Sunscreen lotions that do not contain chemicals protect our skin against the sunlight and reduce water pollution, at the same time.
With the recent weather reports claiming the summer of 2015 is the hottest period of the decade, we want to help our readers have a burn-free summer with our selection of sunscreen products. After many researches, we have limited our selection to only three sunscreen lotions that we think offer the best protection against UVA and UVB rays.
History keeps repeating itself every summer with doctors warning people not to expose themselves too much or too often in the sun. By now, you probably know that the safest way to prevent skin cancer is to avoid direct sun exposure during the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. time interval when sunlight is too dangerous.
A recent medical research has also pointed out that most people wrongfully choose their sunscreen lotions based on the UVA protection they provide. Recent investigations indicated that both UVA and UVB rays are noxious and, for that matter, the skin products we select have to have broad-spectrum protection.
These lotions are usually the best, but they still contain chemicals that may be noxious for the skin during and after sun exposure. The products we have selected contain few natural ingredients, so we believe they represent the safest choices in point of sunlight protection.
- Badger Sport Sunscreen Lotion
Zinc-based sunscreen lotions are the best simply because this mineral ensures the greatest protection for our skin against all sorts of infections, rashes and injuries. Zinc has the ability to stimulate skin regeneration, especially after burns; therefore it has been acknowledged as the best ingredient for sunscreen creams. Badger Sport is entirely based on natural ingredients, such as, sunflower oil, zinc-oxide and anti-oxidants that guarantee the broad-spectrum protection we need against UVA and UVB rays. Its bio ingredients are also safe for fish species and coral reefs – another reason to choose this product instead of chemical ones.
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra-Light Sunscreen
While somewhat pricey, the new sunscreen protection from La Roche-Posay is, nevertheless, worth every penny due to its high UVA/UVB protective shield. The lotion contains Cell-OX shield which prevents our skin cells from getting damaged in the sun light. In addition, the manufacturer has included the anti-oxidant Senna Alata in the formula of the product to stimulate cell reproduction and, thus, prevent the aging process of the skin.
- Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby 60+
Neutrogena lotions and creams have long been acknowledged as highly nutritive and protective. Yet, we think the Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby 60+ is the best choice for the current selection. The sunscreen lotion offers a 60+ broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays because babies’ skin is much more sensitive than adults’ skin. The product is 100% free of chemicals and parabens, it is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic and it is, for that matter, our favorite product for this summer’s holiday.
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Young woman soldier getting ready for the front.
Based on the findings of a recent study, it appears that young female soldiers are more vulnerable than male soldiers, a new study has revealed after psychologists have observed the behavior of a large group of dispatched soldiers. The experiment has led researchers to conclude that female fighters tend to commit suicide during the war years, whereas male soldiers are much more capable to cope with their negative emotions.
Women have, with good reason, gained the right to work side by side with men; however, a recent research suggests there could be certain jobs where they don’t find themselves at ease, such as, jobs on the war front. Professor Robert J. Ursano from the University of Health Sciences in Maryland has conducted a recent study to explain the increased suicidal tendencies among dispatched U.S. soldiers.
He has collaborated with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army to collect data for the current research. The study was carried out from 2004 and 2009 by comparing data from the Afghanistan and the Iraq wars. During this period of time, scientists have carefully analyzed the behavior of 9791 suicidal attempters and their medical checkups they have been subjected to during their service in the army.
The study group comprised 183 826 individuals of different ages, socioeconomic classes and ethnicities. Their position in the U.S. Army has also been taken into consideration; therefore, they were divided into a group of 163 178 soldiers and 30 439 officers. This second classification was required because officers have different army prerogatives, as well as different trainings and their behavior could, thus, be better analyzed.
Statistics have indicated that young female soldiers are more inclined to commit suicide than their male colleagues. 95% of the respondents who tried to put an end to their lives were women, whereas only the remaining 5% were men.
According to scientists’ explanation, women who join the U.S. Army before they turn 25 years old have experienced many more psychological traumas (5.6 %). In addition, participants with small school performances were described as more likely to commit suicide during their work on the front. 2.0% female soldiers with high school degrees have tried to take their own lives during the Afghanistan and the Iraq wars.
At the opposite pole, very young soldiers (40 years old) have rarely complained of their army prerogatives and they rarely tried to commit suicide during the studied time interval.
Scientists have concluded in awe of the recent findings that this is the most comprehensive study to have ever been made on soldiers in the U.S. Army. Thanks to these new data, the U.S. Army hopes to find new methods for the improvement of their soldiers’ morale.
The study has been published in the journal JAMA Psychologies.
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Marijuana has never received more praised for its many claimed benefits than now, when more and more states agree to make it legal. The latest superpower on the list is its alleged ability to heal broken bones.
It’s yet unknown if the compound – CBD or cannabinoid cannabidiol – has the same effect in humans at it does in rats, as no experiment up to date has been made on anything else but rodents.
Researchers at the Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered that isolating CBD, the weed compound that does nothing to the mind, from the other elements that make up cannabis, can accelerate the healing process of broken bones in rats to only eight weeks.
Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, the study shows that not only does CBD help the broken bones heal faster, but the reason behind this enhanced process is the fact that the compound mineralizes the bone. This finding is particularly important as it can lead researchers to create new medicine that can prevent osteoporosis in the elderly.
Leading study author Dr. Yankel Gabet explained that CBD was proven to enhance the bone’s strength during healing by stimulating the production of collagenous matrix. Following the CBD treatment, the healed bone turned out to be stronger and harder to break in the future.
Dr. Gabet made it very clear that the paper does not claim that smoking a joint will help healing your broken bones – all it might do is make you not care for a short time. Dr. Gabet is one of the top researchers in the Bone Research Laboratory at Tel Aviv University.
Previous studies conducted by the same scientific team paved the way for this discovery, pointing out to the way an organism responds to cannabinoid molecules by inhibiting bone loss and stimulating bone formation at the same time.
According to these studies, CBD is safe for humans; the body contains a mechanism that’s responsible with the reaction to cannabinoid drugs, which is, in fact, also involved in several other fundamental physiological processes, such as memory, mood, appetite, and pain sensation.
As for medical marijuana, that’s a horse of another color. People have been praising the plant’s benefits for a long time, and recent studies – still on rats, sorry – show that marijuana might be able to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Besides negatively affecting your brain, TV might also have another damaging effect: raining your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. San Francisco scientists from the Northern California Institute for Research and Education have discovered that this particular effect might not even wait for old age before it starts setting in and wreaking havoc inside the brain.
Researchers had people take tests that measure cognitive response over the span of 25 years, and discovered that those who watched more than four hours a day and led a sedentary lifestyle – low levels of physical activity – presented a greater risk of developing dementia, as their memory performance was significantly weaker starting middle age.
And this is a matter of concern, as explained by Professor Kristine Yaffe, specialized in neurology, psychiatry, and epidemiology at the University of California. She said this is of utmost importance for children and young adults, the generation glued to the sofa and the electronic gadgets they use in their mostly sedentary life.
Prof. Yaffe also had some good news, however, explaining that this effect can be reversed, and people can lower their risk of developing dementia by making a conscious decision to change their lifestyle.
Yaffe presented the results at the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, encouraging people to start doing something about it by getting less screen time. According to the association, more than 5 million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer’s, with 28 million more estimated to develop the disease by 2050.
By the time we reach 2040, projected costs of caring for people with dementia will take up to 24 percent of Medicare funding, as the generation that’s now growing with a gadget glued to their hands will turn older.
More than 3,200 adults aged 18- to 30-years-old were investigated during the study. Researchers inquired about their physical activity levels and television-viewing habits and the impact these two factors had on cognitive performance.
During the 25-year follow-up, the participants were evaluated three times, and their habits monitored through questionnaires. The definition of low physical activity for the study meant that the participants burned less than 900 calories per week.
Watching too much TV, on the other hand, was defined as spending more than four hours a day in front of it. According to records, about 17 percent of the participants reported low physical activity, while 11 percent exceeded the limit for heavy TV-viewing.
Researchers found that one’s midlife habits set the stage for the next 20 or 30 years, and those who don’t meet the US recommended exercise standards and spend a lot of time in front of the TV have got it all set up for themselves.
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Poor sleeping increases the chances of developing breast cancer, especially when combined with poor physical activity and low Vitamin D levels.
A new study has linked poor sleeping to breast cancer risks after scientists have carefully observed the evolution of lab mice during a period of 50 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the majority of the mice had developed tumors, proving that irregular sleep has a powerful influence on our health system.
Not long ago, it was discovered that leisure sitting increases cancer risks among women, but a new study proves that there is a strong link between breast cancer and poor sleeping. The new finding was discovered by professors at the Erasmus University Medical Center from Netherlands after delaying the biological clock of lab mice for a period of 50 weeks.
At the end of the study period, scientists have discovered that the majority of the animals developed tumors; thus, proving that sleep has a much stronger influence on our body than any other factors studied before.
Researchers are now worried for women who work in shifts, particularly flight attendants and doctors. Breast cancer risks are even bigger in their case because their jobs are also very stressful. Based on these recent findings, scientists have concluded that it is better for these women, as well as for women with a family history, to avoid night shifts or similar jobs.
Medical experts believe the current study sheds lots of light on this disease and the factors that influence it. However, they believe other factors are also responsible for the development of breast cancer such as, the social class that women belong to, the Vitamin D levels they have in their blood and the physical activities they develop on a daily basis.
Doctors recommend women, who have had breast cancer cases in their families to make moderate physical exercises every day and to observe their body clock as much as possible because light-dark inversions can prove themselves very noxious for humans’ health.
Researchers have also understood that some women cannot change their jobs, even though they have to work in shifts. Medical experts recommend these women to pay attention to their body weight as much as possible and to undergo as many medical tests as possible. It is highly recommended to have your breasts inspected and to take part in frequent health checks when working at night.
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Only a quarter of cases diagnosed with juvenile arthritis are genetic.
Countless time, we have been warned against their effects, until a study has now found the overuse of antibiotics linked to juvenile arthritis. The crippling condition may be doubled by allowing children to take prescribed antibiotics for conditions that will pass with time all by themselves.
It could be parents’ overprotection, who are trying to mend their child’s illness as quick as possible, or it could be blamed on doctors so easily recommending strong medication for the simplest of problems. Nevertheless, the problem remains that antibiotics can affect your child’s life when it’s purpose is to improve it.
The study was conducted on 450,000 children, out of which 152 were found diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, a chronic inflammation of the joints or eyes that can cause pain, difficulties in moving and even vision loss. The potentially crippling condition is caused by genetics in only 25% of cases, which means that a good majority is due to environmental factors.
Researchers have found that children diagnosed with upper respiratory infections who have been prescribed antibiotics had a higher risk of developing juvenile arthritis than those with the other auto-immune condition left untreated. Furthermore, it was discovered that the risk was at its highest within one year of use.
Antibiotics disturbs microbiomes, which is basically a microbe community, to the point where it can lead to other infections and conditions later on in life. It presents with a great of health risks when the organism becomes well acquainted with their effects.
It’s an extremely important observation to keep in mind, as children affected by juvenile arthritis are also more prone to developing other auto-immune diseases, due to the lack of strength in their own immune systems lowered by the condition. It could potentially invite more serious and possibly lethal infections to make their way in.
Around 294,000 children are currently diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in the United States alone and the numbers are estimated to see a growth if overuse of antibiotics continues.
However, researchers have made it a point to mention that similar side effects were not seen in antifungal or antiviral drugs, and the fact that only 1 in 1,000 children under the use of antibiotics develop juvenile arthritis proves that they are not the only contributing factor.
But it’s been nevertheless showed that it is definitely one of them.
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Medical marijuana has showed improvements in alleviating severe autism side effects.
The Medical Marijuana Review Panel has made their case two months ago that marijuana could ease severe autism side effects to a more calming degree and the motion is now considered for approval in Michigan. It’s already known to relieve the unfortunate side effects of glaucoma, cancer, HIV or hepatitis C, but the same could be permitted for autism.
In spite of some reviews advising on the opposite, more and more parents are turning to medical marijuana to alleviate the more severe symptoms of autism in their children. With the use of olive oil infused with the plant, they have reported a sign of improvement in seizures and other effects of the crippling disorder.
Certain parents have already began treating their children with the use of medical marijuana, who have achieved a more normal life since its use, such as walking and talking like any child their age. It has reportedly improved lives that were meant to be difficult and offered a slither of hope to families all around.
While its use is still highly controversial among doctors and other medical practitioners, parents are hoping that it will soon be approved to combat the more severe cases of autism. However, they have their work cut out for them, with organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and Safe Alternatives to Marijuana fighting against them.
However, it should be taken into consideration that beneficial effects have been observed and it could prove to be an efficient alternative to the usually expensive prescription drugs that serve the same purpose. So far though, it’s not approved, yet it’s still used.
It has been suggested that medical marijuana is used as an “off-label” treatment to lessen side effects of autism, as it’s already FDA approved for other illnesses and this should not construe as a different matter as long as it’s helpful.
While doctors claim that its use should be reserved only for aggressive behaviors and meltdowns in autistic children, parents are not likely to shy away from any means to improve the lives of their family. They are fighting for their lives, and clinging to every way to make it better could be seen as nothing less than reasonable.
It remains to be seen if the medical panel, gathered on Monday, will decide in favor of marijuana as treatment for autism and add it to the list of conditions for which its use is approved.
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Blue Bell still has a chance of returning their product to shelves.
Recent company statements have reported that Blue Bell icecream will restore production after the listeria crisis that brought it to a halt earlier this year in March. After a solid investment and rigorous testing from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Texas based icy treats maker might possibly return to markets soon.
Blue Bell is understandably undergoing severe scrutiny before they will be allowed to return their products to the shelves. They are testing new equipment and production procedures in order to restore the chaos ensued in March, when 10 cases of reported listeria were linked to their product, three of which were fatal.
Local Texas reports have brought attention to health departments in several states that around 25% of listeria cases remain untracked due to the limited amount of unrecorded samples. That leaves companies off the hook and makes matters more difficult for regulators and doctors to both treat and prevent potential loss of lives.
The icecream company was instantly forced to shut down production in March and recalled all its products from stores in April after the bacteria was identified in samples of their product. Listeria is a potentially fatal bacteria induced disease that can cause nausea, fever and diarrhea, or even death in cases of immunocompromised victims.
After the nationwide scandal, Blue Bell was required to lay off nearly 3,000 employees due to closed production lines, after seeing an increase in profits in the last two years. As of 2014, the company made $680 million in revenue, a significant increase from their 2013 stats of $621 million.
However, the listeria scare seemed to not have stopped production forever and employees might be returning to their old jobs if all conditions are clear. Due to an investment of $125 million from Texas billionaire Sid Bass, the future of the company seems secure and loyal customers will get back their favorite brand of icecream.
According to statements by Blue Bell’s president, Paul Krusse, the generous investment brings legitimacy to a brand on the brink of extinction and it will prove to be undeniably significant in their efforts to bounce back.
The FDA is not letting them slide by, though. According to Krusse, the company has restored plans under the eye of the Food and Drug Administration who were most decidedly “on a tear” after the listeria crisis.
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Both doctors and dieticians like to stress the importance of eating fruits and vegetables as they fill our bodies with nutrients, vitamins and fibers. But despite this, a recent analysis conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has revealed that most of us still don’t consume anywhere near enough fruits and vegetables.
Americans are in great need of a lifestyle change, and it’s not just kids and teens who become fussy eaters once someone brings up healthy greens, yellows and reds. The results showed that just one in five (1 in 5) American adults eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables advised by the government dietary suggestions.
To be specific, the government dietary suggestions say that people should ideally eat something like 1.5 or 2 cups of fruit on a daily basis, and something like 2 or 3 cups of vegetables on a daily basis. But not only do most American adults fail to meet both of these standards, they actually prefer the reverse, as more people are willing to consume a daily dose of fruits, not vegetables.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers did find that the consummation rate is different from one state to the next, but the overall average isn’t very sunny. Statistically speaking, 87 percent (87%) of American adults don’t consume enough fruit on a daily basis, and 91 percent (91%) of American adults don’t consume enough vegetables on a daily basis.
California turned out to have the highest consumption rate for both fruits and vegetables. The state has 13 percent (13%) of its residents consuming the required amount of vegetables on a daily basis, and 18 percent (18%) of its residents consuming the required amount of fruit on a daily basis.
On the other hand, Mississippi was revealed to be the state with the lowest percentage of residents who consume the required amount of vegetables on a daily basis – just 6 percent (6%) – and Tennessee was revealed to be the state with the lowest percentage of residents who consume the required amount of fruit – just 8 percent (8%).
To reach this conclusion, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers studied a survey conducted just a couple of years ago, in 2013. They looked at the dietary habits of no less than 373.000 American adults, from all over the 50 states.
The undeniable conclusion was that there’s only an average of 13 percent (13%) American adults who meet the fruit standards set by the government dietary suggestions, and there’s only an average of 9 percent (9%) American adults who meet the vegetable standards set by the government dietary suggestions.
The experts concluded that because fruits and vegetable are an essential part of people’s diet and they affect many different health outcomes, healthcare workers have to continue carrying out efforts that try to increase the consumption of these goods.
Latetia V. Moore, member of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion from the CDC, gave a statements stressing that consuming the appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables every day can help prevent the development of obesity, stroke, heart disease, and even certain cancers.
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If you’re part of family where your siblings look nothing like you and you’re wondering whether or not one of you is predisposed to succeed in life while the other is predisposed to fail, experts at the University of Illinois and the University of Houston say that you don’t really have anything to worry about.
The study results showed that yes, order of birth does influence personality traits and intelligence, however the difference between fist borns and second borns, or later borns, are so small that they’re completely insignificant.
For their paper, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, the research team looked at the IQ levels and personality traits of no less than 377.000 high school students. Brent Roberts, project co-leader and psychology professor over at the University of Illinois, gave a statement stressing that the sample is a conspicuously large one. He quickly added that this is the biggest study in recorded history to ever look at birth order and its influence on personality traits and IQ levels.
Rodica Damian, project co-leader and psychology professor over at the University of Houston, gave a statement of her own informing why previous studies on the subject had a flawed approach. Previous studies were inaccurate because they typically worked with subject samples that were too small, and also used a research model than employed a “within family” comparison model.
But on top using a large sample of subjects, the new study also employed a new research model that compares children from different families with one another in order to obtain, better, more accurate results. Professor Damian explained that “[Within-family] studies often don’t measure the personality of each child individually”, instead “They just ask one child — usually the oldest, ‘Are you more conscientious than your siblings?’”.
She also informed that for a “within family” comparison model to be accurate, data would need to be collected from several generations. Each child born in the family would have to have their personality traits and IQ levels documented when they’re about the same age as the ones from previously documented generations, but this is not what researchers are currently doing.
The tests conducted by the team from University of Illinois and the University of Houston have shown the difference between the personality traits and IQ levels of older siblings and those of younger siblings is only a measly 0.02 points, nothing noticeable or significant in professor Roberts’ opinion.
The insignificant 0.02 correlation also applied to applied to the older siblings being more extroverted, conscientious, agreeable and having less anxiety.
Professor Roberts also added that unlike tests which reveal that a new drug can save 10 out of 10.000 patients, the same small effect is nowhere near as profound when it comes to personality traits. He stresses that two (2) people with a 0.02 correlation and sit them down, no one will be able to see the difference.
Professor Damian advices parents not to allow birth order to dictated their parenting approach because this order is not meaningfully related to their kid’s personality traits and IQ levels.
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