Archived News

Soy a big part of diet as men eat to beat prostate cancerDate Posted: 6/28/2001Europe Intelligence Wire: STATISTICS show that more and more men have beendiagnosed with prostate cancer over the past 20 years.The disease is now the second most common cause of cancer death in the UKand will be the biggest by 2004.Yet, despite the gloomy statistics, there is hope. Mounting evidencesuggests the risk of prostate cancer is closely linked to what we eat.This month, research published in the medical journal The Lancet foundthat men who consume plenty of oily fish enjoy a lowered risk of prostatecancer compared to those who don't. Other research points to protectiveeffects from fruit, vegetables and soya products.In addition, while some foods appear to reduce the risk of prostatecancer, others seem to have the opposite effect. Foods rich in animal fat,particularly dairy products, have been implicated.Research is stacking up to suggest that with a few simple adjustments tothe diet, men can reduce their risk of developing this increasingly commoncondition.Oily fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel and herring are rich inhealthy fats known as omega-3 fatty acids These are thought to have anumber of important health-giving effects, including a naturalanti-inflammatory action and the ability to reduce the risk of heartdisease and depression.Over the past decade, there has been increasing scientific interest in therole omega-3 fatty acids may have in the prevention of cancers. Recently,research has focused on the link with prostate cancer.Two studies published in 1999 found that a high level of omega-3 fats inthe body was associated with a reduced risk.This association is strengthened by research which found that men eatingmoderate or high amounts of oily fish were up to three times less likelyto develop prostate cancer compared to those who ate none. So men might dowell to consume at least two or three portions of oily fish a week.Furthermore, a 1998 study associated high consumption of dairy productswith a 50pc rise in prostate cancer risk. Another study, published lastyear, found that men consuming 21/2 servings of dairy products a dayincreased their prostate cancer risk by more than 40pc.ALTERNATIVES to cow's milk-based dairy products include soya milk, soyayoghurt and soya ice cream. Soya consumption is associated with asignificantly reduced risk of prostate cancer.One study found that men consuming soya milk more than once a day had a70pc reduction in risk of developing this disease.Cancer is known to be triggered, at least in part, by damaging moleculesknown as 'Free radicals'. Free radical damage can be reduced throughincreased consumption of 'Antioxidant' nutrients in the diet, such asvitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the mineral selenium.Antioxidants are generally abundant in fruit and vegetables. Last year, astudy published in the Journal Of The National Cancer Institute found thatmen consuming four servings of vegetables a day had a 35 pc reduced riskof prostate cancer compared to those consuming two servings a day.One nutrient which has received special attention is the trace mineralselenium.A study in the Journal Of The National Cancer Institute in 1998 found thatmen with the highest level of selenium had one-third the risk ofdeveloping prostate cancer compared to men with the lowest seleniumlevels.In 1996, a study found that men who took a daily supplement of 200mcg ofselenium had a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer. One of therichest natural sources of selenium is brazil nuts. However, taking asupplement is prudent for men who want to reduce their risk.by DR JOHN BRIFFA

Study claims GM crops save U.S. farms billionsSAN DIEGO, (Financial Times) 6/27/2001 - The first comprehensive estimateof the benefits of genetically modified crops claims that they are alreadysaving US farmers billions of dollars a year through a combination oflower inputs and increased yields - and they could save billions ofdollars more if growers were not held back by fears of consumerresistance.The study, carried out by the National Centre for Food and AgriculturalPolicy in Washington with support from the biotechnology industry and theRockefeller Foundation, was presented at the Bio 2001 conference in SanDiego. It looked at 30 crops that have been genetically engineered forpest resistance, including a wide range of fruit and vegetables as well ascereals and cotton.It assessed the economic benefits to farmers and the environmental gainsthrough reduced applications of pesticides and weed-killers but did notinclude the negative factors emphasised by anti-GM campaigners: the impacton wildlife and possible health hazards.Leonard Gianessi, the study director, presented the first eight cropassessments to the conference. The full study would be completed inSeptember, he said, "but I can tell you already that we will see severalbillion dollars worth of additional production and savings to growers as aresult of GM crops".The largest benefit seen for any one crop was in soya beans, where 63 percent of the US crop planted this year - on 49m acres - is geneticallyengineered to resist Monsanto's Roundup herbicide. Growers have to applyRoundup only once to kill all weeds, whereas non-GM soya requires three orfour herbicide applications; the average saving in weed control is Dollars15 per acre, according to the NCFAP study."If US growers no longer planted the GM herbicide-tolerant soybeancultivars, they would likely substitute alternative herbicides which wouldincrease soybean production costs by Dollars 735m a year," Mr Gianessiconcluded. For Bt cotton, which kills the crop's main insect pests, thestudy found that pesticide use in the US had been cut by more than 1m kgper year, production had increased by 100m kg per year and growers weremaking Dollars 99m a year more in net revenues.But some GM crops, incl-uding sugar beet, potatoes and sweetcorn (maize),are not being grown commercially, although they have received regulatoryapproval. That is because farmers do not want to risk losing sales throughconsumers' reluctance to buy. The study concluded that Florida growerscould produce 10m kg more sweetcorn and cut insecticide use by 80 per cent(50,000 kg per year) by switching to a Bt variety marketed by Syngenta."Despite the potential benefits, Florida sweetcorn growers are notplanting the (GM) cultivars due to concerns regarding potential lostsales."

MALAYSIA'S GUTHRIE STANDS BY INDONESIA PALM OIL DEAL

Coconut industry, soap makers look for compromise on petroleum surfactants

Far East Expects To See Reduced FFB Production

CHINA WTO ENTRY SEEN BOOSTING SOYOIL IMPORTS

INDIA VEG OIL IMPORTS SEEN SURGING OVER DECADE

INDONESIA TO FORM TEAM TO SETTLE GUTHRIE DEAL- MEDIA

Iraq hopes to purchase palm oil directly from Malaysia

NON-FOOD VEG OIL USE TO CLIMD BY 70% BY 2010

PAKISTAN ADJUSTS IMPORT LEVIES ON EDIBLE OILS

Hospital uses soy-based fuel to face energy crisisLONG BEACH, Ca. 6/21/2001Fueled by concern over volatile energy costs androlling blackouts in California, officials from St. Mary Medical Center inLong Beach today announced the hospital has switched to biodiesel to runon-site generators and boilers.Biodiesel is a clean-burning fuel that can be made from any fat or oil,such as soybean oil. It can be used in any diesel engine with few or nomodifications to the engine necessary. Although biodiesel is used mostlyas a motor fuel for trucks and buses, it can be used in boilers andgenerators as well. About 80 major fleets, including transit authorities,school districts, government fleets and national parks use biodiesel. Itperforms comparably to diesel, with similar cetane and BTU content."We are very excited about the advantages this new fuel provides inresponding to our statewide energy crisis," said Tomi Hadfield, Presidentof St. Mary Medical Center. "This is very promising for our colleaguesfacing these same challenges."St. Mary expects a daily cost savings of $350 per day over an averagenatural gas price of $14.28 per decatherm. Moreover, the hospital can stayup and running during blackouts without emitting high levels of pollution."The biodiesel that our company is supplying to the hospital is mixed withan additive that significantly lowers NOx emissions," said Gene Gebolys,president of World Energy (www.worldenergy.net). "The emissions resultshave been certified by the South Coast Air Quality Management District,showing that it meets strict NOx requirements."Biodiesel also significantly reduces particulate matter, carbon monoxide,unburned hydrocarbons and sulfate emissions compared to petroleum diesel.A joint study by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department ofAgriculture shows biodiesel reduces life cycle carbon dioxide by 78percent. It is the only alternative fuel to have passed the rigorousHealth Effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The results,submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2000, show biodieselis non-toxic, biodegradable and reduces air toxics by 90 percent.