Evidence Based Research | Patient Resources

Drinking coffee or tea is associated with reduced risk for stroke and dementia, with the biggest benefit associated with consuming both beverages, new research suggests. Investigators found that individuals who drank 2 to 3 cups of coffee and 2 to 3 cups of tea per day had a 30% decrease in incidence of stroke and a 28% lower risk for dementia vs those who did not. "From a public health perspective, because regular tea and coffee drinkers comprise such a large proportion of the populat...

The gut microbiome can modulate the immune system and influence the therapeutic response of cancer patients, yet the mechanisms underlying the effects of microbiota are presently unclear. Spencer et al. add to our understanding of how dietary habits affect microbiota and clinical outcomes to immunotherapy. In an observational study, the researchers found that melanoma patients reporting high fibre (prebiotic) consumption had a better response to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy compared wi...

Thanks to our deeper understanding of the underlying biology and molecular mechanisms that govern cancer, we are gaining important ground in tackling the myriad mediators of this disease. Research continues to unravel the complex interactions and interplay between mutated cells and their surrounding biological landscape, stromal cells and inflammatory cells, and extracellular matrix proteins as key components of the tumour microenvironment, and the many socioeconomic factors that make up the...

Allium family of vegetables have been a part of almost all types of cuisines. In fact, it is difficult to imagine preparing a meal without including allium vegetables. The term “Allium” may sound alien to many of us, however, once we get to know the vegetables included in this category, we will all agree that we have been using these tasty bulbs in our daily diet, both for flavour as well as for nutrition. “Allium” is a Latin word which means garlic.  However, a...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the neoplasia that is most frequently associated with vitamin D deficiency in epidemiological and observational studies in terms of incidence and mortality. Many mechanistic studies show that the active vitamin D metabolite (1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or calcitriol) inhibits proliferation and promotes epithelial differentiation of human colon carcinoma cell lines that express vitamin D receptor (VDR) via regulating a high number of genes. A key action underlin...