Posts Tagged ‘Bacteria’

Reusable Shopping Bags Under Attack: Health Blog

July 23rd, 2009

Reusable Shopping Bags

Just when you think you’re doing something right for the world, along comes the reality slam that exposes the hidden flaw in your righteous endeavor. Remember last year when the dark side of energy-efficient compact florescent light bulbs was exposed, revealing that the bulbs leak mercury when broken, or when you learned that reusable diapers may not be more environmentally friendly than disposables? Now, it turns out that the virtuous recyclable shopping bags that so many of us proudly use might be sewage dumps for bacteria. Or at least, so says the plastics industry.

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Bacteria Abound on Hands: Health Blog

November 28th, 2008

Hand Washing, Bacteria

Lady ("Out damned spot!") Macbeth would have gone even more nuts had she learned the results of a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to the study, the average hand hosts 150 different species of bacteria — and women’s hands, apparently, teem with more varieties of bacteria than do men’s. The truly horrifying thing for Lady Macbeth would have been that washing her hands wouldn’t necessarily get rid of the little buggers.

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Carbon Monoxide Keeps Meat Looking Fresh: Health Blog

February 15th, 2008

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Carnivores now have something to worry about beyond cholesterol and saturated fats. It seems that the juicy red appearance of meat at your grocery store may, in fact, be a lie. When left in a butcher’s case without packaging, meat retains its red color only a few days before starting to go rancid and turning gray-brown. That’s just not long enough to allow for distribution and warehousing — let alone end sales at the supermarket. So how is it that the meat at the grocery store retains its fresh rosy glow for weeks on end? According to a recent article in USA Today, the secret lies in infusing the packaging with carbon monoxide — a widely used practice. It seems that dosing the meat with carbon monoxide keeps it looking good for at least 20 days — double the amount of time achieved by other packaging methods. That’s also about nine times the number of days beyond when it goes rancid naturally.

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Germs Hiding in Surprising Places: Health Blog

February 6th, 2008

purse

You go to the bathroom at the bookstore, wash your hands, then lift your purse off the shelf where you had it resting and continue into the store where you purchase a book. Do you think you’re safe from germs because you washed your hands with soap? Think again, because according to studies, the toilet seat has fewer bacteria than the bottom of the purse you just handled, and it’s cleaner than the money you receive as change from the store clerk.

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Acne, Pimples, Blackheads & Bacteria: Health Blog

April 9th, 2007

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The actual cause of acne is unknown. Hormones, diet, genetics, vitamin deficiency, and stress play a role. In simple terms, though, acne happens when a skin pore gets plugged. That said, let’s look at the process in a little more detail.
There are two primary mechanisms for the onset of acne.

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Lyme Disease, Bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi: Health Blog

February 22nd, 2007

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Lyme Disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria is particularly hard to kill, and the use of antibiotics, in most cases, only temporarily suppresses it — allowing it to resurface with even greater intensity down the road. When dealing with Lyme, the key is twofold:

  • Attack the bacteria directly.
  • Optimize your immune system so that it can hold the bacteria in check.

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Organic Produce Under Attack: Health Blog

October 10th, 2006

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Almost like a boxer under assault in the ring, organic produce seems to be suffering rapid fire body blows. First there was organic spinach contaminated with E. coli. Then organic carrot juice paralyzing people with botulism. Now we see contaminated lettuce being pulled from the shelves. And even as Walmart has announced that it intends to become the largest provider of organic foods in the world, the backlash has begun. What is going on here?

Articles such as Only hype makes organic food healthier go right for the throat, but ignore several key facts. They focus on isolated incidents and miss the big picture of health.

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