?

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

References and further reading

Wikipedia
Cancer Research UK - Superfoods
NHS - Superfoods

"I am not the Cancer" Art Installation

My Dear Sexy Readers,

I feel privileged to have been invited to the "I am not the Cancer" Art installation in Central London part of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign commissioned by Novartis.
I used to go to scientific conferences all over, sporting a badge with my name and my research lab on it. But this time, I was invited as a Science Writer! How exciting to be recognized for your work!

I was contacted through LinkedIn by a member of the Breast Cancer Care. This charity raises awareness and funds for the care of women affected by Breast Cancer whose disease has become metastatic.
Before being taken through to the art installation, we were welcomed in a reception area where we were presented with the results of the Here and Now campaign.

The Here and Now campaigns are surveys commissioned by Novartis Oncology. In the UK, with 60 respondents living with advanced breast cancer and distributed in April and May 2014, the objectives are to understand the challenges experienced by the patients at each stage of their journey and understand the barriers to improved patient outcomes.

Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and accounts for a third of all new cancers diagnosed in women in UK!
A third of women with early breast cancer (EBC) go on to develop Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC).
ABC is uncurable and affects an estimated 30,000 women in the UK each year.
Average life expectancy after ABC diagnosis remains at 2 to 4 years, compared to 10 years for early breast cancer.

Here and Now Survey Results
The results of the HERE and Now UK survey were presented to us by Honey Langcaster-James, a lecturer in Psychology from the university of Hull. The results show that women with ABC often feel like many areas of their lives are negatively affected, such as their emotional health, the relationships with friends, family and partner.  Up to one in 3 women with ABC feel they do not receive enough support from their friends or parents.

Patients with ABC require a high degree of social and psychological support. 2 out of 3 women feel like no one understands what they are going through and that it's hard to find support groups for ABC. They feel isolated from other support groups that focus on Early Breast Cancer (EBC). With time, the support they received from friends and family when first diagnosed has faded.

Although, the majority of patients said they received enough support from nurses and their oncologists, they want more time to discuss their wider needs and get help to arrange for these such as emotional and financial support.

Regarding treatments, more work is needed to ensure greater access to new treatments for ABC patients. Almost half of the patients surveyed would like to know more about new treatments but are unsure of who to talk to, some of them don't even feel empowered to make their own decisions.

"These results call for Action... Health Care professionals (HCP) need to understand they can do more... Payers, regulators, commissioners need to work to improve the landscape... We need patient support groups... The Public needs to be aware." said Honey Langcaster-James

Leading UK experts
Gill Donovan, Breast Oncology Nurse specialist and Research Fellow at Cardiff University, also shared her experience with us. She explained that treatment options are not the same depending on your geographical location, the access to new treatments is limited because of costs. Although, she explained, nurses need to balance optimism and realities, one important role to play is the need to give hope, to concentrate on the living and not on the dying.

" We need a service to be redesigned on how to deal with the variety of tasks such as explain treatments, refer to appropriate services, talk to patients, manage their anxiety, manage emotional and physical effects" she says.

Diana Jupp, Director of Services at Breast Cancer Care, says the charity continues to campaign to improve the standards of care for people living with this complex disease. In the UK, we had 5 specialist nurses; this number increased to 32 recently. But it's 32 in the whole of UK! There's a lot of work to be done, collecting data in England, network with Wales and Scotland, sharing good practice, installing policies. A sentiment shared by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin who also came to talk to us about her continuous work to influence politics into opening up to ABC awareness.

The art installation
Then, we were led to the art installation itself: It consisted of 6 TV screens showing face and back of the head of 3 silent patients suffering from advanced breast cancer. Opposite each TV screen was a comfortable armchair; and above each armchair was a speaker from which you could hear their devastating story. So to hear their story, you had no choice but to sit in this armchair and look in the eyes of this silent patient on the TV screen (not a comfortable thing to do). The point of this art installation was to make you realize that, however uncomfortable it is, that’s how we should support friends and family as opposed to using escapism as a coping method. This art installation was created to make you feel differently, to question yourself in order to make you behave differently.


Are you affected by advanced breast cancer? Through a friend, family member, yourself? Were you aware of the lack of support for these patients? As usual, let me know in the comments box,

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

Further reading
http://www.novartis.co.uk/news/featured-news/20140430-here-and-now.shtml

What is Sarcoma?

My Dear Sexy Readers,

I stumbled upon this while working on a writing test for a job application (! I know, totally random!): this week 23-29 June 2014 - yeahhhh I'm not too late - is Sarcoma Awareness week!! I'm glad I found this because, although I knew the name, I didn't really know much about Sarcomas. And you know me, I love learning about new things and sharing it all with you.
This year's campaign is about Getting People "On the ball" for sarcoma. What is it? It's simple, you just download a Poster from their web page and order your "On the Ball" pack to bring to your GP to make him/her more aware of symptoms, signs, etc... I couldn't find any # to go with the campaign but if you type Sarcoma on the ball on Twitter, you get some results!

You can download this poster yourself from HERE and bring to your GP, along with an info pack

Sarcoma Fact Sheet (borrowed from the Sarcoma website)
Sarcoma is a group of rare-ish cancers that develop in the muscle, bone, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels and the fatty and fibrous tissues.

There are around 100 different sub-types of sarcoma

There are around 3,800 new cases of sarcoma diagnosed each year in the UK

There are 13,000 people living with sarcoma in the UK

Sarcomas make up 15% of all childhood cancers (0-14 years) and 11% of all cancer diagnoses in teenagers and young people (15-24 years)

Sarcomas make up 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK

If you are interested or just want to know more about Sarcomas, check the charity's designated web page over HERE


Did you know about Sarcoma? Do you feel we should get more involved in the awareness campaign to get GPs to recognise signs and symptoms? Feel free to share your experience in the comments box, thank you for dropping and...

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

Further Reading
http://www.sarcoma.org.uk/

Designer babies #Pint2014 Review by Debbie

My Dear Sexy Readers,

I'm sure you are all sexilly aware by now of Pint Of Science festival that happened this year all over the world between the 19th and 21st of May (my review on the liver talk, my review on the probiotics talk). You can also look up #pint2014 on here or on your favourite platform.

Because so many talks were happening at the same type all across my city - London - it was impossible to be everywhere, so I asked a few friends to report to me on what they learnt down their local pub ;)

May I introduce to you Sexy Debbie who went to the Imperial College Union Bar to a talk entitled 'Creating Life: Test Tubes and Ethics'. Here is her review, and don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments box:

"When does life begin? Who has the right to decide on the fate of an embryo? Is genetic enhancement necessarily a bad thing? These are hotly debated issues surrounded by controversies and impassioned views. They are not easy questions and they have no easy answers, yet they are just some of the many contentious issues faced by the field of medical ethics and reproductive science.

At a sold-out Pint of Science event I was lucky enough to be in the audience for Mr Stuart Lavery and Professor Raanan Gillon’s talks on ‘Creating life: test tubes and ethics’, in the unlikely surroundings of the pub. Mr Stuart Lavery is the director of IVF Hammersmith, one of the world’s largest IVF units, and Professor Raanan Gillon is Emeritus Professor in Medical Ethics at Imperial College London. Together they are two of the world’s foremost professors in the field of medical ethics and reproductive science.

IVF Hammersmith has pioneered the reproductive technology of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, whereby couples undergoing IVF can have their embryos screened for genetic diseases so that only embryos free from the genetic mutations will be implanted. On a scientific level, the procedure is ground-breaking. By removing just one cell from an 8-cell stage embryo, enough DNA can be extracted for genetic screening and the embryo will continue to develop unharmed. At IVF Hammersmith, every member of lab staff has been genetically screened so that if any of their cells accidentally fall into the vials they are working with their DNA will be detected and not confused with that of the embryo.

'All parents hope for a healthy baby'

All parents hope for a healthy baby and will do what they can to help minimise any risks, giving up smoking, alcohol and caffeine for example. Selecting an embryo that is not predisposed to a genetic disease is another means of increasing the chance of having a healthy baby. The concerns and objections tend to arise based on the fate of the embryos that do have genetic mutations and when the possibilities of what the technology is capable of are considered.





Preimplantation genetic diagnosis currently screens for specific serious genetic diseases. This isn’t because that is all that the science is capable of, this is because that is all that is legal in the UK. It is possible to screen embryos for risk factors for particular diseases, such as the risk gene for breast cancer. Would it be right to select against embryos that may get a disease when they equally may not get it? Likewise, it is possible to select for a female or male embryo, to screen for eye colour or hair colour, and even to genetically modify the DNA of the embryo and develop so-called designer babies. As more genes are identified, personality traits could also be screened for. What is the line? Who should decide where to draw it? Should legislation be the same across different countries? Should legislation be in place at all, should public committees be used to make ethical decisions or should parents have the right to decide?

As much as the right of the parents is respected, this was over-ridden in the case of a deaf couple who requested for their IVF embryos to be screened for the deaf gene. They felt they could raise a deaf child better than a hearing child, but it was decided that this did not value the welfare of the child and so the request was rejected. The process of reaching ethical verdicts such as this was explained by Professor Raanan Gillon, who described four principles that provide a moral framework within which to make ethical decisions.

This was a fascinating evening full of discussion and debate. I came away with many more questions than I started with. Clearly the development of reproductive technologies has increased the options for couples at risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder. However, the use of techniques such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis is expanding, creating new ethical and legal dilemmas in need of regulation and legal frameworks.

How often do you get to discuss such hot topics in the pub with two world experts?! Thanks Pint of Science, I will definitely be back again next year!"

Useful links/further reading 
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
A guide to preimplantation genetic diagnosis
IVF Hammersmith
Pint of Science
Professor Raanan Gillon Imperial College profile

I hope you all Sexy Readers enjoyed Debbie's review on this super hot topic and let me know what you think in the comments :)

Stay tuned for Sexy Phil and his review on the Big Bang Theory talk by none other than Prof John Ellis, one of the most famous theoretical physicist of our time (a real - slightly older - Sheldon if you like ;))!

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

Difference between Correlation and Causation

My Dear Sexy Readers,

Maybe you've seen this blog on Correlations on Facebook like I have, it was posted through a group called "I -Blipping- Hate PseudoScience" . Now, you might wonder why the Sexy Hell I would talk about Correlations!!! Well, this is kind of a fun explanation on the difference between Correlation and Causation. So I thought I would apply the concept to something I wrote previously and which I know you guys are very interested in.
You might recall this previous Sexy article on Parabens and the bit about Breast Cancer:

"It has been suggested that the use of Parabens in cosmetics and especially in deodorants and anti-perspirants might contribute to the high incidence of this type of cancer. Parabens were detected in tissue samples from human breast tumors........ It has to be noted that in that famous study (Darbre, 2004) that sparked the whole controversy on Parabens, there were no control tissues to demonstrate specificity of association between Parabens and breast cancer, ie. normal healthy tissues could still contain Parabens and be harmless, the presence of Parabens not being the cause of cancer but merely an innocent spectator. To date, no other study has repeated this 2004 study with the appropriate controls. There were however two epidemiological studies (by questioning patients, no lab testing involved) attempting to address the link between breast cancer and deodorant/antiperspirants. One reported no difference of use between cancer patients and non cancer people. The second one reported an earlier onset of the breast cancer with the use of  underarms cosmetics. But again, both studies lacked appropriate controls and certainly lab experiments to attest the presence of Parabens."

 Now, this is an example of graph you can find on this extraordinary blog:

Correlation between Divorce rate in Maine and Consumption of margarine per capita. From HERE

This graphs shows that Divorce rate in Maine CORRELATES with consumption of margarine (per capita) in the US - However it doesn't mean that if you eat margarine and you live in Maine, it will CAUSE you to get divorced or that if you eat margarine, people in Maine will have an increased chance of getting a divorce.

Correlation between the age of Miss America and the number of murders by steam, hot vapours and hot objects. From HERE

This graphs shows that the Age of Miss America CORRELATES with the number of Murders by steam, hot vapours and hot objects - However, it doesn't mean that if Miss America is 23 years old, it will CAUSE 7 murders due to steam, hot vapours and hot objects.

So, of course these examples are dramatic but I think they illustrate quite well the difference between Correlation and Causation, and they make me laugh so much, I thought I would share it with you, Sexy Reader!
Now... Coming back to the above correlation about Parabens and Breast cancer:

If you find Parabens in nanograms in breast cancer tissue, it doesn't mean that it was the CAUSE of breast cancer, nor doesn't it mean that if you use anti-perspirant, it will cause you to be more likely to develop breast cancer.

This infamous 10 year old study has never seen its sequel, maybe simply because there is NO causation.

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

Disclaimer: I haven't come across any new study on this but I can't keep up to date with everything, so apologies if the causative link has been scientifically proven and I'll be happy to amend my articles.

What are Omega-3 and -6?

My Dear Sexy Readers,

This is something I have been on the lookout for quite a while now and certainly since I wrote the SSS article on Olive Oil - Better than Butter? I came across a few scientific papers with various claims on Omega-3 and/or -6 and their positive and/or negative effect on our health!

But the benefits or deleterious effects on our health are as contradictory as their varied nomenclature is confusing.
So here is my understanding - so far!

What are Omega-3 and -6?

Omega-3 and -6 are called essential fatty acids - Essentials because our body is not capable of making them even though they are necessary to the good development of our organs, notably our brain (hence the claim that eating Omega-3 rich food is important for school pupils - More on this here below).

For example, DHA (a type of Omega-3) is a major component of our brain and eye tissue and is vital during pregnancy and early infancy. It’s recognised by health authorities, professionals and nutritionists as a vital nutrient for promoting cardiovascular, brain, joint, nerve, vision, skin and immune health. 

For a quick recap' on what are fats, fatty acids and triglycerides, check out this previous SSS post on Olive Oil, better than butter?

Omega-3

Omega-3 can be found written as n-3 PUFA, ALA, EPA, DHA, ω-3. So what's the difference between all these?

PUFA is a general term and stands for PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acid - more on this HERE

ALA stands for Alpha Linolenic Acid - more on this HERE - and can be converted into EPA and DHA. It is not found in fish but in nuts and notable in flaxseed which is the richest source of ALA.

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) are found almost exclusively in fish and seafood, although these forms of Omega-3 are formed by their diet of single-celled marine organisms.  The oilier the fish, the more EPA and DHA are present. Exemples include salmon, mackerel and tuna.

Adult humans can convert ALA to DHA but only in small amounts, this is because it’s mainly used for energy whereas EPA and DHA aren’t.   

Omega-6

Omega-6 can be written n-6 PUFA, ω-6. It mostly comes as Linolenic acid LA from plant oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil, as well as from chicken, eggs, avocado, nuts and seeds. As you can imagine, we are consuming vast amount of Omega-6 daily. It can be converted into Arachidonic Acid AA. Another Omega-6 is Gamma-Linolenic acid GLA which was first isolated from the seed oil of evening primrose, but can be also found in safflower, blackcurrant, borage and hemp seed oils.

What happens to them once we have eaten them
If we look at the conversion mechanisms:

From HERE

Linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) have 18 carbons. LA has 2 double bonds and the first one is at carbon 6, therefore it is a member of Omega-6 (C18:2n-6). ALA's first double bond out of the 3 is at carbon 3 so is part of the Omega-3 family (C18:3n-3). Both of these fatty acids (LA and ALA) are converted in the body to have more double bonds and increased number of carbons. LA is converted to arachidonic acid (AA) with 20 carbons and 4 double bonds (20:4) and ALA is converted to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which has 20 carbons and 5 double bonds (20:5). EPA can be further converted to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) consisting of 22 carbons and 6 double bonds (22:6).

Why are they important?

Those converted products are precursors of Eicosanoids which are signaling molecules. For example, EPA is a precursor for prostaglandins-3 (inhibits platelet aggregation), thromboxane-3 and leukotrienes-5 group which are messengers involved in our immunity and inflammation response.

Both Omega-3 and -6 have pro-inflammatory effects, although Omega-3 less so than -6 or null depending on the tissue involved, which led to the popular understanding that -3 was anti-inflammatory is -6 was pro-inflammatory.

From HERE

Both Omega-3 and Omega-6 compete for the same enzymes (Desaturase and Elongase represented here above in the middle) that will lead to these pro-inflammatory Eicosanoids. 

Wikipedia tells us that the amounts and balance of these fats in a person's diet will affect the body's eicosanoid-controlled functions, with effects on cardiovascular disease, triglycerides, blood pressure, and arthritis.

(NOTE: Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, to name but a couple, act by downregulating eicosanoid synthesis.)

This competition for the enzymes sparked the wide belief that a balanced diet of Omega-3 and -6 was therefore essential for our body. Indeed, since our Westernized diet at an Omega-3 and -6 ratio of 1:20, due to the extensive use of Omega-6-rich vegetable oils, is far from the ideal 1:1 or the more realistic 1:4, it has been 'web-widely' speculated that it is the reason of our suffering from many diseases such as Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, IBS & inflammatory bowel disease, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, cancer, psychiatric disorders.

Do I need to take supplements?

As for anything, the choice is yours!

Following the belief that taking Omega-3 supplements was boosting pupils brain's functions, a couple of studies have tested groups of pupils either by giving them supplements or a placebo, or by measuring their DHA levels vs diet vs their school results. Needless to say, none of these studies have shown unequivocally that taking supplements was the cause for an increase in cognitive behaviour. Indeed, even the pupils taking the placebos, for the simple fact that they were watched over, were improving. Regarding the lab analysis of their DHA levels, let's remember that association is not causation!

After a quick search, I found another trial, but this time, properly managed with controls and all. The results show no improvement!

But unfortunately it's not only on pupils brain's activities that Omega-3 have shown to have no effect, but also on adults's cardiovascular function and accident's incidence!

A large, randomized, controlled trial failed to demonstrate a benefit to n-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Admittedly, one weakness of the study was that it failed to account for variability in patients' diets. However, in 1999, the GISSI Prevention Trial found that n-3 fatty acids significantly reduced cardiac deaths in people who had already experienced myocardial infarction. And in 2008, the GISSI-HF trial found significantly reduced mortality and hospital admissions in heart failure patients given fish oil capsules in conjunction with standard therapy.

Personally, I think that cardiovascular incidents is a big umbrella underwhich many varied diseases are assembled. The little differences between each could bring out those differences in Omega-3 supplementation effects. It is my understanding that, in 2014, we still don't know for sure! 

But, I didn't see anywhere that it was bad for your health! So... The choice is yours.

(However if you do suffer from cardiovascular disease, do not take my word for it, I'm not a GP Dr. It's best to listen to your GP or specialist!)

But, Omega-3 or -6 are bad for our health?

Although studies suggest that intake of ALA supplements may moderately decrease the incidence of cardiovascular incidents, the results are either slightly statistically significant or just confusing.

There are also a number of studies suggesting that high levels of ALA in the blood and fat cells may correlate with an higher risk of prostate cancer. Although a dietary supplement of 2g did increase a blood biomarker for Prostate cancer, the results were not significant. Why mention it then?

Other studies dispute the relevance of stating such an effect when observational studies show no concrete difference. On the other hand, some studies show a protective effect or a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer enhanced by ALA. Again, these data are all very confusing and have to be taken extremely lightly.

If you'd like some intense reading on this, check out this open access review, that will most likely reassure you.

These 2 nice articles on debugging the "fake" 'link' between Omega-3 supplements and Prostate cancer along with the comments will give you some nice insight into how to interpret results:

The Huffington post
Dr Geo's post

What's SSS take-home message?

Eat Fish!

As for Omega-3 pills, look out for DHA and EPA levels. I came across this website, and I think if you'd like a supplement, this one looks the best thought of.

I'm tempted to say, stay away from Omega-6 supplements. That is for that reason that I stopped giving my baby SMA toddler's milk that contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 supplements!

I think we'll never repeat it enough, the point of being healthy is not by taking tablets of all sorts or binge-gyming (an activity whereby you go to the gym 3 times a week for only one month/year, usually in January), but by adopting a healthy durable lifestyle! For more info on Detox programs and healthy lifestyle, check out SSS previous post.

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865857/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19921446
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/38969
http://www.badscience.net/2010/06/the-return-of-a-2bn-fishy-friend/#more-1675
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0066697
http://paleozonenutrition.com/2011/05/10/omega-6-and-3-in-nuts-oils-meat-and-fish-tools-to-get-it-right/
http://www.barebiology.com/pages/what-is-omega3
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/omega-fatty-acids
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3859488/
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/6/1262.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15051847
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18951003

Banking your baby's umbilical cord

My Dear Sexy readers,

It has become on of those talks you HAVE TO HAVE when you fall pregnant:  

(Please note, I have included a LINK to a Petition that I am supporting. If you are interested, feel free to jump over there first from HERE)

Will I store my baby's umbilical cord?
Why? How? It's gross! and where? In my fridge?
Don't worry, if you do decide to do it, you have a few options and storing it at home is NOT one of them!
A few companies have now set up in the UK to help you store your precious in state of the art containers.
So now to the Why?

Special Amazon offers on baby products ends soon: 

Cord blood contains stem cells which are cells that haven't decided what to transform themselves into.

For example, cord blood contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and very small embryonic like stem cells (VSELs), all of which may be usable in stem cell treatment and increase the therapies available to your child. The cord tissue also contains MSCs in addition to unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs), vascular endothelial stem cells and perivascular stem cells, which are also expected to have great therapeutic benefit in the future. (Excerpt from Cells 4 Life website)

Cell types produced from MSCs

So with a little help from scientists, those stem cells could be fed with a few nutrients to help them differenciate into a specific cell type.
Those differenciated cells can then be used to treat someone who has a disease or a condition. This is called regenerative therapy because by introducing those cells into our body, it can kickstart the repair programme needed!
This type of therapy is in its infancy but already scientists have witnessed the phenomenal potential that it brings. For example, check out this article about a little girl who was cured using her cord blood stem cells that her parents got stored
Please check out this link to see a list of diseases that are being studied and case studies where stem cells therapies have been successfully applied.

Is it ethical?
It's not controversial at all like it used to be with embryonic stem cells because cord blood stem cells are usually thrown away, there is no life in it, baby used it for 9 months and once (s)he's born, (s)he doesn't need it anymore.
Keeping it could save that baby's life if, by an unfortunate twist of fate, (s)he develops a disease that is, by a fortunate twist of life, treatable with stem cells!

Who do I ask?
Not many women, and nurses/midwives for that matter, know that you can donate your baby's umbilical cord to the UK NHS bank! Instead, your baby's umbilical cord just ends up in the bin! WHAT A WASTE!!! Don't you think?

Even fewer people know that you can keep it for your own use when/if it will be needed!
I myself did it using the company Cells 4 Life. It is relatively non expensive, the price could scare a few I admit, when you add this cost to all the other bills that are required for a newborn!
But if you look at it as an investment, my baby is insured for £100/year for 25 years! And that is Priceless - and quite cheap! Isn't your Sky or phone bill 10x more? Even my house insurance is 3x more!

In London, there is an NHS trust in Barking/Havering and Redbridge that is thinking about refusing private procurement of umbilical cord blood! Why should it be their choice?

Think about all the women living in that area who won't get to decide what to do with their child's umbilical cord!!!! Please do come over HERE and sign my petition against it!!! THANK you for them

LINK to Petition: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/barking-havering-and-redbridge-hospital-allow-private-procurement-of-umbilical-cord-blood

What more?
The company I used not only allows you to keep the cord blood but also the tissue, and store it as a whole as opposed to purified and reduced cord blood like other companies do. For more information on this, please do check out their website.
Now, some people might say it could be a lot of money wasted and we don't even know if it's working, there are not many diseases treated by this kind of therapy, etc...
I reply AS YET!
This science is at the beginning, every day scientists are discovering new and exciting facts and the list of diseases and conditions treatable is growing! Imagine in 25 years? In 50 years? When your child will need them? By then the list might be extraordinary, but if you haven't banked those cells at the birth, you or he won't be able to use them in the future!

The opportunities to save lives are there, to potentially save your child's life!

Also, let me take this opportunity to remind you of Cosy Science café as their last talk was about regenerative medicine :)

See you Soon for more Sexy Science,

Please note that Although Cells4Life is now a Sponsor of SSS, this article has not been requested and my views are mine only.

So Sexy Sciencey Things on Pinterest #10

My Dear Sexy Readers,

We are coming back to our wonderful Pinterest collection where I assemble all sciencey things!

Today's snapshot is about Nutella, cord blood stem cells (post coming soon) and stand up for cancer! Feel free to come visit and follow the entire board.

See you soon for more Sexy Science,

Stand up to Cancer

My Dear Sexy readers,

Today si UK's Stand up 2 Cancer day! Big congratulations to all of you guys out there who are doing it right now! Standing up All day to show your support and raise money for Cancer Research UK

Even if you were not aware of this until you read it here, you can still show your love and support by tweeting a pix of yourself standing up using the fabulous #standupselfie!

If you are interested in learning more about Cancer, please check out Karen's post on Why does one lose his hair when on chemo.

See you soon for more Sexy Science,

Why Does Cancer Treatment Often Make Your Hair Fall Out?

Dear SSS Readers,

During the week, a friend and I were chatting about an elderly lady who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, the diagnosis was made very early and the outlook for treatment is promising. Unfortunately, she has found out that she will most likely lose her hair as a result of the chemotherapy. I am sure you have all heard of this scenario before. My friend, knowing that I am working with cancer cells in my job, asked me why this was. 

So why do people often lose their hair when they are on chemotherapy?

These days, cancer is unfortunately a part of our lives, and despite major advances in diagnostics and therapy, this disease is still a major cause of death all over the world.

Since this is not the first time someone (myself included) has wondered about hair loss and chemotherapy, I thought it would be an interesting topic to share with all our SSS readers :)

To write this post, I've touched on several topics, from cells to genes and DNA to cancer, and if anyone wants to know more or discuss any of these topics further, I would welcome comments and suggestions for future posts :)

Enjoy the post!!

Karen

What are Cells? 

As many of you may know, our bodies are composed of billions of building blocks called cells. 

These cells are the functioning units of our body ensuring that we can live and breathe, fight infection, see, hear, digest our food, reproduce and do all the other things that humans (and plants, animals and bugs do!). 

Different types of cells make up different organs (e.g. liver, heart, kidney, lungs), which in turn contribute to different systems (e.g. circulatory, reproduction, immune system), meaning that correct cellular function is absolutely essential for survival.

You will never observe cells just by looking at your skin because the cells are so tiny, and not visible to the naked eye. Each cell in the picture is about 40,000 times smaller than it looks! Within each cell are specialised compartments (called organelles) which drive the various functions of the cell. 

Diagram 2 below is a typical cartoon drawing of the inside of a human cell where you can see all the organelles and in particular the nucleus containing the DNA. Each cell has a single nucleus, and each nucleus contains exactly the same DNA.

Diagram 2

How then can we get so many different cell types, if they all appear to be the same and contain the same DNA? 

We have eye cells, skin cells, hair cells, liver cells, blood cells, kidney cells and the list goes on! 

The simple answer to this is that although each cell has the same genes, different cell types use different genes. In this way, you could think of the genes as switches, with certain switches off and other switches on at any given time. 

This system of having genes switched on and off in different cell types allows, for example, the cells in our eyes to control our vision so that we can see, while cells in our liver work hard to remove the toxins that build up when we drink alcohol.

However impressive our cells are, they do not live forever, and as they get old, they lose the ability to function as well as they used to, and they will eventually die and be replaced with new cells. This process is perfectly normal, and in fact, a great example of this is in our skin cells (Diagram 1), which are continuously being replaced with new healthy cells.

The controlled death of old cells and the generation and growth of new cells is all down to the action of genes. 

A cell needs nutrients in order to grow and divide and this we provide in the lab. The requirements for a cell to grow and divide in the body are very similar. A major requirement for cell division is the building blocks to make new DNA so that new cells (known as daughter cells) contain an exact copy of the DNA so that they too can function correctly and control their own cell division later on (shown in Diagram 3).

Diagram 3

This division of cells needs to be tightly controlled in order to both prevent cell overgrowth (which can result in warts, skintags and cancer) and also to make sure that we have enough cells to deal with injury (in the case of a healing wound where cells grow very fast). There are many genes present in the cells which are switched on and off in a controlled manner to coordinate cell division. 
If these genes fail to work correctly, or are switched on or off at the wrong times, cell division will become uncontrolled and cancer can result.

Cancer 

From what you've read above, you can probably imagine that a tumour is simply an overgrowth of cells. This overgrowth can occur for many reasons, and scientists are still trying to work out all the causes. Some people are born with genetic mutations that may make them more likely to develop cancer in their lifetime.  One example of this is breast cancer, which is said to run in families (however, not always). Other cancer types are caused  by sporadic damage to the genes from exposure to UV (damaging rays in the sunlight), cancer-causing agents in cigarettes and other agents known to cause mutations. The process of cell aging can also contribute to mutations, and this explains why we see so much cancer today - people are living longer than they did many years ago. 

Since cancer cells usually have an altered cell division program, and tend to rapidly divide to make up a tumour or to spread, they will have an even greater need for material to make new DNA and new cellular organelles than healthy cells. 

This characteristic of cancer cells is quite often exploited in chemotherapy approaches, whereby drugs are used to treat cancer.

Some cancer drugs are made to look like (or mimic) building blocks of DNA molecules. We will call this type of drugs nucleotide mimics, since nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA. Nucleotides are used to make new DNA molecules when a cell is doubling it's DNA during DNA replication before cell division as seen in Diagram 4. The DNA molecule looks like an open scissors during DNA replication, when nucleotides are added in to make the chain longer (see left hand side of Diagram 4).

Since cancer cells divide rapidly, they have an increased demand for cellular building blocks, including nucleotides, since the DNA must double or replicate before each cell division. When nucleotide mimics are given to patients with cancer, they will be taken into the rapidly dividing cancer cells and will cause serious problems during DNA replication. Unfortunately, these drugs can also be used during DNA replication in rapidly growing healthy cells, such as the cells that produce hair, leading to hair loss.

For a closer look at what's going on with nucleotide mimics, Diagram 4 shows two scenarios. On the left, we see normal nucleotides (which are shown as the letters A, G, C or T). These are taken up into the DNA molecule during cell division. What's important to note here is that each nucleotide has a yellow cap at the end, and this allows addition of the following nucleotide and therefore building of a 'chain'. On the right, we see a scenario where nucleotide mimics are present (marked by arrows). Notice that these look very similar to the normal nucleotides, but have an orange cap instead of a yellow. The cell now has a mixture of nucleotides to use, those with yellow caps and those with orange caps. The mimics are similar enough to be taking up into the DNA molecule, but  the orange cap prevents them from making a chain of nucleotides and so the 'chain' gets broken, and correct cell division cannot occur. This causes cells to die. 


Diagram 4. DNA replication

Healthy cells, who have a 'normally' controlled pattern of cell division can recognise that there is a problem  when the nucleotide mimics are present, and they can slow down to fix this problem. However, cancer cells are dividing so fast and uncontrolled that they cannot 'put the brakes on' to fix the damage, and therefore will most likely die after a few rounds of cell division. 

This trick with using nucleotide mimics sounds very clever, and it is in fact one of the most clever chemotherapeutic strategies to date (in my own opinion). Several other similar strategies exist, whereby the drugs consist of molecules that mimic cellular nutrients. However, all with all drugs, these have side effects. One such side effect is that these types of drugs can also have effects on some of the body's healthy cells, in particular those that divide very rapidly. This is where the hair loss comes in. The cells that grow hair are found in the hair follicle (Diagram 5). The matrix stem cells inside the follicle are rapidly dividing giving rise to new hair cells all the time, and so they too have a high demand for materials, nutrients etc. Because of this, they end up 'tricked' into using the chemotherapy drugs, and this causes the hair to fall out. 



Diagram 5

But the good news is, that unlike cancer cells, the cells of the hair matrix are healthy, and will usually quickly recover, so if someone loses their hair due to chemotherapy, it will almost always grow back when the treatment is over :)

I hope you have all enjoyed this post, and please just write if you have more questions.

Happy Easter to all!

References

Cancer Research UK website
http://education.technyou.edu.au/

Wikipedia
http://www.baileybio.com

www.macmillan.org.uk
Hair follicle: Morgan, 2006. Upending the Hair Follicle. Nature Genetics 38:273-274. DOI: 10.1038/ng0306-273 

Eating healthy to be healthy never rang so true - An onion story

Dear Sexy Readers,

Out with friends and talking about the fact that we are all coming down with a cold or other illness at the moment, my friend M. then replied that he hasn't fallen ill in 3 years because he has been regularly eating rings of raw onions! I just looked at him and said "What the Hell are you talking about? Dude, that's probably a myth" and thought to myself "Jeez, I need to check that out for my SSS peeps"...
BTW, Onions have previously made the SSS team when we looked at why we cry when we chop them, check it out  ;)

Onions, your winter best friend?
Why, first I googled it and what did I find? An amazing old wive's tale whereby cut onions left in rooms would protect inhabitants from illnesses. While you can read accounts of people of how they recovered from pneumonia after leaving half an onion pierced with a fork in a glass on their bedside table, there is no scientific proof to show that onions can actually absorb bacteria and viruses and free your room of these (after all) non-airborne germs!!
What you can find however regarding the consumption of onions is  a division in "beliefs" with one party (non-scientific one) that claims that eating onions - that have absorbed germs - is bad for your health and will transfer the germs to your body and the other party (scientific one) that doesn't refute the potential boost onions can give to your immunity in the fight against germs.

Onions - anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory wonders
Turned out that many ingredients in your kitchen have health benefits such as garlic and turmeric to name but a few!
But I think first we need to look at what is an anti-oxidant and what the fuss is all about:

Antioxidant
An antioxidant by definition prevents oxidation. Oxidation reactions in our body are essential but some of them produce free radicals. Those free radicals can cause serious damage by messing with the structure of big molecules that are necessary for the fitness of your system. That is why it is important to get rid of them, but an imbalance between those free radicals and your antioxidants can lead to the development of diseases.

From HERE

Anti-inflammatory
As its name says, it reduces inflammation. Inflammation is the response of our body to infection/injury. In the case of an injury or an external inflammation such as acne and dermatitis, the 4 typical signs of inflammation at a site are being red, hot, painful and swollen. But  inflammatory diseases also include allergies, cancer, atherosclerosis, appendicitis etc...

From HERE

My onions
So what is it exactly that is so good for you! Well in fact in onions there are 3 goodnesses called Quercetin, Kaempferol and Myricetin. These are what scientists call Flavonols.
FYI: Flavonol are part of a big family, the Flavonoids, and its sister Flavanal is found in dark chocolate (and gives its bitterness).
You can find Flavonols in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains but they are present at their highest concentrations in onions, tea, apples, berries, kale and broccoli. You can also find them as supplemented ingredients in food, mostly as preservatives.
Quercetin is most abundant in onions and apples.
In terms of magic wonders, Kaempferol has been shown to reduce the risk of developing disorders such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases for their properties as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, antiosteoporotic, anxiolytic, analgesic and antiallergic.
Myricetin, also present in red wine, has antioxidant properties and some research suggests that it could help keep your cholesterol low.
Also a big study on people diet habits has shown that smokers had a lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer (both are linked) if they were including flavonol rich foods such as onions (and therefore a combination of these 3 flavonols) and apples (Nöthlings et al, 2007).

Raw or cooked?
As far as the studies go, there was no distinction between the two so I can only assume that it doesn't matter. In fact, in this paper, patients had to fill a form that listed several foods, including apple (ie.uncooked) and onions as such or as part of a mixed cooked dishes (Nöthlings et al, 2007).

Onion soup recipe
Waiting to hear from fellow bloggers for theirs, here is one out of the bbc good food website!

Here you go my dear sexy readers, Come back soon for some more SSS,

References
Wikipedia
Nöthlings et al, Am J Epidemiol 2007; 166: 924-931
Diplock et al., Br J Nutr 1998; 80 Supp1: S77-112
Tapsell et al., Med J Aust 2006; 185 Supp4: S4-24