Why Some Lipsticks Can Cause Cancer

Can wearing lipstick lead to cancer? Researchers who tested different types of popular lipsticks found at drug and department stores have found levels of toxic metals that can potentially lead to health problems.

"This preliminary study of metal content in lip products suggests potential public health concerns," wrote the authors of the new study, published May 2 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a government-funded journal.

For the study, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health enlisted a group of 12 girls between the ages of 14 and 19 who were part of an Asian youth group and lived in low-income neighborhoods of Oakland, Calif. They were asked to record the brands and product names of all lipsticks and lip glosses they regularly carry and use at home.

The researchers then took this list to stores and purchased the products, 32 in all (8 lipsticks, 24 lip glosses).

Back at the lab, researchers conducted spectrometry tests to determine the contents of the lipsticks. They found detectable levels of lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals in the products.

Lead, a neurotoxin, was found in 24 products -- 75 percent of all tested -- and all examined products contained the metals manganese, titanium and aluminum.

Half the products contained lead in concentrations higher than 0.1. parts per million cap the U.S. Food and Drug Administration places on candy frequently eaten by small children.

Concentrations of metals varied greatly across products. For example, one product had the highest chromium concentration (9.72 ppm) and the second highest concentrations of cadmium, manganese, and lead (2.16, 35.3, and 1.25 ppm, respectively). The researchers did not find a clear pattern to predict toxin levels in terms of brands, color, whether it was lip gloss or lipstick or in the cost of the products, which ranged from about $6 to $24.

The researchers also analyzed potential risk for toxin exposure by comparing how often the lip products are used to the concentration of the toxins found in the products. Results were measured in term of average use and heavy use.

They determined the estimated chromium intake from 10 products tested exceeded acceptable daily intake levels when measuring average use. Chromium is a known human carcinogen, according to the researchers, that has been linked to lung cancer and stomach tumors through inhaling the metal or swallowing it.

Heavy use of lip products could lead to too much aluminum exposure for one of the products tested, and too much chromium for 22 products tested, and potentially dangerous levels of manganese in 7 of the products tested.

Cadmium, another metal found, is a carcinogen linked to lung cancer and damage to the respiratory system when inhaled. It's also found in low levels in drinking water, and the researchers suspect exposure through drinking water and heavy use of 10 of the products they tested may lead to too much exposure.

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University of Calabar Students Protest Rats Invasion, Lack Of Water...

Just a few weeks after students of the University Of Lagos protested over the infestation of bed-bugs in their hostels, the students of University Of Calabar, yesterday, demonstrated over the invasion of rats in their hostels. They also decried the scarcity of water and electricity in the school, which they said was making life unbearable for students.

The protest, which began at about 5.30 a.m., created panic as workers and traders got stranded at roads linking the university, including Etta Agbor, IBB Way and Mary Slessor Road.

The placards read: “VC, give us water and light, students cannot study without light and water, electricity and water is our right,’’ among others.

One of the students, Mr. Emeka Ebere, told the press that the students had been staying without light and water in hostels for more than three weeks. He also complained of rats in the hostels.

Ebere added that the school authorities were doing nothing about the plight of students.

“Rats come to eat our legs when we sleep because everywhere is bushy and there is no light for more than three weeks now. Again, we have not had water for months now and students have to go long distances into the town to fetch water,” he said.

He blamed the situation on the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. James Epoke, alleging that the VC was not showing concern over students’ welfare because his tenure would expire next month.

Another student, Miss Theresa Kahi, claimed that the vice- chancellor was the reason for the protest.

“We, the students of this school are tired of the attitude of the university’s management.

A detachment of anti-riot policemen was stationed at the Mary Slessor/Marian Roundabout, about 700 metres from the main gate of the university.

When contacted on telephone, the vice-chancellor said the students had the right to protest, assuring however, that the situation would be resolved soon.

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"Why We Are Distributing Eggs To IDPs, Schools, Prison" - PAN

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in Plateau, Nigeria, last Friday, donated over 500 crates of eggs to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), schools, hospitals and prison in the state.
The donation was to mark the 2015 world egg day, tagged: ``Benefit of an egg per day for the Nigerian child.’’

Chairman of the association in the state, John Dasar said that the gesture was aimed at publicising the health benefits of eggs consumption among the youths.

According to him, the donation to the IDPs is a deliberate attempt to augment government's effort in feeding the displaced persons.

He added that the donation to school children was to encourage government at all levels to invest in the proposed school feeding programme of the Federal Government.

``PAN is determined to celebrate eggs, believing it will help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in the society. We have decided to celebrate this day with displaced persons because we are interested in ensuring that they receive good nutritional feeding. When you visit most IDPs camps, you see them looking very malnourished because the foods they mostly consume are not balanced diet; they need more of protein as well," he stated.

The PAN chairman further went on to say: ``We have also decided to donate eggs to schools because the nutrients it contains are important to the general wellbeing, brain development and healthy living of the child. We also feel that we should use the day to identify with those who are sick in the hospitals as well as our brothers who are in prison. So they will know the importance of egg consumption in the human system. It is our belief that government at states and local governments will key into the vision of Federal Government, by ensuring that children consume at least one egg per day.''

Dasar, however, urged government and individuals to donate food items to the IDPs, stressing that they should include eggs to boost the nutrients in their body.

The group visited the Jos prison, Plateau Specialist Hospital, Township Primary school and IDP camp in Bukuru area of Jos South Local Government.

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Suspected New Ebola Case In Nigeria: 15 People Quarantined In Calabar

No less than 15 persons have been quarantined at the accident and emergency ward of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital after an Ebola Virus Disease scare in the hospital on Wednesday.

Those quarantined included nine nurses, one doctor, four health workers and one patient.

This came about following the death of a patient with symptoms similar to that of the killer disease though the hospital authorities said the patient might have died of any Haemorrhagic fever.

Dr. Queeneth Kalu, Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital who made the revelation on Thursday in Calabar while addressing pressmen said blood samples have been sent to the Ebola Diagnosing Centre in Benin Edo State.

Health authorities have given the following advice concerning the Ebola disease and how to prevent it from festering: 

• Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoid contact with blood and body fluids (such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids).
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).
• Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who has died from Ebola.
• Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood, fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.
• Avoid contact with semen from a man who has had Ebola until you know Ebola is gone from his semen.

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Cancer: Detecting The Earliest Signs

Yesterday, the Lakeshore Cancer Center In Nigeria addressed the media on the prevelence on cancer in the country. One of the conclusions drawn from the event is the fact that cancer prevention is the best option in trying to tackle the scourge. But how does one detect cancer in its earliest form? is key in tackling the scourge.

 In its early stages, cancer may have no symptoms, but eventually a malignant tumor will grow large enough to be detected.

As it continues to grow, it may press on nerves and produce pain, penetrate blood vessels and cause bleeding, or interfere with the function of a body organ or system.

Look for these early signs of cancer:

• Changes in bowel or bladder habits
• Sore that doesn't heal
• Unusual bleeding or discharge
• Lumps or thickened areas in the breast, testicles, or elsewhere
• Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
• Change in the size, color, shape, or thickness of a wart, mole, or mouth sore
• Cough or hoarseness that doesn't go away

The following symptoms may also signal some types of cancer:

• Persistent headaches
• Unexplained loss of weight or loss of appetite
• Chronic pain in bones or any other areas of the body
• Persistent fatigue, nausea, or vomiting
• Persistent low-grade fever, either constant or intermittent
• Repeated infection

Make an appointment with a health provider if your symptoms:

• Are on the list of signs of cancer
• Aren't related to another cause
• Last for more than two weeks

If you do have cancer, the sooner you get a diagnosis -- and start treatment -- the more your chances for recovery improve.

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The Cure For Insomnia

Yesterday, we dealt with the relationship between sleep and obesity. Today we are looking at that issue which has now been proven (going by research findings) to be faced by 30percent of adults - insomnia or lack of sleep. Do you struggle to get to sleep no matter how tired you are? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for hours, anxiously watching the clock? Insomnia is a common problem that takes a toll on your energy, mood, health, and ability to function during the day. Chronic insomnia can even contribute to serious health problems. Simple changes to your lifestyle and daily habits can put a stop to sleepless nights—without relying on medication.

Insomnia is the inability to get the amount of sleep you need to wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Because different people need different amounts of sleep, insomnia is defined by how you feel after sleeping—not the number of hours you sleep or how quickly you doze off. Even if you’re spending eight hours a night in bed, if you feel drowsy and fatigued during the day, you may be experiencing insomnia.

Insomnia symptoms can include:

• Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired
• Trouble getting back to sleep when waking up in the night
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Relying on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep
• Not feeling refreshed after sleep
• Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability
• Difficulty concentrating during the day

In order to properly resolve your insomnia, you need to become a sleep detective. Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause about half of all insomnia cases. But your daytime habits, bedtime routine, and physical health can also play a major role.
It’s important to identify all possible causes of your insomnia. Try using a sleep diary to record daily details about your daytime habits, sleep routine, and insomnia symptoms. For example, you can keep track of when you go to sleep and when you wake up, what you eat and drink, the medications you take, and any stressful events that occur during the day. Once you figure out the root cause of your insomnia, you’ll be able to tailor treatment accordingly.


Often, changing daytime habits and bedtime routines that contribute to sleeplessness is enough to overcome insomnia altogether.

Some habits are so ingrained that you may overlook them as a possible contributor to your insomnia. Maybe your daily Starbucks habit affects your sleep more than you realize. Or maybe you’ve never made the connection between your late-night TV viewing or Internet surfing and your sleep difficulties. Keeping a sleep diary is a helpful way to pinpoint habits and behaviors contributing to your insomnia.
All you have to do is jot down daily details about your daytime habits, sleep routine, and insomnia symptoms. For example, you can keep track of when you go to sleep and when you wake up, where you fall asleep, what you eat and drink, and any stressful events that occur during the day.

• Exercise. Nothing aids sleep at night like a good workout during the day. You don’t have to join a gym or spend hours on a treadmill to reap the benefits, though. Try taking a dance or yoga class with a friend, playing activity-based video games with your kids, watching your favorite TV show while on a stationary bike, or enjoying outdoor activities such as golf, playing Frisbee, or even yard work. Aim for 30 minutes or more of activity on most days—or three 10-minute sessions if that’s more convenient—but not too close to bedtime.
• Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.
• Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep, and nicotine is a stimulant.
• Avoid late meals. Try to avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods can take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and spicy or acidic foods can cause heartburn.
• Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you’re tired.

 With material from Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A., and Robert Segal, M.A.

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Sleep And Obesity: Which Controls The Other?

Does sleeping too much lead to obesity or does obesity lead to sleeping too much? According to Sleepdex, researchers on better sleep, sleeping too little is correlated with obesity and non-obesity extra "love handle" weight. Does sleep debt make you fat or does extra weight make it hard to sleep?  Both.  Like most things involving sleep, the interactions are complex and the causal relationship runs both ways.

Higher BMI (Body Mass Index) is correlated with shorter sleep time.  It is also correlated with later sleep than normal (going to bed late and getting up late.)  Not enough sleep results in a tendency to gain weight.  This isn’t true for everybody (some people actually lose weight when they don’t sleep enough), but over the population as a whole it has repeatedly been shown that less sleep results in added fat.

Sleep debt increases the appetite, and particularly increases the desire for high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods.  Functional MRI scans show higher activation in an area of the brain involved with appetite.  This is one obvious reason for weight gain, although the deeper picture is more complex.  In some situations, researchers have found sleep restricted subjects did not have an increased appetite, but they still gained weight.

Although even one night of short sleep can result in a desire to eat more, the second night of a very short sleep left participants in a controlled study reaching for cookies and cake and eschewing fruit and vegetables.

Why the connection between sleep duration and excessive weight? When you are tired from insufficient sleep, you might fidget less and burn fewer calories, but a more likely explanation is the effect of sleep deprivation on hormones.

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Hot Or Cold Bath: Which Should You Have?

Bathing is an essential part of a healthy routine, but depending on the temperature, your time spent under the water can offer different benefits. Whether you like it hot or prefer it cold, learn how your bathing routine can affect your health. After reading, you might rethink your choice - whether cold or hot.



Hot bath can relieve tension and soothe stiff muscles. If you have a powerful showerhead, even better! Let the hot water work like a minimassage on your shoulders, neck, and back.


Studies have shown that taking a hot bath can increase tour oxytoxin level and ease anxiety. Anyone working with stress can use more of the love hormone in their life.

A hot shower also acts as a natural decongestant to relieve cold symptoms, since the hot steam moisturizes nasal passages.

Under the weather and running a slight fever? A hot shower might be what you need to help break your fever and bring your temperature back to normal.

On the other hand, cold baths also have their health benefits. Cold showers — as unbearable as they are — are actually really good for our body. Turning your shower cold for the last five minutes can help "shock" your body awake. This instant change in temperature relieves your body of fatigue and increases your mental alertness.

A "cooler" shower (around 68 degrees) for two to three minutes once or twice daily is recommended by researchers as a treatment for depression. Just make sure you check in with your doctor before testing this out.

On the more vain side of the spectrum, cold showers are better for our hair and skin. Where a hot shower can dry things out, cold showers hydrate and help with split ends and dry skin.

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Herbal Remedy For Female Infertility

Many women desire the fruit of the womb but cannot conceive due to infertility issues. Infertility is a rising problem in today’s society. Huge amount of money is spent globally on infertility issues, especially by couples who are not able to have a child because of issues relating to fertility. The saddest part is that in many cases, the body can reverse infertility naturally if given the correct resources, most times in form of herbal or natural remedies.

Very few health related problems cause more pain and anxiety as wanting to have a child and not being able to.

Infertility is often a complex problem with a simple solution. There are so many confounding factors that can cause or contribute to infertility, which is why conventional or orthodox treatment is rarely as effective… it simply can’t address all the possible causes. Fertility drugs and artificial hormones of any kind, including birth control, can make underlying problems even worse and make future fertility more difficult (this is sad, because hormonal birth control is often prescribed for various hormonal imbalances and problems).

What Causes Infertility?

Infertility can be caused by a huge number of factors: hormone imbalance, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, Anovulatory Cycles, physical blockage, inadequate hormone production, short luteal phase, lack of lutenizing hormone, high levels or prolactin,  and many others.

Poor nutrition often plays a major role, as does exposure to toxins. Age plays less of a role before menopause than was originally thought.

Herbal Remedy For Female Infertility

While diet and lifestyle alone sometimes reverse infertility, some women notice better or faster results with the aid of herbal medicine and herbs.

In Nigeria, there are many expert NAFDAC approved herbal therapist who have formulated herbal remedies for the cure of female infertility which have resulted in many resounding success stories. 

You can contact any of the over 90 NAFDAC approved herbal therapists in our consultancy list who are expert in that field of natural medicine, by calling +2347031040178.

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More People Will Die Of Smoking Unless... - World Heart Federation

The World Heart Federation has come down strongly on both active and passive smokers. A report released by the Federation reveals significant gaps in public awareness regarding the cardiovascular risks of tobacco use and secondhand smoke. The report, entitled “Cardiovascular harms from tobacco use and secondhand smoke”, was commissioned by the World Heart Federation and written by the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC Project), in collaboration with the Tobacco Free Initiative at the World Health Organization.

Professor Geoffrey T. Fong at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and Chief Principal Investigator of the ITC Project, commented, “This report shows a broad correlation between poor knowledge of the risks of tobacco use and high levels of smoking prevalence. To break this link and reduce the deadly toll of tobacco, more needs to be done to increase awareness of the specific health harms. Our research shows that the risks of tobacco use to lung health are very widely accepted. But we need to attain the same level of knowledge and awareness that tobacco use and secondhand smoke can cause heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Health warning labels are known to be an effective method for educating the public on the health harms of tobacco products. A number of countries have introduced warnings about the increased risk of heart disease or heart attack, but no country has yet implemented a label to warn people that secondhand smoke causes heart disease. Increasing knowledge of these specific health risks will help encourage smokers to quit and help non-smokers protect themselves, so raising awareness is an important step in reducing people’s exposure to tobacco smoke.”

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s leading cause of death, killing 17.3 million people every year. Eighty per cent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, which are increasingly being targeted by the tobacco industry. Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure causes about one-tenth of global deaths from CVD. Even smoking a few cigarettes a day significantly increases the risk of heart disease. Smokeless tobacco products have also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Secondhand smoke exposure increases the risk of heart disease by 25–30 per cent and more than 87 per cent of worldwide adult deaths caused by secondhand smoke are attributable to CVD.

Johanna Ralston, CEO of World Heart Federation, commented: “If people don’t know about the cardiovascular effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure, they cannot understand how much or how quickly smokers are endangering not only their own lives, but those of family members, friends, co-workers or other non-smokers who breathe tobacco smoke. In countries like India or China, so many people are at high risk for heart attack or stroke, and it strikes at a relatively early age: risks of CVD are far more present and immediate than most of the better-known fatal effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. Knowing about cardiovascular risks of tobacco will help smokers take quitting seriously, and encourage people to demand and comply with policies that protect everyone from the harms of tobacco. The World Heart Federation calls on governments around the world to a make these policies an immediate priority, as they committed to do last year through the Political Declaration of the United Nations’ High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases.”
 
Dr. Douglas Bettcher, Director of the World Health Organization’s Tobacco Free Initiative, noted that, “This report provides conclusive proof that the level of information people have about the cardiovascular harms of tobacco use and secondhand smoke is still insufficient and therefore mass media campaigns and warnings are urgently needed to make people aware of these lethal harms. In fact, to avoid the enormous toll of needless deaths caused by tobacco use, a special UN high level meeting on non-communicable diseases recently called upon Parties of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to accelerate implementation of this Convention, recognizing the full range of measures, including measures to reduce tobacco consumption and availability. I hope that this report will boost the sense of urgency that world leaders and the public health community are trying to instill into the implementation of the WHO FCTC.  This will mean the difference between death and life for almost six million people each year.”

The report, which presents data from two major global tobacco research and surveillance studies - the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS) and the ITC Project - recommends three steps to reduce the current and future cases of CVD due to tobacco use - which may total over 100 million people - among the one billion people throughout the world who smoke today, and of their families exposed to secondhand smoke:
1.    Support tobacco control policies outlined in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), including those that:

a.    Increase the price of tobacco products
b.    Eliminate tobacco promotion and marketing
c.    Implement 100 per cent smokefree laws in workplaces and public places – which is proven to significantly lower hospital admissions for heart attacks
d.    Make the necessary step-change in public awareness through committing to population-level strategies, such as large graphic warnings on tobacco product packaging and mass media public education campaigns – including warnings and messages about the risk of smoking and secondhand smoke to cardiovascular health
e.    Introduce plain packaging to discourage youth from starting smoking

2.    Increase training in cessation advice and support among health professionals

3.    Implement programmes and protocols to ensure cessation advice, support and aids are provided systematically.

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