Internet addiction of teenagers

Internet addiction has surpassed drug use as a top concern for parents of teens, according to an eye-opening study published in JAMA Network Open

In a survey of 1,005 parents, twice as many cited concerns about internet addiction compared to substance addiction among their 9- to 15-year-old children

More than half (51.1%) expressed concerns about how internet usage may affect social development, while 46.2% were concerned about cognitive development effects and another 46.7% worried about its effects on physical development 

Access to inappropriate content and cyberbullying were noted as top reasons behind parents’ concerns, while internet addiction was also a common theme

Research shows 12- and 13-year-olds who check social media more than 15 times a day become more sensitive to social feedback, including changes in how the brain processes social rewards and punishments

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Vitamin D keeps you young and slim !

Researchers found an association between vitamin D and leptin levels. The hormone leptin is secreted by fat cells in proportion to fat deposits, signaling the hypothalamus to regulate energy balance

Researchers have found those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) often present with vitamin D deficiency; however, the research into supplementation is not consistent, potentially because supplement doses are not high enough to affect a change

Vitamin D is metabolized in the liver and undergoes further hydroxylation in the kidney, producing 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3, upregulating a transcription factor used to reduce reactive oxygen species and decrease cellular aging

Vitamin D insufficiency is linked to several negative health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. While it is best to optimize vitamin D levels with safe sun exposure, if you find supplementation is necessary after a serum vitamin D test, also supplement with magnesium and vitamin K2 (MK-7)

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Get a Colonoscopy ?

For those at high risk, colonoscopies may be useful, but it’s important to weigh the potential benefits against the potential harms

In one study, those who were invited to get colonoscopies had an 18% lower risk of colorectal cancer than the unscreened group, but there was no statistically significant reduction in the risk of death from colorectal cancer

One analysis found a death rate of 3 per 100,000 colonoscopies, along with serious adverse events in 44 per 10,000, “with a number needed to harm of 225”

Other risks include bleeding after removal of a precancerous polyp, perforation and anesthesia complications

To avoid contaminated equipment, contact the clinic or hospital ahead of time to find out about sterilization procedures; you’re looking for a hospital that uses peracetic acid — not glutaraldehyde (Cidex) — to sterilize its flexible endoscopes

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Linoleic acid harming your health

 

Fats are the primary building block of your cell membranes. This is one of the reasons why eating the right types of fat is so important for your health and longevity

While most nutritional experts blame the epidemic of chronic disease on the increase in sugar consumption, the role of sugar is relatively minor when compared to the impact of seed oils

There are two basic types of fatty acids, based on how many of their carbon bonds are paired with hydrogen: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are further subdivided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), depending on how many pairs of hydrogen atoms they are missing

Because your tissues are made up mostly of saturated and monounsaturated fats, your body requires more of them than PUFAs

The main dietary PUFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and while your body does need these, it needs them in relatively small quantities. The most pernicious toxin in the modern diet, and the fat you need to minimize consumption of, is the omega-6 fat linoleic acid (LA). LA makes up 60% to 80% of omega-6 fats and is the primary contributor to chronic disease

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Industrial farming polluting water

Industrial agriculture is a primary source of water pollution and toxic algae growth that result in huge dead zones where all aquatic life is suffocated

With the high levels of spring and summer rains seen in many parts of the Midwest this year, NOAA estimates the summer 2019 dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico will reach roughly 7,829 square miles, which is about the size of Massachusetts

The speed of agricultural runoff is largely dictated by poor soil conditions that prevent water retention, but artificial drainage also appears to play a decisive role, adding to the problem by speeding up the runoff

In recent years, there’s been a significant uptick in the practice, and it’s not entirely known just how much of our farmland is being artificially drained into our waterways

According to one research engineer, drainage tiles double the speed at which nitrates enter waterways

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Health bene¦ts of garlic

There are references to garlic in ancient medical texts from Egypt, Greece, China, India and Rome

Hippocrates, regarded as the father of medicine, prescribed it for abdominal and uterine growths, pulmonary problems and as a cleansing agent

Garlic is rich in health-promoting bioactive compounds, such as organic sulfides, saponins, phenolics and polysaccharides

Garlic is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antifungal and antibacterial properties

Garlic’s therapeutic properties may act synergistically to support heart health and protect against heart-related events like heart attack

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Should You Wash Your Produce?

The FDA recommends you wash your produce to reduce foodborne pathogens, but has determined washing meat only spreads bacteria and doesn’t remove it from your food

Cooking kills bacteria on meat, but most produce is eaten raw; using vinegar reduces bacterial load on produce, and baking soda reduces your exposure to pesticides

After an 18-month surveillance of imported and locally grown avocados, the U.S. FDA found 17% of the skins of the fruits were contaminated with Listeria; less than 1% was contaminated with Salmonella or the meat of the fruits with Listeria

It is important to keep soaps away from your produce as residue remains, exposing you to toxic chemicals from the soap and pesticides remaining on the fruit

Safer alternatives to using running water is baking soda and water to degrade pesticide residue and a white vinegar and water mixture to kill foodborne pathogens on produce

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