Health
Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds
Exercise is known to reduce cancer risk — but that doesn’t have to mean hard-core gym sessions or long runs.
A new study led by Oxford researchers reveals that casual walking and other light-intensity activities are enough to lower cancer incidence.
The number of steps was found to be more important than the pace of the walk, they found.
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Those who walked 7,000 steps per day had an 11% lower cancer risk compared to those taking 5,000 steps per day, and the risk was 16% lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day, according to a press release from the Oxford Centre for Early Cancer Detection at the University of Oxford.
Even shopping and performing household chores have been shown to reduce cancer risk.
A new study led by Oxford researchers reveals that casual walking and other light-intensity activities are enough to lower cancer incidence. (iStock)
Overall, those who had the highest total amount of daily physical activity were 26% less likely to develop cancer compared to those with the lowest amount, after adjusting for lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI) and other health conditions.
The study, which was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed activity tracker data for 85,394 people in the UK Biobank averaging 63 years of age.
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They then compared that data with future cancer diagnoses in 2,633 participants over a nearly six-year period.
While previous studies have used self-reported exercise to determine reduced cancer risk, this one used “more precise data” based on wearable activity trackers.
“Our research highlights the importance of all forms of movement,” senior study author Aiden Doherty, professor of biomedical informatics at Oxford Population Health, said in the release.
“Whether it’s increasing daily steps, engaging in light activity or incorporating moderate-to-vigorous exercise, any level of physical activity appears to contribute to lower cancer risk.” (iStock)
“Whether it’s increasing daily steps, engaging in light activity or incorporating moderate-to-vigorous exercise, any level of physical activity appears to contribute to lower cancer risk.”
“Our findings support and enhance current national and international physical activity guidelines, showing that people who often engage in simple low-intensity activities, such as walking, have a lower risk of developing cancer.”
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Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, pointed out that cancer is linked to inflammation, which is linked to sedentary behavior.
“All kinds of activity, including walking, increases metabolic function and decreases inflammation.” (iStock)
“All kinds of activity, including walking, increases metabolic function and decreases inflammation,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The results of this study are not surprising and are in keeping with previous and ongoing research.”
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In addition to Oxford Health researchers, experts from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute participated in the study.
Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health’s Intramural Research Program and the National Institutes of Health’s Oxford Cambridge Scholars Program.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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