Archive for the ‘General’ Category:
Reusable 3D Movie Glasses Are Not Disinfected (Usually)
Good Housekeeping did a study at 7 theaters in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut where they sampled 3D movie glasses for bacteria. They did not find a single sterile pair of shades.
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested seven pairs of movie theater 3D glasses, both wrapped in plastic and unwrapped, and found a number of germs, including those causing conjunctivitis, skin infections, food poisoning, sepsis and pneumonia.
The worst offender was contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus, which is the most common staph infection, and it’s a sign that these glasses aren’t as clean as they need to be. Doctors didn’t seem concerned but the fact that sealed and unsealed glasses could contain such microbes.
Though when you take the higher expense and the slightly better movie-going experience, this scratches 3-D movies off the list for me. I watched Avatar in 3-D and while it was a cool movie, I don’t remember thinking it was an incredible experience in 3-D… I’d certainly have hated it if I got any type of disease!
Subscribe to the comments for this postNiacin Flush Overdose with Energy Drinks
Last weekend, a friend of mine told me about his experience a new energy drink called Five Hour Energy. Five Hour Energy has been advertising a lot on Hulu.com, where I catch up a lot of television shows, and they claim they are a “no crash” energy drink. “No crash” means no “sugar” crash, which makes sense since Five Hour Energy doesn’t have sugar.
What it does have is Niacin and one of the side effects is something they call Niacin Flush. Niacin Flush is a prickly feeling on the skin that may be accompanied with redness. It’s the result of Niacin increasing blood flow near the skin. If it ends at that, you’re fine.
If the symptoms persist and/or get worse, it’s a sign of Niacin overdose. Symptoms of that include a rapid heartbeat, skin flushing combined with dizziness, itching, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and severe liver damage (hepatoxicity).
The label warns you to drink a half a bottle to one bottle, with a max of two per day consumed several hours apart. Follow these instructions.
Why is Soda Bad For You?
As states and municipalities consider new taxes, one of the popular targets appears to be pizza and soda. A March report in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine explains that an 18% tax on pizza and soda could lower the caloric intake of Americans enough to shed an average of 5 pounds each year. Even a federal tax on soda is on the table.
It begs the question, what’s so bad about soda? (and pizza!?)
It comes down to calories. Water has zero calories and a regular can of soda has hundreds, mostly from sugar. Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are bad for you because they are empty calories and HFCS promotes weight gain.
Also, it appears that in addition to empty calories, soda can promote tooth decay as the acids and acidic sugar byproducts can soften tooth enamel. The softer enamel combined with improper brushing can lead to tooth loss. The diet versions, which don’t contain sugar, are less dangerous but the acid is still a factor.
On the whole, soda is bad for you. 
(Photo: fimoculous)
What is Triclosan?
Triclosan is an ingredient included in a lot of products and it reduces or prevents bacterial contamination. It’s a common ingredient in antibacterial products, like soaps, body washes, and toothpastes, but has only been shown to be effective in reducing gingivitis in toothpaste. It’s not hazardous to people, according to the FDA, but it alters hormone regulation in some animals. Triclosan may be making bacteria resistant to antibiotics, which is one of the concerns of antibacterial soaps. As soaps kill off “weaker” bacteria, the stronger ones grow more resistant.
As a result of the animal studies, the FDA is reviewing the safety of triclosan and will report its results in 2011, but at the moment it is not shown to be hazardous.
To find out if your products include triclosan, review the Drug Facts box on the bottle, tube, or box. It will be listed as an active ingredient on these OTC drugs. For cosmetics, it’ll be listed in the ingredients on the label. You won’t be able to find out if it’s included in things like toys, clothing, etc. as they do not have drug labeling requirements.
Executive Physicals: CT Scans of Colon and Coronary Arteries
I learned today that two tests given to the President for his annual physical aren’t included in most other annual physicals – CT scans of both his colon and coronary arteries. A CT scan, also known as a CAT scan, stands for Computed Tomography scan and is a noninvasive scan using low radiation x-rays to product images inside the body. They’re increasingly being used in “executive physicals,” which is a fancy way of saying “extensive” because they include a large number of scans and blood tests.
Doctors are mixed on the issue because while they certainly could help, they’re mostly expensive (remember, doctors are in business too). The dispute isn’t on whether it’s helpful but whether it’s necessary given the cost, so no one is saying getting a CT is bad for you. The problem is that getting regular scans of your coronary arteries doesn’t prevent heart attacks and getting scans of your colon, a virtual colonoscopy, isn’t any better than a regular one (minus the radiation).
In this CNN story, they asked the Cooper Clinic, SCripps Health in San Diego, and the Cleveland Clinic for their prices on “executive physicals” and they ranged from $2,000 to $3,000!
High Fructose Corn Syrup Prompts Weight Gain
Princeton University researchers have demonstrated that rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when they consumed the same number of calories!
In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.
Another reason to add to the list of why high fructose corn syrup is bad for you!
Are E-Cigarettes Safe?
An “e-cigarette” is an “electronic cigarette” that looks like a real cigarette but produces no smoke. It has a glowing red tip, to simulate the look, but is really just a stainless-steel tube that delivers nicotine to your system. When you puff on the ecigarette, the system delivers a mist that contains some flavoring and nicotine to simulate the “smoke” of a real cigarette. Just as there are menthol cigarettes, there are various flavors for ecigarette “smoke” like various fruits or even the mint of menthol.
Why do people use them?
They’re marketed a lot in airplanes (we were pitched one while flying Aer Lingus) because they produce no smoke, so smokers can enjoy the rush of nicotine while traveling on a plane, where most are non-smoking. With so many places banning smoking, from bars to hotels to airports, e-cigarettes offer an alternative way to get your nicotine without the smoke. You’re allowed to smoke an ecigarette indoors because there’s no smoke.
Also, since it’s water vapor with nicotine, it has none of the harmful effects of smoking. There is no tar because there is no smoke. There is still the risk of nicotine addiction but none of the smoke related carcinogens. In that respect it’s better than a regular cigarette.
In this way, it’s really no different than other nicotine delivery mechanisms like gums and patches. However, claims that it can help you quit smoking haven’t been backed up with data. Just as you can abuse gums and patches, you can abuse ecigarettes. The FDA has yet to make a ruling on ecigarettes, which are classified as drugs because they are a drug delivery system. Very recently, a federal judge ordered the FDA to stop the blocking of ecigarettes from China because they should be a tobacco product and not a drug device.
Are E-Cigarettes Safe?
In this Marketplace Money report, they take a closer look at ecigarettes, which cost around $100 a piece, and confirmed that there really isn’t enough information yet to make a decision on its safety. What we need is the FDA to take a long look at them, at the data, and issue a ruling on them.
If you want to learn more about e-cigarettes, this ebook has some more information.
Why is alcohol bad for you?
You’ve probably heard about how red wine is good for you but also about how drinking alcohol is bad for you, right? If you’re curious like me, then you’ve wondered how wine could be good for you when it contains alcohol, which is bad… very very confusing. Today, we’ll take a look at why alcohol is bad for you in the hopes that we can put this contradiction to rest.
When you drink alcohol, your body has to work fairly hard to break it down in your body. One of the products created is acetaldehyde (ethanol is oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase into acetaldehyde, which is then oxidized into acetic acid). Acetaldehyde has the potential to bind to proteins and form adducts, which can lead to organ disease.
As for processing alcohol, if you drink a lot, you can develop cirrhosis of the liver as it works overtime to process the alcohol. In addition, alcohol contains calories and the additional caloric intake can increase your weight. Finally, there are the effects of alcohol on decision making, motor function, and other core body functions that can lead to disaster.
Alcohol in moderation is generally acceptable but binge drinking can have a very bad effect on your body.
Top 8 Food Allergies
The Food and Drug Administration requires food manufacturers to list common food allergens on food labels and that includes the top 8 food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.), fish, shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.), soy, and wheat.
If a product contains one of those products or is processed in a facility that also processes those products, it has to be clearly labeled on the product. I think that this type of requirement makes sense though it does get a little silly when you look at a package of peanuts and it says “This product may have been processed in a facility that processes peanuts.” (duh)
Lose Weight With 15 Minute Walks
The best way to change your behavior is by making small changes in your life.
If you’re a smoker, quitting cold turkey is very hard. It’s much easier to make small changes, like cutting back how many cigarettes you smoke, than it is to stop smoking entirely.
If you’re finding it difficult to find the time to exercise, try walking for 15 minutes a day. Nothing fancy or strenuous, just take a stroll around the office or the neighborhood, and add 15 minutes of extra exercise into your day. Walking and running burn the same number of calories, so you’re burning as many calories as a 15 minute jog (the difference is in the cardiovascular benefits, running strengthens your heart, lungs, etc.).
If a 15 minute walk isn’t in the cards, do something even simpler. Skip the elevator and use the stairs!
