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CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, according to new research
The equivalent of one medium-size hot dog was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and Type 2 diabetes in a new study. (RiverRockPhotos/iStockphoto/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) There is strong evidence that there is 'no safe amount' of processed meat to eat, nutrition experts say in response to a new study on the connection between diet and the risk of major diseases, including cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The researchers also found elevated risks from the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and trans fatty acids. Researchers analyzed data from more than 60 previous studies on the relationship between processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and trans fatty acids in a person's diet and their risk of Type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and ischemic heart disease, which reduces blood supply to the heart and cuts off oxygen and nutrients, according to the study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine. 'Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is linked to increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer,' said lead author of the study, Dr. Demewoz Haile, a research scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle. The data showed that people who ate as little as one hot dog a day when it comes to processed meats had an 11% greater risk of Type 2 diabetes and a 7% increased risk of colorectal cancer than those who didn't eat any. And drinking the equivalent of about a 12-ounce soda per day was associated with an 8% increase in Type 2 diabetes risk and a 2% increased risk of ischemic heart disease. 'This current research has shown, yet again and consistent with prior research … that to achieve health gains it is best to avoid or minimize the habitual consumption of each of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs),' said Dr. Nita Forouhi, head of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. She was not involved in the research. The risk increased as consumption increased; and for processed meat consumption, the data showed that there is no 'safe amount,' she added in an email. A stronger association than it may appear At first glance, the increase in risk seems modest and might look like the association is weak, said Dr. Mingyang Song, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He was not involved in the research. 'When we look at the actual data there, it's really remarkably consistent and remarkably strong, and even in the lower dose of consumption, we can still see an increased risk of disease,' he said. The researchers examined dozens of earlier findings on diet and disease using a burden-of-proof method: a newer form of meta-analysis that not only tries to quantify an association across multiple studies but also accounts for the quality of each, Song said. 'One caveat is it tends to give very conservative results,' he added. It's also important to note that the studies included in the analysis were observational, meaning that the data can only show an association between eating habits and disease –– not prove that what people ate caused the disease. They also relied on people recalling their dietary patterns, which can leave room for misremembering or misreporting, said Dr. Gunter Kuhnle, professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. He was not involved in the study. Utilizing even 'the most sophisticated techniques does not really solve the problem that the information about diet is rather limited – which is obviously a big problem in nutritional epidemiology in general,' he said. Why meats, drinks and fats are linked to disease There are many reasons why such foods could be associated with health problems. Sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meat –– such as sausages, bacon, salami and burgers –– can increase inflammation, which plays a big part in a variety of chronic diseases, Song said. Processed meats are also often cured with nitrite, which is converted to carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach, Kuhnle said. The problem with sugary drinks is that they are a quick way to consume large amounts of sugar, he added. Not only can that cause weight gain, but it also influences metabolic pathways that affect heart disease and diabetes risk, Kuhnle said. Trans fatty acids reduce levels of good cholesterol and increase the bad, which is known to increase the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart disease, he added. Other potential connections to consider are that people who are more likely to eat processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and trans-fats are often also at a higher risk of diseases because of 'lifestyle factors (smoking, lack of exercise), but also social factors such as education and income, chronic stress and limited access to health care,' Kuhnle said. 'It is very difficult to take these apart.' What to avoid and what to add Although the data can't say reducing your consumption of these foods and drinks will cause a lower risk of the diseases, it does suggest that a reduction is a good idea, Song said. A sensible approach is to follow a varied and balanced diet that avoids excess, Kuhnle said. That means people who drink a lot of sugary drinks should cut back, he said. It can also be helpful to avoid excess amounts of processed meats and avoid hydrogenated fats where possible –– although they are no longer as common as they used to be, he said. 'The goal shouldn't be perfection but rather a healthy and sensible dietary pattern that allows room for enjoyment,' Kuhnle said. A good diet isn't just about what to avoid. It's also important to get good nutrients, Forouhi said. 'Wider research has shown us that overall dietary patterns that include higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and fermented dairy products like yogurt are good for health and longevity,' she said. 'My general advice: don't panic,' Kuhnle said in an email. 'Food is not just (a) source of nutrients –– it plays a central role in culture, pleasure, family life, and social connection. Reducing it solely to a list of health risks misses the bigger picture.' By Madeline Holcombe, CNN
CTV News
16 hours ago
- CTV News
Chances of alien abduction highest in these Canadian cities, says gambling odds website
A donut-shaped UFO was spotted in Rimouski, Que., on Oct. 23, 2017 and photographed by witnesses. (Source: 2017 Canadian UFO Survey) Just in time for World UFO Day, a lighthearted list based on historical data figures that Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver are the Canadian cities with the highest odds of being abducted by aliens. It was complied by Canada Sports Betting, which crunched the numbers of unearthly sightings from the National UFO Reporting Centre. 'For me, I think maybe the aliens are fans of skiing,' joked Ben Mendelowitz, digital PR manager and analyst with Canada Sports Betting. 'I've got a friend in Vancouver who says there are a lot of weird, wonderful, colourful folks living there. Maybe that's what draws them in,' he said. There are hundreds of sightings reported in Canada every year, many more around the world, and most can be explained. Even so, many remain unsolved and admittedly stump the U.S. Pentagon and NASA, which now investigates what it calls 'unidentified anomalous phenomena.' 'Any interest anybody has in looking at the sky, I want to talk about it,' said Jesse Rogerson, an astronomer and assistant professor in York University's Department of Science, Technology and Society. He points out that most UFO or UAP sightings are not planned, and that makes studying them tough, because science needs more than anecdotal evidence. 'All the observations we ever see are by chance. Science cannot be done with chance observation, you need to have a dedicated study,' he said. World UFO Day is designed to raise awareness, and is celebrated on June 24 or July 2.
CBC
19 hours ago
- CBC
Astronomers may have discovered 3rd-known interstellar visitor
Social Sharing It appears our solar system is getting more popular with out-of-towners. Astronomers may have found a third interstellar object, something that has origins beyond our own solar system. The first interstellar object was 'Oumuamua, discovered in 2017. The second was a comet called 2I Borisov. This new object, which is temporarily designated A11pl3Z by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, was discovered using a survey telescope called the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), which serves as an asteroid impact early warning system. A11pl3Z is not believed to pose any danger to Earth. "We now have observations from over a week or so that indicate that it's orbit is pretty clearly interstellar," said Paul Weigert, a professor at Western University's department of physics and astronomy in London, Ont. "It's travelling too fast to be bound to the sun, and so it has presumably come to us from outside our solar system." It's unknown at the moment what the object is, whether it's an asteroid or a comet. When first discovered, 'Oumuamua was believed to be an oblong asteroid, but follow-up observations confirmed that it was a comet, just as 2I Borisov was later. The reason that astronomers believe A11pl3Z comes from beyond our solar system is due to something called its eccentricity. Periodic comets, which orbit the sun repeatedly, tend to have eccentricities between 0.2 and 0.7. Those with numbers greater than one are considered hyperbolic comets and likely originate from the Oort Cloud which surrounds our solar system and contains billions of icy objects. It could also indicate that an object is from beyond our solar system. Objects with high eccentricities indicate that they come from beyond the solar system. In this case, it's currently estimated that A11pl3Z has an eccentricity of six. As astronomers gather more data over time, this number is likely to change. So what do we know? "Right now, it's beyond the orbit of Mars, so it's fairly far away," Weigert said. "It's almost at Jupiter's orbit, but it is coming inwards. It won't get much closer than Mars' orbit … It'll be at that closest point in October, so a few months from now, and then it will leave and start heading out of the solar system." Good news for Earth. As for it's size, more will be known over time, but right now the indication is that it's a big one. "It's probably about 10 kilometres across," Weigert said, which would make it the biggest of three interstellar visitors observed so far. So, are we sure it's not an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) or an Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), a term used by scientists to describe things observed in the sky that remain unexplained? "Well, certain, as we can be," Weigert said. "It has not demonstrated any unusual behaviour. It's just travelling through the solar system in exactly the way we would expect for an interstellar object ... There's no indication that it's in any way unusual in that sense." Bummer for UAP enthusiasts. Whatever it is, you can be certain that all the major telescopes now have their sights on A11pl3Z. It's also an exciting time as the new Vera C. Observatory in Chile has just become operational, which Weigert said is expected to discover one to 10 of these objects every year. Why have we just started discovering these objects? "Presumably, these things have been passing through the solar system more or less regularly, and it's only now that our telescopes are getting better," Weigert said. "We're doing our surveys deeper and deeper into the space around us that we're actually starting to catch these things." For Weigert — whose research focuses greatly on asteroids and comets — studying these objects up close and personal would be a dream come true. "It's amazing to think that when you look out into the night sky and you see all these stars, I mean, they're beautiful, they're amazing, but they're really far away," he said. "At the same time … bits and pieces of these star systems are travelling to us. And they, sort of, come within our grasp."
