Monthly Archives: September 2012

Home Remedies for Dandruff: What Works, What Doesn’t

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Greg Asseff

If you’ve spent any time using the Internet to research home remedies for dandruff recently, you’ve probably noticed advertisements for dandruff “miracle cures” you can apply at home using common household ingredients. In many cases, the suggestion is to apply baby oil, vegetable oil, olive oil or some other type of oil to your scalp to rid yourself of dandruff. The same treatments are purported to work on infants who have cradle cap, the name given to severe dandruff in babies. Unfortunately, researchers say that using vegetable or olive oil may actually increase the severity of dandruff rather than reverse it. Some less common home remedies for dandruff that can be found on the internet include aspirin, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, mouthwash, salt and garlic. The jury is still out on most of these “cures” as well, however.

Posted in Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Skin and Beauty, Studies | 22 Comments

FDA Investigating Arsenic Found in Rice

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Earlier this year, we reported on the high levels of arsenic found in certain types of foods, particularly those made with brown rice syrup. According to an ongoing investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), unsafe arsenic is being found in rice. A recent study by Consumer Reports found the same, with that organization now recommending that individuals limit the amount of rice they consume. The FDA is initially recommending the same thing, though their recommendations lack specificity pending the collection of more data. For now, FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg is advising individuals to consume a balanced diet featuring a wide variety of grains, to both maximize nutrition and minimize the potential impact of eating any food in particular. There are two types of arsenic that could be lurking in your rice.

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The Sleep Diet: Exercise, Dieting… and Sleep

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Greg Asseff

A new sleep diet editorial authored by Canadian researchers suggests that sleep is just as important to weight loss as physical exercise and healthy eating. The researchers believe that a widespread lack of shut-eye is a major factor in obesity prevalence, and the fact that this is relatively unknown is why so many people fail to lose weight even with diet and exercise. According to the editorial by Angelo Tremblay (Laval University, Quebec) and Jean-Philippe Chaput (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute), the importance of sleep to weight loss is becoming more recognized among the medical community, but fitness experts and doctors should do more to further educate patients. Aside from weight loss, it’s always a good idea to get enough sleep, as an adequate amount of rest has been known to help with memory issues and disease prevention.

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Common Pain Medications May Cause Female Hearing Loss

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Greg Asseff

A new study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital indicates that women may increase their risk of losing hearing if they take acetaminophen (commonly sold as Tylenol) or ibuprofen at least twice per week. Aspirin did not appear to cause these effects. The study also found that the risk of hearing loss became greater as more pain medications were ingested per week. According to the researchers behind the study, the greatest risks are adherent to women who take ibuprofen at least six days per week, as well as women under the age of 50. The results may not come as a huge surprise to some, however, as researchers have previously shown that serious overuse of over-the-counter pain medication can play a part in things as severe as stroke and organ failure. It’s of the utmost importance to take even the most common drugs only as directed.

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Does a Sore Throat Call for an Antibiotic?

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Greg Asseff

If you have a sore throat and you go to the doctor in hopes of receiving a prescription for an antibiotic, you’re far from alone. Most people understand that over-the-counter cold remedies like cough syrups and cough drops treat the symptoms of a sore throat temporarily, while not actually curing the cause of the sore throat. However, new guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) say that prescription antibiotics are unnecessary for most types of sore throats, and that taking antibiotics for sore throat – even those prescribed by your doctor – may do more harm than good in the long run. The problem of antibiotic overuse is becoming more prevalent, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now predicts that as many as 4 out of every 5 Americans receives a prescription for antibiotics every year. Some of these prescriptions might be unnecessary.