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Coffee Cuts Cancer in Men, Shut up and Sip Your Thing

Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer in a study of nearly 50,000 US men.

Those who drank six or more cups a day were found to be 20% less likely to develop any form of the disease – which is the most common cancer in men.

They were also 60% less likely to develop an aggressive form which can spread to other parts of the body.

But charities say the evidence, reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is still unclear.

They do not recommend that men take up coffee drinking in the hope of preventing prostate cancer.

Unknown compounds

The study looked at about 48,000 men in the US who work as health professionals.

Every four years between 1986 and 2006, they were asked to report their average daily intake of coffee.

During this 20-year period, 5,035 of the men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 642 fatal cases.

Prostate cancer

  • Each year about 37,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK
  • Some 10,000 die from the disease
  • Symptoms include problems passing urine but they may be mild or non-existent

No difference was seen between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting caffeine itself was not the cause.

But even relatively small amounts of coffee – one to three cups per day – were found to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 30%.

The researchers think there may be unknown compounds in coffee that protect against the disease.

Lead researcher Dr Kathryn Wilson, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said: “At present we lack an understanding of risk factors that can be changed or controlled to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer.

“If our findings are validated, coffee could represent one modifiable factor that may lower the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer.”

Commenting on the study, Dr Helen Rippon of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said other studies had not shown the link and the research evidence was still unclear.

She added: “Although this study is a welcome addition to our knowledge, it is far from definitive and we would not recommend men who are not already habitual coffee drinkers to become so in the hope of preventing prostate cancer.

The data

  • Previous studies have shown no clear link between coffee and prostate cancer risk
  • Men who drank six or more cups of coffee per day had a slightly lower risk of any form of prostate cancer and a substantially lower risk of lethal prostate cancer compared with non-coffee drinkers, according to the researchers
  • Both caff and decaff were associated with similar risks

“Heavy caffeine intake is associated with other health problems and men with benign prostate problems might well make urinary symptoms worse.”

Yinka Ebo, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “There’s no need for men to start drinking gallons of coffee in an attempt to lower their prostate cancer risk.

“A number of other studies looking at coffee and prostate cancer have found that drinking coffee does not affect the risk of the disease, and this study only found a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer in men who drank more than six cups a day.

“We would need to see these results repeated in other large studies before we can be sure whether coffee consumption affects the risk of prostate cancer.”

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What the Successful People Have in Common, Part 1: Breaking Rules

If you missed the Introduction, please read it here

Introduction: What Do the Most Successful People Have in Common?

Part1: Propensity to Break Rules

In the introduction to this series I listed the propensity to break rules as one quality possessed by most of the successful people.

There are rules in life; rules for success and rules for failure. Some rules are written down rules while others are implied. Whichever the case, society lives by these rules.

I have observed that a remarkable thing about most successful people is how they break rules with impunity; that is, how they violate of everyday principles dictated by conventional wisdom. They do something differently, regardless of the consequences. When necessary, they do not hesitate to break the rules held sacred by conventional wisdom.

I would talk briefly about my first subject BJ, a colleague I’ve known since the early 1990s. You may choose to call BJ the Self Praiser because that’s exactly who he is. He praises himself to death.

There is a rule in life that says

“Do not blow Your Own Horn”

“Do not Toot Your Own Horn”

“Let others Praise You, not Yourself”

All three are saying the same thing. In fact, you’re more likely to make more enemies if you violate these rules. This rule, when religiously obeyed, can be greatly counter productive. It might have been the case for last two centuries but the competitive world we have today challenges this mindset.

I did not like BJ and the very reason I did not like him is the reason he’s gone to places I may never go. Spend an hour with BJ and you will know every skill and talent BJ has. In fact, by the end of the hour, you’ll know enough about him to write his resume for him.

On the surface BJ is an ordinary person. I may be smarter than he (OMG!) but his self praising attitude has earned him invitation to places you can only dream of; he has been hired to do that which you can tutor him.

I realize that some people are born with this quality. Others obey the rule of ‘don’t blow your own horn’ to such an extent that they never expose who they are and what they know.

Unfortunately, the world is not made of psychics. No one is going to know who you are and what you know until you tell them.

My challenge to you is that unless you’re Oprah Winfrey and you have everybody praising you, throw this rule under the bus. Dump it!

There can be strength in humility. Know that meekness does not equate weakness.

Start today. Sell what you know. God gave that to you to make a living on it and help your society. Break the rule.

If you aren’t Oprah, no one is going to praise you until you start praising yourself. Do it until others start praising you, then you can hand it over to them.

What other rules do these folks break? To be continued.

Please check back

Next on this series

Conclusion on Breaking Rules &

Passion

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Gaddafi and the International Bird Net: A Case of the Warrant of Arrest by the International Criminal Court

There have been different opinions from Africans on the expected war crime allegation levied by the International Criminal Court on Gaddafi and two other Libyans on the issue of crime against humanity. It is now a reality that the world is a global village and that no leader can misbehave outside the standard international practice. It was Charles Taylor who strongly believed that no day will he be put behind bar for his outrageous action against the people of Sierra Leone. Truly, he was handcuffed, brought to Monrovia and chained like a common criminal in The Hague. Now, the Sudanese President Omar Bashir is on the run but there will be no escape for him. The time has come for the World to ensure that all men of the human race to be treated with dignity and pride.

How could Mohammed Gaddafi call his people cockroaches and rats? He ensured that they were killed despite their peaceful refusal to live in the dungeon of suffering for forty two years. This is completely an inhumane for any civilized government. Apart from his awkward attitude in his country, he extended support to dictators in other parts of the African continent. For instance, during the testimony at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Liberia, most of the rebel commanders mentioned that they were trained in Libya. These rebels disintegrated the Liberian society in every direction. The rebels made sure that over two hundred thousand Liberian died and the country is now a failed state. Up to date, the Liberians are still suffering from the scourge of the civil war.

Indeed, Gaddafi has landed in the International bird net. It is a reality that the civilized world can also discipline any leader who misbehaved. It is not only the issue for African leaders. A typical example is the Boss of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn who was in custody on charges on sexual assault with a hotel maid. He was in fact refused bail. This is exactly the type of justice that is needed to protect the dignity of mankind in the world. Whatever judgment that will come thereafter, justice is being taken in a fair manner.   Gaddafi will have to learn that the world is global village and no man is an island. Let this go as a lesson to African leaders who enjoy inflicting suffering on their people.

The World is ready to regiment those who will engage in such a practice. Let it not be conceptualized that they will withdraw from any major international organizations. This will be unthinkable for any dictator. African Leaders must learn to treat their people with respect and pride. The world is watching and ready to apprehend any evil doer. The International bird net has been made for such a leader who will go contrary to international regulations. I am of the conviction that one day most African leaders will learn to be more positive in dealing with their people. Why could Gaddafi ever think that the world will watch him destroyed his people and go free? The time is now;

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New Study Shows Four Women Raped Every 5 Minutes in the DRC

Almost every minute of every day in different parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a woman is raped. So says a new study published by the American Journal of Public Health, the AJPH. The study says the incidence of sexual assault is 26 times higher than United Nations figures.

Jocelyne Sambira reports.

Duration: 2’36”

The study examined detailed household data gathered from women between the ages of 15 and 49 living in the DR Congo.

The data shows that 400,000 women are raped every year in the Congo which translates to over a thousand raped every day, 48 raped every hour and four raped every five minutes.

Margot Wallström, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said the report helps to better understand the problem.

“This brings more clarity to the phenomenon of sexual violence. It also confirms what we know from before and that is sexual violence is grossly underreported.”

The rate of sexual violence quoted in the new study is significantly higher than the previous estimate of 16,000 rapes reported in one year by the UN.

Wallström explained the discrepancy between the two reports.

“We do make a distinction between conflict-related sexual violence – how it is being used as a kind of weapon of war and what is also studied here – which is intimate partner sexual violence and domestic violence. And finally I would say that there is a difference in the way we count because the United Nations also has to verify these figures. When we report, we also should do it in such a way that we can do follow-up, that there is assistance to be given to the victims.”

But the expert on sexual violence also believes it’s time to move beyond the numbers.

“As much as we want to describe the magnitude of the problem, it must take us beyond counting the number of rapes for example. It must bring us into how we can prevent it. How we can do peacekeeping better.”

More important though are the people behind the figures. Margot Wallstom again:

“I remember this young woman who I met in Walikale and she said that she had been taken out of her home the night before she was getting married and had been gang raped and her whole future destroyed in a way. And she was not only devastated but she was also angry. I could feel that that she was also furious that this could be done to her. And she said that a dead rat is worth more than a woman who has been raped.”

Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations.

United Nations Radio

















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Rwanda: Gender Equality Through Hip-Hop

Emma Prince, allafrica

Hip — Hip hop music was regarded as a man’s thing. Today, women rap and sometimes do it better than their male competitors.

American rapper Da Brat

It all started as early as the 1980’s when African-American diva, MC Lyte emerged as the first lady rapper. She was then signed to an upcoming label, ‘Def Jam’. Then her hip-hop journey began.

She paved way for other sensational female hip-hop stars including Da Brat, Foxy Brown and Queen Latifah plus the super EVE in 2001.

Rwandan singers adopted the hip-hop genre as late as 2007 when ‘Gangster G’ recorded her first rap song. She was joined by Ado Pacifique (Paccy) in 2009 and then newcomers, like Young Grace, El-Poeta in 2010.

At 21 years Paccy inspires a growing number of younger rappers. One special thing about her is that she has a delightful singing voice, yet she prefers to sing in less smooth hip-hop, as a loyalty to the gender equality movement.

“I couldn’t utilize politics to preach equality because I am not a politician. That’s why I use my talent to try and inspire as many other women as I possibly can,” she says.

Joyce Namande, commonly known as Kitty is also an upcoming singer and she is a fan of rapper Paccy. She is proud of how Rwandan girls rap.

“Though I sing R&B, I love hip-hop more than anything,” she says. “I am inspired to work harder in my R&B by women rappers who have a successful hip-hop career.”

Sebahire Severan (Seb’s), an audio music producer says that he promotes women musicians in his ‘One Way Studio’, because he believes in women empowerment.

He explains: “Women have what it takes to speak to the public through their songs. That is why I give priority to women and encourage them to take up music as a career.”

Seb’s recorded songs for free, for many female upcoming rappers.

Paccy also uses hip-hop to spread practical message including the ‘equality talk’. Unlike other music styles like Pop and Rock, Paccy says the message carried by hip-hop songs is easier to deliver. She exploits rap to maximum.

She is sometimes accused of using complicated lyrics. She defends herself by saying that the ‘complicated’ components are real life problems which some listeners are never willing to listen to.

“Sometimes people enjoy party or love songs. When you sing the sour reality of real life, only a few are willing to take in your message,” she says. “As someone dedicated to delivering message, I am not scared of losing out on party or love songs.”

She however keeps a distance from explicit or controversial lyrics in her songs. This is one reason why her music is never too mature for young ones and never too young for mature ears.

Apart from the choice of lyrics and the competition from male rappers, the “Umunsi Umwe” singer still finds it hard to join the trust of her fans.

Hip hop artists worldwide have a bad reputation. Some have criminal records for unlicensed guns, drug deals, murders and thefts. Even an innocent woman who joins the industry is regarded as a bad character because of the terrible reputation rappers have.

Like any other rapper, Paccy often finds it hard to inform her listeners through music because rap stars are branded criminals.

In a society with cultural values, a girl rapper doing hullabaloo on radio does not communicate easily to older listeners.

Female rappers have to perform better than men to make. They are not society’s regular feminine female which brings them to confrontation with families or even boyfriends.

Paccy recently gave birth to a baby girl. She will need time and energy to get back to the top spot in the rap industry. Her optimistic personality and determination will get her back on her feet.

So far, the tough rapper is considered successful because most of her songs are appreciated by music lovers. This deems her as capable of breaking the male dominance in hip-hop.

She often quotes seasoned writer and republican politician, Clare Boothe Luce’s, ‘Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.”

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Study Shows ARVs Can Protect the Uninfected Against HIV

Khopotso Bodibe
AllAfrica

A multi-national study shows that if an HIV-positive person starts taking antiretroviral therapy early on, that is, when their CD 4 count is still high, their chances of infecting their HIV-negative partner can decrease by as much as 96%.

The results of the study are viewed as confirmation of untested wisdom among clinicians who have for a number of years thought that people on combination antiretroviral therapy have a lower chance of transmitting HIV to their uninfected partners. This was presumed on the basis that ARVs fight off HIV infection, which results in the reduction of the viral load in one’s system. The study involved almost 1 800 people in sero-discordant relationships, where one partner has HIV and the other doesn’t. They were from Africa, Asia and the Americas. In South Africa, the study was conducted at two sites in Johannesburg – Helen Joseph and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic hospitals, and involved almost 100 participants. A key requirement was that they needed to have a considerably higher CD 4 count of 350 – 550.

“We were looking to confirm or to evaluate whether combination antiretroviral treatment can interrupt HIV transmission between HIV-discordant partners”, says Dr Guy de Bruyn, the principal investigator who conducted the clinical study at Chris Hani Bara.

The result showed a significant potential.

“We’ve shown that there’s a 96% reduction in transmission of HIV from the positive partner to the negative partner”, says Dr Sharlaal Badal-Faesen, the principal investigator at the Helen Joseph Hospital site.

This was a randomised study where participants were divided into two groups. Those on the intervention arm were given different ARV combinations and those on the control arm started receiving ARVs only when they reached a stage where, according to national AIDS treatment guidelines, they would qualify for treatment at a CD 4 count of 200 or when they started getting ill with AIDS defining symptoms.

“On the one arm, 50% of these patients received ARVs immediately. On the second arm, those patients did not receive ARVs when they started on the trial. They were monitored until their CD 4 counts reached 250 or below, and then initiated on ARVs. So, in that way we could compare subjects that got ARVs to subjects that do not get ARVs”, explains Dr Badal-Faesen.

Dr de Bruyn adds that “there had been 28 infections that were linked in other words, that were demonstrated by molecular methods to have come from the HIV-infected partner and passed to the initially uninfected partner. Of those 28, 27 were in the group that received treatment according to guidelines and only one was in the group that received immediate antiretroviral therapy. So, that is where we arrived at the 96% difference comparing those two rates”.

He says throughout the study, participants were advised to follow safe sexual practices, which some might have followed adequately and others not. That, then, would explain the differences in levels of infection in both study groups.

“What we are reporting is the actual number of infections that occurred. Essentially, we’re showing that the immediate treatment arm was protected at a far higher rate than people that were in the arm that was treated per guidelines. We assume that the behaviours, on average, would have been similar across both groups. That’s something that’s inherent in a randomised trial. For example, potentially by the act of randomization, the propensity to use condoms when advised to do so should be equally distributed between the two groups”, Dr de Bruyn says.

The second element of the study was to investigate whether early anti-retroviral therapy can protect HIV-positive people from HIV-associated illnesses, as “starting patients earlier on ARVs obviously improves their immunity. So, in so doing they have the added advantage of protection from opportunistic infection”, adds Dr Badal-Faesen.

“In this particular study we’ve shown that there was a 40% reduction in morbidity”, she says.

The recommendations arising out of the findings suggest that early intervention with ARVs could reduce morbidity in HIV-infected people as well as add to HIV prevention methods that exist.

“The implication is that we need to be providing treatment earlier than we do currently. The benefit to the individual receiving treatment is present whether you start late, when it’s life saving, or earlier, in which case you reduce clinical events as we saw in this study. Not only is it beneficial to the individual, but it’s also highly effective in reducing transmission to their partners. And that, hopefully, could be an important tool in reducing the epidemic”, concludes Dr de Bruyn.

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International Religion Extremism


In March, 2011, when pastor Wayne Sapp set afire the holy book of Islam, the Koran, he never thought his action in far-away Florida, would spiraled into a convolution of arson and human carnage elsewhere. In Kandahar, Afghanistan, some innocent staffs of the UN have paid the ultimate price. Religion extremism has come to define modern living. International diplomacy and internal politics of nations have been mired in incessant religion conflicts in a more lethal dimension since 9/11. It has been a battle between the West (Christians) and the Middle-East (Muslims), from Nigeria to Egypt, as in Bahrain and Afghanistan; there is no love between brothers and sisters of the two faiths. The death of Osama Bin Ladin, the inspirational leader of Al-Qaida group in a US military-led operation in Abbotadab, Pakistan might mark the denouement of the group operation. But that has not foreclosed the possibility of group’s total incapacity to carry out attacks on innocent souls in their usual characteristic manner. While the US is still trying to access Osama’s computers and flash-drives for sensitive information that could give leads to some other key members of the group, the US, other Western nations, as well the whole world would have to beef-up security to check their operations. The Marxian postulation of religion, as the ‘opium of the people…’ has been repeatedly confirmed with devastating events as that in Kandahar and other religion flashpoints in the world. Religion tolerance has become a hard pill to swallow.