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47 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are external causes of cancer and how much is attributed to them? |
-Diet & obesity attributes 1/3 (30-35%) - Tobacco attributes around 30% - Infections that give way to viral invasion attribute 15-18% - Sexual situations attribute 3-5% |
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According to the study on the 'environmental and heritable factors in the causation of cancer' what percent of cancers were attributed to heritability as a major component or as the only cause? |
15% was attributed to heredity as a major component. 1% was unmistakable heredity |
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What percentage of cancer is associated with environment in one way or another? |
90-95% |
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How many people die annually from cancer annually? |
half a million people, which is about 1,500 every day |
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What are Betel nuts? |
They are common to chew in Asia, but contain various compounds which can initiate cancer in the mouth |
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What types of cancer are linked with obesity and overweight? |
cancers of the esophagus, colon, rectum, breast, uterus and kidney |
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What types of cancer are linked with alcohol? |
cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, liver and breast |
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What are the dangers of meat? |
especially if cooked, meats contain compounds known to cause cancer cold cut/processed meats and salami increase risk of colorectal cancer |
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What is the most relevant data-collection method in studies concerning cancer? |
Intervention trials: between 2 populations, 1 group is given substance thought to have an effect and the other is given a placebo and results are observed throughout the study |
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What compound is formed when polyunsaturated fats are broken down, and what diseases is it associated with? |
4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal -linked with heart disease, stroke, parkinson's, alzheimer's, liver problems and cancer. |
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What is a carcinogen? |
A substance which causes some sort of cancer in some sort of animal at some dose, but this does not necessarily mean it is a known human carcinogen. |
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What are some examples of common foods which contain carcinogens? |
Patulin in apples, safrole in black pepper, benzopyrene in toasted bread, ethanol in wine, acrylamide and furfural in coffee |
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What is acrylamide? |
A breakdown of polyacrylamide that occurs naturally from the chemical reaction of glucose (in starchy foods) and asparagine (common amino acid) when certain foods are heated to a high temperature |
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What carcinogen is formed when sugar in caramel is heated to a high temperature? |
4-methylimidazole is formed, which is a rodent carcinogen but would require 10,000 cans of cola per day to actually cause cancer |
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What are polyphenols? |
Antioxidants with anticancer properties |
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What are anthocyanins? |
Compounds which give berries their colour, also have anticancer properties - blackberries were found to reduce esophageal cancer in rats (but only in large amounts) |
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What hormone is known to drive breast cancer and how? |
Estrogen triggers and sustains breast cancer through the lock and key effect: receptor molecules (proteins) on the surface of cells can become tumours when stimulated by estrogen. |
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What are 2 compounds that bock estrogen receptor cells to reduce the risk of breast cancer? |
Isoflavones: estrogen-like compounds found in soybeans Lignans: compounds found in flax seeds |
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How many cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year? |
20,000 cases |
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How many people with prostate cancer actually die from it and why? |
Only 20% die from it, most die with it because it is a slow-growing disease |
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What is the compound in tomatoes that is thought to prevent prostate cancer? |
Lycopene, which is the red pigment, reduces the size and malignancy of tumours |
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Why does chopped garlic reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancer? |
It contains allicin, which is linked with chemical reactions that reduce carcinogenesis. |
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What is the benefit of broccoli in terms of cancer risk? |
Glucoraphanin in broccoli breaks down to form sulphoraphane when cooked or chewed, an includes the formation of phase 2 enzymes which, in high concentration, are linked with lower risk of cancer |
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What is the most effective weight loss diet (general)? |
Calorie restriction - it does not matter what you eat, as long as you eat less of it |
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What is Ancel Keyes' lipid hypothesis? |
the notion that heart disease is linked to cholesterol levels in the blood and those cholesterol levels are linked to saturated fat/overall fat content in the diet. |
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Nikolai Anichkoff |
Rabbit experiments with cholesterol and heart attacks |
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John Gofman |
Discovered that cholesterol was carried through the bloodstream mixed with proteins. These complexes are called lipoproteins, and are linked to heart disease |
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Dr. John Yudkin |
Worked with Keys on data collection, and suggested paying attention to sugar intake as well, not just percent calories from fat. Observed an association between high sugar intake and heart disease rate, even with a low-fat diet. |
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Dr. Robert Lustig |
Our diet includes lots of sugary foods and beverages, and this is a large factor in the incidence of heart disease |
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What are the risk factors for heart disease? |
Low birth weight, male, hypertension (high blood pressure), inactivity, obesity, smoking, diabetes, stress, possibly certain microbes, homocysteine, increased triglycerides in the blood, and most importantly: cholesterol |
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What is homocysteine? How can the amount in the body be reduced? |
A molecule formed in the body from the metabolization of the dietary component methionine (an amino acid present in virtually all proteins). The B vitamin catalyzes its metabolization (breakdown), therefore eating lots of fruits and vegetables reduces homocysteine levels. |
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What are triglycerides? |
Fats in the blood structure - 3 fatty acids linked to the backbone of a glycerol molecule |
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What is cholesterol, and its structure? |
An essential biochemical in every cell membrane, and it's the material the body uses to produce sex hormones, cortisol, aldosterone, vitamin D, bile acids Made up of 4 basic rings of carbon atoms (3 of them are 6-membered, 1 of them is 5-membered) with various substituents on the periphery of the molecule |
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What is familial hypercholesterolemia? |
A genetic excess of cholesterol in the body, where victims tend to die early because of heart disease |
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When does a heart attack occur? |
When there is a blockage in the coronary artery by plaque, and all cells below the blockage are starved of oxygen |
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What is atherosclerosis? |
The hardening of arteries. |
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What are the different kinds of lipoproteins? |
High density lipoproteins (HDL) Low density lipoproteins (LDL) Oxidized low density lipoproteins (Oxidized LDL) Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) |
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Joe Goldstein and Michael Brown |
LDL attaches and unloads cholesterol on LDL receptors, but if there are no receptors available cholesterol is released into the bloodstream. HDL particles pick up the released cholesterol and transport it to the liver to eliminate it. |
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Why is the distribution of LDL between small and large particles so important? |
Smaller LDL particles are more problematic because they are able to penetrate the endothelium (lining of blood vessels) and cause damage which eventually leads to plaque buildup. |
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What do dietary fats do in the body? |
They affect LDL receptor activity and blood cholesterol levels (especially saturated) |
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What are transfats? |
They are byproducts of the hydrogenation process which are uncontroversially bad for health. |
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What are the 2 categories of polyunsaturated fats? |
Omega-3 fats, which are good for us, and omega-6 fats, which are more questionable because of their inflammatory properties. The 2 groups are derived from the first double bond from the end of the molecule (carbon chain of the fatty acid). |
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Why does higher linoleic acid (a polyunsaturated fat) consumption increase risk for heart disease? |
Linoleic acid stimulates inflammation |
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How does beta glucan lower cholesterol? |
Bile acids made from cholesterol are secreted into the digestive tract to break down fats, then are reabsorbed into the bloodstream and recycled. However, beta glucan ties up the bile acids in the digestive tract which are then excreted, causing the body to produce more from cholesterol. This lowers blood cholesterol. |
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Esselstyn |
Looked at dietary patterns and health in China and concluded that replacing meat and animal products with only unprocessed grains, legumes, fruits & veggies reduced risk of heart disease. |
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Why are saturated fats not quite as harmful as they are thought to be? |
They only produce large particle LDL, which is the most benign form of the particle |
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Why is it more harmful to replace saturated fats with carbohydrates? |
Increasing carbohydrate intake instead of saturated fat can reduce LDL, but increases small particle LDL and also reduces HDL, especially if consuming foods with high glycemic index. When the body uses carbs as fuel, the amount of fat used by the body is reduced and causes a build up |
