Month: February 2016

5 toxic chemicals you should avoid in baby care products

The baby shampoos, soaps and lotions you use on your child might be labeled “natural” or “gentle,” but could also be filled with toxic chemicals which are dangerous for your child’s health, experts say.

In fact, children are exposed to 27 of these dangerous chemicals each day through personal care products alone, according to a survey by the Environmental Working Group.

Most of the chemicals in use have never been tested for safety nor are they regulated in the U.S.

But when it comes to shopping for products, sifting through all of the information and searching for safer alternatives is time-consuming, confusing and can make you want to pull your hair out.

Here, experts weigh in on five of the biggest toxic offenders to avoid and offer tips on how to find safer alternatives.

1. Fragrance
You might love the smell of your baby’s lotion, but fragrance is linked to allergies, skin irritation and eczema and can be toxic to various organs in the body.

Plus, the term itself can be used to mask hundreds of other dangerous chemicals in the product, said Leah Segedie, founder of Mamavation.com.

When reading labels, avoid any product that lists fragrance, perfume or parfum.

2. Phthalates and parabens
Phthalates and parabens are a group of chemicals that are used as preservatives in personal care products like baby shampoos and lotions.

Phthalates have been linked to endocrine disruption, which can cause reproductive problems, including a decrease in sperm motility and concentration, as well as allergies, asthma and cancer.

To make it even more confusing for moms, fragrance can also contain phthalates, said Nancy Peplinsky, founder and executive director of the Holistic Moms Network in Coldwell, N.J.

Research shows that another class of chemicals, parabens, are endocrine disruptors and have been linked to reproductive problems, developmental disorders, endometriosis, skin irritation and cancer.

Avoid products that contain phthalate, DEP, DBP, DEHP and ingredients ending in “–paraben.”

3. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
Formaldehyde is a preservative added to water-based products to prevent mold from forming. It can be directly added to products or released through another preservative.
Formaldehyde is a human carcinogen and has been linked to allergy-like reactions including respiratory problems, headaches and nausea.

4. 1,4-dioxane
Usually found in bath products and liquid soap, 1,4-dioxane is a chemical byproduct, so you won’t spot it on a label. A possible human carcinogen, 1,4-dioxane is linked to organ toxicity and skin allergies.

To avoid it, don’t use products that contain sodium laureth sulfate, PEG compounds and chemicals listed as xynol, ceteareth and oleth.

5. Vitamin A and oxybenzone
On it’s own vitamin A is safe, but when it’s used in sunscreen and skin is exposed to the sun, it can be problematic. In fact, a study by the National Toxicology Program suggests that retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A, may speed up the development of skin tumors and lesions.

When reading labels, avoid products that contain vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinyl acetate, retinyl linoleate and retinoic acid.

Another dangerous chemical that’s used in sunscreen and should be avoided is oxybenzone, which is an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to endometriosis and reproductive problems.

Source: fox news

Eradicating mitochondria from cells may reverse aging

For the first time, scientists have shown that mitochondria – the “powerhouses” of cells – are crucial for aging, after finding that removing mitochondria from human cells reduced levels of markers for cellular aging, triggering a process of rejuvenation.

Study leader Dr. João Passos, of the Institute for Aging at Newcastle University in the UK, and his team say their findings pave the way for new strategies to reverse the aging process.

They publish their findings in The Embo Journal.

The aging process is believed to be triggered by various forms of damage that our cells are subject to as we get older.

Cellular senescence has been associated with such damage, where certain cells have lost the ability to replicate. As a result, they build up over time, causing damage to surrounding healthy tissues by producing increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – a process known as oxidative stress.

For their study, Dr. Passos and colleagues set out to gain a better understanding of the role mitochondria play in cellular senescence and the aging process.

Mitochondria generate chemical energy in cells, enabling them to do their job. Previous studies have also linked mitochondria to production of ROS, though the research team notes that other studies have linked ROS production to non-mitochondrial sources, producing conflicting results.

Removing mitochondria reduced markers of cellular aging.
The team decided to conduct a series of genetic experiments, in which they grew human cells in a lab and removed almost all mitochondria to monitor the effects.

The researchers explain that cells usually use a process called mitophagy in order to eradicate faulty mitochondria. In this study, Dr. Passos and colleagues “tricked” cells into performing mitophagy at a much greater level, allowing them to eliminate the vast majority of mitochondria in aging cells.

The team found that when the mitochondria were removed from the aging cells, this triggered a rejuvenation process; markers of cellular aging – including ROS, inflammatory molecules and certain gene expressions – fell to levels that were comparable to those normally seen in younger cells.

Additionally, the researchers found that as cells age, mitochondrial biogenesis – the process by which new mitochondria are formed within a cell – is a key driver of cellular aging.

Dr. Passos says their results are “very surprising and exciting,” noting that while scientists already knew that mitochondria played a role in the aging process, they have struggled to determine to what extent they contributed.

Source: medical news day

Meditation shown to reduce pain during breast cancer biopsy

Meditation is a practice of the mind and body that has long been used to generate calmness and physical relaxation. Now, a new study suggests that women who are having breast cancer biopsies should use meditation, as it reduces anxiety, fatigue and pain.

The researchers, from the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC, publish their findings in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Undergoing a breast biopsy is not pleasant, to say the least. It involves removing breast tissue to examine it for signs of breast cancers, and women undergoing this procedure often experience pain during and afterward.

“Patients who experience pain and anxiety may move during the procedure, which can reduce the effectiveness of biopsy, or they may not adhere to follow-up screening and testing,” says Dr. Mary Scott Soo, lead author from Duke.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), previous studies have shown that meditation can reduce blood pressure and even reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Medical News Today recently reported on a study that suggested mindfulness meditation can bring greater pain relief than a placebo.

And other research suggests meditation may physically change the brain and body, improving many health problems and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Meditation ‘a good alternative to drugs in these settings’
To conduct their study, Dr. Soo and colleagues randomized 121 women who needed breast biopsies into three groups: guided meditation, music and a standard-care control group.

During the biopsy, the women in the meditation group listened to an “audio-recorded, guided, loving-kindness meditation,” which focused on acquiring positive emotions and releasing negative ones.

Meanwhile, the women in the music group listened to relaxing music, which was a choice of instrumental jazz, classical piano, harp and flute, nature sounds or world music. The control group received supportive words from the biopsy team.

Both before and after the biopsy, the patients filled out questionnaires that measured their nervousness and anxiety, ranked their biopsy pain from zero to 10 and gauged their feelings of weakness and fatigue.

Results showed that the women in the meditation and music groups reported much greater post-biopsy reductions in anxiety and fatigue, compared with the control group, which reported increased fatigue.

Furthermore, the women in the meditation group experienced significantly lower pain during the biopsy, compared with the women in the music group.

“Image-guided needle biopsies for diagnosing breast cancer are very efficient and successful,” says Dr. Soo. “but the anxiety and potential pain can have a negative impact on patient care.”

Source: medical news today

World Cancer Day, take a step towards healthier life

4th February, the world is celebrating and honouring cancer survivors.

On this occasion, Dr.Vaneet Gupta, Consultant and Oncologist from PSRI Hospital is giving out certain details about the disease and is briefing how one should take care of their health.

Explaining what this disease is, Dr. Vaneet said, “Cancer is a disease that occurs when the cells of the body multiply in an uncontrolled manner. It is not a single disease with a single type of treatment. There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer, each with its own name and treatment.”

Claiming that early diagnosis can often make a difference in how easily cancer is managed or treated and the chance of making a good recovery, he also said that people should keep a check on what kind of food they eat as little measures of precautions can save a life.

“The quality of cancer care has increased enormously in recent years increasing the numbers of people are surviving cancer and leading a normal life,” says Dr. Vaneet.

Dr. Vaneet believes that by noticing symptoms like change in the size, shape or color of a mole, a sore that does not heal after several weeks, mouth/tongue ulcer lasting more than 3 weeks and cough/croaky voice lasting more than 3 weeks, one can easily keep a check on his health.

He added, “Be aware of the early warning signs for cancer and encourage and help people to speak to their family physician along with encouraging them in taking part in cancer screening Programmes.”

So this World Cancer Day say yes to a healthy life and no to this deadly disease

Source: deccanchhronicle

Beware! Antioxidants can cause cancer to spread faster

A new study suggests that people with cancer or an elevated risk of developing the disease should avoid nutritional supplements that contain antioxidants.

Antioxidants double the rate of metastasis, the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another, in malignant melanoma, the most perilous type of skin cancer, warns a new study.

Found in many nutritional supplements, antioxidants are widely marketed as a means of preventing cancer.

The results of this study suggest that people with cancer or an elevated risk of developing the disease should avoid nutritional supplements that contain antioxidants.

“We have demonstrated that antioxidants promote the progression of cancer,” said one of the researchers Martin Bergo from Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Antioxidants protect healthy cells from free radicals that can turn them into malignancies but may also protect a tumour once it has developed, the findings showed.

Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy demonstrated in January 2014 that antioxidants hastened and aggravated the progression of lung cancer.

Mice that were given antioxidants developed additional and more aggressive tumours.

Experiments on human lung cancer cells confirmed the results. Given well-established evidence that free radicals can cause cancer, the research community had simply assumed that antioxidants, which destroy them, provide protection against the disease.

But because the lung cancer studies called the collective wisdom into question, they attracted a great deal of attention.

The follow-up studies at Sahlgrenska Academy have now found that antioxidants double the rate of metastasis in malignant melanoma in mice. “The antioxidant boosted the ability of the tumour cells to metastasise, an even more serious problem because metastasis is the cause of death in the case of melanoma. The primary tumour is not dangerous per se and is usually removed,” Bergo noted.

Experiments on cell cultures from patients with malignant melanoma confirmed the new results.

Source: India today

6 cholesterol-lowering foods you didn’t know about

Certain foods have been shown to decrease heart disease risk by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and raising HDL (good) cholesterol. And while you probably know about the cholesterol-busting powers of fish, oatmeal, red wine, beans, and olive oil, if you’re looking for something new to keep you ticker healthy, here are six foods that might surprise you.

Indian Gooseberry
Indian gooseberry, also known as amla, is a round, green fruit that is sour, bitter, and quite fibrous. A tree that grows in India, the Middle East, and some southeast Asian countries, Indian gooseberry has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.

Barley
Many doctors and commercials have lauded the benefits of oatmeal to help lower blood cholesterol levels, but rarely do we hear about another heart-healthy grain called barley. Like oatmeal, barley is high in soluble fiber, the type of fiber that helps to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. Barley is also extremely versatile so you’re not just limited to eating it at breakfast time.

Avocado
One high-fat food you might want to include on your cholesterol-lowering menu is avocado. To see if there’s something special about avocados for your heart, researchers at Penn State University put participants on different diets where they controlled their fat intake—and one of those groups was given one avocado a day.

Strawberries
Possibly one of the sweetest things you can eat to improve your diet: strawberries. A study published in Journal Nutrition using freeze-dried strawberries stirred into a drink found that women who had the drink (equal to about three and a half cups of fresh strawberries) three times a week showed a significant reduction in cholesterol levels by week four of the study. While berry season is in the summer, frozen berries are picked at their peek of freshness and are an affordable substitute that can be enjoyed all year long.

Probiotics
Live microorganisms (naturally occurring bacteria in the gut) are called probiotics and these “good” bacteria are thought to have beneficial effects on gut health, and more recently cholesterol levels. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who consumed a yogurt with probiotic properties showed a greater reduction in blood cholesterol levels than those who consumed a regular low fat yogurt over a 12-week period.

Grapes
You’ve probably heard red wine is good for the heart, well how about grapes? The heart-healthy polyphenol found in red wine, resveratrol, is also found in grapes of all colors. In addition, fresh grapes provide other heart-protective nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and flavonoids.

Source: foxnews

Miniature microscope will ID cancer cells in real-time

A surgeon operating on a brain tumor does not want to remove any more tissue than is completely necessary. The consequences of removing too much brain matter can be severe.

By the same token, the surgeon is eager to remove the entirety of the cancerous growth; the consequences of leaving a cancerous residue are equally severe.

As things stand, this balancing act can only be managed using the surgeon’s senses. He must palpate the area and inspect it visually for remaining cells.

To fully and definitively ascertain whether a cell is cancerous, a sample must be sent to a pathology lab. There, the sample will be frozen, sliced, stained and mounted. Only then will it be inspected by a microscopist before the results are sent back.

The whole process can take days. A surgeon cannot leave a patient’s skull open to the air for that amount of time, however.

The birth of the mini-microscope

A groundbreaking invention that has the potential to rid us of this waiting game is currently being perfected by the University of Washington. The device, not much bigger than a pen, will allow surgeons to observe their patient on a cellular level, there and then.

This incredible mini-microscope is being developed in collaboration with Stanford University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Barrow Neurological Institute. The ongoing work was recently published in Biomedical Optics Express.

It is not just in the neurosurgeon’s domain that this technological advance might come in useful. Dentists routinely come across a suspicious or unexpected lesion in a patient’s mouth. In these situations, it is important to err on the side of caution, excise the tissue and send it for analysis.

These patients are subjected to procedures that, more often than not, turn out to be unnecessary; this also puts additional pressure on pathology labs.

A miniature microscope could remove the need for many superfluous procedures; in dermatological clinics, for instance, it could be used to quickly define which moles require further investigation.

Source: medica news today