Lipsticks can harm you

Colour, gloss, matte and glitter – everything looks beautiful on the lips. But what happens as the lipstick fades? Researchers say the lip colour permeates into the skin membrane and a lot of colour goes into the digestive track when one eats or drinks. High amounts of lead, arsenics and other heavy metals present in lipsticks can cause health hazards - from simple dermal eruption to cancer of various vital organs.

The same goes for talcum powder and hair colour; they permeate into the skin, causing hair loss and skin irritation. A study done by the Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR) suggests there are adulterants and highly toxic elements in different cosmetic preparations. In the manufacture of colours, toxic elements like lead, nickel and copper are retained in pigments. Estimation of lead content in 17 brands of lipsticks was carried out. The results showed all brands contained lead and other heavy metals like copper, nickel, chromium, cobalt and arsenic and few were above the proposed level of lead (20 parts per million). The researchers studied the effects of lead containing lipstick on rats. "The study showed it caused liver injury after 28 days of oral administration," says Professor S.S. Agarwal, Principal, DIPSAR. Out of eight brands of tooth powders analysed, four contained high amounts of nicotine. Only one had a warning label. "It is pertinent to mention Regulatory Authorities of India prohibits the use of nicotine in tooth powders," says Agarwal. Heavy metals were tested in 20 brands of kohls, 13 brands of talcum powders, 11 brands of hair colours and 18 brands of toothpastes. "Our findings revealed higher amounts of lead and other metals were present in them," he adds. Talcum powders and hair colourants also had severe irritants of the eye. Research revealed of 11 shampoo brands, few brands had paraben contents much above the permissible limit of 0.8 per cent. "Three brands had elements that damaged neck tissue. Except for one, all 10 brands were found to be severe eye irritants," says Agarwal.As researchers confirmed the presence of toxins in several Indian brands, they raised fears about lack of regulation on the sale of cosmetics in the country. "Cosmetics are not fully regulated by agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or Drug Controller General of India. Cosmetic companies should pay heed to safety standards and consumers should be more cautious," says Agarwal.

Coffee: The new age aphrodisiac

Addis Ababa: Coffee is an important part of all Ethiopians' lives.
Many people, from farmer to financier, can't start their day until they've had a cup of the black stuff.
So, one NGO has taken advantage of Ethiopia's caffeine addiction to promote family planning and safer sex.
Washington-based DKT International is a non-governmental organisation distributing mainly contraceptive products.
It came to Ethiopia in 1990 and since then has distributed around 625 million condoms.
Searching for a way to encourage Ethiopians to use condoms - it's produced the 'coffee-flavoured' condom.
Andrew Piller, DKT's Director in Ethiopia, has been doing social marketing of condoms for 20 years.
In 2007, DKT distributed up to 70 million condoms in Ethiopia. The organisation is responsible for between 60-70% of all condoms distributed in the country.
Andrew Piller says condoms are a difficult product to promote in Ethiopia due to government restrictions and resistance to condom use.
He adds that DKT came up with the idea of a coffee condom because many people complain about the smell of the contraceptive.
DKT International also conducts sex education classes, promoting the use of condoms, including its new coffee flavoured variety.
Its objective is for people, young and old, to try out the new 'gimmicky' coffee condoms, and then continue using condoms.
A company in Thailand produces DKT's un-flavoured condoms and the organisation had to try out around 20 different samples before agreeing to this one, which smells like the popular 'macchiato' drunk in Ethiopia - an espresso with cream.
Since the coffee flavoured condoms were launched in September - one and a half million have been sold and approximately 300,000 of them were bought in the first week.

An anti-cancer beer

The discovery could lead to healthier beers and food supplements. The result could one day be that when you hold up a glass and say, "To your health", you would actually be toasting a triumph of the brewer's art over disease.
The preliminary studies indicate xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes that can trigger the cancer process, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens, according to the science newswire Ivanhoe.
"It's very healthy. I think the ingredients in the beer are very good," says Werner Back, a brewing technology expert at the Technical University of Munich. Xanthohumol contains more powerful antioxidants than vitamin E and some studies indicate it helps reduce oxidation of bad cholesterol, the newswire reported. "Xanthohumol has been shown to be a very active substance against cancer," says Markus Herrmann of Munich. "It comes in small sticky beads, which you find within the hops." Hops have always been known to possess medicinal properties and are used in herbal medicines as a muscle relaxant. Other compounds found in hops are potent phytoestrogens. Scientists say these compounds could ultimately help prevent post-menopausal hot flashes and osteoporosis. Xanthohumol shuts down enzymes called cytochromes P-4; they can activate the cancer process. They also help the body detoxify carcinogens, stopping tumour growth at an early stage. Preliminary studies at Oregon State University show that xanthohumol can kill breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers, the newswire reported. But don't toast your health too soon. The German researchers warn that it would take 60 regular beers to equal the amount of xanthohumol researchers are able to brew in this one beer. That's why scientists are now working on ways to give all beers higher levels of Xanthohumol, and even find ways to add it to other foods, like chocolate. And they say, just like chocolate - the darker the beer, the better it is for you. Source: DPA

No nano in organic foods, says UK certifier

The organization said yesterday that nanoparticles, tiny compounds believed by some to offer advantages in formulation, especially in health foods, are made by "potentially toxic technology that poses a serious new threat to human health".It claims to be the first organisation in the world to take action against nanotechnology although development of the technology is highly controversial. Most consumers say they do not want nanotechnology to be used in food applications, according to survey results published last month by German risk assessor BfR. In food too, nanotechnology is being seen by many as a key source of innovation. More than 600 nanofood products are already available on the global market, according to recent data from the Helmut Kaiser Consultancy (HKC). Moreover, HKC predicts a change of 40 to 60 per cent in the food industry by 2015 as a result of nanotechnology.

Omega-3 Alzheimer's benefits identified

- Increased intake of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may boost the production of a protein known to destroy the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, reports a new study.

Cells from mice, rats, and humans were used by the researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to show that the DHA-induced production of the protein LR11 may cut the build-up of plaque from beta-amyloid deposits, reported to result in brain cell damage and the onset of Alzheimer's.

"Because reduced LR11 is known to increase beta-amyloid production and may be a significant genetic cause of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), our results indicate that DHA increases in LR11 levels may play an important role in preventing LOAD," wrote the researchers, led by Greg Cole in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Soy isoflavones linked to easier breathing

Four weeks of supplementation with genistein, an isoflavone from soy, may suppress the inflammatory process and ease breathing and explain previous reports linking the isoflavone to reduced asthma severity, suggests a new pilot study.

The production of inflammatory compounds by white blood cells (eosinophil LTC4) involved in asthma was reduced by 33 per cent, reports the study with 13 asthmatic subjects published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

The study adds to a small but growing body of data supporting the role of isoflavones in respiratory health. Indeed, epidemiologic studies have linked high dietary genistein consumption with improved airflow in the lungs of asthmatics.

"[However,] the molecular mechanisms by which consumption of genistein might attenuate asthma and allergy have not been elucidated," stated lead author Ravi Kalhan from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.These findings form the rationale for future clinical investigation of dietary supplementation with soy isoflavones, or novel inhibitors of the pathway we have identified, as a strategy to ameliorate asthma and other eosinophil- or leukotriene-mediated diseases," concluded Kalhan.

Isoflavones from soy have been shown to provide a number of health benefits, including the promotion of heart health and the maintenance of bone health in post-menopausal women.

They have also been studied for their role in cancer prevention and slowing down the ageing process in peri-menopausal women, and have proved to be a popular alternative to HRT for those wishing to control menopause symptoms without resorting to drugs.

FDA expected to declare cloned meat and milk safe

"Animal cloning is a new technology with potentially severe risks for food safety. Defects in clones are common, and cloning scientists warn that even small imbalances in clones could lead to hidden food safety problems in clones' milk or meat. There are few studies on the risks of food from clones, and no long-term food safety studies have been done," the group states on its website.

Despite new noises indicating an imminent safety green light, it could be between three and five years before meat and milk from cloned animals reaches the shelves and consumers' mouths, according to the Wall Street Journal. This is because of the costs involved in producing a cloned animal - reported to be between $15,000 and $20,000 per animal.

Results of a consumer survey in July 2007 showed that 50 percent of American consumers have an unfavorable view of cloning, while 28 percent remain neutral. The national survey, commissioned by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), reported that only 22 percent of the 1,000 people interviewed viewed animal cloning in a favorable light.

However, the survey did find that if FDA determined that foods from cloned animals are safe, 46 percent of consumers would view the technology favorably, with 49 percent saying they would likely purchase such products if safety determinations were offered.