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By Elaine Schattner, MD, on May 16th, 2011
 When I was a medical resident in the late 1980s, we treated some patients with pancreatic cancer on a regimen nick-named the coffee protocol because it included infusions of intravenous caffeine. How absurd, we thought back then, because years earlier caffeine had been linked to pancreatic cancer as a possible cause.
Now, two new studies suggest that coffee consumption reduces a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer, according to MedPage Today:
Women who drank at least five cups of coffee daily had a significantly lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, an analysis of two large cohort studies suggested.
…Coffee has a paradoxical relationship with breast cancer risk. The beverage’s complex mix of caffeine and polyphenols suggests a potential to confer both carcinogenic and chemopreventive characteristics, the authors noted…
I’m incredulous, still.
As with most compounds we ingest or otherwise absorb, it’s conceivable that caffeine could damage some cells or somehow factor into some tumors’ growth just as it
See more Confusing Reports On Coffee and Cancer, and What To Do About Breakfast
By Elaine Schattner, MD, on March 28th, 2011
 Unfortunately things are not obviously getting better in Japan. The water, air and food are affected. A few radiation workers are sick.
This morning I came upon a 5-min YouTube clip of Dr. Norman Coleman, a senior radiation oncologist at the NIH’s Center for Cancer Research, via a @NCIBulletin on Twitter. He’s speaking at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo:
Dr. Norman Coleman, speaking March 25 in Tokyo
I think CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, NPR and even Fox should track down Dr. Coleman and use him as an expert when he’s not busy helping resolve this emergency, because it seems he is knowledgeable, reasonable and cautious, besides appropriately tired having traveled and pondered such a complex situation that affects the public’s health.
Then again, it’s always a good idea to hear from a variety of sources -
A recent, perfectly-titled Dot Earth post by Andrew Revkin threads Nancy Grace, a meteorologist, CJR, Jon Stewart and a magician. Read it and watch:
See more An NCI Radiation Oncologist Considers the Situation in Japan, on YouTube (with a link to Nancy Grace)
By Elaine Schattner, MD, on March 18th, 2011
 This week I came upon an article in the Wall Street Journal on how house plants can freshen air and reduce noxious molecules indoors. From About the House:
Interest in plants as air purifiers—what’s called “phytoremediation”—comes amid mounting concerns about the quality of indoor air. People spend more than 90% of their time inside, where levels of a dozen common organic pollutants can be two to five times higher than outside, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
This story reminds me of an old wives’ tale that indoor plants can soak up carbon monoxide from the atmosphere, rendering smaller the likelihood of accidental poisoning from an untended kitchen oven, and some shady NASA affiliate offerings on the science of relevant findings.
I don’t know if any of this is true, but I’m sure my plant needs some water.
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Related Posts:Seven Powerful ‘Foodies’ on Forbes, Influence on Public Health?How To Prepare a Melon Cooking
See more Houseplants as Apartment Air Cleaners
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