Many people believe that anti-bacterial soaps protect us. This may be in part because consumers are inundated with information from organizations like the Personal Care Products Council, that urges us to believe “that banning anti-bacterial products would increase the level of risk and exposure of the general population to bacteria, leading to increased infection and disease, including 7.5 million cases of food-borne illness and $38 billion in health-care costs annually.” In addition, anti-bacterial soap manufacturers attempt to convince consumers that their anti-bacterial products are “safe and more effective than regular soap.” However, there have been no definitive studies to prove that anti-bacterial products are more beneficial than plain soap and water.
Environmental advocates and new research suggest that anti-bacterial products may be causing more harm than good, producing “superbugs that are resistant to the antibiotics long used to fight them.” Studies on one of the main chemicals in anti-bacterial products, Triclosan, show that “it [Triclosan] can interfere with hormones and cause changes in thyroid, reproductive-growth and developmental systems.” This recent evidence reinforces earlier beliefs that anti-bacterial soaps may not only be killing germs, but also harming us!
This fall, the Food and Drug Administration will review the data on anti-bacterial soaps, and make a final determination on whether they are safe, and whether they are more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness. If the FDA determines that there are safety concerns, manufacturers may be forced to reformulate their products. Either way, the debate between cleaning-product makers, researchers, and environmental advocates may be finally put to rest.
Social media’s presence in our everyday lives has done nothing but grow. Whether one prefers Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, blogs, or vlogs, it is almost guaranteed that each and every person who has access to a smartphone or computer checks in with their online “friends” dozens of times a day. At first thought it would seem that this is good for our mental health — we are more connected, right? — but in actuality it can be very detrimental.
Everywhere you turn, you hear a new “truth.” Whether you are searching for answers about beauty, diet, or nutrition doesn’t matter — regardless, it is almost impossible to navigate the vast number of health “experts” and their personal opinions. Why is this? Perhaps it is because the definition of “truth” has morphed from that of hard, scientific fact to personal viewpoint: What was once only fact by science is now, in fact, truth by personal science.
Can love be accelerated?
Your mom’s advice was right: Put on a sweater. New research indicates that, yes, being warm helps protect against getting a cold. The body does not utilize its immune system as well at lower temperatures according to early studies. This research, being done at Yale on mice, indicates that low temperatures suppress cells’ ability to detect oncoming viruses as well as their ability to warn the immune system. This gives viruses more freedom to replicate — making you sicker!
A Diet to Live Longer?
It is no secret that the gluten-free food industry has seen tremendous growth over the past year. Expected to reach $15 billion in sales by 2016, the gluten-free trend is not only found in supermarkets, but restaurant chefs are catering to those who are gluten-free or gluten-sensitive with special dishes as well.
Smoking
Is the doctor really always right? Is it okay to question the expert? If you have worried that something was wrong even though the doc reassured you that it wasn’t, you are not alone. 
When you hear that phrase you probably think of the holidays, right? Well, accompanying the happy holiday season is winter and, unfortunately, dry skin! Not only does the cold cause skin lines and wrinkles to become more pronounced, but the “winter itch” plagues many. Fortunately,