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Are Your Fruits & Veggies Hiding Pesticides? New Study Says Yes

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Eating fruits and vegetables is key to good health, but a new study suggests that choosing produce with higher pesticide residues may boost the amount of these chemicals leaching into the body. Researchers linked the types of produce people eat with levels of pesticides found in their urine.  The results show that eating foods on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Dirty Dozen” list such as spinach, strawberries and kale was tied to higher pesticide levels than eating items from the “Clean Fifteen,” which includes pineapples, sweet corn and avocados. “We found consuming different types of fruits and vegetables changes your pesticide levels accordingly, with greater consumption of the higher-residue foods increasing pesticide levels in urine more than consumption of the lower-residue foods,” study author Alexis Temkin, vice president of science at EWG, told CNN. The study — published Sept. 24 in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health —compared U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) testing data on produce with urine samples gathered through an annual federal government health survey. Experts said the findings show a clear connection between what people eat and their exposure to different pesticides. “This tells us that we don’t have to measure each person — when people eat a lot of produce with high residues of pesticides, they’re more likely to have elevated levels in their urine,” Linda Birnbaum, former…  read on >  read on >

Are Your Fruits & Veggies Hiding Pesticides? New Study Says Yes

By | | Add a Comment

Eating fruits and vegetables is key to good health, but a new study suggests that choosing produce with higher pesticide residues may boost the amount of these chemicals leaching into the body. Researchers linked the types of produce people eat with levels of pesticides found in their urine.  The results show that eating foods on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Dirty Dozen” list such as spinach, strawberries and kale was tied to higher pesticide levels than eating items from the “Clean Fifteen,” which includes pineapples, sweet corn and avocados. “We found consuming different types of fruits and vegetables changes your pesticide levels accordingly, with greater consumption of the higher-residue foods increasing pesticide levels in urine more than consumption of the lower-residue foods,” study author Alexis Temkin, vice president of science at EWG, told CNN. The study — published Sept. 24 in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health —compared U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) testing data on produce with urine samples gathered through an annual federal government health survey. Experts said the findings show a clear connection between what people eat and their exposure to different pesticides. “This tells us that we don’t have to measure each person — when people eat a lot of produce with high residues of pesticides, they’re more likely to have elevated levels in their urine,” Linda Birnbaum, former…  read on >  read on >

Kids’ Eyes Getting Worse? Air Pollution May Be to Blame

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Air pollution is known to raise the risk of heart disease, strokes and breathing problems, but new research suggests it may also harm something else: kids’ vision. In a study of nearly 30,000 schoolchildren in Tianjin, China, researchers found that kids exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were more likely to develop myopia. Also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, myopia causes distant objects to appear blurry while close ones appear clear. “We showed that air pollution contributes to myopia development in children,” study co-author Zongbo Shi, a professor of atmospheric biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., told The Washington Post. “What this means,” he said, “Is that if their exposure to air pollution is high, the risk to become shortsighted is higher.” The findings were published Sept. 23 in the journal PNAS Nexus. The research combined genetic, lifestyle and environmental data using a machine-learning model. While genetics were the strongest factor in whether a child developed vision problems, air quality also played an important role. Children living in areas with cleaner air tended to have better vision, the study found. In fact, when researchers created “clean air” scenarios, primary schoolers saw almost double the vision improvement compared with older students. What’s more, lifestyle also mattered: Lack of sleep and long hours of screen time increased…  read on >  read on >

Kids’ Eyes Getting Worse? Air Pollution May Be to Blame

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Air pollution is known to raise the risk of heart disease, strokes and breathing problems, but new research suggests it may also harm something else: kids’ vision. In a study of nearly 30,000 schoolchildren in Tianjin, China, researchers found that kids exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were more likely to develop myopia. Also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, myopia causes distant objects to appear blurry while close ones appear clear. “We showed that air pollution contributes to myopia development in children,” study co-author Zongbo Shi, a professor of atmospheric biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., told The Washington Post. “What this means,” he said, “Is that if their exposure to air pollution is high, the risk to become shortsighted is higher.” The findings were published Sept. 23 in the journal PNAS Nexus. The research combined genetic, lifestyle and environmental data using a machine-learning model. While genetics were the strongest factor in whether a child developed vision problems, air quality also played an important role. Children living in areas with cleaner air tended to have better vision, the study found. In fact, when researchers created “clean air” scenarios, primary schoolers saw almost double the vision improvement compared with older students. What’s more, lifestyle also mattered: Lack of sleep and long hours of screen time increased…  read on >  read on >

Implant Treats Blood Pressure Problems Among Spinal Injury Patients

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People with spinal cord injuries sometimes suffer from blood pressure problems, as their brain loses the ability to manage the body’s blood pressure. This leaves them vulnerable to blood pressure drops that cause fainting or spikes that put them at risk of a stroke or heart attack. But researchers say a new implant can help restore blood pressure control among patients with damaged spinal cords. The spine implant delivers fine-tuned electrical stimulation that supports a person’s blood pressure, researchers reported recently in the journals Nature and Nature Medicine. The system is controlled through a smartphone app “Participants report experiencing less brain fog, having more energy, being able to speak louder and suffering less from a postprandial dip (a drop in energy levels after eating),” researcher Dr. Ilse van Nes, who successfully deployed the system at the rehabilitation center Sint Maartens Clinic in Nijmegen, Netherlands, said in a news release. A patient identified by researchers as Krebs said the implant has vastly improved his life. “Before the accident, I had no idea how volatile blood pressure can be,” Krebs said, who uses a wheelchair. “Just transferring from my bed to my chair almost knocked me out at times when my blood pressure would drop,” he continued. “At other times during the day, my blood pressure would spike due to severe nerve pain, causing me to break…  read on >  read on >

Implant Treats Blood Pressure Problems Among Spinal Injury Patients

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People with spinal cord injuries sometimes suffer from blood pressure problems, as their brain loses the ability to manage the body’s blood pressure. This leaves them vulnerable to blood pressure drops that cause fainting or spikes that put them at risk of a stroke or heart attack. But researchers say a new implant can help restore blood pressure control among patients with damaged spinal cords. The spine implant delivers fine-tuned electrical stimulation that supports a person’s blood pressure, researchers reported recently in the journals Nature and Nature Medicine. The system is controlled through a smartphone app “Participants report experiencing less brain fog, having more energy, being able to speak louder and suffering less from a postprandial dip (a drop in energy levels after eating),” researcher Dr. Ilse van Nes, who successfully deployed the system at the rehabilitation center Sint Maartens Clinic in Nijmegen, Netherlands, said in a news release. A patient identified by researchers as Krebs said the implant has vastly improved his life. “Before the accident, I had no idea how volatile blood pressure can be,” Krebs said, who uses a wheelchair. “Just transferring from my bed to my chair almost knocked me out at times when my blood pressure would drop,” he continued. “At other times during the day, my blood pressure would spike due to severe nerve pain, causing me to break…  read on >  read on >

Sunny Seniors Can Bounce Back From Poor Well-Being

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The march of time may be relentless, but aging is not entirely hopeless if you have the right mindset, according to a Canadian study. Seniors who lose a step health-wise are capable of regaining their well-being, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal PLOS One. Nearly a quarter of folks 60 or older who initially reported poor well-being had regained their optimal level within three years, results showed. Those with strong levels of psychological and emotional wellness were nearly five times more likely to regain optimal well-being, researchers found. “What’s powerful about this research is the reminder that later life can still be fulfilling, even after difficult periods,” said lead researcher Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Good health is important, but so are the people, meaning, and joy we have in our lives,” she added in a news release. For the new paper, researchers tracked the health of more than 8,300 older adults participating in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.  All of these folks did not have optimal well-being at the start, suffering either from physical health problems, psychological or emotional issues, social isolation or a poor outlook on their own aging, researchers said. The team then checked back in on them after three years, to…  read on >  read on >

Sunny Seniors Can Bounce Back From Poor Well-Being

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The march of time may be relentless, but aging is not entirely hopeless if you have the right mindset, according to a Canadian study. Seniors who lose a step health-wise are capable of regaining their well-being, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal PLOS One. Nearly a quarter of folks 60 or older who initially reported poor well-being had regained their optimal level within three years, results showed. Those with strong levels of psychological and emotional wellness were nearly five times more likely to regain optimal well-being, researchers found. “What’s powerful about this research is the reminder that later life can still be fulfilling, even after difficult periods,” said lead researcher Mabel Ho, a recent doctoral graduate of the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Good health is important, but so are the people, meaning, and joy we have in our lives,” she added in a news release. For the new paper, researchers tracked the health of more than 8,300 older adults participating in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.  All of these folks did not have optimal well-being at the start, suffering either from physical health problems, psychological or emotional issues, social isolation or a poor outlook on their own aging, researchers said. The team then checked back in on them after three years, to…  read on >  read on >

Skin-To-Skin ‘Kangaroo’ Care Boosts Preemies’ Brain Development

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Skin-to-skin contact might help kick-start brain development in preterm babies, a new study says. Preemies born before 32 weeks showed stronger development in brain regions tied to emotion and stress regulation if they received more skin-to-skin contact, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal Neurology. “Skin-to-skin contact in preterm infants has been shown to have many benefits, with previous studies linking it to improved bonding, sleep, heart and lung function and growth, as well as reduced pain and stress,” said lead researcher Katherine Travis, director of the Laboratory for Language Development and Recovery at Burke Neurological Institute in White Plains, N.Y. “Our findings in infants born very preterm suggest skin-to-skin care may also play a role in shaping early brain development, highlighting the potential importance of caregiving experiences during the earliest weeks of a preemie’s life,” she said in a news release. For the study, researchers studied the development of 88 preterm babies with an average gestational age of 29 weeks. The preemies weighed an average of just under 2.7 pounds and had an average hospital stay of two months. The research team tracked skin-to-skin contact with family members throughout each preemie’s hospitalization, including how long each session lasted and total minutes per day. This sort of care is referred to as “kangaroo care,” named for the way marsupials like kangaroos carry their young in…  read on >  read on >

Skin-To-Skin ‘Kangaroo’ Care Boosts Preemies’ Brain Development

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Skin-to-skin contact might help kick-start brain development in preterm babies, a new study says. Preemies born before 32 weeks showed stronger development in brain regions tied to emotion and stress regulation if they received more skin-to-skin contact, researchers reported Sept. 24 in the journal Neurology. “Skin-to-skin contact in preterm infants has been shown to have many benefits, with previous studies linking it to improved bonding, sleep, heart and lung function and growth, as well as reduced pain and stress,” said lead researcher Katherine Travis, director of the Laboratory for Language Development and Recovery at Burke Neurological Institute in White Plains, N.Y. “Our findings in infants born very preterm suggest skin-to-skin care may also play a role in shaping early brain development, highlighting the potential importance of caregiving experiences during the earliest weeks of a preemie’s life,” she said in a news release. For the study, researchers studied the development of 88 preterm babies with an average gestational age of 29 weeks. The preemies weighed an average of just under 2.7 pounds and had an average hospital stay of two months. The research team tracked skin-to-skin contact with family members throughout each preemie’s hospitalization, including how long each session lasted and total minutes per day. This sort of care is referred to as “kangaroo care,” named for the way marsupials like kangaroos carry their young in…  read on >  read on >