Health Buzz: Aspirin May Protect Against Colon Cancer and Other Health News

Study Finds Aspirin Shields Against Colon Cancer in High-Risk Group

A new study suggests that taking aspirin regularly helps protect against colon cancer in those at high risk of the disease, the Associated Press reports. Researchers studied 1,071 people with Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that boosts the risk of developing colon and other types of cancer. About half of study participants received daily doses of aspirin for about four years, and other participants received a placebo. After tracking the participants over 10 years, researchers found that six of those who took aspirin developed colon cancer compared with 16 who did not take aspirin, according to the AP. Lead researcher John Burn of Newcastle University in Britain presented the results at the European Cancer Organization and European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Berlin. The results do not apply to people at average risk for the disease, the AP said.

Research that appeared last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that people with colorectal cancer who took aspirin reduced their risk of death. Learn 12 things you should know about aspirin.

Spanking Causes More Harm as Children Get Older

New research in the journal Child Development looks at how parents' choices of discipline in childhood are tied to teenage behavior, U.S. News contributor Nancy Shute reports. Researchers followed a total of about 750 children from ages 5 to 16 and found that the children whose parents put aside physical discipline over the years demonstrated much less antisocial behavior than those whose parents continued to use harsh or moderate physical discipline. The physically disciplined children also had much poorer relationships with their parents.

What's new and intriguing in this work is that the researchers found that most parents back off on physical discipline as children move into the later elementary school grades, Shute writes. In other words, most parents pick up on the fact that as their children become more sophisticated in their thinking and behavior, their own approach to discipline has to grow up, too. Read more.

Last year, Shute wrote about the research on spanking as discipline. Consider these 8 ways parents go wrong when disciplining their kids.

How Much Sugar Is Too Much?

The American Heart Association recently recommended that Americans limit their added-sugar intake. A huge source for millions of Americans is sugary beverages—soda but also fruit drinks or punches, says Walter Willett, U.S. News Health Advice expert on nutrition. Not consuming these, or if so only rarely, is very important for maintaining health, he says.

Women should consume no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars, and men should not top 150 calories per day, according to the AHA's recommendation. Five percent of calories from added sugar [the AHA recommendation] translates to about 25 grams, or 5 teaspoons, for a typical person, Willett says. If you look at the food labels, you can see how the content fits into this total target. This is not perfect, because the label includes natural sugars like those in an orange, which are not counted toward the 5 percent, he says. Metabolically, though, natural sugar behaves the same, so you should be on the safe side by including natural sugar, Willett says. Read more. 

Here's a breakdown of popular sweeteners and a list of foods surprisingly high in added sugar. Also, read why soft drinks and energy drinks are too sweet for your own good.

Other Popular Articles From USNews.com

• Battling Diabetes With Diet and Exercise
• 10 Cities Where Coronary Bypass Surgery Outpaces Angioplasty
• 10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep
• 5 Risks Linked to Diabetes Medications
• 7 Steps Newly Diagnosed Diabetics Should Take
• 6 Ways to Reduce Inflammation Without Taking a Statin
• Need Care? Scan the Rankings: Best Nursing Homes, Best Health Plans, and Best Hospitals.