“No room for carcinogens on the lunch line…”
Santa Barbara Unified School District became the first school district to remove cancer-causing processed meat—including hot dots, pepperoni and bacon—from its schools’ lunch menus.
The Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) head-quartered in Washington, DC consulted with the school district on the new policy which was launched last Fall.
“We are committed to serving our students nutritious foods that will help them learn and grow,” said Santa Barbara’s food service director Nancy Weiss. “It is the right thing to do to ensure that our students are getting the highest quality of food. There’s no room for carcinogens on the lunch line.”
Of the 2 million meals the SBUSD serves each year, some 50% of the meals are vegan meals. The plant-based options often sell out more quickly than the meat-based meals. More recently, members of the New York City Council introduced legislation that would remove processed meat from the city’s school lunches.
— GOOD MEDICINE, Winter 2019
Weight Loss Reduces Breast Cancer Risk
Losing excess weight may cut the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
Researchers tracked some 125,000 women aged 50 and older for 10 years who did not take postmenopausal hormones. Compared to those with stable weight, the risk of breast cancer was 18% lower in those who lost and kept off 4 to 9.9 pounds. It was 25 % lower in those who lost and kept off 10 to 199 pounds. And it was 32% lower in those who lost and kept off at least 20 pounds.
J Natl. Cancer Inst. 2019. Doi:10.1093/jnci/djz226.
Meat Increases Breast Cancer Risk
Red and processed meat increase the risk of breast cancer.
In a systematic review of 18 studies published in the International Journal of Cancer researchers evaluated the relationship between breast cancer rates and intake of red and processed meat.
Increased red meat consumption increased the risk for breast cancer by 6%. Increased processed meat consumption increased the risk by 9%. The researchers attribute the increased risk to higher amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron found in these foods.
Int J Cancer. 2018;143:2787-99
Whole Grains Curbs T2 Diabetes
Consumption of whole grains may help prevent T2 diabetes.
Published in the Journal of Nutrition, the researchers investigated the intake of different cereal grains and the risk for type 2 diabetes as part of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study. The daily consumption of high-fiber whole grains lowered the risk for type 2 diabetes by up to 11%. The whole grains included oats, rye bread, whole-grain bread.
The authors recommend greater consumption of whole grain cereals for curbing te prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes.
J Nutr. 2018;148:1434-44
High carb plant-based diet improves insulin resistance and weight loss
An unrestricted diet high in unrefined starchy foods (high carb) and plant-based protein clearly outdid a typical American diet in facilitating weight loss and improved insulin resistance.
In a 16-week randomized clinical trial, researchers from the Physicians Committee placed participants in either a plant-based, high carbohydrate, very low-fat diet group or into a group of participants that maintained their typical diet.
The experimental group avoided all animal products and oils and limited the fat intake to less than 30 grams/day. There was no limit on calories or unrefined (whole) carbohydrate foods (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes). The control group maintained their usual diet, which included animal products, such as meat and dairy, refined carbohydrates and refined (extracted) oils.
At the end of the 16-week trial, body mass index, body weight, fat mass, visceral fat volume, and insulin resistance decreased significantly in the experimental group. There were no changes in the control group.
Nutrients. 2018;10. Pii: E1302