A study allegedly linking daily sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption to earlier menarche has raised concerns about the long-term implications for breast cancer risk. J.L. Carwile, et al., “Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and age at menarche in a prospective study of US girls,” Human Reproduction, January 2015. Relying on dietary questionnaires completed by 5,583 girls ages 9 to 14 before their first menses, researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported “more frequent SSB consumption predicted a higher rate of reaching menarche” during five years of follow-up. After controlling for birth weight, maternal age at menarche, physical activity, and other factors, the study claims that girls who consumed more than 1.5 servings of sugar-sweetened soda, non-carbonated fruit drinks or iced tea per day (i) were 26 percent “more likely to reach menarche in the next month relative to girls who reported consuming [less than] 2 servings of…
Tag Archives cancer
Researchers with the University of California, San Diego, have reportedly linked a sugar molecule found in red meat to the development of spontaneous cancers. Annie N. Samraj, et al., “A red meat-derived glycan promotes inflammation and cancer progression,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 2015. According to a December 29, 2014, press release, N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) is present in most mammals but not humans, who consume bio-available forms of the molecule from beef, pork and lamb. Building on previous work hypothesizing that Neu5Gc can cause chronic inflammation when absorbed by the human body, the study authors fed the sugar molecule to mice genetically engineered to suppress Neu5Gc. The results not only showed that these mice developed antibodies to Neu5Gc that contributed to systemic inflammation, but that the incidence of spontaneous tumor formation increased fivefold, with Neu5Gc accumulating in the tumors. “Until now, all of our evidence linking Neu5Gc to…
Researchers with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and two other universities have launched a campaign targeting added sugar consumption. Led by UCSF Health Policy Professor Laura Schmidt, the Sugar-Science Initiative bills itself as “the authoritative source for the science about added sugar and its impact on our health.” The resulting Website features public health messages gleaned from 8,000 scientific papers that the group reportedly vetted for accuracy and conflicts of interest. Among other things, the initiative focuses on the alleged toxicity of fructose and high-fructose corn syrup, arguing that added sugar consumption contributes to liver and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. As contributor Robert Lustig explained, “It used to be a condiment, now it’s a diet staple. As pediatricians, we had evidence of the connection between sugar and diabetes, heart disease and liver disease for years, but we haven’t had this level of definitive scientific evidence to back up…
Directed by Congress to conduct an independent review of the styrene assessment in the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP’s) 12th Report on Carcinogens (12th RoC), the National Academies National Research Council (NRC) recently issued a report concurring that there is “compelling evidence… to support a listing of styrene as, at a minimum, reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Deemed “a substance of interest” because many people are exposed to it through environmental sources, styrene is used in food packaging and “a broad spectrum of products, including latex paints and coatings; synthetic rubbers; construction materials, such as pipes, fittings, and lighting fixtures; packaging; household goods, such as synthetic marble, flooring, and molded furnishings; and automotive parts.” According to NRC, which reviewed the primary literature cited in the 12th RoC, NTP “adequately documented that exposure to styrene occurs in occupational settings and in the general public regardless of smoking status.” Concluding there…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) has published a draft scientific opinion on acrylamide (AA) in food that urges the further reduction of dietary exposure to the substance. According to the draft opinion, AA is formed when the sugars and amino acids in carbohydrate-rich foods—such as coffee, fried potato products, cookies, crackers, bread, and some baby foods—undergo a Maillard reaction during high-temperature cooking. Animal studies have allegedly linked AA consumption to an increased risk of certain cancers, although the panel noted that the substance’s effects on the nervous system, pre- and post-natal development, and male reproduction are not considered a concern based on current exposure levels. To estimate human dietary exposure to AA, the CONTAM Panel analyzed 43,419 results collected since 2010 by 24 EU member states and six food associations. The findings evidently showed that infants, toddlers and other children…
A recent study has allegedly linked higher red meat intake in early adulthood to an increased breast cancer risk, raising questions about how dietary habits adopted before midlife can affect health outcomes. Maryam Farvid, et al., “Dietary protein sources in early adulthood and breast cancer incidence: prospective cohort study,” BMJ, June 2014. In addition to analyzing food questionnaire data from 88,803 premenopausal women ages 26-25 who were enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II, researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health documented 2,830 cases of breast cancer during 20 years of follow-up. Based on this data, they concluded that not only were higher intakes of total red meat associated with an increased risk of breast cancer overall, but that “higher intakes of poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts were not related to breast cancer overall.“ “So far, studies have suggested no significant association between red meat intake and breast cancer,”…
A federal court in the Southern District of California has transferred to the Northern District a lawsuit filed in January 2014 against Pepsico, Inc., alleging that its products violate the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Prop. 65) because they contain 4 methylimidazole (4-MEI), a chemical included on the Prop. 65 list of substances known to the state to cause cancer, and the company has not provided appropriate consumer warnings. Riva v. Pepsico, Inc., No. 14-0340 (S.D. Cal., order entered April 30, 2014). Eight similar federal lawsuits against Pepsico were filed either in the Northern District or transferred there and are scheduled for a May 29, 2014, case management conference. Finding that transfer to the Northern District would promote the efficient use of judicial resources, the court granted the defendant’s motion. The plaintiffs had argued that under the first-to-file rule, all of the cases should have been…
California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has issued an updated table of available hazard identification documents or materials for chemicals considered or reconsidered for listing by the state’s qualified experts—that is, the Carcinogen Identification Committee and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee—from 1996 to April 2014. The table contains links to materials on chemicals such as Bisphenol A, phthalates, MTBE, and sodium saccharin, and indicates when they were listed or de-listed. Issue 522
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has reportedly dismissed a complaint about a controversial National Health Service advertisement showing a tumor growing in the bottom of a beer glass with the tag line “the more often you drink, the more you increase your risk of developing cancer.” Promoted by the alcohol awareness charity Balance and shown in a section of England reported to have the country’s highest rates of alcohol related health problems, the advertisement depicts a man preparing a meal and pouring a beer into a glass. As the man drinks the beer, a tumor appears to slowly grow at the bottom of the glass and slide toward his mouth. A voice-over then states, “The World Health Organization classifies alcohol as a group one carcinogen … The more you drink and the more often you drink, the more you increase your risk of developing cancer.” Calling the ad “misleading and irresponsible,…
Following up its testing of soft drinks for the caramel-coloring ingredient 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) by testing for its presence in pancake syrups, Consumer Reports tested several products, including pure maple syrup which had just 0.7 micrograms in a one-quarter cup serving, and found relatively low levels in light of the amount of syrup generally consumed in the United States. Still, because 4 percent of children between the ages of 1 and 5 consume pancake syrup daily, Consumer Reports claims “the [cancer] risk would be 10 times higher than negligible, or one excess case of cancer in 100,000 people who ate that amount daily over a lifetime, that’s the point where risk becomes significant.” Because some syrups tested had little 4-MEI, Consumer Reports concludes that manufacturers that use caramel color can minimize the 4-MEI levels in their products and will urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “to set standards for 4-MEI in…
