Tag Archives: Cancer Prevention

Carbs and Pancreatic Cancer: Why “Null Findings” Matter

Posted on by
Reply

Say you’re a researcher. You’ve spent months collecting and analyzing data, crunching numbers and composing tables, but it’s all been for naught. That hypothesis you set out to test (say, that a link exists between a specific food and a known indicator of cancer risk) didn’t pan out. In your investigation at least, you found no such link.

You have achieved what in scientific circles is called a “null finding.” And, in a very real sense, that’s not nothing.

Null findings don’t make headlines, and often don’t even get published. (The tendency of journal editors to publish results that seem “new” over those that find no association — or that simply accord with previously published results — is a source of publication bias, which over time can distort the general scientific opinion on a given subject.)

But there is an important difference between a null finding capable of closing the book on a given question — that says, essentially “There’s no there there, move along.” — and a null finding that says simply “We need more and better data before we can make a judgment.”

On those rare occasions when the media do pick up on a null finding, there is a tendency to mistake one kind for another. Let’s take a look at a recent null finding and see what it really has to say. Continue reading →


30 Minutes to Family Meals & Healthy Kids

Posted on by
Reply

There are a lot of reasons you may want to have a sit-down meal with your family. If health isn’t one of those reasons, you can add it to the list, according to new research.

Research presented this week at the Experimental Biology conference found that frequent family meals links to many health benefits to children, including increased intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, calcium-rich foods, and vitamins.

And healthful meals can mean healthier weights for kids and adults leading to lower risk for cancer and other chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.

Of course, getting the family together and preparing a balanced meal can be a challenge. While I can’t help with scheduling, here are some of my go-to ideas for quick meals (30 minutes or less) that make it just a little easier to get the family around the table.

Chicken, veggie & pasta stir-fry (4 servings)

  • Prepare 6 oz. whole-wheat pasta per package directions
  • Sauté in 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 lb diced, boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh. Remove from pan when cooked through.
  • Sauté in 2 teaspoons olive oil, 3 cups chopped veggies (like bell peppers, spinach, mushroom or yellow squash) until tender crisp.
  • Add chicken and drained pasta to veggies and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Add a piece of fruit or a fruit cup topped with vanilla yogurt for dessert. Continue reading →


Tantalizing Tilapia

Posted on by
1

Brimming with flavor, this week’s Health-e-Recipe for Tilapia with Curry and Orange Rice hits the high notes for being delicious and cancer-preventive.

Tilapia is a low-calorie, inexpensive and delicate white fish with a mild taste. To dress it up a bit, we bake it with curry powder, a spice containing yellow turmeric found in studies to help prevent inflammation, plus sweet fresh orange slices that are rich in vitamin C.

Meanwhile, the high-fiber brown rice is cooked with orange juice then mixed with scallions and crunchy toasted almonds. This yummy fish dish only needs a vegetable or two, like steamed broccoli and carrots, to give you plenty of cancer protection.

Look for more great recipes from the AICR Test Kitchen. Click here to subscribe to our weekly Health-e-Recipe.