Month: August 2019

Categories
Public Health

Is plastic making us gain weight?

Increasing evidence suggests that plastic is making us gain weight. A common ingredient in plastic, Bisphenol A (BPA), is the suspected culprit…it disrupts the normal actions of our hormones leading to a hormone imbalance that can cause an increase in body weight.

BPA has been identified as an “obesogen”… a chemical that can inappropriately change stability of fat metabolism (or fat homeostasis) and fat storage, change setpoints of metabolism, disrupt energy balance or change the regulation of appetite and feeling of satiety (or fullness) to promote fat accumulation and obesity.

A study in 2012 found that children and teenagers who had higher levels of BPA in their urine were more likely to be overweight. Similar results were found in studies of adults. Data from the American Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that 92.6% of people age 6 and over have detectable levels of BPA in their urine.

Worries about BPA toxicity have led to BPA-free products being produced, using BPS and BPF instead. But are these products safer?

They may not be. A new study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society in July 2019, suggests that all of the biphenols are linked with obesity and weight gain. Although diet and exercise are still considered the main factors in controlling weight, these chemicals may also be a factor.

Researchers point out that an association between bisphenols and obesity doesn’t necessarily prove they cause weight gain. They say more research is needed. However, this is just another reason to avoid use of plastic, and especially to ensure that it doesn’t come in contact with our food and drinks. Transfer of chemicals from plastic to food is more likely to occur when the food is hot or contains fats or oils, since these hormone-disrupting chemicals tend to dissolve in fats and oils, just like our own hormones do.

So,whenever possible, choose foods that are sold in paper, cloth or metal containers or, better yet, are sold in bulk with no packaging. Aim to buy drinks that are packaged in glass bottles. If you must use plastic items, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends washing them by hand as dishwashers can break down plastic more quickly, increasing the chance of chemicals leaking in future use. Don’t reuse plastic containers, like yogurt containers, that are designed for single use. Never microwave food in any plastic container that is not labelled “microwave safe”. Plastics labelled with 3, 6 or 7 in a triangle contain chemicals that should not come in contact with food (phthalates, styrene and bisphenols).

Avoiding plastic containers helps to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment. But, at the same time, you may also be improving your health and your waistline!

Interested in learning more about hormone disruptors? Check out my recently published book:

“Can I Speak to the Hormone Lady? Managing Menopause and Hormone Imbalances”. As well as discussing menopause problems, I also talk about what hormones do in the body and how chemicals in the environment can interfere with your hormones.

References:

Definition of “obesogen” (Wikipedia)

Chemical in Plastic Linked to Childhood Obesity

BPA-Free But Still Dangerous? Replacement Chemicals Linked to Childhood Obesity

You Shouldn’t Microwave Food in Plastic Containers or Put Them in the Dishwasher, Says New Research

Microwaving Food in Plastic: Dangerous or Not? Harvard Health

Can I Speak to the Hormone Lady? E-Book: Universal Book Link to several book services or Print: Amazon Canada Amazon US

Categories
Health

Laughter – good medicine!

We love to laugh, but have you noticed how much better you feel after a good belly laugh? Studies tell us that it actually improves our health in several ways.

Laughter is a way to connect with people and communicate. We actually laugh differently when we’re with people we like than when we’re alone. Laughter is a means of communicating. It says we understand and agree with the person we are talking to, and that we like or love them.

Laughter is contagious, especially laughter that is a reaction to something we find truly funny.

We have two basic types of laughter:

  • Involuntary laughter is:

    • Longer and higher pitched

    • A reaction to tickling, play or something you find really funny.

      • Sometimes results in the type of laughter you just can’t stop no matter how hard you try. Some call this a “good belly laugh”.

    • Influenced by the environment and how funny you perceive a situation.

      • Something you found uncontrollably hilarious on one occasion might be only mildly funny much later, leaving you wondering what happened…

  • Social or posed laughter is:

    • More “nasal” than involuntary laughter

    • Polite laughter used in a conversation that shows you agree and appreciate what the person you are talking to is saying

    • Used to communicate, a way of regulating emotions and forming bonds with people

    • Shows that you like the other person and that you want to make them happy, or other underlying meanings

Laughter is very nuanced. Its interpretation is universal – anyone can identify whether laughter is social or involuntary whether it’s from someone in their culture or country, or from the other side of the globe.

And it’s not just humans who laugh – monkeys and rats have also been observed laughing. Monkeys also have two types of laughter, just as humans do.

We also learn how to interpret laughter as we grow. We are best at interpreting what a laugh means in our 30s and early 40s, having learned through experience. As children, we are more likely to just want to join into the laughter we encounter, even if we don’t understand why people are laughing. As we get older, laughing becomes less contagious, perhaps because we are understanding the meaning better and less likely to feel we have to join in the mirth.

But the best part, is that laughter has been found to be good for our health.

Right away, laughter can:

  • Stimulate the lungs, heart and muscles

  • Ease tension by stimulating circulation and relaxing muscles

  • After a good laugh, it can reduce heart rate and blood pressure

Over the long term, laughing can:

  • Improve the immune system

    • Negative thoughts lead to increased stress

    • Positive thoughts and laughter trigger release of body chemicals that fight stress and potentially reduce the risk of serious illnesses

  • Relieve pain

    • Laughing stimulates the body to produce pain-relieving substances called endorphins that relieve pain, sometimes called our natural opioids

  • Make it easier to cope with difficult situations and connect to other people

  • Improve your mood

    • Laughter can help lessen depression and anxiety, and can make you feel happier

My mom loved to tell a story that she had read in the newspaper. It told of a man who was diagnosed with incurable cancer and told nothing could be done to help him. Instead of getting sad and depressed, he booked a room in a hotel and watched every funny movie their service offered. When he next returned to the doctor, the article claimed, they could find no trace of the cancer! Whether this is true or not, I can’t say, but the story described the man as laughing his way to health…one of those rare cases of spontaneous healing, facilitated by laughter. Perhaps the lesson here is that creating opportunities for laughter and enjoyment of life is good for us!

Here are some things you can do to take advantage of the benefits of laughter:

  1. Hang up jokes or cartoons that make you laugh in your home or office. Keep funny books, movies, videos, or subscribe to joke websites and look at them when you need a humor boost.

  2. Keep a sense of humor and find a way to laugh about your own situation. I actually found a book written by a breast cancer survivor about the funny side of having cancer. She said her sense of humor helped her get through it and she hoped her little cartoons might help someone else in the same situation.

  3. Spend time with people who make you laugh. Share funny jokes and stories with those around you.

  4. Know what is funny and appropriate. Don’t laugh at the expense of others.

Jokes are always funnier when you read them out loud with other people around. I learned this the hard way when I was giving my early presentations. Hardly anyone laughed when I put a cartoon up on the screen, but when I read the caption out loud, everyone laughed! Share the joy when the timing is right…

So, here is a dirty joke to start off your weekend on the “right foot”…and read it out loud to whoever is nearby!

“Why did the dirty chicken cross the road twice???

She was a dirty double-crosser!”

If you are interested in learning more about the science of laughter, watch the 15-minute TED Talk in the references below.

References:

Ted Talk – Why we laugh

Stress management – Mayo Clinic

Categories
Health

Could sunshine be good for you?

There is no question that sun exposure ages the skin and increases risk of skin cancer… but research suggests that we may live longer if we get some sunshine every day.

Dermatologists recommend that our skin should always be protected from the sun. Of course, because they’re specialized, most only look at the sun’s effect on the skin rather than its effect on overall health. Although malignant melanoma is a dangerous type of skin cancer, 99% of skin cancers are non-melanoma, and 80% of these are basal cell cancers that are almost never fatal.

But some dermatologists have noticed that their patients with skin cancer are more likely to be in excellent health while those with beautiful skin preserved by avoiding sun were often low-energy and had multiple health problems. This observation motivated Dr. Matt Zirwas, an Ohio dermatologist, to investigate studies that examined this issue. What he found, he says, suggests that completely avoiding sun could have the same effect on your mortality as deciding to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. Note that an ideal study will always look at increases in overall survival, not just decreased death from one disease.

The science…

A 2014 Swedish study found that the risk of dying from all causes was approximately doubled in those with little or no sun exposure compared to those with the most time in the sun. The main benefit was a decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease – heart attacks and strokes – that reduced risk of death despite an increase in risk of skin cancer. A Denmark study published in 2013 found that people who had been diagnosed with skin cancer actually had lower rates of heart disease and death compared to the general population.

Statistics from US can help us to understand why this could happen. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that about 7,000 people in US will die of malignant melanoma this year and that less than 5,000 will die of other skin cancers. However, cardiovascular disease kills about 650,000 Americans yearly. It is easy to see that any factor which causes even a modest reduction in cardiovascular disease could quickly outweigh the risk of harm it causes to the skin.

It’s been noted for decades that heart disease increases in the winter and decreases in the summer. This “winter cardiovascular disease phenomenon” could be a result of cold weather causing blood vessels to narrow. But it’s also suspected that the nitric oxide produced by sunshine on the skin could be helping prevent heart disease by dilating blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and keeping arteries smooth and supple. Vitamin D, produced when the sun shines on the skin, is also a factor in promoting health, improving the immune system and reducing heart disease.

Evolution…

We evolved spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun and our skin pigmentation has adapted through evolution to protect us from excessive sun damage. However, when a person with a fair complexion adapted to the north moves to a hot sunny climate, their risk of skin cancer is increased. Those with darker skin adapted to more intense sun are at risk of a lack of vitamin D when they move north. It makes sense that sun precautions should be based on skin type and the climate where the person lives for optimum health and benefit.

But still be cautious!

My motto is “everything in moderation” and this includes sun habits. Considering the benefits of sun exposure as well as the risks, it makes sense to enjoy the sun but avoid sunburn, and to check skin regularly for any sign of possible skin cancer.

Here is what to watch for:

  • The ABCDE rule

    • Asymmetry – one part of a mole or birthmark doesn’t match the other

    • Border – the edges are irregular or blurred

    • Colour – brown, black sometimes with patches of pink, red, white or blue. Not the same all over.

    • Diameter – larger than 6mm or ¼ inch (about the size of a pencil eraser)

    • Evolving – the mole is changing in size, shape or colour

  • Any new spot that is different from others on your body, or is itchy painful, tender, oozing, scaly or bleeding and doesn’t heal, is something to show your doctor.

  • Check out this article from cancer.org for photos

References: (note that all underlined words are links to websites)

Journal of Internal Medicine

International Journal of Epidemiology

How to Spot Skin Cancer – American Cancer Society

Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Categories
Uncategorized

Is it Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or NPH?

NPH, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, is a brain disease that is often misdiagnosed because it mimics other brain conditions. This can result in patients waiting years to receive a treatment that could give them significant improvement… or never receiving it at all.

It is estimated that 15,000 Canadians and 700,000 Americans have NPH but less than 20% are diagnosed correctly. Instead, they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease, or just old age.

“Hydrocephalus” means increased water or fluid in the brain. This condition can also occur in children, but they usually have increased pressure in the brain while adults with the condition have pressure that fluctuates from normal to elevated. It is treated by surgically inserting a shunt to drain fluid from the brain and spinal cord (called cerebrospinal fluid) into another part of the body.

Adults produce 500 ml (2 cups) of cerebrospinal fluid each day. This fluid supports and cushions the brain, removes waste and distributes important substances. When its circulation is blocked, fluid accumulates, causing the cavities within the brain (called ventricles) to enlarge, pressing on parts of the brain and causing malfunction. The type of malfunction would depend on which area was receiving pressure.

Symptoms

The adult version of the disease, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, was named before newer forms of brain monitoring showed that pressure could be high as well as normal, but the name stuck even though it isn’t quite accurate. NPH most commonly occurs in adults over age 60. Symptoms include:

  • Difficulty standing and walking, a shuffling gait

  • Impaired bladder control

  • Memory problems and lack of concentration

It is not necessary to have all 3 symptoms to be diagnosed with NPH. In many cases, physical symptoms appear first, followed by mental symptoms like forgetfulness.

Cause

Most cases of NPH are “idiopathic”, which means the cause is unknown. This is also referred to as “primary NPH”. There is also “secondary NPH” that is caused by another condition, such as head injury, brain surgery, subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), tumors, cysts (closed, sac-like abnormal structures that contain fluid, air or a semisolid substance), meningitis or other brain infections.

Symptoms progress with time. The longer and more severe the symptoms, the less likely treatment will be successful, but some patients with symptoms for years can improve with treatment. One study found that 87% of those treated had experienced improvement.

How is it diagnosed?

Often the affected person or a family member brings the symptoms to the attention of the family doctor, leading to a diagnosis. Sometimes enlarged ventricles (fluid-filled spaces) in the brain are found when the brain is scanned for another reason. It is recommended to see a neurologist or neurosurgeon if NPH is suspected for an evaluation and interpretation of test results.

3 types of testing can be used:

  1. An interview, physical exam (to rule out other causes) and a neurologic exam to assess brain function

    1. Observation of walking and turning

    2. Questions about bladder function

    3. Pencil and paper tests to examine attention, reaction time, memory, reasoning, language and emotional state).

  2. Brain imaging to look for enlarged ventricles in the brain

    1. CT scan

    2. MRI (can detect impaired fluid flow as well as enlarged ventricles)

  3. Tests to predict whether surgery will help

    1. Lumbar puncture/spinal tap (A thin needle is inserted into the fluid around the base of the spine in the lower back. Pressure can be tested and up to 50 ml of fluid is drained off to see if lowering fluid pressure will improve symptoms)

Because of the high rate of misdiagnosis, the Hydrocephalus Association is conducting a campaign to inform doctors and the public about NPH. Check out their website — it’s a good place to start, if you are interested in more information.

References:

CTV News

The Hydrocephalus Association