High-Sugar Diet Linked to Breast and Lung Cancer



A high-sugar diet doesn’t only increase the risk of obesity and diabetes, but it may also increase your risk of breast and lung cancer, The Houston Chronicle reports. For the study University of Texas M.D. Anderson researchers put mice in different groups and fed one of four diets. After six months the researchers concluded that mice on a starch diet “had measurable tumors, whereas 50 to 58 per cent of the mice on sucrose-enriched diets had developed mammary tumors.” The team of researchers also concluded that the risk of lung metastases was significantly higher in mice on the sucrose or fructose rich diet. "We found that sucrose intake in mice comparable to levels of Western diets led to increased tumor growth and metastasis, when compared to a non-sugar starch diet," said ...

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New Dietary Guidelines Released



Updated federal dietary guidelines suggest Americans should consume less sugar, fat and salt and more vegetables and whole grains, The Wall Street Journal reports. The guidelines, which are updated every five years recommend a “healthy eating pattern” with conscious decisions about what we drink and eat. “By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell said. The guidelines suggest Americans should consume: A variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables Fruits, especially whole fruits Grains, at least half of which are whole grains Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, ...

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The Most Popular Latino Baby Names Are…



Martín and Martina continue to gain popularity among Latino parents and this year they’re well situated among the top 10 Latino baby names, according to a survey by BabyCenter. For the ninth consecutive year Sofía and Santiago remained the most popular names. For girls, Lucia climbed eight spots to No. 3 and Ximena dropped from the top 10. For boys, Benjamín made an impressive comeback to the top 10 climbing to No. 8 while Daniel dropped. According to the survey, gender-neutral names are a hot trend among Latino parents, such as Max, Alex and Dani. Parents also told BabyCenter en Español that celebrities from popular TV shows like The Voice Kids also influenced their decision at the time of choosing a name that’s original and reflects Latino values. A whopping ...

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Monica Montaño: An Èxito! Grad Who Has A Passion for Teaching and Helping Others



Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Monica Montaño Downey, Calif. With a Panamanian hat-wearing grandfather who pushed his children to go to college and a mom who took her to microbiology classes as a child, it’s no surprise that education is Monica's main tool to promote health among Latinos. She has a true passion for teaching and not only wants to expose her students to health disparities, but also wants to conduct research and deliver education on cancer and disease prevention across the nation and beyond.  Monica Montaño received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Community Health Education and School Health Education (2000),  from California State University ...

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Flu Season Is Not Over



Still waiting to get your yearly flu vaccine? If you haven’t you should get it soon—according to US Health Officials, Univision Noticias reports. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that flu activity usually peaks in January  or February and can also strike as late as May. “ As long as the virus is circulating, it's not too late to receive a flu shot and protect yourself and others against this seasonal misery.” "Influenza seasons and severity are often unpredictable. Annual influenza vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza among people 6 months of age and older," Marion Gruber, director of FDA's Office of Vaccine Research and Review, said in an agency news release. "However, taking such practical measures as washing hands, covering coughs and ...

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Clinical Trials Begin for Cancer Recurrence Vaccine



Mexican researchers are beginning clinical trials of a treatment that could prevent the recurrence of different types of cancer, Latin Times reports. “The new therapy trains the immune system to recognize and eliminate remaining cancerous cells" after conventional treatment, team leader Dr. Juan Pablo Márquez Manriquez, of the International Cancer Center in Sonora, told EFE. In the early stages of their research Dr. Marquez and his team tested the vaccines on mice that were genetically modified to develop cancer. “The animals that received the vaccine, both individual vaccines and the cocktail, never developed colon, pancreatic or ovarian cancer,” Dr. Márquez explained. During clinical trials the treatment will be tested in Mexico City, Sonora and Ciudad ...

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Nueva herramienta pro-consumidores de salud latinos



En California, Latinos que han sido negados seguro de salud, o no están contentos con su plan de seguros medico ahora tendrán una herramienta a su favor. La organización California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) ha lanzado una versión en español de su pagina MyPatientRights.org. "MyPatientRights.org es un faro de luz en un mar tormentoso en cuanto a  atención medica , en especial para los pacientes con una enfermedad crónica ", dijo Liz Helms , presidente y CEO de la CCCC . "Con el futuro de la salud de la nación estrechamente vinculada al bienestar de la comunidad latina, es importante que tengan acceso adecuado y de calidad.” El programa de salud del gobierno mejor conocido como Obamacare ha hecho que miles de familias latinas tengan acceso a cuidado medico, sin embargo ...

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Infographic: Food and Mental Health



SaludToday Guest Blogger Brietta Mengel While it’s common knowledge that certain foods influence your weight, it’s not as widely known that food can also affect your mental health. Here we take a look at what foods can make mental illness worse, and which can help promote a healthy mind. More than 16% of Latinos experienced a mental illness in the previous year. Depression is the No. 1 cause of disability in the world, and $193 billion is the cost of mental illness in lost earnings per year. More than half of people with mental illness do not even seek help, especially Latinos. Foods that work for your health include: fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. ...

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Dental ER Visits Have Doubled; Dental Benefits Go Unused



SaludToday Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Clinics Dental ER visits have doubled since 2000. An analysis of federal data by the American Dental Association reported a total of 2.2 million dental health-related emergency room visits. That’s one visit every fifteen seconds. Latinos have the lowest dental utilization rate, putting them at a higher risk for developing abscess or infections that may require hospitalization. In fact, patients with private insurance plans are among the highest group to visit the emergency room for a dental abscess, reports a study conducted by the Journal of Endodontics. Uninsured patients report the lowest rates of hospitalization for the same condition. Emergency dental visits can cost more than three times the price of an average dental ...

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