Artificial sweeteners promote dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria) in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients and may worsen the disease and its symptoms. In a series of 3 studies, scientists mixed a low dose of Splenda into the drinking water of mice (who originated from a genetic line of mice with CD). They increased the dose slightly for the […]
Nitrate in drinking water, even at safe levels (within 50 mg nitrate/liter of water), increases colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Scientists assessed drinking water nitrate level exposure in 2.7 million adults and examined 200,000 drinking water analyses from 1978 to 2011 in Denmark. Comparing this data with population-based health registry data, scientists identified 5,944 CRC cases. Analysis […]
Daily calcium supplements are linked to an increased risk of colon polyps. 2,000 participants (aged 45 to 75), all with a history of polyps, were randomly assigned to take a daily calcium supplement, a daily vitamin D supplement, both, or neither for 3 or 5 years. Those who took the calcium supplement, both with and without […]
Initiating an intrauterine device (IUD) with copper over a 180-day period significantly increased the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in a group of women seeking contraception in Zimbabwe, while hormonal contraceptive methods did not affect BV prevalence. In the 234 women using the copper IUD, BV prevalence was assessed at baseline and at 30, 90 […]
A 20-year long study, including 6,235 participants with an average age of 34, uncovers the long-term impact of spray cleaners on lung function in women. The study found that women who regularly clean with cleaning sprays experience worsening of lung function over time when compared to women who don’t clean. To put the findings in more […]
Studies show that overweight mothers are more likely to have overweight children, but why? A recent study, looking at 935 mother-infant pairs, found that infants born vaginally to overweight mothers were 3 times more likely to be overweight by the age of 3 when compared to infants born from normal weight mothers. Those born via C-section […]
While most of us already know that processed foods increase cancer risk, a recent study quantifies the risk. Findings show that for every 10% increase (based on a 2,000 calorie diet this is equivalent to 200 calories) in highly processed foods in the diet there is a 12% increase in cancer risk, with the greatest association […]
Children aged 12 to 18 who have access to green spaces are significantly less likely to suffer from depression than those without access. The study followed 9,000 adolescents over a number of years and found that those with access were 11% less likely to suffer from high depressive symptoms. The study also looked at access to […]
A recent study, conducted over 15 years in individuals 90 years of age and older, finds that drinking alcohol on a regular basis is more effective in increasing longevity than exercise. Those who drank 1 to 2 glasses of wine or beer daily were 18 percent less likely to die a premature death, while those who […]