Mysterious Ways

Mysterious Ways

Here are the two best ways to lower your risk of pancreatic cancer:
1) Maintain a proper body weight
2) Avoid smoking

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health believe they’ve found evidence that might add a third item to that list: Floss your teeth.

The smoking equation

Pancreatic cancer is a silent killer. Early symptoms are subtle, so by the time the disease is correctly diagnosed it’s usually too far progressed to be treated effectively. Obviously, prevention is key for this very dangerous disease.

The results of two previous studies suggest that periodontal disease may be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. But neither of those studies allowed for the effects of smoking, so Harvard researchers designed a study that did.

STUDY ABSTRACT

• Researchers examined medical records for a group of more than 51,000 men, aged 40 – 75, who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study
• Every two years between 1986 and 2002, each subject completed health questionnaires
• Over the 16-year study period, 216 subjects were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
• Data showed that subjects with a history of periodontal disease (both smokers and non-smokers) had a significantly higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to subjects with no periodontal disease
• Among subjects who never smoked and had a history of periodontal disease, pancreatic cancer risk was two times greater than in subjects who didn’t have periodontal disease

Further research will be needed to confirm this association and to establish what biologic mechanisms may be responsible for the link. Researchers believe that a combination of systemic inflammation and toxins produced by oral bacteria could be a likely cause.

Connecting the dots

Given this potential association between periodontal disease and pancreatic cancer – in addition to the already established link between periodontal disease and heart disease – protecting the health of your gums is a must. But beyond daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups, there are other things you can do to avoid this progressive condition that destroys gum tissue, teeth, and the bone that supports teeth.

In the e-Alert “Let’s Get a Bite” (1/4/06), I told you how regular exercise may reduce the risk of periodontal disease. And a few days later, in the e-Alert “Rightful Rewards” (1/18/06), I looked at a German study that revealed significantly reduced vitamin C levels among 60 subjects with chronic periodontal disease. Subjects who added two grapefruits each day to their normal diet boosted vitamin C levels and experienced less bleeding of the gums after just two weeks.

It should be noted that smoking (which increases the risk of periodontal disease, pancreatic cancer, and heart disease) has been shown to lower vitamin C levels.

In addition, there are direct steps you can take to lower pancreatic cancer risk. In the e-Alert “Sounds of Silence” (9/21/06), I told you about a Northwestern University study that examined medical conditions and dietary habits of more than 122,000 subjects. Results showed that those who took supplements that supplied at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day (the recommended daily allowance) lowered their risk of pancreatic cancer by 43 percent.

And in that same e-Alert I gave you details about a Canadian study that demonstrated how beta-carotene and total carotenoid intake was associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer among non-smoking subjects. In that study, the carotenoid lycopene produced the most significant result: Subjects with the highest lycopene intake reduced pancreatic cancer risk by more than 30 percent, compared to subjects with the lowest intake.

The richest dietary source of lycopene is tomatoes, and absorbency of this important antioxidant is increased when tomatoes are served warm with a source of fat, such as cheese or meat. Studies have shown that lycopene may also offer protection against breast cancer, prostate cancer, and heart disease.