Fake sugars won’t help you lose weight Published: Wednesday, Jul 11, 2012, 18:02 IST Place: NEW YORK | Agency: ANI

If you think sprinkling that packet of Equal or Splenda over foods or beverages may help you shed extra pounds, then you may be wrong. A new statement by the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association has claimed that replacing regular sugar with artificial sweeteners won’t always make you thin. The study behind it says that substituting fake sweeteners into your diet can help you reduce your intake of calories and sugar, both major culprits of obesity. But there is ‘limited and inconclusive’ evidence that artificial sweeteners help consumers lose weight in the long run, New York Daily News reported. Those small bags of Nutrasweet and Truvia “are not magic bullets” against extra body-baggage, said Christopher Gardner, the main author of the study Artificial sweeteners only work when consumers don’t “overcompensate.” Which basically means: don’t throw away all those precious calories you’ve saved by drinking a diet soda only to eat a chocolate-chip cookie and a chili-cheese dog People do this more often than you’d think, and the study said it happens more often with foods containing artifical sugar than with beverages For years, websites across the Internet have criticised America’s range of fake sweeteners, going so far as to claim that they can in fact cause obesity because of the chemical changes they produce in the body. “The sweeteners that people use to lose weight are actually causing them to not only gain weight, but to make weight loss efforts extremely difficult,” the website MomsWhoThink.com argues. The Sugar Association’s “Truth About Splenda” page urges viewers to “take action to inform your family and friends about the realities concerning the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda. And warnings about the dangers of the chemical Aspartame in artificial sweeteners can be found across YouTube, where users like Dr Nordquist have uploaded videos claiming that “there are over 92 different health side-effects associated with aspartame consumption, killing over 300,000 people every year.”

Early cancer detection is the key

If you think you are too young to be afflicted by cancer of the colon and rectum, here's some expert advice — Colon cancer can strike anyone. A check-up to detect colorectal cancer can diagnose early symptom-less cancers — or even pre-cancers when they are in highly curable stages.
Here's a list of risk factors
Environment : The incidence of the disease is much greater in industrialized countries.
Family History : The risk of developing colorectal cancer is greater if there is a history of cancer incidence in close relatives (parents, children or siblings)
Age : Beginning at age 50.
Preventive measures
Early-detection test : Don't delay getting the screening test.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT): Women who take ERT to alleviate symptoms of menopause may have a significantly lower risk of fatal colon cancer. Take your physician's advice before getting it done.
Aspirin : People taking an aspirin every other day for 20 years may cut the risk of colon cancer almost in half, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. However, consult a doctor before taking any medication.
Exercise and Weight Control : The risk of developing colon cancer may be lower inwomen who enjoy regular physical activity and avoid obesity.
Eating Habits : Research suggests that eating low-fat, high-fiber foods would help lower the chances of developing colon cancer.
Smoking : Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and death from cancer and harms nearly every organ of the body.
Signs and symptoms
See your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms for more than two weeks. They could indicate a non-cancerous intestinal disorder, such as an ulcer or hemorrhoids, or they could be a sign of cancer.
l Diarrhea or constipation
l Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
l Stools that are smaller in width than usual
l Abdominal gas and discomfort
l Frequent gas pains
l Feeling that the bowel never
completely empties
l Unexplained weight loss
l Unexplained anemia
l Constant tiredness
Dr Mohana Vamsy Ch.,
MS (Gen), DNB (Surg), MCh (Surg. Onco), FRCS (Edin), Diploma lap Surg (France)
Chief Surgical Oncologist
Email: vamsy1964@gmail.com

Japanese touch therapy relieves cancer side-effects

Cancer patients experience easing of side-effects such as pain and nausea after a single session of Jin Shin Jyutsu, an ancient Japanese touch therapy, says a study.

The study by the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center included 159 current cancer patients. It found that in each session patients experienced significant improvement in the areas of pain, stress, and nausea with the first visit and in subsequent visits as well.

Before and after each Jin Shin Jyutsu session, Jennifer Bradley, its practitioner at the Markey Center, asked patients to assess their symptoms of pain, stress and nausea on a scale of 0-10, with 0 representing no symptoms.

The mean decreases experienced were three points for stress and two points for both pain and nausea, said a university statement.

"I was pleased to see quantitatively the improvements that patients noted in these primary areas of discomfort," said Bradley. "It was interesting to note that regardless of age, sex or diagnosis, cancer patients received a statistically significant improvement in the side effects from treatment."

Bradley offers Jin Shin Jyutsu to all cancer patients at no charge. Patients may self-refer, though half are referred by their physician or Markey staff.

During a Jin Shin Jyutsu session, patients receive light touches on 52 specific points called 'Safety Energy Locks' as well as fingers, toes, and midpoints on the upper arm, upper calf and lower leg in predetermined orders known as "flows."

Patients remained clothed except for shoes and all hand placements are done over clothing.

These findings were presented at the 2012 Markey Cancer Centre Research Day