Comments on: Everything you eat is associated with cancer, but don't worry about it

By: SamSam

SamSam — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Was the fat joke in the caption really necessary?

By: usfoodpolicy

usfoodpolicy — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:40:00 +0000

It is true that you should not change your dietary habits based on every cancer study that comes out, but Kliff’s Wonkblog post — and to some extent the authors of the underlying article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition — go too far and overstate their case. Though you wouldn’t know it from the Wonkblog headline (or the BB post), the actual study reflected favorably on the meta-analyses that are the basis for mainstream advice about eating healthfully to reduce risk of cancer (more).

By: Tim in SF

Tim in SF — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:28:00 +0000

I would like to see MSG studied more. I’ve heard a metric buttload of anecdotal whining about the “side effects” it causes, but when these same people are given it without their knowledge, they are symptom-free.

Is it cancerous? Are the reactions to it hypochondria? Double-blind study please.

By: Wayne Dyer

Wayne Dyer — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 06:13:00 +0000

To invoke a Farkism — came here for Carlin, left happy.

By: Adam Coe

Adam Coe — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:02:00 +0000

i heard cancer causes pharmaceutical research…which causes cancer.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:04:00 +0000

And fiddleheads.

By: Dlo Burns

Dlo Burns — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 23:46:00 +0000

Fuggit, I’m eating sassafras again

By: Charlie B

Charlie B — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:15:00 +0000

rabbit hole doesn’t used to go this deep

By: niktemadur

niktemadur — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 08:07:00 +0000

This being a Xeni thread, file this one under Preempting Caturday.

A couple of years ago, the celebrated Mexican intellectual Carlos Monsivais passed away of pulmonary fibrosis, at the age of 72.
Mr Monsivais had 13 cats, and was frequently interviewed with one on his lap, sometimes another would climb to his shoulders and neck in mid-interview.
Even though pulmonary fibrosis seems to have many different agents that trigger and/or complicate the condition, needless to say the cats were the immediate scapegoat, and remain so to this day in the minds of many people who should know better.
Here’s some food for thought: The air quality of Mexico City (altitude + pollution) can profoundly complicate any respiratory condition.

I guess my point is that I’m amazed at how little we know, and how reactionary public perceptions still are, about biochemistry. Supposedly responsible journals should be aware of this and not throw more gasoline into the fire.

Now for the Caturday part, the names of a few of Mr Monsivais’ cats:
Miau Tse Tung, Catastrophe, Catzinger, Miss Anthropy, Militant Anxiety, and of course, the ever popular Dangerous To Mexico.

By: niktemadur

niktemadur — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 07:32:00 +0000

A pity that lettuce isn’t on the list. For decades, every time Time or Newsweek or the like has whipped up a new carcinogen scare, I’ve said “Just wait, one day they’ll discover that lettuce causes cancer”. Would have been nice to smoke a cigar in front of a vegetarian eating lettuce and say with authority “You know, that stuff’s gonna kill ya”.
Well, like they said about the Brooklyn Dodgers, wait ’till next year.

By: niktemadur

niktemadur — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 07:26:00 +0000

I can haz go deeper?

By: Wreckrob8

Wreckrob8 — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 06:56:00 +0000

It’s all that oxygen and pesky free radicals. Breathing will indeed kill you.

By: Steve C

Steve C — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 05:08:00 +0000

George Carlin once said that scientists have discovered that saliva causes cancer, but don’t worry, only when swallowed in small amounts over a long period of time.

I miss George.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 03:38:00 +0000

I think that everyone got spices when they were married, but in most of the US, they only ever used the dessert ones.

Mmmmm, parsley flakes.

By: orangedesperado

orangedesperado — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 03:08:00 +0000

My mother had the lazy susan full of spices from before when I was born that were very washed out looking, with only the palest hints of flavor. Like cayenne with all the power of paprika.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:40:00 +0000

That photo is apparently 1977 mace, but we would have had the 1957 mace in our cupboard. My mother made spice cake, so the mace was used. Possibly also in the annual plum pudding.

By: orangedesperado

orangedesperado — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:07:00 +0000

I second the unborn option, as a excellent cancer avoidance option. The second that ovum is fertilized, cell division and/or mutation begins, which may lead to cancer. Living is the greatest risk for cancer development.

By: orangedesperado

orangedesperado — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:04:00 +0000

Is that the same Mace that my mother had, in the lazy susan cupboard since 1958, that she used for that one recipe she used to make (but hadn’t since say, 1963) ? If so, we need to talk…

By: rattypilgrim

rattypilgrim — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:03:00 +0000

The guy in the photo looks like George Zimmerman in one of his heavy phases.

By: chgoliz

chgoliz — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 01:53:00 +0000

One of my kids’ teachers asked her about the frosting on her birthday cupcakes. She was amazed at “how good” it was.

The teacher had never eaten real buttercream frosting before.

By: chgoliz

chgoliz — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 01:50:00 +0000

The way I heard it, ascribed to Martin Marty:

Life is a sexually transmitted disease with a terminal prognosis.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 01:13:00 +0000

I grew up with homemade chocolate cake with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting.

By: Boundegar

Boundegar — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:52:00 +0000

My mom was from Minnesota. I was lucky when she used garlic powder.

By: Florian Bösch

Florian Bösch — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:39:00 +0000

Scientist caution that breathing might kill you. Eating and drinking is also counter indicated. It would be most safe to stay unborn to avoid possible hazard.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:16:00 +0000

You didn’t grow up with one of these in the spice rack?

By: Andrew Singleton

Andrew Singleton — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:54:00 +0000

I can has mouceception?

By: Aurvara

Aurvara — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:12:00 +0000

Most hotdog recipes contain mace. If you taste mace then you’ll recognise the hint of it from hotdogs.

By: Atvaark

Atvaark — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Life is a deadly sexually transmitted disease.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:56:00 +0000

I can’t remember the exact year, but some time in the late 1980′s, right before Thanksgiving, I recall my father talking about research that had determined cranberries could cause cancer. I think I even recollect seeing headlines that said “Hold the cranberry sauce!”, or words to that effect.

It wasn’t long after that a clarification was released that to be at any risk a person would have to eat a ridiculous amount of cranberries daily for a long period of time.

I forget whether the clarification came before or after the holiday, but, regardless, I had cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. I think it was the beginning of my belief that there’s no point in living longer if we have to give up the things that make living enjoyable.

By: IronEdithKidd

IronEdithKidd — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:54:00 +0000

Me, too. ;-)