To Good Health
Friday, January 21, 2011 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

In a study conducted in February 2010, researchers discovered that consuming two or more soft drinks a week increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The study, a joint collaboration between the University of Minnesota and the National University of Singapore, was conducted in Singapore and monitored over 60, 000 men and women across 14 years.

According to Dr Mark Pereira, one of the chief researchers from the University of Minnesota, he found “those consuming soft drinks ... on a nearly daily basis ... their risk was about two, almost two times greater for dying of pancreatic cancer compared to the Chinese men and women in the study who were not consuming those beverages”.

When pressed for a reason as to why soft drinks cause this health risk, Dr Pereira added that “Lots of insulin is secreted when you consume these beverages in high volumes and insulin has been shown to promote the growth of cancer cells”.

Before you ditch your soft drinks in favour of healthier alternatives, several parties have spoken up to cast doubts on such findings. The American Beverage Association has rejected the findings. It says leading scientific bodies such as the National Cancer Institute still do not list soft drinks as risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Further echoing this sentiment is Professor Ian Olver, Cancer Council Australia CEO, who believes further research is needed.

"The research from the University of Minnesota shows an association between drinking soft drinks and getting pancreatic cancer but it can't demonstrate that one causes the other," he said.
Mr Olver is critical of the research method, which he says doesn't control two risk factors known to be associated with pancreatic cancer, smoking and eating red meat.

"I think that there needs to be further studies done to determine precisely why the association was found, was it the soft drink and the sugar or was it something else that they were doing as well?"

The research is published in a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Whether or not soft drinks are cancer risk factors, we can't be sure for now. However, if we wait until it has been scientifically proven to practice abstinence or reduce intake, it may be too late. Soft drinks are indeed potential causes for obesity, which is bad for general health. Whether or not soft drinks are dangerous, it is still good to start looking for healthier and equally tasty alternatives.


Somebody Called for the Doctor?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

I believe most of us have fallen ill before. If your answer happens to be no, give me your contact details so I can arrange for an interview for next week’s blog entry. My point being if Singaporeans can expect new hospitals anytime soon. I mean it’s getting just a little too crowded in here (those who commute to work daily by the MRT especially during morning and evening rush hours know exactly what I mean.) What if one of them decides to fall sick and spread the virus to his fellow passengers?

In that regard, let’s take a look at the most recent hospital to be established in Singapore: Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. Located in Yishun, KTPH was established with the intention of providing basic healthcare and all the amenities and benefits of a community hospital to Singaporeans living in the north.

Reports of a new 550 bed hospital suggest that a new hospital is to be established in the western region of Singapore. Construction of the hospital, known as Jurong General Hospital, is expected to be completed by 2015.

This is in view of the growth of the eastern housing estates, which is expected to grow substantially in the next 10 years. Building new hospitals will certainly ease the burden on the already overworked Emergency Department of NUH as well as Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

With Singapore’s population expected to rise to 6.5 million in the near future, it is imperative that more hospitals be built in anticipation of the influx of new citizens. Good to know that the Ministry Of Health has already earmarked the north which ‘definitely needed two to three hospitals‘. According to the Health Minister, future sites to be considered include Woodlands and Bukit Batok.

Any plans for a new hospital in the East then Minister? Pretty please?