Paraben, Shmaraben?

Ever thought about what’s in that favorite lotion or mascara of yours? It might be worth taking a glance. We tend to assume that our products are safe but the reality is that the FDA pretty much has no say in the matter. The FDA states clearly that cosmetic manufacturers may use any ingredient they chose, with the exception of a very few ingredients that are directly prohibited.  In my opinion there are many “red flag” ingredients, but we’ll just isolate one.

One of the most widely used preservatives are Parabens. These chemicals can be seen on the back of your bottles  as methylparaben, propylparaben,  isobutylparaben, butylparaben, benzylparaben, and ethylparaben.  Check the ingredients in your products and you will probably find that 90% of them contain one or a combination of these.  They are also found to be naturally occurring in some foods, but the ones in cosmetics are synthetic. Why are they so liberally used? Because they are cheap and give a product a much longer shelf-life.

What’s the danger in using products with Parabens? Many studies have shown them to mimic estrogen and may be linked to certain allergic reactions, dermatitis, breast cancer, testicular cancer, prostate disorders, and the list goes on.

Cosmetic companies claim that the skin cannot absorb the ingredients present in their products. However, there is overwhelming evidence that our skin is permeable to certain substances. “Your skin is enough of a barrier to keep fluids in your body”, writes Samuel Epstein, MD and author of Toxic Beauty, “but it also readily absorbs many things with which it comes in contact with.”  The Chemical Hazards Handbook from the London Hazards Centre Trust gives this information: “Although the skin acts as a protective barrier against many micro-organisms and chemicals, some chemicals can penetrate the skin and enter the blood stream.”

Now you may be thinking that since it occurs in some of our food naturally then the synthetic version, which is chemically identical to the natural version, shouldn’t pose any risk. Unfortunately, many experts agree that absorption through the skin is much  more dangerous than through the mouth. Dr Epstein affirms this: “Chemicals taken in by the mouth are absorbed by the intestines and pass into venous blood, which is taken to the liver.  Chemicals absorbed through the skin bypass the liver and enter blood circulation without this protection.”

Yes, there is a lot more to be learned about how much of these chemicals are actually absorbed, but the fact is that it is happening. And even if it is a very small percentage that we actually absorb and store, most women apply these products daily or more. Think of the cumulative effect this could have.  Although the research is limited and can’t tell us for sure what effect parabens may have on our bodies after years of use, wouldn’t you rather avoid these if possible?

By Sunshine K.

Sources:

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/SelectedCosmeticIngredients/ucm128042.htm

http://lhc.org.uk/members/pubs/books/chem/chebbcaa.htm

http://blog.cincovidas.com/toxic-alert-skin-can-absorb-what-we-apply-to-it%E2%80%94including-cosmetic-chemicals

If you can’t say anything nice about someone…Sit next to me.

The advent of Facebook and other social networking sites has me thinking a lot about aggression lately. Specifically, about gossip or relational aggression. Most of us have probably at some point or another been the object of a petty rumor, harmful gossip or even malicious slander. With technology racing furiously ahead, telling a friends secrets, ruining someone’s reputation, or even destroying someone’s career can be as simple as the click of a button.

There are numerous theories on what causes some people to be aggressive and other’s to not. Some researchers are trying to link testosterone levels and aggression. One study noted that members of fraternities that had higher testosterone levels were more crude and rambunctious while fraternities, whose members had lower testosterone levels did better academically, were more socially responsible, and had members that smiled more. Researchers are also trying to link lower levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin to aggressive behavior. Serotonin is a chemical messenger in our nervous system that acts like a braking mechanism for acts of impulsive aggression. Drug’s that increase the amount of serotonin in the body have been shown to have the potential to dampen not only aggressive behaviors but also a variety of other deviant and impulse based behaviors.

Some people say aggression is learned. When someone behaves aggressively and it produces the outcome that they want it’s positive reinforcement, in a sense, by giving the violent or aggressive person what they want we’re showing them that it’s effective, thereby increasing the chance that they’ll use violence or aggression in the future to get what they want.

Another really interesting point in research is that it’s been proven that while boys show higher rates of physical aggression, girls show higher rates of indirect aggression, telling lies to get someone in trouble, leaving them out, or trying to get others to dislike their target. This remains true until boys hit the ages of fifteen through eighteen, when their use of physical aggression has been shown to decrease sharply and conversely they begin to be more verbally aggressive. I wonder if with the introduction of social networking sites if this is going to change. If instead of shoving someone in the hallway at school or egging their house if students are choosing the silent revenge of posting slanderous rumors or incriminating pictures for thousands of their best friends to see.

It has been said that with great power comes great responsibility. If social or relational aggression can be learned than pro-social behavior can be learned as well. Through the internet we ALL have the power to communicate, to inform, to influence or to destroy the people around us. If we use this power responsibly maybe we can help teach others around us the value of using our voice to set an example, to be up building, and to provide the next generation an example of what pro-social behavior looks like and how technology can be used as a force to promote healthful behaviors and to positively impact society.

Source: Brehm, S.S., Fein, S., Kassin, S.(2005).Social Psychology(6th ed.).New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

By: Dahlia T.

A Nice Hot Cup of Panic

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid. It causes central nervous system stimulation and temporarily may ward of drowsiness and increase alertness. Hence, the reason the majority of us start off our day with a good old fashion “Cup of Joe”. It is the world’s most widely used psychoactive substance but unlike other psychoactive substances it is both legal and unregulated.

However, with a Starbuck’s on every corner researcher’s are becoming increasingly concerned with caffeine’s roll in increasing anxiety and panic in those who already suffer from anxiety disorders. Caffeine acts in the brain by interfering with the absorption of adenosine. Adenosine is a substance in the brain that attaches to adenosine receptors which then cause your nerve cells to slow down thereby, causing drowsiness. However, when you drink caffeine it attaches to all the adenosine receptors in your brain but it does not cause the same neural slow down, instead it causes those same nerve cells to speed up. This throws your body into “fight or flight” mode. When your pituitary gland sees all this neural activity occurring it releases hormones to stimulate your adrenal glands signaling them to produce epinephrine. This release of epinephrine then causes a sympathetic reaction to take place in your nervous system which is marked by dilated pupils and airways, increased heart beat, increased blood pressure, and an increased blood flow to your muscles. In people with panic disorder the physiological symptoms associated with caffeine consumption can start to feel like a panic attack. This can then cause them to have a full-blown panic attack just due to the anxiety created by the symptoms associated with consuming caffeine.

So, what does all this mean to anxiety sufferers? Even though caffeine is not regulated by the FDA and not considered a dangerous or illegal substance it should probably be avoided in ALL forms by people with anxiety or panic disorders due to its tendency to exacerbate the symptoms associated with such disorders.

Article by Dahlia T.

Sources:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/caffeine3.htm

http://www.anxietypanic.com/signs.html

Spinach for dummies

Today’s topic: Spinach!

Yes, I’m really going to write a paragraph or two on spinach. Stay with me.

One of the issues with spinach is many vegetarians rely on it for their main source of iron and vitamins. However I have met many spinach-aholics that have discovered they have an iron or vitamin deficiency. Why is this? From my research I have found three issues that might be interfering with the absorption of iron and other vitamins and minerals found in spinach and other foods.

1.) Avoiding eating fat along with this superfood. A study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who ate their veggies with a fat-free dressing did not absorb as much of the nutrients and vitamins from their salad as those who ate their salad with a dressing containing fat. This is mainly because many nutrients are fat-soluble. Your body will not be able to fully break these down into a usable form without this fat.

Now, if you’re worried about adding extra fat on your diet, don’t be. All it takes is a very small amount to increase your absorption. Of course this should be a “good fat” like extra virgin olive oil, flax seed, avocado or a few nuts. And really, this goes beyond spinach. We should really be including a good fat with every meal to get the most out of our food.

3.) Spinach contains non-heme iron, as opposed to heme iron found in meat and shellfish. Studies show that this type of iron is not as easily absorbed UNLESS we add an absorption enhancer. The easiest one: vitamin c. So just adding some tomatoes or lemon juice should do the trick.

2.) Eating only raw spinach. Now I know all you raw foodies out there may have a problem with this. And yes, there is some evidence that cooking might destroy some vitamins in some of our foods. However, this is usually only if its overcooked and it is a small percentage of loss at that.

We have to look at bioavailability. That is to say, the degree to which or rate that a substance is absorbed or becomes available. Now this is where it gets tricky because this varies. It appears that certain foods maintain their nutritional integrity better when they are cooked and some do not. So, what about spinach? Spinach contains tons of carotenoids. Beta-carotene is an example of a carotenoid, which converts into Vitamin A in the body. This is prevalent in spinach and oh so good for you, but it’s absorption rate can be as low as 1-2% when left raw.  Mild heating, such as steaming, appears to improve the extractability of beta-carotene from vegetables, and also its bioavailability.

Now, if you really want to get the most out of it I would suggest blending it in to your smoothies, but I offered the other research because I have a feeling I’m not going to get anyone to eat a blended salad.

My conclusion is that variety is always the key. Try eating your spinach in different ways: raw, cooked, blended and juiced. Add a good fat and a little bit of lemon juice and you will be sure to get the best of this wonderful green.

Article by Sunshine K.

Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com/001545.html

http://www.parentingscience.com/iron-absorption.html