Anil Kumar Batta

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. The number of breast cancer survivors has increased due to screening and improved treatment methods, which makes it important to increase knowledge on their health and well-being. Physical activity has been reported to improve quality of life, decrease fatigue and reduce all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality in breast cancer survivors. In physically active subjects, the risk reduction averaged 25–30%. Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer in women. Its pathogenesis involves genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors6. A large body of evidence indicates that physical activity has positive effects on every aspect of breast cancer evolution, including prevention, medical treatment, and aftercare clinical settings. Thus, different types of exercise can influence the prevention and progression of the disease through several common mechanisms, such as reduction of insulin resistance and improvement of immunity and cardiovascular function. Furthermore, acute and chronic symptoms of breast cancer, such as cachexia, muscle mass loss, fatigue, cardiotoxicity, weight gain, hormone alterations, bone loss, and psychological adverse effects, may all be favorably influenced by regular exercise.7 The potential role of exercise in reducing the intensity of the adverse effects that result from breast cancer and anticancer treatment is also discussed1. According to published data, 30–60 min of exercise per day at a moderate intensity is regarded as the optimal duration. Furthermore, physical activity plays an important role in the therapy of breast cancer, not only after finishing but already during treatment. The beneficial effects of physical activity may manifest themselves in circulating levels of insulin, insulin-growth factors (IGFs) I and II and their binding proteins (IGFBPs), or inflammatory biomarkers. The aim of this report was to review available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of physical activity on biomarkers in breast cancer survivors. Five RCTs reported statistically significant effects of physical activity on insulin, IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3 in breast cancer survivors, but the results were not consistent. None of four RCTs found any evidence for a role of investigated interleukins. One trial reported some evidence that exercise may decrease C-reactive protein levels. In conclusion, available RCTs have produced some evidence that physical activity may result in beneficial changes in levels of insulin, IGFs, IGFBPs, and inflammatory biomarkers in breast cancer survivors. However, further larger RCTs on physical activity and biomarkers in breast cancer survivors are warranted.

Antioxidants are substances that prevent oxidation of other compounds or neutralize free radicals. Spices and herbs are rich sources of antioxidants. Spices are rich in antioxidants, and scientific studies suggest that they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar and circulating lipids. They have been used in food and beverages to enhance flavor, aroma and color. Due to their excellent antioxidant activity, spices and herbs have also been used to treat some diseases. In this review article, the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of spices and culinary herbs are presented. Lipid oxidation has been identified as the major deterioration process of vegetable oils. Undesirable effects are even more profound when food processing involves high temperatures in the presence of oxygen. Natural ground herbs (black pepper, ginger, turmeric, rosemary, and oregano) were assessed for their antioxidant capacity, phenolic content and ability to improve the oxidative stability of vegetable oils. In the current set-up, the anti-proliferative, anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory effects of spices have overriding importance is discussed. Spices have very low-calorie content and are relatively inexpensive; they are reliable sources of antioxidants and other potential bioactive compounds in the diet.

Flaxseed is emerging as an important functional food ingredient because of its rich contents of α-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3 fatty acid), lignans, and fiber. Flaxseed oil, fibers, and flax lignans have potential health benefits such as in the reduction of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and osteoporosis, autoimmune and neurological disorders. Flax protein helps in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and in supporting the immune system. As a functional food ingredient, flax or flaxseed oil has been incorporated into baked foods, juices, milk and dairy products, muffins, dry pasta products, macaroni and meat products. The present review focuses on the evidences of the potential health benefits of flaxseed through human and animals’ recent studies and commercial use in various food products. There is currently much interest in phytochemicals as bioactive molecules of food. Functional foods are an emerging field in food science due to their increasing popularity among health-conscious consumers. Flaxseed is cultivated in many parts of the world for fiber, oil as well as for medicinal purposes and also as a nutritional product. In this review, nutrients, anti-nutrients, functional properties, processing, metabolism and health benefits of bioactive molecules viz., essential fatty acids, lignans and dietary fiber of flaxseed are discussed.