Nutrition, Health,

and Disease
Nutrition, Health,
and Disease
A Public Health Link

Kaufui V. Wong, PhD, PE

Nutrition, Health, and Disease: A Public Health Link
Copyright Momentum Press, LLC, 2017.

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 Abstract
The link between nutrition and health and many diseases comes from the
Chinese (and Indian) holistic view of the health of the human body. The
findings and insight of my work have been published in scholarly journals
in the field. This is my first book in what I hope to be a mini-series in
these related fields. In the current time, with the myriad information re-
garding nutrition from different cultures and different parts of the world,
guidance for the common man is important. This book will be about
the more logical and better substantiated nutritional practices and juried
literature around the world, and its impact on health and disease. The
monograph will be appropriate for use in a nutritional or an epidemiol-
ogy course. This book was designed as one of the textbooks for a whole
course, and it can be employed to create modules in existing courses, or
as a supplementary text in nutrition associated with epidemiology. It is
meant for a wide readership. This is not just a book for epidemiology
students, but also for the ordinary adults who want to participate fully in
the betterment of their own nutritional choices, and consequently their
health and disease statuses. The topic has universal appeal.

Keywords
Alzheimers Disease, cancer, doctor, diabetes, Epidemiology, public health
 Contents
Preface...................................................................................................ix
Chapter 1 Nutritional Perspective about Prostate Cancer
Disparity between the West and the
Rest of the World...............................................................1
Chapter 2 Perspective About Anesthesia Use and
Alzheimers Disease and Dementia...................................19
Chapter 3 Nutrition and the Hispanic Health Paradox.....................35
Chapter 4 Cousin Marriages from Viewpoint of Genetics.................51
Chapter 5 Linking Energy Levels in the Circadian Core
Body Temperature Cycle to Human Health and
Well-Being.......................................................................61
Chapter 6 Stresses Caused by Too Much Wheat and Sugar...............71
Chapter 7 A Perspective of One Important Risk Factor of
Type 2 Diabetes in Hispanic and Asian Minorities...........81
Chapter 8 Meditation and Brain Exercises Allow Mature
Persons to Continue to Be Valuable Assets.......................93
Index..................................................................................................105
 Preface
It was over 15 years ago when my own health and well-being were threat-
ened with a higher than allowed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score,
higher than 4. I went fearfully for a biopsy, and luckily for me the test
results revealed that I had only benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It
was not so much the invasive test itself, but the medical advice that I
was given that stirred the rebellious nature and researcher in me. I was to
show up every 6 months for a biopsy and stay in the watchful waiting
state. From my own research, I discovered that in many other countries,
the critical PSA score for a biopsy to be performed was 10, rather than 4.
The common sense in me also told me that my prostate gland, the size of a
walnut, and weakened by BPH, would not do well in a regimen of biopsy
every 6 months. From these set of circumstances, I decided to educate
myself and take back as well as control my own health. This refusal to do
any more unnecessary biopsies on a weakened prostate and a regimen of
a healthy diet (and exercise) and supplements (including herbal remedies)
helped me through years (still continuing) of rising and decreasing PSA,
and hopefully no mandatory visit to the oncologist. This turning point
moment of mine took place before the American Medical Association
(AMA) decided that the PSA test was less than a dependable method to
locate and warn about prostate cancer.
My turning point moment was also the beginning of my start, and
then my love and passion for the research and study in the generally re-
lated fields of nutrition, health, and diseases. The link between nutrition
and health and many diseases comes from the Chinese (and also Indian)
holistic view of the health of the human body. The findings and insight
of my work have been mostly published in academic journals. This is my
first book in what I hope to be a mini-series in these related fields.
Nowadays, with the myriad information regarding nutrition from dif-
ferent cultures and different parts of the world, guidance for the common
man is important. This book will be about the more logical and better
x PREFACE

substantiated nutritional practices and juried literature around the world,

and its impact on health and disease. The monograph will be appropriate
for use in a nutritional or an epidemiology course. This book was de-
signed as one of the textbooks for a whole course, and it can be employed
to create modules in existing courses, or as a supplementary text in nutri-
tion associated with epidemiology. It is meant for a wide readership. This
is not just a book for epidemiology students, but also for the ordinary
adults who want to participate fully in the betterment of their own nu-
tritional choices, and consequently their health and disease statuses. The
topic has universal appeal. Several topics provide an understandable dis-
cussion of many of the more detailed and complex treatments presented
in selected archival medical journal papers. All topics are accompanied by
a wise perspective and interpretation of the already published informa-
tion, when warranted.
I acknowledge with thanks the academic journals in which all my
papers (chapters) have been previously published. The perceptiveness of
Ms. Peggy Williams of Momentum Press who recognized the public service
value of my work is acknowledged with thanks. I humbly dedicate this
first book in the mini-series to St. Brother Andre of Montreal, Canada.
He was a lay brother, who still managed to do his part in helping the sick
and terminally ill during his time.

Kaufui V. Wong, PhD, PE

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
University of Miami, FL, USA
 CHAPTER 1

Nutritional Perspective
about Prostate Cancer
Disparity between the West
and the Rest of the World

Abstract
The hypothesis is that the lack of natural phytochemicals in the diet of
men in the West contributes to higher incidence of prostate cancer com-
pared to the rest of the world. There is strong evidence in the literature
that phytochemicals play the role of a defense system in a human body
so that the body is not vulnerable to incurable and dangerous diseases.
There are studies that show that phytochemicals play a major role in the
prevention of cancer and fewer studies specifically on prostate cancer.
Health benefits are best obtained through the consumption of a varied
diet that comprise fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, and seeds that
contain phytochemicals. The current work has shown the perspective
that some common foods that contain high amounts of phytochemicals
which could be key to good health (as regards not getting prostate cancer)
include garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, chili peppers, and turmeric, as
well as the almost universal food items of vegetable oil, onions, and black
pepper. The current work has shown the perspective that the large inci-
dences of prostate cancer in the United States, Canada, several Western
European nations, Australia, and New Zealand are probably due to the
lack of active phytochemicals in the daily diet of the majority of the men
in these countries.

Source: Food Science and Technology Letters, ISSN: 0976-982X & E-ISSN: 0976-9838,
Vol. 3, Iss. 1, 2012, pp. 1419.
2 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

Keywords

daily diet, natural phytochemicals, prostate cancer

1.1Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that the lack of natural phytochemicals in the diet of
men in the West contributes to the higher incidence of prostate cancer
compared to the rest of the world.
The concern is the amount and frequency of phytochemicals and
other anticancer factors (e.g., TNF) in the diet. This work is expected to
improve the understanding of prostate cancer health disparities between
the West and the rest of the world.

1.2 Background Literature Review

There are various studies [119] on the protective action of phytochemi-
cals against cancer. In fact, there are three related reviews [58] on the
subject. In [5], Beecher performed a review of the cancer preventative
effects of cruciferous vegetables. In [6], Rao and Rao did a review about
carotenoids and human health. Reference [7] is a comprehensive review of
cancer prevention through dietary antioxidants. In [8], it was concluded
that recent increases in consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor
foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced
physical activity, have led to obesity rates that have risen threefold or more
since 1980 in some areas of North America and Europe. Obesity poses
a major risk for serious diet-related chronic diseases, including Type 2
diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, and certain forms
of cancer. In [16], a very small inverse association between intake of total
fruits and vegetables and cancer risk was observed. One of the facts to
come out from the five-a-day campaign in the United States is that despite
canvassing and promoting dietary recommendations to eat at least five
portions of fruit and vegetables a day for the past 25 years, still less than
25 percent of the American population achieve this level of intake [8].
These figures are similar for many European countries [10] (http://www
.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/dec/30/schools.schoolmeals; http://www.telegraph
 NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY 3

.co.uk/health/healthnews/7572108/Britons-eating-fewer-vegetables
-despite-5-a-daycampaign.html; http://www.who.int/dietphysical activity
/media/en/gs_fv_ppt_mmeyer.pdf ).
These facts provided the backdrop for the current work.
In [20], it was found that the antioxidant phytochemicals in garlic do
prevent oxidant damage. This action allows garlic to play a role in prevent-
ing diseases such as cancer. Turmeric, garlic, and ginger are discussed with
respect to chemoprevention in [21]. Reference [22] is about cumin and
cancer in rats. Reference [23] results indicated that linalool (coriander,
parsley) possessed the strongest activity (among other spices and herbs
studied) against a broad spectrum of carcinoma cells. Reference [24] is
work related to cancer prevention effects of chili peppers. It was found
that capsaicin generates reactive oxygen species in cells with resultant
induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, which is beneficial for cancer
chemoprevention.
Studies related to prostate cancer prevention and foods exist for tea
polyphenols (tea), curcumin (turmeric), genistein (soy bean), resvera-
trol (grapes, peanuts), lycopene (tomatoes, water melon), pomegran-
ate and lupeol (mangoes), [7]. In reference [25], they found protective
effects of vegetables, particularly cruciferous vegetables, on prostate
cancer risk. Kolonel etal. [26] suggest that legumes (not limited to soy
products) and certain categories of vegetables may protect against pros-
tate cancer. Giovannucci [27] did an epidemiological literature r eview
of the antioxidant value of tomatoes and tomato products as well as
lycopene on prostate cancer. Results were different among published
studies; however, he observed that the studies that claimed that lyco-
pene gave some protection against prostate cancer to the consumer
were based on c ohorts that consumed much more tomatoes and t omato
products than those in the studies that claimed otherwise. One study
was as much as ten times more. That the quantity of the vegetable or
fruit item to be consumed for sufficient preventative effect to be shown
was strongly indicated. Gupta etal.s [2830] work shows the prostate
cancer preventative effect of green tea. Curcumin (turmeric) has been
shown to induce apoptosis in both androgen-dependent and androgen-
independent prostate cancer cells; this was accomplished by down
4 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

regulating apoptosis suppressor proteins and other crucial proteins such

as the androgen receptor [31].
The literature indicates that studies have been done singly, and in vari-
ous combinations, about food items that will be examined in the current
work, but not in the exact combination.
Justification/rationale/statistic shows that one out of three people is
affected by cancer before the age of 75. This represents 12 percent of all
reported deaths on earth. Generally, data has shown that individuals con-
suming fewest fruits and vegetables have twice the chance of developing
certain cancers, suggest that these dietary shortcomings could play a role
in the higher cancer rates now afflicting the West [17]. In this context,
the West refers to the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia,
and New Zealand. In the United States, the gender-specific cancer with
the highest mortality in men is prostate cancer. While there is abundant
scientific and government support for recommending diets rich in nutri-
ents from fruits and vegetables, there is only limited evidence to prove the
physiological effects of any specific phytochemicals.
In addition, the nutritional campaign to eat at least five portions of
fruit and vegetables a day for the past 25 years in the United States and
Europe have not succeeded [8,10]. The time is ripe for a nutritional cam-
paign that is easier to implement and therefore adopted by the masses.
The motivation to look at culinary styles of various cultures come from
the fact that these styles have been proven at some level, and that the food
ingredients used by these different cultures have been incorporated for a
long time in their daily diets, often for centuries.
It is also common knowledge that agriculture in developed nations
(in the West) is more prone to employ pesticides and hence the produce
(being thus protected) tend to have less natural phytochemicals, which
are natures agents for protecting the various edible plant life. For effi-
ciency and productivity, pesticides have customarily been used in agriculture
in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Because of the protection afforded by these pesticides against pests and
disease, the fruits and vegetables consumed by the populations of these
countries lack the amount of natural phytochemicals found in naturally
grown or organically grown produce. This reduced availability of phyto-
chemicals in the produce could be a contributory factor to the incidence
 NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY 5

of prostate cancer and other cancers in the West since the natural pro-
tection provided by the consumption and assimilation of these natural
phytochemicals have been decreased with the use of pesticides. This con-
tributory factor is over and above the fact that diets in the West contain
less fruits and vegetables per calorie consumed than diets in East Asia and
South Asia, for instance.
It is a fact that there is prostate cancer disparity between African
Americans and males of other cultural origins and the genetic makeup
in the United States. The dietary habits of most of the African countries
will not be examined. The Arab countries (including Egypt) will be
considered.

1.3 The Nutrient Health Equation

The quality of a diet can be based on three simple criteria:

Levels of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals) per

calorie.
Amounts of macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate, protein) to meet
individual needs, without excessive calories that may lead to weight
gain or health compromise.
Avoidance of potentially toxic substances (such as trans fats) and
limited amounts of other potentially harmful substances (such as
sodium).

Fuhrman created the health equation (H = N/C or Health = Nutrients/

Calories; first published in 1999 in his work, The Health Equation, and
later described it in more detail in another book, Eat to Live [32]) to de-
fine how the quality of calories impacts health.
This equation means a persons health can be predicted by the micronu-
trient per calorie density of the persons diet. Micronutrient per calorie den-
sity is important in devising and recommending menu plans and dietary
suggestions that are most effective for preventing and reversing diseases.
To assure nutritional excellence means to meet an individuals unique
nutritional requirements to profound therapeutic effects for preventing,
treating, and reversing diseases. Dietary micronutrient quality must be
6 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

increased accordingly to utilize dietary recommendations therapeutically

for disease reversal or to protect high-risk individuals.
Though micronutrient density is critically important, it is not the
only factor that determines health. For example Vitamin D levels, B12,
and proper omega-3 intake are important for optimal long-term health
as well as avoidance of sodium and other toxic excesses. These concerns
are not addressed in the H = N/C equation. However, if the focus is
consuming more micronutrient-rich natural foods then the other impor-
tant nutritional benefits automatically will follow, such as lower sodium,
reduced calories, high fiber and volume, a low glycemic index, and a high
satiety and phytochemical index to name a few.

Figure 1.1 Global distribution of cancer incidence [17]

Figure 1.2 The initiation, promotion, and progression periods of

cancer [17]
 NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY 7

Figure 1.3 Anticancer phytochemicals present in some common fruits

and vegetables [17]

Some not-so common knowledge about fighting cancer are listed

below. It is an assumption of the current paper that cancer may be reduced
by eating foods rich in cancer-fighting agents. The major phytochemicals
in the more commonly available produce (in urban United States) are
shown in Figure 1.3.
From Figure 1.2, it is clear that the promotion period before the can-
cer progression period can be long (10 to 40 years) [17]. In addition,
some common knowledge about diet and exercise in the fight against
cancer in general [17].

Quit smoking
Lower red meat and calorie intake: Avoid or reduce industrially
processed foods like chips, soft drinks, crisps
Avoid barbecued meats: The greasy drippings that fall and catch
fire produce toxic substances known as aromatic hydro-carbons
Exercise regularly
8 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

Opt to modify your diet: Include certain foods that are exceptional
sources of anticancer molecules representing one of the best weap-
ons currently at our disposal in the fight against cancer.

While it true that tumors that form spontaneously in our bodies gen-
erally remain microscopic in size, posing no danger to health, it is also
true that all too often these tumors do not grow and develop into lethal
end-stage cancer. However, if it grows, we will be at a risk of developing
cancer. We should try to think of cancer as a chronic disease, one that can
be controlled on a daily basis with the help of foods rich in anticancer
compounds. Among the many anticancer compounds present in fruits
and vegetables, phytochemicals are the most important.
The eleven more common food and drink items available in the
urban areas of the United States (see Figure 1.3) are turmeric, blueber-
ries, strawberries, green tea, soya beans, tomatoes, grapes, citrus fruits,
garlic, cabbage, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables. These food
and drink items are of plant origin, with significant amounts of demon-
strated active phytochemicals.
Comparing Figure 1.4 and Figure 1.1 above, it is clear that prostate
cancer is a significant type of cancer in the western world of North America
(excluding Mexico), Western Europe (excluding the Mediterranean coun-
tries), Australia, and New Zealand. The latest estimates of global cancer
incidence show that prostate cancer has become the third most common
cancer in men, with half a million new cases each year, almost 10 percent of
all cancers in men The incidence of prostate cancer varies widely around the
world, with by far the highest rates in the United States and Canada [33].
There has been a gradual increase in the incidence of prostate cancer since
the 1960s in many countries and in most continents; there were large in-
creases in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United States.

1.4Perspective
Phytochemicals have been recognized as a plant chemical that hold within
them certain disease-preventing compounds. Although these phytochem-
icals are not yet widely classified as nutrients (but has been included in
Fuhrmans formula), their substances aid animals and people by creating a
 NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY 9

preventive barrier against diseases and sickness. Over 900 different phyto-
chemicals have been identified as components of food and are at present
still being discovered in the different foods, which are consumed on a
day-to-day basis.
From as early as 1980, the National Cancer Institute Chemopreven-
tion Program of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control began to
study and evaluate the different types of phytochemicals for safety, efficacy,
and applicability for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Researchers
have for a long time been conducting tests and have come to recognize
that there are phytochemicals which are present not only in plants for their
protection, but also that these chemicals can aid human life.
From Figure 1.4, it is evident that there is a disparity in prostate can-
cer between the West and the rest of the world. We are now going to study
the common plant ingredients in the major cooking styles of the major
countries (regions) around the world to substantiate the hypothesis. The
cooking style of a region or country embodies the cultural practices of the
people, sometimes for over a long period of time. The style with respect to
the food ingredients used is evidence that those food ingredients (identi-
fied here with that style) are omnipresent in the daily diet of the people.
Unlike in Figure 1.3, which shows the phytochemicals present in food

Figure 1.4 The incidence of prostate cancer world-wide, age

standardized, using the world standard population [33]
10 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

items easily available in urban United States, the food items focused upon
in this section are the ones which are used on a daily basis in the prepara-
tion of the meals of the people.
In Table 1.1 is listed the common foods and their well-known phyto-
chemicals associated with each of the cooking styles identified for various
countries and regions of the world. The cross in the table indicates that
the food item is present, and the single line indicates that the food item is
present in some parts of the country or the region only. It should be noted
that many of the food items have other active phytochemicals besides
those listed, and some perhaps have yet to be discovered.
The East Asian (Chinese) diet commonly involves stir-frying of veg-
etables, with or without small bite-size portions of meat, fish or equiva-
lent (e.g., soya bean curd). The base of stir-fry dishes is vegetable oil,
garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, and coriander. This base contains sev-
eral known cancer-fighting phytochemicals. This fact does not take into
account the daily widespread consumption of soya sauce and soya bean
products, tea, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables in China.
The Japanese (also East Asian) diet usually involves ginger, onion,
soya sauce, black pepper and mirin, all rich in active phytochemicals.
Soya bean products and tea are also universally consumed in Japan as
in China. Mirin is fermented rice, which is used as a sugar substitute in
savory dishes; it contains B vitamins and probiotics.
The South Asian (Indian) diet is traditionally a vegetarian diet with
milk and dairy products. Phytochemicals exist in fruits and vegetables;
hence a vegetarian diet is full of cancer-fighting nutrients. In cooking the
ubiquitous curry, which is an everyday dish, the common ingredients are
vegetable oil, turmeric, black pepper, chili pepper, cumin, onion, gar-
lic, and coriander. All these have high content of active cancer-fighting
phytochemicals. In addition, turmeric is used as a ubiquitous antiseptic
and anti-inflammatory therapeutic substance and tea is drunk widely. The
Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan cooking styles are similar to the
Indian style with respect to the food items described here.
The South East Asian (Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian, Thai, Cam-
bodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, Burmese) diets tend to be an age-old fusion
of East Asian and South Asian diets. Vegetable oil, garlic, onion, ginger,
black pepper, chili pepper, coriander and turmeric are used in various
Table 1.1 Common foods (and phytochemicals) in various regions of the world
Onion Black Garlic Chili
Country/ Veg. (diallyl pepper (diallyl Coriander Ginger Soy Tea pepper Cumin Turmeric
region oil sulphide) (peperine) sulphide) (linalool) (gingerols) (genistein) (catechins) (capsaicin) (limonene) (curcumin)
China X X X X X X X X /
Japan X X X X X X
South Asia X X X X X X X X X X
(India, etc)
South X X X X X X X X X / X
East Asia
Middle East X X X X / X
Egypt X X X X X X X
Mediterranean X X X X X /
Latin America X X X X X /
North America X X X
Europe XX XX XX
(excluding
Mediterranean)
Australia, N.
Zealand
12 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

combinations and quantities in the daily food intake of the peoples of

South East Asia. Hence, the micronutrients that fight cancer are omni-
present in the diets of the people.
The typical Middle Eastern (Arab) diet comprises the ingredients of
vegetable oil, onion, garlic, black pepper, and cumin, all of which are rich
in phytochemicals. The typical Egyptian diet contains as much fruits and
vegetables per calorie intake as the East Asian or South Asian diet. Hence,
these diets have a high H value in the micronutrient health equation.
The North American diet (United States and Canada) of the fast-food
variety contains vegetable oil, potatoes, black pepper, and onions as the
common food items consumed. Potatoes do not have a high content of
active phytochemicals. These common food items lack tremendously in
(demonstrated active) phytochemical content with respect to calorie in-
take compared to the East Asian and South Asian diets for instance. The
Western European countries, which are at the highest risks for prostate
cancer, including Australia and New Zealand, have fast-food diets similar
to the North American diet.
It is interesting to note that of the Western Europe countries, Spain
and Italy fall out of the regions with the highest levels of prostate cancer,
dropping two levels each Figure 1.4, as compared to the cancer (all types)
incidences map in Figure 1.2. In both countries (as well as in other Medi-
terranean countries), a common cooking base comprising olive oil, garlic,
onion, black pepper, and coriander, in combination increases the source
of phytochemicals several times contrasted with the cooking method in
other Western European countries. Cumin is used daily in some areas of
Spain. In Figure 1.4, it is clear that Latin America (all countries south
of the United States in the Americas) is not at the highest level of pros-
tate cancer incidences. The culinary styles found in Latin America have
evolved from the Mediterranean culinary style, so the same observations
apply. Cumin is used daily in many parts of Latin America.
The Caribbean nations and islands have a lot of influence from the
United States, and in many of them, much of their food products are
imported from the United States. The North American fast-food diet
is prevalent in the Caribbean nations and islands. In Figure 1.4, these
nations and islands are in the same category as the United States and
Canada with respect to prostate cancer incidences.
 NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY 13

The cooking ingredients common to the major customary diets

investigated here are one type of vegetable cooking oil, black pepper, and
onion. The major phytochemicals in olive oil and canola oil are well
known. Since the C value of oil is high, the H value is not increased
by oil. Onion and black pepper by themselves seem not to be enough
either. The other common ingredients for cooking in the various cus-
tomary cuisines seem to contribute significantly to reduce the inci-
dence of prostate cancer. In Table 1.1, the notable ones are observed
to be garlic, ginger, coriander, chili pepper, cumin, and turmeric.
These six plant dietary items in conjunction with onion and black pep-
per occur in all the major cuisines studied above, missing one, two,
or three at the most. The vegetable oil helps the body assimilate the
food products.
Research [34, 35] has revealed that eating a combination of broccoli
and tomatoes which possess lycopene, offers a powerful and protective
effort against cancer, which cannot be possible by eating either one of the
vegetables. It was also demonstrated that when a person eats one tomato,
he/she does not only consume lycopene, but instead the person is con-
suming many other phytochemicals, a few of which have been demon-
strated as helping (active) to prevent chronic diseases like prostate cancer,
and many others that have not been studied yet.

1.5Conclusion
There is strong evidence in the literature that phytochemicals play the
role of a defense system in a human body so that the body is not vulner-
able to incurable and dangerous diseases. There have been studies that
show phytochemicals play a major role in the prevention of cancer. and
fewer studies targeted at prostate cancer. Health benefits are best obtained
through the consumption of a varied diet that comprise fruits and veg-
etables, grains, legumes, and seeds, which contain phytochemicals. The
current work has shown the perspective that some common foods that
contain high amounts of phytochemicals, which could be key to good
health (as regards not getting prostate cancer), include garlic, onion,
coriander, cumin, chili pepper, and turmeric, as well as the almost univer-
sal food items of vegetable oil, onion, and black pepper.
14 A PUBLIC HEALTH LINK

The current paper has shown the perspective that the large incidence
of prostate cancer in the United States, Canada, several Western European
nations, Australia, and New Zealand are probably due to the lack of
active phytochemicals in the daily diet of the majority of the men in these
countries.

1.6 Further Work

The findings of the current work provide justification for further research
to monitor the diet of men in developed countries (the West) in the com-
ing years to see if there are any increases in the consumption of fruits and
vegetables, and to see if there is any change in their leadership in suffering
the most from prostate cancer.
The countries of most of Africa need to be studied with respect to
nutrition and prostate cancer, especially those with high incidences of
prostate cancer. It would be interesting to investigate if there is a caus-
ative link between the disparity of prostate cancer among the people of
African American descent and the rest of the male population in the
United States, and the high incidences of prostate cancer in many African
countries (Figure 1.4).
In addition, a campaign to include several of the food items studied
here in the daily nutrition of the American and European people could
be more successful than the current campaign to consume five servings
of fruits and vegetables. (It takes a lot of effort and planning for the aver-
age busy working person in western society to consume five servings of
fruits and vegetables daily). The principal reason for success would be
that people can achieve the inclusion of the food items studied here by
simply adopting one of the culinary styles cited here. Food manufacturers
can also prepare ready-made meals using one or all of the healthy culi-
nary styles, thus propagating the new concept put forward by the current
work. Success will be better ensured if such healthy meals are easily avail-
able from the supermarkets without radical changes to ones normal diet
(meat and potatoes, for instance). Meat and potatoes, for instance, could
be cooked with the Chinese cooking ingredients or the Japanese cooking
ingredients and provide the protective phytochemicals. Studies could be
made about such a campaign and its success or failure.
 NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITY 15

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 Index
AD. See Alzheimers disease
ADD. See Attention deficit disorder
ADHD. See Attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder
African American, cancer in, 41
Ageism, 95
Aging population, 21
Alzheimers disease (AD), 2021
hypothesis, 22
literature review, 2224
perspective, 2528
progression, timeline, 22
American Diabetes Association, 82
American Heart Association, 4144
Androgen receptor, 4
Anesthesia, 2021, 29
hypothesis, 22
literature review, 2224
perspective, 2528
Anticancer compounds, 7
Anticancer phytochemicals, 7
Antioxidant phytochemicals, 3
Arab diet, 12
Arteriovenous anastomoses (AVA), 64
Asian Americans, T2DM, 87
Asian minorities in United States, 87
Attention deficit disorder (ADD), 72,
74, 7677
Attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), 75
Autoimmune diseases, 72, 82
wheat and, 7476, 8384
AVA. See Arteriovenous anastomoses
BBC report. See British Broadcasting
Corporation report
-amyloid, 24, 29
Bocuse, Paul, 95
Body awareness, 97
Bolivia, 86
Brain, 21, 62, 63, 65, 67, 68
Brazil, T2DM in, 87
British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) report, 57
Buffett, Warren, 95
Burns, George, 95
CABG. See Coronary artery bypass
graft surgery
Cancer
in African American, 41
incidence and death rates, 6, 8, 40
initiation, promotion, and
progression periods of, 6
Cancer-fighting agents, 7
Canola oil, phytochemicals in, 13
Cardiovascular diseases, 42
CBT. See Core body temperature
Celiac disease (CD), 74, 75, 8384
Central nervous system (CNS), 65
Childbirth, C-sections for, 21
Chili peppers, cancer prevention
effects of, 38
China
cooking ingredients in, 14
diet in, 10
dominant grain staples in, 86
first cousin marriages in, 56
Marriage Law in 1981, 56
rules of Confucianism and Taoism,
ancestral worship, 94
soya bean products and tea in, 10
T2DM in, 87
Chinese government, 94
Chromosome, 53
Chronic autoimmune diseases, 73, 83
Circadian CBT cycle, linking energy
levels in, 6162
objectives of, 6263
review of, 6366
Circadian CBT rhythm, 66
CM. See Consanguineous marriages
106 INDEX
CNS. See Central nervous system
Cognitive impairment, mild forms
of, 23
Cognitive tests, 28
Consanguineous marriages in
Pakistan, 52
Contacts, 96, 100
Cooking style, 9, 10
Core body temperature (CBT)
circadian cycle of, 6163
temperature regulators of, 68
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
(CABG), 2729
Cousin marriage, customs and
practices, 5557
C-sections for childbirth, 21
Cumin, 12
Curcumin (turmeric), 3, 38
Daily diet, 4, 9, 14
Davidson, Richard, 99
Dementia, 2021
hypothesis, 22
literature review, 2224
perspective, 2528
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), 55, 57
Diabetes, world and national data
about, 8487
Diet
daily diet, 4, 9, 14
East Asian (Chinese), 10
healthy brain, 20
Japanese (East Asian), 10
North American, 12
quality of, 5
SAD, 72, 82
South Asian (Indian), 10
South East Asian, 10, 12
typical Egyptian diet, 12
typical Middle Eastern (Arab), 12
western diets, 26, 27
Dietary consumption, 43
Dietary micronutrient quality, 56
Distal-proximal skin temperature
gradient (DPG), 6667
DNA. See Deoxyribonucleic acid
DPG. See Distal-proximal skin
temperature gradient
East Asian (Chinese) diet, 10
Egg yolk, 29
Experience, 96, 100
Fathers brothers daughter (FBD),
55, 57, 59
First cousin marriages, 51, 5557
fMRI machine. See Functional
magnetic resonance imaging
machine
Folate deficiency, 29
Foods, 910, 20, 37
American Heart Association data
for, 44
common, 11, 13
corporations, 44
data for, 41
with low nutrients, 24
manufacturers, 14
and nutrient data, 42, 43
phytochemicals in, 38
prostate cancer prevention and, 3
Franklin, Benjamin, 94
Fruits
anticancer phytochemicals in, 7
typical Egyptian diet, 12
Functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) machine, 99
Garlic, phytochemicals in, 38
GBD. See Global Burden of Disease
Genetic theory, 5355
Gliadin protein, 74, 75, 83
Global Burden of Disease (GBD),
2527
Gluten protein, 7277, 8284, 87
Goya, 94
Healthy brain diet, 20
Healthy dietary guidelines, 37
Heat stress proteins (HSP), 65
Heat transfer, 66
Hispanic black population, 41
Hispanic category, 41
Hispanic health paradox, 3637, 39, 41
data, 3942
literature review about
phytochemicals, 3739
 INDEX
107
Hispanic minorities in
United States, 87
Hispanic paradox, 36
Hispanic White minorities, 87
Hispanic white people, 36, 41
HSP. See Heat stress proteins
Human CBT cycle, 62
Hyperthermia, 65
Hypothermia, 64
Hypothermia-induced
coagulopathy, 64
India
diet in, 10
T2DM in, 87
Induced hypothermia, 64
Inflammatory cytokine expression, 28
Inhalation anesthesia, 27
Inhalational anesthetics, 23
Inherited gene pool, 56
Intravenous anesthesia, 27
Isoflurane inhalational anesthesia, 29
Isoflurane/nitrous oxide anesthesia, 28
Japanese cooking ingredients, 14
Japanese (East Asian) diet, 10
Latin America, culinary styles in, 12
Laws of thermodynamics, 62
Learning, 20, 21, 2729, 98
Lee Kuan Yew, 94
Longevity, 36, 44
Mahatma Gandhi, 94
Marriage Law in 1981, China, 56
Matriarchal system, 5657
Mauritius, diabetes in, 85
MBD. See Mothers brothers daughter
McGullough, David, 95
Mendelian inheritance principles, 54
Mental awareness, 97
Micronutrient per calorie density, 5
Middle East, cousin marriage in, 55
Mirin, 10
Morocco, wheat in, 83
Mothers brothers daughter
(MBD), 55, 57
Mothers sisters daughter (MSD), 56
National Cancer Institute
Chemoprevention Program
of Division of Cancer
Prevention and Control, 9
National Vital Statistics Report 61, 39
Natural phytochemicals, 4
Naura, 86
Nerve cells, 20
Non-Hispanic white people, 36, 39,
42, 44
Non-rapid eye movement (NREM),
6667
North American diet, 12
NREM. See Non-rapid eye movement
Nutrient health equation, 58
Nutrients
data for, 41, 43, 44
in fruits and vegetables, 4
Nutrition, 3637
data, 3942
literature review about
phytochemicals, 3739
Obesity, 2, 24, 37, 74, 82, 86
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) group, 95
Old Chinese cousin marriage
customs, 5556
Olive oil, phytochemicals in, 13
Optical microscopy methods, 65
OWS group. See Occupy Wall
Street group
Pakistan, consanguineous marriages
in, 52
Patriarchal system, 5557
Percutaneous transluminal coronary
angioplasty (PTCA), 27, 29
Permeability, 83
Phytochemicals, 810
common foods and, 10, 11
literature review, 3739
in olive oil and canola oil, 13
Plastic surgery, 29
POCD. See Post-operative cognitive
dysfunction
Polysomnography (PSG), 66
Post-operative cognitive dysfunction
(POCD), 23, 27, 29
108 INDEX
Potatoes
North American diet, 12
in Russia, 86
Processed meats, 41
Pro-inflammatory markers IL-6 and
S-100b protein, 28
Prostate cancer
hypothesis, 2
incidence of, 8, 9
literature review, 25
nutrient health equation, 58
perspective, 813
prevention and foods, 3
PSG. See Polysomnography
Psoriasis, 75
PTCA. See Percutaneous
transluminal coronary
angioplasty
Queen Elizabeth II of United
Kingdom, 94
Ratcliff, Roger, 96
Richards, Eugene, 95
SAD. See Standard American diet
SBI. See Silent brain infarction
Sensory awareness, 97
Sex chromosome inheritance, 53
Silent brain infarction (SBI), 28
Sleep, 20
Social awareness, 97
Social Security data, 36
Sodium nitrite, 44
South Asian (Indian) diet, 10
South East Asian diets, 10, 12
Standard American diet
(SAD), 72, 82
Stravinsky, Igor, 95
Stress, 20
caused by wheat and sugar, 7177
Sugar, 7274, 76, 8283
T2DM. See Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Temperature cycle, 64
Tomatoes and tomato products,
antioxidant value of, 38
Turmeric, 3, 38
Type 1 diabetes, 73, 74
Type 2 diabetes, 73, 74, 82
Typical Egyptian diet, 12
Typical Middle Eastern (Arab) diet, 12
United States, 4
Asian minorities in, 87
census data, 36
Hispanic minorities in, 87
United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), 73, 82
Vegetable oil, 13
Vegetables, anticancer
phytochemicals, 6
Vitamin B12 deficiency, 29
Vitamin C powder, 44
Western diets, 26, 27
Western European countries, 12
Wheat, 7174, 83
and autoimmune diseases,
7476, 8384
World Health Organization, 73, 82
Wouk, Herman, 95
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 95
X-linked genes, 5456
Zonulin, 74, 83
 OTHER TITLE IN OUR NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
PRACTICE COLLECTION
Katie Ferraro, University of San Francisco School of Nursing, Editor

Diet and Disease: Nutrition for Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Metabolic Stress by Katie Ferraro
Diet and Disease: Nutrition for Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal, Hepatobiliary,
Pancreatic, and Kidney Diseases by Katie Ferraro
Nutrition Support by Katie Ferraro
Sports Nutrition by Kary Woodruff
Weight Management and Obesity by Courtney Winston Paolicelli
Introduction to Dietetic Practice by Katie Ferraro
Dietary Supplements by B. Bryan Haycock and Amy A. Sunderman
Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle by Elizabeth Eilender
Nutrition Assessment by Katie Ferraro
Public Health and Community Nutrition by Elizabeth Eilender

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