DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Being aerobically fit in middle age may reduce Alzheimer’s and dementia risk, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Doing more aerobic exercise in middle age and old age may reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found. Without effort, however, cardiorespiratory fitness declines as people age. “This study found a dose-dependent — meaning more was better — effect of exercise fitness on several critical types of cognitive performance,” Isaacson said. Biking, running, jogging, swimming, hiking and briskly walking can all improve cardiorespiratory fitness, experts say. The study showed that people with high cardiorespiratory fitness were more likely to take care of themselves, and therefore protect the heart-brain connection.

Persons: ”, Weili Xu, ” Xu, Richard Isaacson, “ I’ve, ” Isaacson, Dr, Valentin Fuster, Fuster, ” Fuster, “ Organizations: CNN, Aging Research, Karolinska Institute, American Heart Association, British, of Sports Medicine, Mount, Hospital, Mount Sinai, Heart Federation, Cleveland Clinic Locations: Stockholm, Florida, Mount Sinai, Mount, New York City

☆ Toxic chemical ‘Hall of Shame’ calls out retailers in time for holiday shopping
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“This is a critical time of year, the time when most retailers make a lot of their money,” Schade said. Only four companies in the top 50 retailers earned an A or A- — Apple, Sephora, Target and Walmart. Three companies — Ulta Beauty, IKEA and Whole Foods Market — received a B grade, while 26 companies were equally split between C and D grades. “We also grade companies on whether the changes requested from their suppliers are actually implemented, if they have truly ‘banned the bad,’ so to speak,” Peele said. Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of retailers who earned an A or A-.

Persons: —, “ It’s, ”, Mike Schade, ” Schade, “, Dunkin ’, Jimmy John’s, Joe’s, Ahold, Hannaford, Tard, Sherwin, Williams, Sally Beauty, Jodi Caro, Alimentation, Cheri Peele, ” Peele, Peele, Homer Swei, Swei, Schade, Perfluoroalkyl, Julianna Bragg Organizations: CNN, Toxic, Black, Brands, KFC, Taco Bell, Inspire Brands, Baskin, Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Canadian, Lion, Nordstrom, Walmart, National Retail Foundation, Companies, “ Retailers, Environmental, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, US, “ Locations: United States, Canada, Chipotle, Target, Nordstrom

☆ Lunchables removed from national school lunch program
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Kraft Heinz, the company that produces Lunchables, announced Tuesday that it will remove the meal kits from the National School Lunch Program. “We’re pleased that Heinz Kraft has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports said in a statement. “The USDA should maintain stricter eligibility standards for the school lunch programs so that the millions of kids that depend on it get the healthier options they deserve.”The National School Lunch Program –– a federally assisted program that provides low-cost and free nutritionally balanced lunches to students –– serves nearly 30 million kids, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Sodium levels in the school lunchesTwo types of Lunchables were brought into the school lunch program last year: Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza. Consumer Reports found that the kits, which were created specifically for the school lunch program, contained even higher levels of sodium than those available in the grocery store.

Persons: CNN —, Kraft Heinz, We’re, Heinz Kraft, Brian Ronholm, – –, Tom Vilsack, “, Armour LunchMakers, Oscar Mayer, can’t, CNN’s Sandee, Parija Kavilanz Organizations: CNN, Consumer, US Department of Agriculture’s Food, Nutrition Service, ”, US Centers for Disease Control, Natural Meat, World Health Organization, CDC Locations: United States, Turkey

☆ How to cope with post-Election Day stress
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Just as in 2020, now is a good time to pause and analyze your physical and emotional stress. “How we view our stress actually matters to our health,” said Dr. Cynthia Ackrill, a stress management expert and former editor for Contentment magazine, produced by the American Institute of Stress. Deep, slow belly breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to counteract stress signs such as an elevated heart rate and a burst of adrenaline. “Everyone needs regular practices to notice when stress is taking hold and a (tool belt) of ways to deal with it. “Because the election hype has been so divisive, it can strain our relationships, especially with those who don’t share our viewpoints,” she said.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Cynthia Ackrill, ” Ackrill, Cortland Dahl, Ackrill, “, Don’t, Tania Israel, ” Israel, Israel, Caroline Hopper, ” Hopper Organizations: CNN, House, American Institute of, University of California, “ Media, Citizenship &, The Aspen Institute, Aspen Institute Locations: “, Santa Barbara

☆ ‘I’m unable to respond:’ What it’s like to live with narcolepsy
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“What’s scary and embarrassing is that I can see people come to help me, but I’m unable to respond.”Horsnell has narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that makes it hard to stay awake for long periods. In fact, it’s estimated that only 25% of people who have narcolepsy are diagnosed and receive treatment, according to the Narcolepsy Network. “But the terrifying thing was, I’m lying in a puddle of my sweat and I’m hearing everybody whisper, ‘Is he OK? Horsnell’s experience with narcolepsy hallucinations, however, is quite different. As a trained speaker for Project Sleep’s Rising Voices of Narcolepsy leadership program, he visited the White House in 2023 to raise awareness about narcolepsy and sleep disorders.

Persons: Matthew Horsnell, ”, Horsnell, “, ” Horsnell, Jennifer Mundt, Mundt, ” Mundt, “ There’s, aren’t, orexin, Heather Lill, it’s Organizations: CNN, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Narcolepsy, cataplexy, “, Narcolepsy Network, Scientists, US Food and Drug Administration, Society, Behavioral Sleep, Sleep Research Society, American Academy of Cardiovascular Sleep, White House Locations: Chicago, United States

☆ Psilocybin: Searching for the antidepressant of the future
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The stakes are high for psilocybin clinical trials — there’s a pressing need for a more effective medical solution in the fight against depression, especially treatment-resistant depression. “People begin to feel, understand and appreciate that their brain can change and they can escape from their depression,” Nutt said. “For that reason alone, this research matters.”At six weeks, the study found no significant difference in depression scores between the antidepressant and psilocybin groups. In fact, Madras said, adverse effects are such a concern that researchers in psychedelic clinical trials often actively recruit people who have successfully taken psychedelics in the past. In a study using psilocybin for alcohol substance abuse, for example, some 95% of those involved correctly guessed whether they were taking psilocybin or the placebo.

Persons: ”, Dr, Bertha Madras, “, Charles Raison, ’ “, don’t, David Nutt, ” Nutt, it’s, I’m, Timothy Leary, hasn’t, It’s, Harvard’s, Casey Wolfington, Katie Harmon, escitalopram, Nutt, Tommaso Barba, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, Harvard Medical, McLean Hospital, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Public Health, Vail Health Behavioral Health Innovation Center, Imperial College London’s, Food, FDA, Imperial College London Locations: United States, Belmont , Massachusetts, ” Madras, Madison, Vail, Colorado, Harvard’s Madras, Madras

☆ Stress and ‘moon face’: What experts say about this TikTok trend
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“It can look swollen and inflamed.”“It’s from high cortisol, aka high stress,” a woman says in another post. How stress can affect the faceWhile cortisol levels from elevated everyday stress may not be the reason behind so-called moon face, the hormone can take a toll on the skin in other ways. “Consistently elevated cortisol levels have been shown to inhibit your skin’s production of collagen, hyaluronic acid and healthy lipids like ceramide,” Bowe told CNN in an earlier interview. Tips for less stressThere are ways to reduce stress that can benefit the skin as well, experts say. In addition, yoga, meditation and deep breathing are all known to decrease cortisol production and stress levels.

Persons: ”, Dr, Rajani, ” Katta, Katta, Whitney Bowe, ” Bowe, Raj Dasgupta, “ It’s, ” Dasgupta, “ Organizations: CNN, Social, Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical, Whole, “, Huntington Health, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: TikTok, Houston, New York City, California

The inmate’s attorneys call that a misdiagnosis – and also discredit shaken baby syndrome on its face, despite broad consensus among pediatricians it is legitimate. The shaken baby syndrome diagnosis from doctors and nurses, their emotional response to Nikki’s condition and Roberson’s odd reaction all stacked against the then-suspect, said Wharton. “There really is not a controversy in medicine about the existence of abusive head trauma. Just this month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ordered a new trial for a man sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of injury to a child in a case that also relied on a shaken baby syndrome argument. Without shaken baby syndrome, he said, “there’s nothing that’s chargeable here.

Persons: West, Robert Roberson, Nikki Curtis, Roberson, Nikki, ” Roberson, John Grisham, Brian Wharton, Wharton, ”, “, Robert, pediatricians, Dr, Lee Savio Beers, Sandeep Narang, ” Narang, They’ve, Greg Abbott, Nikki Curtis Roberson, ’, Nikki’s, Janet Squires, Squires, ” Squires, Narang, Roberson’s, –, Larry Bowman, Nikki –, ‘, Sciences –, Kate Judson, it’s, ” Dr, Antoinette Laskey, Laskey, he’ll, he’s, I’ll, “ Unforgiveness, he's, Ashley Killough, CNN Wharton, Gretchen Sween, ” Wharton, We’re, LaMotte, Stephanie Becker Organizations: West Livingston CNN, CNN, American Academy of Pediatrics, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, American Association of Pediatrics, AP, US Army, National Registry, Appeals, SBS, Board, Republican Gov, Integrity, Sciences, American Academy of Pediatrics ’, Child, Texas Department, Criminal, New York Times Locations: West Livingston CNN — Texas, Texas, United States, Roberson’s, Palestine , Texas, ”, Livingston , Texas, Anderson County, Dallas

☆ Common heart conditions raise the risk of dementia, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Nearly 130 million adults in the United States have some form of heart disease, according to the AHA. Having coronary heart disease raises the risk of future dementia by 27% compared with people without heart disease, the AHA statement said. Heart attacks and heart failureAbout every 40 seconds, someone in the United States will have a heart attack, the AHA estimates. Heart failure is a more severe form of heart disease, in which the heart is too weak to pump enough blood and oxygen to the body’s organs. That benefit held true even for people with existing diagnoses of cardiometabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Persons: ”, Fernando Testai, Testai, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, ” Freeman, ” Testai Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, American Heart Association, University of Illinois College of Medicine, AHA, Jewish Health, World Health Organization, WHO, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: Chicago, United States, Denver

☆ Your preference for spicy foods may be all in your head
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In other words, I may find spicy food overwhelming simply because I expect it to be. “Some of it could be expectations, but some could also be how you’re biologically wired to experience food,” Albers said. Remember expectations can significantly influence your experience.”Listen to your body: As you eat spicy food, check in with your body’s responses. “There’s no ‘right’ level of spiciness — it’s about what feels good to you.”Pair spicy foods thoughtfully: Consider balancing spicy flavors with cooling elements, such as a piece of cheese or bread. “Spicy foods can increase your metabolism, your heart rate, cause vomiting and gastric distress, so there is definitely a physiological response that’s going on,” Albers said.

Persons: ”, “, I’m, “ There’s, Susan Albers, Oscar Wong, Yi Luo, ” Luo, ” Albers, Albers, it’s Organizations: CNN, Spice Girls, Cleveland Clinic, Getty, PLOS Biology, East China Normal University Locations: Ohio, Shanghai, Carolina

☆ Most of today’s children are unlikely to live to 100, analysis says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

They said, ‘No, no, NO!’ Advances in medical and life-extending technologies will accelerate and will drag life expectancy along with it,” he said. We have shown the era of rapid increases in human life expectancy has ended, just as we predicted,” Olshansky said. “We’re still gaining life expectancy, but it’s at an increasingly slower pace than in previous decades.”Olshansky spoke to CNN about his analysis of longevity data. Just 5% of baby girls and about 2% of baby boys born today will live to 100, according to a new analysis. (That woman, Jeanne Calment, was born in 1875 in Arles, France, at a time when life expectancy was nearly 45 years.

Persons: CNN — Gerontologist Jay Olshansky, Olshansky, ”, ‘, ” Olshansky, “, “ We’re, Jeanne Calment, it’s, that’s Organizations: CNN, “, School of Public Health, University of Illinois, ER Productions, Getty Locations: Chicago, Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Arles

☆ Additives to food often bypass FDA oversight, critics say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Soon, Daily Harvest had narrowed its internal investigation to a new ingredient used for its high-protein content: tara flour. Tara flour is one of two products made from the seed pods of a thorny shrub native to Peru. The pods of the tara plant are used to make tara gum and tara flour. As some consumers had discovered, tara flour was not safe, the FDA decreed in May 2024 — nearly two years after the ingredient sickened hundreds. During that time, however, other manufacturers could have used the now-“unapproved food additive.”“This incident shows how broken our food regulatory system is.

Persons: Gwyneth Paltrow, Serena Williams, “ I’ve, ” Cory Silverstein, Silverstein, Luke Wesley Pearson, tara, we’ve, Rachel Drori, GRAS, —, It’s, ”, Pieter Cohen, Cohen, “, Tara, Tragically, Alexi Giannoulias, Sarah Gallo, “ GRAS, ” Gallo, Sarah Silbiger, Melanie Benesh, BVO, Giannoulias, Benesh, ” Benesh, Jim Jones, ” Jones, Thomas Galligan Organizations: CNN, Leek Crumbles, Harvest, CNN Business, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Daily Harvest, Daily, Cambridge Health Alliance, The New England, of Medicine, Consumer Brands Association, Office, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental, Industry, Union, Illinois Food Safety, Illinois Senate, Getty, European Union, Human Foods, Center for Science, “ Locations: Peru, United States, Somerville , Massachusetts, The, California, Illinois, Jena

☆ Black-colored plastic used for kitchen utensils and toys linked to banned toxic flame retardants
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“That particular product had up to 22,800 parts per million of total flame retardants — that’s almost 3% by weight,” Liu said. That chemical is a member of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDE, class of flame retardants. “I would recommend not using black plastic for food contact materials or buying toys with black plastic pieces,” said Birnbaum, who was not involved in the study. What consumers can doExperts say there are ways that consumers can reduce their risk from flame retardants. “Replace your plastic kitchen utensils with stainless steel options or choose plastic free items to help reduce your overall exposure to harmful additives and plastic,” Liu said.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Megan Liu, ” Liu, Liu, DecaBDE, decaBDE, toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, “, Birnbaum, ” Erich Shea, ” Shea, that’s, hadn’t, Leonardo Trasande, “ I’m, Trasande, vacuuming, ” Birnbaum Organizations: CNN, Toxic, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology, Chemistry, ” Manufacturers, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Flame, Alliance, Amsterdam Institute for Life, Vrije Universiteit, “, NYU Langone Health Locations: United States, sofas, Vrije, Amsterdam, New York City

☆ Chemicals linked to breast cancer leach into our foods, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Nearly 200 chemicals connected to breast cancer are used in the making of food packaging and plastic tableware, and dozens of those carcinogens can migrate into the human body, a new study found. Of the recently detected chemicals in food packaging, 40 are already classified as hazardous by regulatory agencies around the world, according to the study. Rates of early-onset breast cancer in women under 50 are increasing, and experts said the trend cannot be explained by genetics alone. A January 2024 update to that list found 921 possibly carcinogenic chemicals, including 642 that may stimulate estrogen or progesterone production, another known risk factor for breast cancer. FCChumon, created by the Food Packaging Forum, is a list of food contact chemicals that have been detected in human breast milk, blood, urine and tissues.

Persons: ”, Jane Muncke, ” Muncke, Jenny Kay, Len Lichtenfeld, ” Lichtenfeld, Sarah Gallo, ” Gallo, Kay, ” Kay, “ That’s, PFAS Organizations: CNN, Food Packaging, Silent Spring Institute, American Cancer Society, Consumer Brands Association, Food, FDA, Environmental, Toxicology, Contact Chemicals, “, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine Locations: Zurich, Switzerland

☆ MIND diet slows cognitive decline, especially in women and Black people
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Following the MIND diet for 10 years produced a small but significant decrease in the risk of developing thinking, concentration and memory problems, a new study found. The MIND diet was specifically designed to combat cognitive decline, said lead study author Dr. Russell Sawyer, an assistant professor of clinical neurology and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. People who followed the MIND diet more closely were 4% less likely to develop memory and thinking problems than those who did not adhere to the diet, the study found. “The benefits of the MIND diet may have a differential impact in women and Blacks and this is an area for future research.”Leafy green vegetables, berries, whole grains, seeds, and a bit of fish and poultry are staples of the MIND diet. jenifoto/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesMore research neededA 2023 randomized controlled clinical trial found the MIND diet no better than the control diet in reducing signs of cognitive decline in the brain.

Persons: Russell Sawyer, ” Sawyer, Sawyer, ”, David Katz, ” Katz Organizations: CNN, University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute, “, True Health Initiative, American Academy of Neurology, National Institutes of Health, Southern, Blacks

☆ Chemical toxins from food processing migrate into our bodies, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“The study also shows that food contact materials can contain mutagenic chemicals that harm our DNA, such as heavy metals,” Wagner said. Another chemical group in food packaging that has migrated into people is phthalates, the research revealed. “We’ve got, say, 60 years of research into the migration of chemicals into food from food processing and packaging equipment. “Given that there are (tens) of thousands of food contact chemicals, biomonitoring programs do not have the capacity to test for all chemicals we are potentially exposed to,” Wagner said. “However, there are also important gaps that need to be addressed as we undertake the work to strengthen our food chemical safety activities,” he said.

Persons: ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Jane Muncke, ” Muncke, Muncke, “, ” Wagner, “ We’ve, It’s, there’s, Melanie Benesh, you’re, ” Benesh, GRAS, Jim Jones, Benesh Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Food Packaging, Getty, American Chemistry Council, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, US National Health, Canadian, Korean National Environmental Health Survey, National Health, Environmental, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, US, Committee, Energy Locations: Trondheim, Zurich, Switzerland, phthalates, PFAS, Europe, Biomonitoring California, United States

☆ Microplastics found in nose tissue at base of brain, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Tiny plastic shards and fibers were found in the nose tissue of human cadavers, according to a small new study. The threads and microplastic pieces were discovered in the olfactory bulb, the part of the nose responsible for detecting odors that sits at the base of the brain. Microplastics are polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) down to 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer). However, an April 2023 study found that microplastics made of polypropylene appeared to exacerbate the advance of breast cancer. The nose is one of many ways through which microplastics can enter the body, experts say.

Persons: ”, Luís Fernando Amato, Lourenço, Amato, Lourenço, Phoebe Stapleton, “ I’m, ” Stapleton, “, Betsy Bowers, ” Bowers, ” Sherri “ Sam ” Mason, ” Amato, microplastics, Julian Ward, Leonardo Trasande, don’t, Trasande Organizations: CNN, Free University of Berlin, Rutgers University, Industry Alliance, Penn State, JAMA, US Environmental Protection Agency, Getty, American Academy of Pediatrics, NYU Langone Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Invest Locations: Piscataway , New Jersey, Erie , Pennsylvania

☆ High lead levels found in cinnamon and spice blends from 12 brands, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The next highest level was found in cinnamon powder from EGN (2.91 ppm), followed by Mimi’s Products ground cinnamon (2.03 ppm), ShopRite Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon (1.82 ppm), Rani Brand ground cinnamon (1.39 ppm), Zara Foods cinnamon powder (1.27 ppm), Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder (1.26 ppm), Yu Yee Brand five spice powder (1.25 ppm), BaiLiFeng five spice powder (1.15 ppm), Spicy King five spices powder (1.05 ppm), Badia cinnamon powder (1.03 ppm) and Deep cinnamon powder (1.02 ppm). told CNN via email that the company’s ground cinnamon products comply with all federal and international law. These include ground cinnamon and organic ground cinnamon sold by 365 Whole Foods Market, which contained 0.12 ppm and 0.02 ppm of lead, respectively. Morton & Bassett San Francisco 100% organic ground cinnamon, Loisa organic cinnamon and Sadaf cinnamon powder tested at 0.04 ppm of lead. The latest, published in August, listed 10 different cinnamon products with levels as high as 3.93 ppm of lead.

Persons: Paras, Rani, Yu Yee, EGN, Mimi’s, Nuria Lambert, Karen O’Shea, Alina Lasta, ” Guitar, Bassett, James Rogers, ” Rogers, Rogers, ”, Dr.Pieter Cohen, Cohen, we’re, ” Cohen, Courtney Rhodes, Rhodes Organizations: CNN, Consumer Reports, Mimi’s, ShopRite, Consumer, Mimi’s Products, Wakefern Food Corp, Badia Spices, FDA, American Spice Trade Association, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, United, New York State Department of Health, US Environmental Protection Agency, WHO, Morton, Bassett San, WanaBana, Weis, Food and Drug Administration, Cambridge Health Alliance, Biden, Food Locations: Zara, Badia, United Nations, New York, Connecticut , New Jersey, Bassett San Francisco, Ecuador, Schnucks, Somerville , Massachusetts

☆ Heavy metals found in tampons prompt FDA investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will examine the potential harm to women of heavy metals such as lead and arsenic found in tampons. The FDA’s action follows the July publication of a small pilot study that found arsenic and lead in organic and nonorganic tampons. The July study discovered only the presence of the metals and “did not test whether metals are released from tampons when used,” the FDA said in a statement Tuesday. “However, there is no reason for people to be afraid to use menstrual products at this time,” Pollack added. That advice also applies to anyone concerned about heavy metals or chemicals in their menstrual products, experts say.

Persons: “, Kathrin Schilling, ” Schilling, nonorganic tampons, hasn’t, ”, Anna Pollack, Pollack, ” Pollack Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, US Environmental Protection Agency, FDA, Consumer Healthcare, Association, Columbia University’s Mailman, of Public Health, American Chemistry Council, “, for Disease Control, Prevention, George Mason University Locations: tampons, U.S, United States, United Kingdom, Greece, New York City, Fairfax , Virginia

☆ Human brains contain surprising levels of plastic, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. “Compared to autopsy brain samples from 2016, that’s about 50% higher,” Campen said. Nanoplastics are the most worrisome plastics for human health, experts say, because the minuscule pieces can take up residence inside individual cells. In that report, the consortium determined plastics are associated with harms to human health at every single stage of the plastic lifecycle. A March 2024 study found 1 liter of bottled water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters typically purchased by consumers — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics.

Persons: ”, Matthew Campen, ” Campen, Phoebe Stapleton, Philip Landrigan, “, Landrigan, You’re, Nanoplastics ‘, Campen, ” Landrigan, Svetlozar, — Organizations: CNN, University of New, Rutgers University, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, American Chemistry Council, US Environmental Protection Agency, “, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, ”, Toxicity Program, International Agency for Research, Cancer, EPA, Endocrine Society, Invest, Natural Resources Defense Council Locations: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, that’s, Piscataway , New Jersey, United States

☆ Anti-inflammatory diet cuts dementia risk by nearly one-third, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Eating an anti-inflammatory diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables instead of an inflammatory diet focused on red and processed meats and ultraprocessed foods, such as sugary cereals, sodas, fries and ice cream, lowered the risk of dementia by 31%, a new study found. “Following an anti-inflammatory diet was related to lower risk of dementia, even among people with cardiometabolic diseases who are already at elevated risk of dementia,” said Dove, a doctoral student at the Aging Research Center at Karolinska Institutet in Solna, Sweden, in an email. Brain scans of those who followed an anti-inflammatory diet also showed significantly lower levels of brain biomarkers of neurodegeneration and vascular injury, Dove said. carlosgaw/E+/Getty Images/FileWhat is an anti-inflammatory diet? Just a 10% increase in such foods was significantly associated with a 14% higher risk of death from all causes, according to a February 2019 study.

Persons: Abigail Dove, ”, Dove, David Katz, Katz, ” Katz, “ Organizations: CNN, JAMA, Aging Research, Karolinska, True Health Initiative, Mayo Clinic Locations: Solna, Sweden, England, Scotland, Wales

☆ Erythritol: Sweetener in stevia linked to blood clots, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Clots can break off blood vessels and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke. Previous research has linked erythritol to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and death. Artificially manufactured in massive quantities, erythritol has no lingering aftertaste, doesn’t spike blood sugar and has less of a laxative effect than some other sugar alcohols. That’s especially true for anyone at highest risk for clotting, heart attack and stroke — such as those with existing cardiac disease or diabetes. “Cardiovascular disease builds over time, and heart disease is the leading cause of death globally,” he said.

Persons: erythritol, ”, Stanley Hazen, Hazen, Bleeksma, ” Hazen, Andrew Freeman, “ I’m, Freeman, Carla Saunders, Wai Hong, Wai Hong Wilson Tang, “ Organizations: CNN, Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Jewish Health, US Food and Drug Administration, Biology Locations: Denver, United States, Wai Hong Wilson, Europe, America

☆ Combat brain fatigue with these tips from experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Even though people enjoy the rewards associated with mental tasks, these same people also do not enjoy the mental effort that’s involved. Your brain has no nerve endings, so a pain in the brain is not like having a pain in the neck. But the mental effort it takes to think hard can be so upsetting that some people will choose physical pain instead. However, 28% of the participants still chose physical pain over mental strain, even when the pain was most intense. “Concentrating also means it’s impossible to do other things because the brain really can’t multitask.

Persons: ”, Erik Bijleveld, ” Bijleveld, that’s, “, Vadym, Bijleveld, Michel Notre, doesn’t, It’s, it’s, Kira Schabram, ” Schabram, don’t, Amy Arnsten, Albert E, Kent, Arnsten, Schabram Organizations: CNN, Behavioural Science, Radboud University, Psychological, Amateur, Michel Notre Dame, Research, Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Yale School of Medicine Locations: Nijmegen , Netherlands, Paris

☆ Rugby Olympic medalist Ilona Maher is taking on BMI and winning
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually fact — I do have a BMI of 30. Critics say the term BMI has become a societal judgment by lumping individuals into arbitrary categories that perpetuate misconceptions about body weight. “She could easily say, ‘I am in perfectly good health, so just take your BMI of 25 and shove it.’”That’s exactly the scenario facing Maher. Conversely, BMI can underestimate body fat in older adults and anyone who has lost muscle, according to the Harvard T.H. There is a movement in the medical profession to move away from crude BMI measurements in clinical practice.

Persons: Ilona Maher, ”, Maher, “, you’re, Christophe Petit Tesson, Shutterstock Maher, I’ve, that’s, Thomas Wadden, it’s Organizations: CNN, USA, Olympic, Olympics, BMI, Team USA, Australia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman’s, Harvard, of Public Health, American Medical Association Locations: TikTok, Chan, Boston

☆ Replacing red meat cuts dementia risk by 20%, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The risk for dementia dropped by 20%, however, for people who replaced that small daily serving of processed red meat with a daily serving of nuts and legumes. Processed red meats such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs and deli meats often contain higher levels of sodium, nitrates and saturated fat. Each additional serving of processed red meat raised riskAn abstract of the study, which is under review for publication, was presented Wednesday at the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia. Red meat intake is limited. Red meat, especially processed red meat as seen here, is linked to an unhealthy heart and brain.

Persons: ”, Walter Willett, ” Willett, David Katz, Katz, Maria Carrillo, Tanja Ivanova, Yuhan Li, Li, Christopher Gardner, ” Gardner, chia, sprinkle chia Organizations: CNN, Harvard, of Public Health, True Health Initiative, International Conference, Nurses, Alzheimer’s Association, Getty, Division, Network Medicine, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Stanford Prevention Research, Nutrition Studies Research Locations: Chan, Boston, Philadelphia, bologna, lima, California

Search resuls for: "Sandee"

25 mentions found