Johns Hopkins Update

Johns Hopkins, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org

Recently a report exaggerating the value of dietary changes and minimizing the effectiveness of clinical therapies has been circulated on the internet and falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins.

I received one, so I went to their website. They refute each of the assertions in sensible detail. Below is what they have participated in and recommend.

Several Johns Hopkins experts participated in the World Cancer Research Fund - American Institute for Cancer Research report Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, published in November 2007, which is considered by cancer prevention experts to be an authoritative source of information on diet, physical activity and cancer.

Their recommendations for cancer prevention and for good health in general are:

1. Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.

2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.

3. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar or low in fiber, or high in fat).

4. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans.

5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.

6. If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day.

7. Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).

8. Don't use supplements to protect against cancer. Our experts recommend that people meet their nutritional needs through their food choices. While vitamin supplements can be helpful in people with nutritional deficiencies, evidence suggests that supplementation above what the body can use provides no added health benefit.

Cancer is a disease caused by genetic alterations. Many times, these alterations occur through our own behaviors—cigarette smoking, a poor and unbalanced diet, virus exposures, and sunburns, says cancer prevention and control expert John Groopman.

Most of the above was copied from the Johns Hopkins website. I was going to attach the misinformation to show how sensible sounding information can be easily accepted, but it’s foolish to give it any more exposure.