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BPA Exposure during a Pandemic
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examining bisphenol A (BPA) exposure reveals that people with the highest exposure compared to those with the lowest had an astounding 49% higher risk of death.
BPA, an endocrine disruptor, not only hides in plastics but also in paper towels, toilet paper, and dental materials.
COVID-19 has prompted excessive hand sanitizer usage, and research shows that it acts a “gateway” for chemicals to absorb in the body.
Dr. Kara Fitzgerald suggests ways to lower BPA exposure.
First Months Decisive for Immune System Development
The risk of developing autoimmune conditions is largely determined by early life events, such as breastfeeding. New research published in the journal Cell indicates that breastmilk provides unique complex sugars vital to nourishing certain gut bacteria, particularly bifidobacteria, that lower inflammation in the blood and gut. Scientists also observed that breastfed babies who received additional bifidobacteria exhibited elevated levels of intestinal molecules that optimize nutrient synthesis and immune system function.
Bacterium Associated with Antibiotic-Induced Colitis Plays a Role in Weight Control
A study in Nature reveals that Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium linked to antibiotic-induced colitis and diarrhea, fuels weight loss, highlighting the integral role that the gut microbiome plays in metabolic processes. The research, which involved 80 women who consumed only 800 calories per day, showed that dieting changed intestinal diversity and composition enabling Clostridioides to flourish. The altered microbiome absorbed more sugar molecules, making fewer available for host absorption.
High Physical Activity Levels May Counter Serious Health Harms of Poor Sleep
A study investigating the associations between sleep and exercise and disease and death published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine indicates a synergistic effect of exercise and sleep on health. Findings show that compared to highly active individuals who sleep soundly, relatively inactive people who sleep poorly have a 57% higher risk of death from any cause. The study further demonstrates that exercise provides a protective effect against poor sleep.
It’s True: Stress Does Turn Hair Gray (And It’s Reversible)
Stress can cause gray hair according to researchers from Columbia University. More interestingly, their study reveals that eliminating stress can actually enable hair to regain its natural color. The study’s lead author, Martin Picard, PhD, associate professor of behavioral medicine, explains that the data suggest that there is a threshold in middle age where excess stress can facilitate the transition from pigmented to gray hair, revealing that aging may not be a simple linear, fixed process.
6 DEET Dangers (Plus, Safer Science-Backed Swaps)
This summer, consider supplanting DEET with natural alternatives. This insect repellent, while effective, poses various health threats. The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports that DEET possesses carcinogenic properties, and a study in Human and Experimental Toxicology indicates that DEET can encourage seizures in children. Other implicating research abounds; fortunately, plant-derived essential oils can provide protection from summer pests.
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Understanding Gut Inflammation May Hold Clues to Mitigating Parkinson’s Onset
Research in Free Neuropathology reveals that sustained intestinal inflammation causes a certain protein to clump in the colon walls and immune cells. The same protein aggregates in the brains of Parkinson’s patients.
Regular Use of Acid Reflux Drugs Linked to Heightened Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
The journal Gut reports that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), drugs used to treat acid reflux, peptic ulcers, and heartburn, starkly raise type 2 diabetes risk.
Depression Doubles Risk of Death after Heart Attack, Angina
Research shows that among those diagnosed with coronary heart disease, depressed individuals are twice as likely to die following the diagnosis compared to their more optimistic counterparts.
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Even Mild Disease Impacts Mental Health
A study in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry reveals that even a mild COVID-19 infection can provoke psychiatric symptoms that last months or perhaps years following disease resolution.
Delta Coronavirus Variant: Scientists Brace for Impact
The Delta variant is causing coronavirus cases to rise in Europe, the US, and other countries. Delta is approximately 60% more transmissible than the highly infectious Alpha variant and vaccines only provide moderate protection.
Hospitalised Shift Workers Up to 3 Times More Likely to Be Covid-19 Positive
Research in Thorax reveals that working non-traditional hours, as shift workers do, drastically raises the risk of contracting COVID-19 and being hospitalized.
Little-Known Causes of Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome is a condition linked to impaired dopamine function in the brain. Systemic inflammation, immune dysregulation, SIBO, and other health problems can engender this condition. Addressing these root causes can ameliorate this disorder.
Does Your Anxiety Get Worse at Night? 6 Steps to Manage Evening Anxiety
Smart lifestyle choices can facilitate a peaceful night’s rest. Research shows that morning and evening sun exposure decreases anxiety and taking supplements such as magnolia bark and reishi quells angst to produce sound sleep.
Unhealthy Patterns of Diet, Exercise, and Sleep Linked to High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Autistic People
Autistic individuals die 16 to 35 years earlier than expected. Research evinces that eating habits, physical activity, and sleep patterns could help to explain this phenomenon.
A Fermented-Food Diet Increases Microbiome Diversity and Lowers Inflammation, Stanford Study Finds
The Many Uses of Manuka Honey for Wound Healing & Skin Conditions
Studies indicate that manuka honey possesses antimicrobial properties, promotes the formation of new skin in the wound healing process, relieves atopic dermatitis, and more.
The Trouble with Stevia
Research shows that stevia exhibits endocrine-disrupting attributes that can have both positive and negative physiological effects. This non-nutritive sweetener can also alter the gut microbiome and under certain conditions even fuel dysbiosis.
New Study Links Exercise to Better Self-Control
University of Kansas scientists proved that following a regular exercise program can improve delay discounting and therefore self-control in individuals of different ages, sizes, athletic abilities, and mental-health levels.
Cells Burn More Calories After Just One Bout of Moderate Aerobic Exercise, OSU Study Finds
Oregon State University scientists discovered that mitochondria, the body’s cellular powerhouses, burn fat and sugar at a higher rate following just one hour of moderate intensity exercise.
20 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Health (Part Two)
Part Two of this two-part series delivers additional proof that exercise is medicine for all, from reducing gestational diabetes risk in expectant mothers to thwarting macular degeneration among older adults to lowering COVID-19 risk.
Aluminum in Everyday Products – Is It Really Safe?
Aluminum is found in the soil, mineral compounds, and rock, but not in the human body. According to experts, chronic aluminum exposure can fuel pneumonia, asthma, cardiovascular thrombosis, intestinal permeability and numerous other ills.
Environmental Contaminants Alter Gut Microbiome, Health
A jarring review from U of I illustrates that environmental toxins alter the gut microbiome in such a way that foils proper carbohydrate and fat metabolism and fuels immune dysfunction as well as behavioral impairments and neurological damage.
Air Pollution Exposure During Pregnancy May Boost Babies’ Obesity Risk
Research in the journal Environmental Health indicates that a pregnant woman’s exposure to high air pollution levels is linked to increased infant adiposity (degree of fattiness) during the first six months of life.
Feeling Younger Buffers Older Adults from Stress, Protects against Health Decline
Research in Psychology and Aging shows that people who feel younger than their chronological age experience greater vitality, including sharper mental faculties, lower inflammation, and overall superior welfare.
Is Bleeding at Your Age Normal?
Conditions such as uterine polyps and fibroids can cause postmenopausal bleeding, as can certain drugs. Experts assert that eating a hormone-balancing diet, utilizing acupuncture, and implementing other lifestyle interventions can promote pelvic health.
6 Ways Cold Exposure Helps Slow – and Even Reverse – Your Aging Roll
Brief bodily stresses like fasting or short-term cold exposure bestow health benefits. Icy conditions stimulate the body’s anti-aging mechanisms and cellular repair while quelling inflammation and oxidative stress.
Study Gauges Specific Site Stomach Cancer Risks among Ethnic Groups
A study conducted by Vanderbilt University reveals that minority gastric cancer risk is seven times that of Caucasian Americans’, with Asian Americans disproportionately suffering from this condition.
Push Is on in US to Figure Out South Asians’ High Heart Risks
South Asians account for 60% of all heart disease cases. High diabetes rates, a propensity toward abdominal weight gain, a diet rich in processed foods, sedentary living and other factors fuel this crisis.
Memory Loss, Dementia an Understudied Yet Widespread Phenomenon among Chinese Americans
Chinese Americans lack the proper support as they age, say Rutgers researchers, who examined cognition and memory loss and found health disparities that can be attributed to cultural and other barriers.