7 Unhealthiest Foods On The Planet

These seemingly innocent foods should be placed on your personal 'no-eat' list. 

Some danger zones are pretty obvious. Iran, for example. Or North Korea. Or Panem. If you decide to go there, and something weird happens, nobody can say you weren’t warned.
But some danger zones aren’t so self-evident. Take, for example, the aisles of your local supermarket. You know the candy bars aren’t doing you any favors, and you can’t eat butter by the spoonful. But there are plenty of other products that seem entirely harmless — in fact, most are marketed as healthy, or at least as less-bad-for-you alternatives to other foods.
That means they must be okay—after all, the good folks in the federal government wouldn’t let stores sell this stuff if it wasn’t proven safe, right? But the truth is more unfortunate: federal guidelines leave it up to the food manufacturers to decide if a food is safe — and “safe” doesn’t mean “good for you.” It just means, “Won’t make your head instantly explode.”

The team at Eat This, Not That! magazine identified some seemingly innocent foods that should be placed on our personal No-Fly zone. Here’s the essential list:

Unhealthiest Food #7: Microwave Popcorn
Because it: Might Mess with Your Mind
If you thought the movie you were watching was terrifying, you probably haven’t taken a very close look at your popcorn. Yes, popcorn can be healthy: When air-popped, this snack has filling fiber and whole-grains we love, but the microwaveable varieties are an entirely different beast. Many major brands line their bags with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the same stuff found in teflon pots and pans; some studies have linked it to infertility, weight gain, and impaired learning. Speaking of learning trouble, butter-flavored popcorns are almost always laced with diacetyl (DA), a chemical that has been found to break down the layer of cells that protects one of our most vital organs: the brain. Now that’s some scary stuff!
Eat This Instead: Air pop kernels or make your own microwavable popcorn. Here’s how: Add your favorite popping kernels to a small paper lunch bag, fold the top down a few times. Then, zap it in the microwave until you hear only a few pops every five seconds. Challenged in the kitchen? We’re also big fans of Quinn Popcorn. It’s one of the only microwavable popcorns that’s free of chemicals and won’t wreak havoc on your waistline. Speaking of your waistline, get yours toned and tight for Spring with these essential 14 Ways to Lose Your Belly in 14 Days.

Unhealthiest Food #6: Colorful Candy
Because It: Puts Your Child at Risk of ADD
Yes, all sugar can turn your charming little toddler into a home destructo unit. But not all candies are created equal. While chocolate bars may be doing your child no favors, some candies may be causing real harm. A few years ago, researchers discovered that the artificial colors Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 promote Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in children. In fact, Norway and Sweden have already banned the use of these artificial colors, and in the rest of the EU, foods containing these additives must be labeled with the phrase: “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
Eat This Instead: Amy’s Natural Creamy Candy Bar. While this bar has about the same amount of calories, fat and sugar as a regular candy bar, it’s free of all artificial colorings. Or check out Unreal’s Candy-Coated Milk Chocolates, which are similar to M&Ms but free of artificial colors. And here’s some good news for fans of SweetTarts and Butterfingers: parent company Nestlế recently stepped up to the plate and announced that by the end of 2015, the company will have phased out the use of all artificial dyes.

Unhealthiest Food #5: Jelly and Jam with Added Sugars
Because It: Deprives Your Body of Nutrients
Oh, come on! The nice lady at the farmer’s market swore these were all-natural, and made from raspberries grown right in her own garden! Yep, but the nice farmer lady then took her raspberries and added in a heaping helping of sugar and another significant ingredient, pectin, a natural fruit fiber that makes the spread nice and sticky. What’s so bad about a natural fiber? Well, just as it causes jelly to stick to your fingers, pectin also sticks to health-boosting antioxidants like beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein, carrying them out of your system before your body can benefit from them.
Eat This Instead: Mash up a handful of blackberries and smear the mess onto your peanut butter sandwich. It tastes exactly like jam, but without the added sugar or pectin. Sliced bananas can serve the same purpose. Not willing to ditch your spread? Try Polaner All Fruit Spreadable Fruit Apricot. Apricots are naturally low in pectin and the spread is free of added sugars. Need an extra little push to make the commitment? Jam and jelly top our list of the 13 Foods to Kick Out of the Kitchen Forever.

Unhealthiest Food #4: Diet Soda
Because It: Is Linked to Obesity
What do synthetic estrogen, flame retardants and rocket fuel all have in common? As we learned in the book Zero Belly Diet, they can all be found in a can of your favorite diet soda. BPA, the synthetic estrogen, is used to soften the plastic that lines the can; colas contain caramel coloring shown to cause cancer in humans; and citrus-flavored sodas contain BVO, a flame retardant used in rocket fuel that may reduce fertility and negatively affect thyroid hormones. Nearly all popular diet sodas contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener that raises glucose levels, overloading the liver and causing the excess to convert into fat.
Drink This Instead: While Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have agreed to phase BVO out of their sodas, it’s still actively used in sodas from Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Inc. Even so, all these drinks contain aspartame, and that’s just not something we can get behind. If you’re sick of plain ol’ H20, opt for unsweetened tea or coffee instead.

Unhealthiest Food #3: Fortified Kids’ Cereal
Because: The Vitamins Are Fake, but the Sugar Is Real
What could be wrong here? A beloved cartoon character touting a wholesome breakfast treat fortified with essential vitamins and minerals! Why, it’s just good, clean fun!
Except that most kids’ cereals are fortified primarily with sugar. The vitamins and minerals touted on the box? They’re sprayed on at the end, and most of them wash off in the milk (drink the milk, kids!). And all those bright colors? They come from such wholesome, natural ingredients as Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) or BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), ingredients that are banned in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and much of Europe because they are thought to be carcinogenic. Check the label, and ban anything with these chemicals from your child’s breakfast.
Eat This Instead: Cascadian Farms Chocolate O’s and Nature’s Path Peanut Butter Panda Puffs are both flavor-packed, low-sugar picks that don’t contain any scary chemicals. To treat the occasional stubborn craving, turn to these 10 Best Junk Foods for Weight Loss.

Unhealthiest Food #2: Coffee Creamer
Because It: Can Raise Your Cholesterol
Coffee creamer and sunblock have more in common that you would think. As it turns out, they both contain titanium dioxide, an ultraviolet radiation blocker that doubles as a whitening agent. The additive has been proven to cause liver and tissue damage in mice, and may also have health implications in humans, according to a recent review of the chemical. Coffee creamer is also typically packed with trans-fats, often hiding under the guise of its lesser-known name: hydrogenated oil, which not only raises cholesterol but has been shown to diminish memory in adults under 45 years old. If you’re working hard to build your career or don’t want to forget where you parked your car, this is one ingredient you should steer clear of.
Eat This Instead: Plain ol’ cow’s milk or unsweetened, organic soy milk both make for healthy additions to your morning cup. If you’re looking for a hint of flavor, stick with a tablespoon of one of Coffee Mate’s Natural Bliss creamers. They are all made from nonfat milk, heavy cream, sugar and natural flavors—that’s it! Add some to these scientifically-proven 5 Teas That Melt Fat Fast!

Unhealthiest Food #1: Processed Meats
Because It: Bloats Your Belly—and Your Diabetes Risk
Many brands of bacon, sausage, hot dogs and deli meats contain nitrates, a preservative that interferes with the body’s natural ability to process sugar, which increases the risk for diabetes. It can also increase up your odds of thyroid and colon cancer. If that wasn’t bad enough, most processed meats are also loaded with sodium, a known contributor to hypertension that can make you bloat and set you up to develop heart disease.
Eat This Instead: Read the ingredients and look for meats that are free of nitrates. At the deli counter ask for Boar’s Head All Natural Roasted Turkey Breast. It’s free of nitrates and relatively low in sodium. Applegate Natural’s Natural Slow-Cooked Ham and Organic Bacon are also good picks that can be found in the meats and cheese section of your grocery store.

Woman Physically Sick After Her Anorexia Photo Used In Amazing Weight Loss Story

Anne Marie Sengillo at 150 pounds, left, and at 90 pounds, right.

 Anne Marie Sengillo at 150 pounds, left, and at 90 pounds, right.

Imagine if you used the Internet to find support for recovering from your eating disorder, and help inspire others to overcome theirs. Now, imagine that photos of you at your most sick were used in an article on “amazing” weight loss transformations.
That’s exactly what happened to Anne Marie Sengillo of Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

 Here’s the cover of the “amazing” weight loss transformations story in which Sengillo’s photos are a part of.
She tells Yahoo Health that she first learned from a concerned reader that the photos she posted of herself showing her experience with anorexia on Reddit had been republished — without her permission — on a website named The Chive, touted to detail “funny photos and videos”. The 27-year-old says she was shocked that the site only showed photos her beginning weight at 150 pounds and her anorexic weight at 93 pounds in a positively-spun story about weight loss transformations — not eating disorders.
Sengillo had posted a full album of photos that document her path to recovery on Reddit. The album showed her going from 150 pounds to 70, 90, 110, 95, 105, 113 and 120 pounds.

 “I was really mad because my whole reason for putting the pictures out there was to show like ‘hey, there’s recovery, and relapse, but you can still get better,’” she tells Yahoo Health. “And they took all of that way. It made me physically sick because it upset me so much.”

 She posted her collection of pictures on Reddit to show her path to health hoping to inspire others with eating disorders that they too can get better. She suffered with anorexia for seven years after her father’s death but has been in recovery since 2013.

 The Chive has since issued an online apology to Sengillo. While she says she is appreciative, she notes at that point the story containing her photos had already been shared more than 2,000 times. Yahoo Health contacted The Chive for comment but had not received a response at press time.

Anorexia is a serious eating disorder, characterized by deliberate self-starvation with weight loss and a persistent fear of weight gain, according to the National Association of Eating Disorders (NAED).
Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S. According to the NAED, Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

5 Stunning Comments From President Obama Regarding the Potential Legalization of Marijuana

What does the future hold for marijuana? While that's tough to answer, any changing Congressional views are likely to wind up on the desk of President Obama. Here's are five of the President's most important comments from a recent interview that should help consumers decipher where he stands on the topic of legalizing marijuana.

 Just when marijuana supporters thought things couldn't get any better, last week brought incredible news.

Marijuana gets a double-dose of good news
On Tuesday, March 10, three Senate members introduced a bill that would make medical marijuana legal on a federal level and free legal medical marijuana users from the potential for federal prosecution.
In addition, the bill, known as the CARERS Act, would allow banks to lend to medical marijuana businesses, could open the door for medical marijuana research by removing lengthy and costly hurdles (something GW Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:GWPH) shareholders would love to see), and would require the modification of the Controlled Substances Act that currently labels marijuana as a schedule 1, or illicit, drug to a schedule 2 drug. Even if the bill fails to pass on its initial introduction, it's a landmark step that signifies just how far the support for marijuana's legalization has come in a matter of a decade.
If this bill doesn't demonstrate the momentum currently in the sails of the marijuana movement, then the latest poll from the General Social Survey, which is conducted every two years, certainly speaks volumes.
In its latest in-person survey of 1,687 people, 52% supported marijuana's legalization compared to the 42% who opposed it. It marked the first time in the history of the GSS poll that more people favored marijuana's legalization than opposed it. With 23 states (and Washington, D.C.) having already approved medical marijuana, and four states (plus Washington, D.C.) recently approving the recreational adult use of marijuana, many people are of the belief that a nationwide legalization of marijuana, or at least some relaxation of marijuana laws, could be around the corner.

 President Obama weighs in on the marijuana debate
However, it's tough to wrap our hands around what the future might hold for marijuana without first considering what the most powerful person in America thinks of the currently illegal drug. Federal legalization of marijuana, even on a medical level, is unlikely to become a law without President Obama's signature; thus his views on marijuana could have a particularly strong bearing on its future.
In a recent interview with Vice News, President Obama divulged some of his potentially shocking views of marijuana. Here are five comments from the interview that particularly stand out.

If you pass it, change may come
    "At a certain point, if enough states end up decriminalizing [marijuana], then Congress may then reschedule marijuana."

Without going so far as to throw his support behind marijuana, President Obama, who has himself admitted to marijuana use in the past, suggests that if enough states wind up legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, reform will follow from Congress.
Let's not forget that two key components are at play here which might eventually necessitate Congress make this move. First, they're elected officials, and if the general public favors legalization, then Congress would be smart to at least consider it. Secondly, taxation of marijuana on the federal level could be a smart way of reducing the current federal budget deficit.

Marijuana enforcement is inefficient
    "I think there's no doubt that our criminal justice system, generally, is so heavily skewed toward cracking down on non-violent drug offenders that it has had a terrible effect on many communities, rendering a lot of folks unemployable because they got felony records, disproportionate prison sentences. It costs a huge amount of money to states and a lot of states are figuring that out."
While President Obama's discussion of how legalization may come about is bound to be intriguing for marijuana supporters, perhaps the most memorable aspect of his answers details his view that the punishment for being in possession with marijuana isn't commensurate with the crime.

Moreover, Obama believes that the money being spent on marijuana enforcement simply may not be justified. A 2010 publication from Jeffrey Miron, the director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Economics at Harvard University, notes that of the $48.7 billion spent by states and the federal government in 2008, $13.8 billion was strictly used for marijuana enforcement. Legalizing marijuana would reduce state expenses by $10.4 billion, federal government expenses by $3.4 billion, and allow both states and the federal government to generate tax revenue. Per Miron, a sweeping legalization would equal $2.1 billion in tax revenue. In other words, a nearly $16 billion swing!

People of all walks are behind reexamining marijuana's scheduling
    "But what I'm encouraged by is you're starting to see not just liberal Democrats, but also very conservative Republicans recognize this [prison sentences] doesn't make sense."
President Obama notes that it's not just polls suggesting support for marijuana's legalization is growing. He's beginning to see evidence that party lines are being broken and that both Democrats and Republicans may be in favor of rescheduling marijuana or legalizing it. Considering that the second half of Obama's presidency has been plagued by Congressional bickering, the fact that members from both sides of the aisle may be on the same page is an encouraging sign for those who want to see marijuana legalized.

Legalization isn't an end-all fix
    "I think there is a legitimate concern about the overall effects this [marijuana] has on society, particularly vulnerable parts of our society. Substance abuse generally, legal and illegal substances, is a problem."

Despite not-so-subtle commentary from President Obama that marijuana enforcement may not be producing the desired results, the president was also clear that legalizing the drug likely won't fix the system, either.
Obama implies that even if marijuana were rescheduled and made legal it would still carry with it a high potential for abuse. We've witnessed numerous studies over the past decade that have demonstrated the addictive nature of marijuana when adolescents begin using the drug with regularity. These studies have also suggested that heavy-use adolescents are far more likely to try dangerous drugs (e.g., cocaine), fail to graduate high school or college, and attempt suicide than nonusers. It's studies like this that could preclude a nationwide legalization.

There are far more important issues than marijuana
    "[Marijuana] shouldn't be young people's biggest priority."
Lastly, President Obama was clear that despite marijuana's growing media time, the people of the United States, especially younger adults, should be more focused on important topics such as the U.S economy, jobs growth, and the potential for war, rather than marijuana. In effect, the president has advised us that marijuana policy is going to take the backburner to more pressing issues for the country.

President Obama's comments are important, but keep this in mind
President Obama's commentary helps shed some important light on what Americans can probably expect moving forward.
On one hand his view seems to suggest that the growing public support of marijuana is eventually going to coerce Congress into action. But at the same time it would appear that marijuana is a very low priority policy with other more pertinent tasks at hand, such as reducing the budget deficit, keeping the American economy growing, and fending off America's overseas enemies.

Overall, I view this as generally positive news for a research company like GW Pharmaceuticals, which could be a huge beneficiary of at least the legalization of medical marijuana.
GW Pharmaceuticals is currently working with more than five dozen internally discovered cannabinoids from the cannabis plant and looking to utilize the possible biological benefits of these cannabinoids to treat certain diseases. Its most promising clinical drug, Epidiolex, is targeted at two rare forms of childhood onset epilepsy, but as you might imagine testing marijuana-based products on children is considered somewhat taboo; GW Pharmaceuticals had to jump through some serious hoops with the Food and Drug Administration to get the OK for its clinical trials. A rescheduling of marijuana to a schedule 2 drug could mean more research potential opportunities for GW Pharmaceuticals.
However, to be clear, until we see a reform of the federal government's view of marijuana, GW Pharmaceuticals and other marijuana stocks probably aren't the best investments. Regardless of President Obama's opinion or the growing support of the nation's citizens, what ultimately matters to Wall Street and investors are profits and losses. Throughout the remainder of the decade GW is unlikely to turn a profit, making GW a very unappealing investment opportunity despite marijuana's momentum.

India to give 3 million bureaucrats free yoga classes

An Indian ayurvedic therapist demonstrates yoga to visitors at a spa and wellness centre in the village of Dev Dholera

India's government said Friday it would provide free daily yoga classes for its 3 million employees and their families as it seeks to promote the ancient practice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an avid yoga fan who credits his strict regime of exercise and meditation for his ability to work long hours on just four or five hours' sleep.
A public circular issued on Friday said the government was "organising regular yoga training sessions from April 1, 2015 for the benefit of central government employees and their dependents".
India's national government, which employs around 3 million people, gave no reason for the move.
But Modi has worked hard to promote traditional Indian practices such as yoga and ayurveda since coming to power, setting up a ministry dedicated to their promotion.
Earlier this year the United Nations adopted his proposal that June 21 be named International Day of Yoga.
It could also be an effort to promote Modi's values of clean living and hard work. The teetotal vegetarian expressed shock after taking office last year at the habits of some Indian civil servants, who were notorious for arriving late and taking long lunches.

Cant Focus - Maybe It is Adult ADHD

Can you recognize the signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? (Photo: Stocksy/Ivo De Bruijn)
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is often thought of as a condition that affects kids. After all, symptoms tend to become apparent during the school years, and it’s generally diagnosed around age 7. But the truth is, it can affect adults, too.

In fact, about 4.1 percent of adults in the U.S. have the chronic neurological condition, which is marked by attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

While ADHD is a condition that you’re born with, many people aren’t diagnosed until they’re adults — and interestingly enough, it’s often due to their child’s recent diagnosis, says psychiatrist and best-selling author Gail Saltz,MD.

“They’re saying, ‘You know, I was like that in school and I’m still kind of like that,’” Saltz tells Yahoo Health. “It strikes them suddenly that they might be dealing with ADHD and just didn’t know it.”
Saltz also says that she sees a lot of patients who are experiencing breakdowns in their marriages — and ADHD is the hidden culprit. “ADHD can create a real strain on a relationship,” says Saltz. “Many people have come into my office saying they have great difficulty listening, honoring promises they made, being emotionally up and down, or dealing with the other spouse saying, ‘I’m constantly nagging them to do things and they just don’t do it!”

The condition has been in the news recently, too, with a Danish study showing that people with ADHD are twice as likely to die prematurely compared with those without it. Accidents are the most common cause of death, and people diagnosed in adulthood are more at risk. “Our findings emphasize the importance diagnosing ADHD early, especially in girls and women, and treating any co-existing antisocial and substance use disorders,” lead study author Søren Dalsgaard from Aarhus University, explains in a statement.

So How Do You Know If It’s ADHD?
Figuring out if you (or your loved one) has this condition can be somewhat of a challenge. “Like with all clinical diagnoses, there is no blood test or brain scan,” says Saltz. “So the question is, do you have enough of these symptoms, are they truly interfering with your functioning and have you ruled out other conditions that could likely be the cause?”

Since ADHD begins in childhood, it’s also imperative to look back at your past actions. “If this seems to be a recent onset of behaviors, you would need to look at other causes,” she adds. “For example, your symptoms could be the reaction to a new medication or to a current life situation that is exceedingly stressful.”

Then there’s the fact that ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all condition. “ADHD is a bit of a junk pile term,” she explains. “Someone might be higher on the issue of impulsivity, whereas someone else might be having a problem with distractibility. While they’re both features of ADHD, not every kid or adult looks the same.”
And then there’s the issue that most people (meaning those with and without ADHD) have some of the typical symptoms of the condition — and may even refer to them as personality quirks. “This is the case with almost all psychiatric diagnoses, in short of the psychotic disorders,” states Saltz. “These are ‘normal’ features that can occur in everybody.” However, the common traits in ADHD, like being disorganized, being easily distracted, or feeling antsy, shouldn’t come at the expense of your job or relationships.

Saltz uses disorganization as an example. For adults, being disorganized “can be work-affecting and family-affecting,” she explains. “Are you keeping up with your house, with the bills and with what your kids are doing? If not, that could indicate a problem.” And if your lack of organization skills are causing you to miss work appointments and deadlines, this may also be a reason for concern, as opposed to someone who maintains a messy desk but seems to function in their dysfunction.

If you suspect that you or a loved one has ADHD, it’s important to be aware of the three subtypes: Primarily Inattentive Type, Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive Type, and Combined Type. “Patients usually have some amount of both, but one trait tends to dominate,” says Saltz. Here are the symptoms to be on the lookout for with each type:

ADHD—Primarily Inattentive Type:

•     Neglects details and makes careless mistakes


•     Has difficulty listening and sustaining attention


•     Highly disorganized


•     Struggles to follow instructions


•     Continuously distracted


•     Forgetful

“With the person whose predominant symptom is distractibility, I think of the dog in the movie Up who says, ‘Squirrel!’” says Saltz. “It’s the type of person who will be engaged in something and they’ll think, ‘Oh, that just caught my eye and now that just caught my eye.’”

ADHD—Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive Type:

•     Fidgets with hands or feet


•     Has difficulty sitting for a period of time


•     Talks excessively


•     Interrupts others often


•     Struggles in circumstances that require waiting

“If impulsiveness is your bigger symptom, you could have angry outbursts and you’ll find that you can’t really control your emotions or your decision-making,” she says. “It could seem that things could escalate quickly without your control. Also, the hyperactivity part often dissipates with age, so adults are less likely to deal with this symptom.”

ADHD—Combined Type: Shows traits under both categories.

“ADHD is not a disorder of an inability to attend,” says Saltz. “It’s a disorder of the ability to regulate when you attend. So what doesn’t work properly is your switch to say, ‘Now I want to be paying attention,’ and ‘Now it doesn’t matter if I’m paying attention.’”

If you have dealt with a number of these symptoms since childhood, Saltz recommends seeking an evaluation from either a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in ADHD.

Report offers stimulating recommendation on coffee

Meet the first of your approved three to five cups of coffee per day.  According to a committee of scientists, a cup of coffee — or three or five — won’t hurt. But go easy on the cream and sugar — the extra fat and calories can add up.

A new round of dietary do’s and don’ts accompanied last month’s scientific report on the latest food research, summarizing everything from aspartame to saturated fats. The report puts eggs back on the menu. High dietary cholesterol is no longer linked to blood cholesterol in most healthy people. But what grabbed the headlines? Coffee, of course.
Many of us are happy to raise a mug to our legal stimulant of choice, especially with the report’s suggestion that three to five cups of joe get a pass. But where do these numbers come from? What science do nutrition experts take into account to determine whether coffee is harmful or safe? And — perhaps the most important question — what does “three to five cups” really mean?

Science, not policy
The good news for coffee comes from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of experts in nutrition and health appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review the science behind what Americans should eat. The report, released February 19, is not the be-all-end-all of what should be on our plates and in our cups. Instead, it’s a scientific report intended to help the HHS and USDA make policy decisions for the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, due out later this year.
This is the first time the U.S. Dietary Guidelines have addressed coffee at all. But now, there is enough science on coffee to make a closer look worthwhile, says Tom Brenna, a food scientist at Cornell University and a member of the Committee. “There was so much evidence out there,” he says. “Instead of just five or six papers on the subject, there’s a huge number.”
And coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the United States and it’s the primary contributor to caffeine consumption, notes Frank Hu, a member of the Committee who studies nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University. He’s also concerned about whether we might be drinking a little too much caffeine. “There’s been a lot of media attention to overconsumption of caffeine, especially among young adults,” he notes.
After weighing the recent studies, the committee offered the following guidance on coffee: “Strong evidence shows that consumption of coffee within the moderate range (3 to 5 cups per day or up to 400 milligrams per day caffeine) is not associated with increased long-term health risks among healthy individuals.” They also noted that really, most of us aren’t pushing that 400-milligram limit. Instead, healthy adult men and women average around 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. Pregnant women, the report notes, should probably stick below 200 milligrams per day.

The scientific brew
The committee pooled a large number of scientific reports, from studies of how much caffeine Americans consume by age group to studies evaluating coffee and its association with cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease and even Alzheimer’s disease.
The gold standard for medical studies is the randomized controlled trial, in which participants are randomly assigned to receive one of two interventions without knowing what group they are in. This works well for short-term studies of caffeine, but is problematic in studies that run many months or years. You can’t really randomly assign people to a caffeinated or caffeine-free lifestyle, and forget trying to do so without the participants catching on, Brenna notes.
So the committee considered short-term studies, where people come into a laboratory, receive a single or a few doses of caffeine and are then examined for everything from blood pressure to brain function. The group also looked at cohort studies, in which researchers follow groups of people who do or do not drink coffee over many years and track any differences in certain health outcomes. “The advantage is that you can look directly in humans and over long periods of time,” Brenna explains. “You can get associations.” But, he notes, you can’t really prove with a cohort study that coffee or caffeine causes a specific effect.
Many of the studies the committee ended up focusing on were meta-analyses. These are not original research. Instead, they combine the results of different studies — in this case, several clinical trials and cohort studies on coffee and caffeine. For a meta-analysis, researchers comb the literature for all the studies assessing, say, the link between coffee drinking and heart attacks. They then select the studies that have similar populations of people who consume similar doses of coffee, pool the results and try to determine if, overall, coffee increases or decreases the risk of heart attack.
By combining many studies together, a series of small studies with 50, 100 and 150 participants becomes a study with 300. “It’s a way of doing a larger study with many participants that might not otherwise be feasible,” says Shahla Wunderlich, who studies food production at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J.
But Wunderlich notes that meta-analyses should be interpreted very cautiously. “Each of these studies can be very different, there may be a different population size, and so on,” she explains. “Combining all these studies and coming up with a conclusion may not be meaningful. It’s not the same as a single experimental study.” While the people in the studies might be of similar age, weight, education and health, they are probably not in the same location or even in the same country. It’s very difficult to conduct truly rigorous meta-analyses with proper statistics. And although the committee’s methods for selection were extremely careful, it’s still important to make conclusions carefully.
And of course, different participants, even within the same study, are probably not consuming the same coffee. “The caffeine content in coffee can range dramatically,” says Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “It means we’re not as precise as we’d like to be.”
It’s also important to note that most of the science, and most of the meta-analyses, are on coffee, not caffeine. “Among adults, coffee is the lion’s share of caffeine intake,” says Bertone-Johnson. “Coffee is also complicated. It contains more than 1,000 different chemicals.” She notes that some studies try to tease out the effects of caffeine alone by comparing regular coffee to decaf. But there are very few long-term studies looking at caffeine alone, without the other components of soda, coffee or tea. The high levels of caffeine in energy drinks are another matter entirely, and there just wasn’t enough data for the committee to weigh in on caffeine itself.

The dose makes the poison
In the end, the committee’s assessment of the coffee literature was that there is “strong” evidence that three to five cups of coffee per day, or less than 400 milligrams of caffeine, does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer. They also note that the same dose of coffee or caffeine might slightly decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Parkinson’s disease, but this got a “moderate,” not a “strong” ranking. Evidence for Alzheimer’s disease risk and cognitive decline was too limited to draw conclusions.
As for the high caffeine intake in young people from sodas and energy drinks? The drinks are too new, and more research is needed before experts can give evidenced-based guidance. But in the meantime, the committee settled on limited to no consumption of energy drinks for youth until their health effects are better understood. Put down the energy drinks, kids.
“They are fairly straightforward recommendations in terms of the quality of the evidence,” says Bertone-Johnson. “It’s reassuring; the science is really showing there’s no adverse health consequences.”
But the dose makes the poison. And what is the dose? Three to five “cups” of coffee could mean different things to different people. The committee defined a cup as eight ounces containing roughly 100 milligrams of caffeine. But most small coffees at coffee shops start at 12 ounces. They go up from there.  A 20-ounce Pike Place from Starbucks clocks in at 415 milligrams.
Of course, most people probably don’t look up the caffeine content online before they order their coffee, let alone know the caffeine content of their home-brewed cup of joe. “I’m concerned the public is going to interpret [the report] badly,” Wunderlich says. “Giving people a blank check about coffee is concerning because it’s a stimulant that may affect people differently.”
The committee wants to be sure that coffee doesn’t get that blank check. “The results don’t suggest that if you don’t drink coffee you should,” notes Alice Lichtenstein, a nutritional biochemist at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and a member of the committee. “It’s really indicating that you drink moderate amounts of coffee there are not adverse outcomes. It’s an important distinction.”
What sweetens up that moderate-sized cup is also an important point. The group had a lot to say about added sugar and fat, and extended those cautions all the way to the three pumps of vanilla syrup and the whole milk in your latte. “I don’t think it hurts to add a little cream and sugar,” Hu says. “But I think people should pay attention to large amounts of added calories when they go to a coffee shop.”
It’s nice to get that extra boost of confidence that at least our coffee habits are (probably, most likely, generally speaking, based on a lot of meta-analyses) not going to kill us. And it’s far more optimistic news than the gloomy fingers pointing at our sugary treats. “It was a pleasant surprise,” Brenna notes. “It’s nice not to be delivering bad news all the time.” So coffee drinkers, rejoice. At least, as long as you’re drinking less than 40 ounces of coffee, or 400 milligrams per day. And if you don’t already, you might want to try learning to like it black.

Turn it way down: WHO finds 1B young people at risk of hearing loss

“What was that?”
“Turn down your music, you’ll ruin your hearing!”
“WHAT?”
“I couldn’t hear you, my music was too loud.”
This scenario has been playing out between parents and kids for eons. But the risks for young people are higher than ever now that they can blast their music on portable devices all day.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that about “1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events.”
Playing loud music has long been a rite of passage for young people. Ever since the Walkman first hit the market in 1979, music fans of all ages have been able to listen to their tunes via headphones wherever they go. Walk down the street today and it seems like most teens and young adults do nothing but listen to music. (As they simultaneously text and watch cat videos, of course.)
“Living in the electronic age, young people are experiencing preventable hearing loss at unprecedented rates,” Andrea Swinton, Executive Director of The Hearing Foundation of world told Yahoo world News in an email interview.
The WHO analyzed data from studies in middle- and high-income countries and found that among teenagers and young adults (defined as ages 12-35), nearly 50 per cent are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices. Unsafe levels of sounds can be, for example, exposure to in excess of 85 decibels (dB) for eight hours or 100dB for 15 minutes, according to WHO.
While headphones like Beats By Dre are very popular right now, ear buds are still ubiquitous. The Hearing Foundation of world has this to say about the situation:
“The volume on personal music devices vary by manufacturer, and whether you use the over-the-ear headphones or the ear buds, (both) can affect the sound level that reaches the ear canal. Ear buds are extremely dangerous, as they are designed to deliver high volumes of sound in noisy environments,” wrote Swinton.
“In a perfect world, standardized volume levels, along with the discontinuation of ear buds, would surely make a significant difference on noise-induced hearing loss amongst All.”

 

What can be done?
The head of the non-profit organization also suggested the government could spend more on educating us about hearing loss.
Changes mandated by government or manufacturers may never happen, so the foundation has these tips for Canadians of all ages to protect their hearing.
    Don’t listen to music at high levels;
    If your device has a feature that allows you to set maximum listening level, set it to three quarters of maximum volume;
    Limit the amount of time you spend listening to music on your device;
    And if you listen to music in noisy places, consider investing in noise-isolation or active-noise cancelling headphones.
The WHO suggests restricting the daily use of personal audio devices to less than one hour, using smartphone apps to monitor safe listening levels and getting regular hearing check-ups.
Hear that?

15 Cancer Symptoms Women Shouldnot Ignore

By Linda Rath
WebMD Feature

Women's bodies are always changing. Sometimes changes that seem normal can be signs of cancer, though.
The key is to pay attention to your body so you can notice when something's different, says Robyn Andersen, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. "New symptoms indicate something has changed in your body, and you want to know what that means."
So, what should you watch for?

1. Breast changes
Most breast lumps aren't cancer, but your doctor should always check them. Let her know about these changes, too:
    Skin dimpling or puckering
    Nipples that turn inward
    Nipple discharge
    Redness or scaling of your nipple or breast skin
To look for the cause of your symptoms, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your medical history. You may also have tests like a mammogram or a biopsy, when doctors remove a tiny piece of tissue for testing.

2. Bloating
"Women are natural bloaters," says Marleen Meyers, MD, an oncologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. "It's OK to wait a week or two to see if it goes away."
If your symptoms don't get better with time, or if they happen with weight loss or bleeding, see a doctor. Constant bloating can sometimes mean ovarian cancer. You'll have a pelvic exam as well as blood tests, and sometimes an ultrasound, to look for the cause of the problem, Andersen says.

3. Between-Period Bleeding
If you’re still getting periods, tell your doctor if you’re spotting between them. Bleeding that’s not a part of your usual monthly cycle can have many causes, but your doctor will want to rule out endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of your uterus).
Bleeding after menopause is never normal and should be checked right away.

4: Skin Changes
A change in the size, shape, or color of a mole or other spot is a common sign of skin cancer. See your doctor for a thorough exam and perhaps a biopsy. This is one time you don't want to wait, Meyers says.

5. Blood in Your Pee or Stool
Talk to your doctor if you're bleeding from a part of your body that normally doesn't, especially if the bleeding lasts more than a day or two, Meyers says.
Bloody stool is often from hemorrhoids, but it can also be a symptom of colon cancer. Bloody urine is usually the first sign of cancer of the bladder or kidneys, says Herbert Lepor, MD, a urologist at NYU's Langone.

6. Changes in Lymph Nodes
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands around the body. Most changes in them come from common infections. But some cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, can also cause lymph nodes to swell.
It's a good idea to see your doctor if you have a lump or swelling anywhere in your body that lasts a month or more, Meyers says.

7. Trouble Swallowing
Occasional trouble swallowing is nothing to worry about. But when it happens often, especially with vomiting or weight loss, your doctor may want to check you for throat or stomach cancer.
He'll look into your symptoms with a throat exam and a barium X-ray. During a barium test, you drink a special liquid that makes your throat stand out on the X-ray.

8. Weight Loss Without Trying
Most women wish extra pounds would magically melt away. But losing 10 pounds or more without a change in your diet or exercise habits could signal a problem.
Most unintended weight loss is not cancer, Meyers says. "It's often caused by stress or your thyroid, but it can be a sign of pancreatic cancer," she says. Stomach and lung cancers are also possible.
Your doctor may ask for a lot of tests to look for a problem, including blood tests and imaging tests, like a CT scan.

9. Heartburn
Too much food, alcohol, or stress (or all three) can cause serious heartburn. Meyers suggests that you change your diet for a week or two to see if your symptoms get better.
If that doesn't help, talk to your doctor. Heartburn that doesn't go away or gets worse could mean cancer of the stomach, throat, or ovaries.

10. Mouth Changes
If you smoke, watch for white or bright-red patches inside your mouth or on your lips. Both can signal oral cancer. Ask your doctor or dentist about tests and treatment.

11. Fever
A fever that doesn’t go away and can't be explained could mean leukemia or another blood cancer. Your doctor should get the details of your medical history and give you a physical exam to check for the cause.

12. Fatigue
A lot of women are tired because they lead hectic lives. But extreme tiredness that won’t go away isn’t normal.
Talk to your doctor if your fatigue never gets better or if you have other symptoms, like blood in your stool. Your doctor will ask for your complete medical history and give you blood tests.

13. Cough
Most coughs go away on their own in 3 to 4 weeks. Don't ignore one that lasts longer than that, especially if you smoke or are short of breath. If you cough up blood, go to the doctor. A cough is the most common symptom of lung cancer.

14. Pain
Cancer doesn’t cause most aches. But ongoing pain can signal bone, brain, or other cancers. Ask your doctor about any unexplained aches that last a month or longer.

15. Belly Pain and Depression
It’s rare, but belly pain plus depression can be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Should you worry? Not unless pancreatic cancer runs in your family, Meyers says. "Then you need a prompt [exam]."

Sex: Top Surprising Health Benefits

Sex: Top Surprising Health Benefits

 An active sex life can have a range of health benefits.
A healthy sex life boosts self-esteem, reduces stress and contributes to emotional and physical well-being, said licensed psychologist and L.A.-based sex therapist Linda De Villers, author of Love Skills and Simple Sexy Food.
"It makes people feel more alive and vibrant," she said.
Sex can relieve even some ailments. Earlier this week, research finding that sex could reduce migraine pain made headlines. That feel-good story made us wonder: What other health benefits might sex have?
It turns out quite a few. Here are some of the most surprising.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

 An active sex life and a healthy pregnancy can go hand in hand.
All of that positive sexual energy that produced a pregnancy comes full circle at childbirth, helping to stimulate labor and more, said Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom.
"The energy that gets the baby in gets the baby out," she said. "For 5,000 years, we've had a culture that separates sex from pregnancy, and that's our whole problem."
Indeed, the second trimester of pregnancy pushes more blood to the pelvic region, sometimes helping women become orgasmic for the first time, Northrup said.
The documentary Orgasmic Birth made headlines for revealing that some women have orgasms during labor. Many doctors, midwives and doulas also recommend sex and/or nipple stimulation as a method for triggering labor.
And when women give birth in a sensual atmosphere, Northrup said, they're less likely to experience postpartum depression. "Talk about imprinting something positive on your body for the rest of its life," she said.

Menstrual Cramps

 Sex during menstruation can not only potentially relieve migraines but also cramping.
Orgasms make the uterus contract, which can relieve pain of menstrual cramping.
"There are both men and women who are skittish about sex during menstruation," De Villers said. But that can be solved with menstrual cups designed to catch flow, a diaphragm, a condom or everyday items like towels, she said.

Tooth Decay

 Even kissing has its potential health benefits.

Kiss with caution. A healthy flow of saliva is great for your mouth, teeth and gums, and kissing gets it flowing.
But, beware a partner with cavities: Their cavity-causing bacteria could wind up in your mouth.

Heart Disease

Though it can occasionally be a source of heartache, sex has also been proven to reduce instances of heart disease.
Men who had sex twice a week were up to 45 percent less likely to have heart attacks than men who had sex once a month or less, scientists at the New England Research Institute found.
Whether the benefits are a result of physical or emotional effects -- or a combination of the two -- is unknown.

Common Cold

 A healthy sex life can help get you through cold and flu season.
Weekly or twice-weekly sex gives your immune system a boost; specifically, it raises the antibody immunoglobulin A by as much as a third, researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found. Sex also increases phagocytes, which, in turn, kill cold germs, research from Switzerland has shown.

Incontinence

 Stronger pelvic muscles can decrease the likelihood of incontinence.
Sex helps tone pelvic floor muscles. A strong pelvic floor means less likelihood of incontinence, frequent urination and pelvic organ prolapse. Like kegel exercises, but more fun.

 Prostate Cancer

Sex helps tone pelvic floor muscles. A strong pelvic floor means less likelihood of incontinence, frequent urination and pelvic organ prolapse. Like kegel exercises, but more fun.
A doctor and patient discuss prostate health.
Men who ejaculate at least five times a week had a lessened risk of prostate cancer, research at the National Cancer Institute has shown.
Of course, if a man is reaching that number by having frequent partnered sex, he should make sure he's not putting himself at risk for a sexually transmitted infection. "Make sure they are all safe," De Villers said.

Brain cells predict opponents move in game-playing monkeys

Neurons sensitive to others’ intentions could offer clues to disorders that impair social judgments

GAME ON  Researchers have discovered brain cells in video game-playing macaques that predict another monkey’s next move. Such brain cells may be important in social interactions that require anticipating what others are thinking.

Newly discovered brain cells in monkeys can predict another monkey’s actions in a cooperation game. If such brain cells also exist in humans, they may be important in social interactions that require calculating another person’s intentions.
The brain cells were found in rhesus macaques playing a video game called the prisoner’s dilemma. The cells keep track of how other monkeys behaved in previous rounds of the game and predict the other monkeys’ next move, researchers report online February 26 in Cell.

 

Designer protein blocks all known strains of HIV

A novel drug candidate against HIV has been created by a joint team led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, FL. The scientists consider it to be so potent and effective that it could form the basis of a vaccine alternative. 

 The scientists designed a protein that simultaneously binds to two sites on the surface of the virus, which blocks it from entering a host cell.

"Our compound is the broadest and most potent entry inhibitor described so far," says Michael Farzan, a Scripps Research Institute professor who led the effort.
"Unlike antibodies, which fail to neutralize a large fraction of HIV-1 strains," continues Farzan, "our protein has been effective against all strains tested, raising the possibility it could offer an effective HIV vaccine alternative."
Farzan claims that the project is the culmination of more than a decade's work on the biochemistry of how HIV enters cells.

The results of the study, which are published in the journal Nature, demonstrate how the new drug candidate blocked every strain of HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus), including the variants that are most difficult to block.

 
The new drug was also found to protect against doses of the virus higher than those that normally occur in human transmission for at least 8 months after injection.

New protein was engineered following previous research on the CCR5 co-receptor

 
When a cell is infected by HIV, it inserts its own single-stranded RNA into the host cell. This insert of genetic code allows the virus to transform the cell into a "manufacturing site" for HIV.
However, the Scripps researchers had previously investigated a co-receptor - CCR5 - that could be used to prevent infection by manipulating related proteins. CCR5 is the first "anchor point" on the surface of a cell that HIV binds to before it can penetrate the cell.
"When we did our original work on CCR5, people thought it was interesting, but no one saw the therapeutic potential," says Farzan. "That potential is starting to be realized."
Using the CCR5 work as a point of departure, the scientists designed a protein that mimics the receptor and simultaneously binds to two sites on the surface of the virus, which prevents it from entering a host cell.
Study first author Matthew Gardner explains how the protein prevents the virus from penetrating cells:
    "When antibodies try to mimic the receptor, they touch a lot of other parts of the viral envelope that HIV can change with ease. We've developed a direct mimic of the receptors without providing many avenues that the virus can use to escape, so we catch every virus thus far."
A delivery mechanism for the drug candidate was designed using an engineered adeno-associated virus. This is a small, relatively harmless virus that does not cause disease. The adeno-associated virus turns cells into manufacturing sites that churn out enough of the new protective protein to potentially last for decades.
The data published by the team shows that the new drug candidate binds more strongly to the HIV-1 envelope than the best neutralizing antibodies currently known to work against the virus. Although it will be years before the protein can be tested in humans, it has been successful against SIV in a macaque model.
Recently, we looked at news that a recombinant strain of HIV exhibiting unprecedented aggression has been identified in Cuba.
Scientists researching this new HIV strain found that, after binding to CCR5, the virus moves to the next co-receptor - CXCR4 - much more quickly than other HIV strains. The move of the virus to CXCR4 is typically associated with onset of AIDS symptoms.
While this transition from CCR5 to CXCR4 is normally very difficult, the recombinant HIV variant was found to contain a protease that makes this transition easier to occur and also enables the virus to replicate in greater numbers than usual.