UBC Researcher Receives Close To $1 Million For Collaborative Project.

With nearly $1 million in funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, a UBC researcher will target cancer prevention strategies in northern B.C., where cancer incidence rates are the highest in the province.

Professor Joan Bottorff, Director of the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at UBC’s Okanagan campus, will spearhead a multi-sector team of researchers and health professionals from the Canadian Cancer Society – BC & Yukon Division, BC Cancer Agency and Northern Health (NH) in a project aimed at reducing the incidence of cancer in northern British Columbia. “There is a pressing need for improved primary cancer prevention in northern B.C., where mortality rates for all cancers are highest in comparison to other provincial health regions,” says Bottorff.

The smoking rate in northern B.C. is 22.8 per cent, substantially higher than the provincial average of 15 per cent, and the region has the highest rate of lung cancer in the province. As well, reports consistently show higher Continue reading »

In the last fifty years, prunes have earned a reputation more related to power pooping than all the rest of their amazing health benefits. But it was not always so.

Prunes have been enjoyed for thousands of years, but it was only recently that some of the benefits were acknowledged by science. Now the dried fruit is known to prevent aging and osteoporosis, and when eaten for as little as 14 days, causes the levels of enzymes that protect bone to soar! Prunes (dried plums) are packed with vitamin K and boron, both essential to bone health.

Researchers found that prunes actually have more than twice the antioxidant capacity of other high ranking foods, such as blueberries and raisins, and yes, they really help to keep you ‘regular’

Two patients limp into two British Columbia hospitals, both requiring hip replacements. The first patient gets examined within the hour, x-rayed the same day and has surgery the following week.

The second waits two weeks to see a family doctor, then eighteen more weeks to see an orthopedist, where x-rays are taken, but aren’t seen for another six months. Finally, surgery is booked for six months in the future, but gets cancelled after five and half months due to unavailable surgeons. After eighteen months, the information becomes too old, so the process needs to be repeated.

Why such different treatments? The first patient is a dog. The second patient is a senior citizen.