MIAMI – Health experts are raising concerns about misinformation being shared about cancer and nutrition.
Dr. Tracy Crane with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine was part of a multi-center team that found a third of posts on Pinterest made unsubstantiated cancer nutrition claims in order to promote supplements and other products.
Crane helped co-author the American Cancer Society’s new guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer survivors.
“We know now that specific recommendations should be made around following a healthy diet, primarily plant based, high in fruits and vegetables paying specific attention to brightly colored vegetable and fruit as well as high fiber, whole grains and really reducing intake of processed foods and meat in particular,” Crane said.
The new guidelines also recommend screening of all cancer survivors for any potential nutritional deficiency.
And when it comes to getting the right amount of sleep, eight hours may not be the magic number for everyone.
Researchers in the U.K. and China have found that seven hours is the ideal amount for people in middle-age and older.
Too little or too much sleep has been associated with poor cognitive function, more symptoms of anxiety and higher rates of depression.
This latest data comes on the heels of another study that found older adults who regularly nap for more than an hour a day had a 40 percent higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“It really is important to let your doctor know if something is not right about your sleep because sleep is a key component of maintaining health of the brain and body,” said Dr. Dylan Wint with Cleveland Clinic.
Still to be determined is whether less napping could help slow down age-related cognitive decline.