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Key elements to protecting your skin: sunscreen and sun exposure
This Memorial Day weekend kicks off summer festivities, meaning extra time exposed to the sun’s rays. To maintain your skin healthy and to reduce the likelihood of developing skin cancer, it is suggested that you limit the time you spend in direct sunlight and use the proper sunscreen.
With over 1 million Americans diagnosed with skin cancer every year, it is prudent to take precautions. Overexposure to the sun has been directly connected to the development of skin cancers, as well as the deadly form known as melanoma, but research has proven that the request of sunscreen can considerably reduce the possibility of enlargement.
Cigarettes: Americans getting the short end of the cancer stick
All cigarettes are not produced equal, and those in America do more damage than their foreign counterparts. American-blend cigarettes—as opposed to bright tobacco used overseas— have been found to have tripled the tobacco-specific nitrosamines than brands found in Australia, Canada, or the United Kingdom.
Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are powerful carcinogens that are created during the curing and processing of tobacco. The Center for Disease Control recently completed research on TSNAs, with the results being published in the June issue of Cancer epidemiology biomarkers and prevention. Among the findings, based on analysis of cigarette butts and smokers from diverse countries, are that TSNAs differ from brand to brand, and from country to country and Americans are getting the short end of the cancer stick, so to speak.
Sleep deficiency tied to obesity
It’s not just food and the lack of exercise that contribute to obesity. We recognize that genetics play a cause, as does sleep, or lack thereof. A recent research done by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in 2008 showed that unbalanced sleep patterns contribute to obesity, and study accessible this week at the annual conference of the Pediatric Academic Societies came to an alike conclusion: sleep lack is tied to a higher body mass index (BMI), one of the markers of obesity.
The new study, from Seattle Children’s Research Institute, calculated the movements and assessed sleep patterns and calorie intake of 723 teens. Each child wore an accelerometer to establish activity level and answered a series of questions frequently on what they ate and drank, as well as how much sleep they got both during the week and on the weekends.
Can be chocolate linked to Depression?
Chocolate has always been recognized as a happy food. It puts smiles on faces, whether it is in bunny shapes for children or with exotic ingredients in truffles for adults. It is the go-to ingredient for milkshakes, cakes, and cookies. The mainstream of the candy bars in the check-out line feature chocolate. How in the world can this tasty ingredient be detrimental to your mental health? Just previous month, reports came out triumph in the advantages of chocolate on the heart (in small doses) and in February investigate recommended that chocolate can decrease the risk of strokes. Groups of researchers at two California universities are at the moment tempering our enthusiasm by suggesting that chocolate does not get better moods, and that those who do to excess in cacao products may be more prone to depression. The research assembly consisted of 931 individuals who were not using anti-depressants. They were administered a depression screening test and then monitored their chocolate use, as well as other dietary habits. Those participants who screened for probable depression consumed an average of 8.4 ounces of chocolate, while their non-depressed counterparts had only 5.4 ounces. A high of 11.8 ounces was observed in those who scored highest for foremost depression.
Metal Contaminants Found in Protein Drinks
Consumer Reports has been delving into more studies on consumer goods that go into our bodies, rather than the characteristic cars, cell phones, washing machines and televisions. In addition to current reports on chicken nuggets (and their related fat and sodium content) and antidepressants, a new study establish in their July issue takes on protein drinks and sends a warning about the quantity of protein and lead contaminants found in these popular beverages.
Consumer Reports tested 15 protein drinks and establish that all the products had at least one example containing one or more of the following detrimental ingredients: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. In some cases, the amount of lead in a single daily serving of eight of the products exceeded California Proposition 65 levels, which would necessitate caution labels.