The muscles of the body are reminiscent of ‘rump’, but they have more valuable functions. Its role is to protect the body in an emergency. People with strong muscles are discharged quickly even if they are hospitalized due to an accident or illness. Even when undergoing difficult chemotherapy, it can withstand cancer well. There is a saying that muscles are better than pensions. The best insurance is the muscles accumulated in the body. Let’s learn regarding the importance of muscles.
◆ Obese people have a higher cancer survival rate? why?
Studies show that obese people have a higher survival rate if they get cancer. According to the Journal of the European Cancer Society (ESMO), the 5-year survival rate was higher in those with a body mass index (BMI) of ‘overweight’ than those of ‘underweight’ or ‘normal weight’ both before and following gastric cancer surgery. The 5-year survival rate before surgery was 69.1% in the underweight group, 74.2% in the normal weight group, and 84.7% in the overweight group. One year following surgery, 67.5% of the underweight group, 83.6% of the normal weight group, and 93.6% of the overweight group were overweight. The researchers found that overweight people seem to have a higher survival rate because cancer patients require a lot of energy following surgery.
This ‘paradox of obesity’ also emerged during the treatment of prostate cancer. According to a paper at the European Urological Association (EAU) conference, the survival rate of obese patients was more than 10% higher than those of normal weight. The association said that people with high BMI (obesity) seemed to tolerate the toxicity and side effects of treatment drugs better. In the end, it is said that the body can overcome the difficult cancer treatment process only when the body contains fat and protein. It can be estimated that the survival rate would be higher if the weight was mainly muscle.
◆ There is a lot of muscle mass, so it is often mistaken for obesity.
Body mass index (BMI) is a value obtained by dividing the weight (kg) by the square of the height (m) and is conveniently used to determine obesity. However, it is more accurate to judge obesity by the amount of body fat (body fat mass) rather than body weight. In addition to fat, muscles, bones, and organs such as the liver, lungs and kidneys also affect weight. As a result, body weight may not reflect the amount of body fat well. In the case of athletes, even though they have a small amount of body fat, they are often mistaken for obesity because their weight is measured high because of their developed muscle mass.
◆ If a cancer patient loses a lot of muscle… Could be more dangerous than cancer itself
If the patient does not have muscle in the body, it will survive by breaking down the protein that remains in the flesh. As we age, the risk of death from sarcopenia increases more than the disease itself. Sarcopenia is a decrease in muscle mass, strength, and muscle function. The muscle’s blood and hormone buffering action decreases, resulting in a decrease in basal metabolic rate and inability to respond appropriately in the course of disease treatment. The most common causes are low protein intake and lack of exercise. Sarcopenia often occurs secondary to cancer, diabetes, infection, and spinal stenosis.
◆ Why doctors recommend meat to cancer patients… gain muscle to survive
The findings of the above-mentioned studies are that the survival rate is increased by increasing strength (energy) during the cancer treatment process in common. Chemotherapy is mostly for patients who cannot eat due to vomiting and loss of appetite. Still, doctors advise to “eat meat as well.” This is because they can withstand the difficult chemotherapy and defeat cancer. If the person had strong muscles before admission, treatment would be much easier and the survival rate would have been higher. When you are healthy, eat protein foods such as meat, eggs, and legumes to build muscle through strength training. After the age of 40, you can naturally lose muscle by 1% per year. Only when it hurts do you realize the importance of muscles. Right now, let’s do a heel lift exercise.
Reporter Kim Yong-eok ecok@kormedi.com
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