ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2012) Colon cancer survivors whose diet is heavy in complex sugars and carbohydrate-rich foods are far more likely to have a recurrence of the disease than are patients who eat a better balance of foods, a new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers indicates.

The connection is especially strong in patients who are overweight or obese, the authors write. More than 1,000 patients with advanced (stage III) colon cancer participated in the study, one of the first to examine how diet can affect the chances that the disease will recur.

The findings are being published online by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and will appear later in the journal's print edition.

Although the results point to a potential hazard, for colon cancer patients, of a high-carbohydrate diet, the take-home message is not a conclusive "Eat less sugar," said lead author Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, MPH. "Our study certainly supports the idea that diet can impact the progression of colon cancer, and that patients and their doctors should consider this when making post-treatment plans. But further research is needed to confirm our findings."

Recent studies have shown that colorectal cancer survivors whose diet and activity patterns lead to excess amounts of insulin in the blood have a higher risk of cancer recurrence and death from the disease. High insulin levels can be produced by eating too many starchy and sugar-laden foods. In a previous study of advanced-stage colon cancer patients, Meyerhardt and his colleagues found that those with a typical "Western" diet -- marked by high intakes of meat, fat, refined grains, and sugar desserts -- were three times more likely to have a cancer recurrence than those whose diets were least Western. The new study was conducted to explore which component of the Western diet is most responsible for the increased risk of recurrence.

The study involved 1,011 stage III colon cancer patients who had undergone surgery and participated in a National Cancer Institute-sponsored Cancer and Leukemia Group B clinical trial of follow-up chemotherapy for their disease. Participants reported their dietary intake during and six months after the trial.

Researchers tracked the patients' total carbohydrates, as well as their glycemic index (a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular food), and glycemic load (which takes into account the amount of a carbohydrate actually consumed), and looked for a statistical connection between these measures and the recurrence of colon cancer.

They found that participants with the highest dietary levels of glycemic load and carbohydrate intake had an 80 percent increased risk of colon cancer recurrence or death compared with those who had the lowest levels. Among patients who were overweight or obese (had a body mass index above 25 kg/m2), the increase was even greater.

"In light of our and other's research, we theorize that factors including a high glycemic load may stimulate the body's production of insulin," Meyerhardt said. "That, in turn, may increase the proliferation of cells and prevent the natural cell-death process in cancer cells that have metastasized from their original site."

Meyerhardt added that while the study doesn't prove that diets high in glycemic load and carbohydrate intake cause recurrence of colon cancer, the results strongly suggest that such dietary factors play a role. "Our findings may offer useful guidance for patients and physicians in ways of improving patient survival after treatment."

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Starchy, high carbohydrate diet associated with recurrence of colon cancer

Technology offers those who take advantage of it a simpler way of life through increased information and advanced science. To aid weight loss, Diet Doc now offers a mobile app for Apple platforms (Iphone and Ipad), packed with features to help users monitor their hCG diet and transition into a healthy lifestyle.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 06, 2012

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Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information

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(Reuters) - Vivus Inc reported lackluster initial sales of its weight-loss pill Qsymia as a lack of reimbursement coverage prompted concerns about the drug's adoption and dragged down shares of diet-drug makers.

Shares of Vivus were down 24 percent at $11.38 on Tuesday afternoon on the Nasdaq after recovering from an earlier low of $11.00.

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's shares were down 6 percent at $7.51, while those of Orexigen Therapeutics Inc were off 5 percent at $4.99.

Arena's diet pill Belviq is set to launch early next year and Orexigen is planning a re-submission of the marketing application for its competing product, Contrave.

Earlier this year, Belviq and Qsymia became the first new diet pills to receive marketing in 13 years as pressure mounts on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve obesity treatments for some two-thirds of Americans who are considered overweight or obese.

Vivus recorded $41,000 in Qsymia sales since its launch on September 17 through the end of the month. Analysts on average had expected about $310,000, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company's chief commercial officer Mike Miller flagged concerns over the drug's lack of insurance coverage and said "about 30 percent of patients chose not to fill after receiving a (Qsymia) prescription due to cash outlay."

"The average retail price for the patient for 30 days or the recommended dose is approximately $160," Miller said on a post-earnings call.

"Currently, we are seeing one out of five (patients) being covered by third-party insurance with an average co-pay of $62."

Robert Hazlett of Roth Capital Partners, who maintained his "neutral" rating on the stock, said reimbursement was an obstacle, but given that the company is in the very early stages of selling the drug, it can overcome these hurdles over time.

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Early sales of Vivus's diet pill disappoint, shares slide

By Susan Carpenter Los Angeles Times

It's been 60 years since diet soda first burst on the scene with a sugar-free ginger ale known as No-Cal that catered to diabetics. Then came RC Cola's Diet Rite, followed by Tab, Fresca and a slew of sugar-free versions of Pepsi and Coca-Cola that seem to be in perpetual states of reformulation to accommodate customers' fickle tastes.

Today, it isn't just colas that are going on a diet. The market for no-calorie sodas has become as effervescent as the beverages themselves, with an ever-expanding palette of exotic flavors such as coconut, pomegranate and coffee.

Many of them are from small companies that are developing loyal followings catering to customers' thirst for carbonated indulgence without the sugar.

"We'd all love to drive a Ferrari if it had the fuel consumption of a Prius, but you can't have it all. What we've found with our product is that it gets the fuel consumption of a Prius and maybe drives like a BMW," said Paddy Spence, chief executive of Zevia, a brand of stevia-sweetened sodas that will be available this fall at Target.

Zevia is one of the only carbonated drink companies to use the natural, no-calorie sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, which is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a sweetener in foods. Stevia is more commonly used in non-carbonated beverages, such as Sobe Life Water and Vitamin Water.

Most diet sodas are artificially sweetened with aspartame (better known as Equal), acesulfame potassium (also known as Ace-K) or sucralose (branded as Splenda) - sometimes in combination. All of them are artificial sweeteners produced using chemical processes that are regulated by the FDA as food additives. All of them offer more concentrated levels of sweetness than ordinary table sugar without the calories.

The FDA has approved the use of five artificial sweeteners as food additives, including aspartame, Ace-K and sucralose, as well as saccharin and neotame (better known as NutraSweet). Before each sweetener came to market, the FDA determined they were safe "well within acceptable daily intake levels," said FDA spokeswoman Carla Daniels.

While some studies have shown that repeated exposure to low- and no-calorie sweeteners may lead to the development of preferences for sweet foods and beverages and high-calorie foods, and eventually lead to health complications associated with such a diet, that hasn't slowed the market.

Diet soda is a rare sweet spot in the carbonated soft-drink business. Sales of soda overall have been declining in the U.S. since 2005 as consumers migrate to other types of bottled drinks, such as water and tea. In 2000, diet sodas made up 24.7 percent of the crowded $76 billion carbonated beverage market in the U.S.

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Diet demand fuels hunt for sugar alternatives

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans launches two custom-made prescription weight loss pills that promote fast weight loss. Slim Down is an appetite suppressant and Ultra Burn is a fat burning lipotropic.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) November 06, 2012

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hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans Launches Two Custom-Made Prescription Weight Loss Pills That ...