 Spotlight on a Hidden Cancer Risk
Artificial lighting may help explain increasing breast and prostate cancer rates
Night falls, so you flick on your lights. But a shocking theory has been gaining support in the past few years: that artificial light at night may contribute to breast and prostate cancers, perhaps because it turns down production of the hormone melatonin. Now two studies add weight to that idea.
One, from Israel’s University of Haifa, analyzed satellite measurements of night-time light and cancer rates in 164 countries. The most brightly lit had the highest rates of prostate cancer, more than double those in the dimmest nations. Meanwhile, Harvard researchers who tracked more than 18,000 postmenopausal women reported that those with the lowest nighttime levels of melatonin were about 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.
It’s known that light suppresses the brain’s production of melatonin. The hormone may play a role in immunity or help slow the growth of cancer, according to Richard G. Stevens, PhD, a co-author of the Israeli study. So how can you minimize the possible risk posed by modern lighting—without going preindustrial?
Sleep in as dark a room as possible. Use room-darkening blinds or shades if you live on a bright, urban street or have a streetlamp outside your window.
Keep a night-light in the bathroom for midnight visits instead of turning on the overhead. Even brief exposure to light can suppress melatonin. A red bulb is best: Red wavelengths cause a less precipitous drop in levels of the hormone than blue wavelengths, such as those in halogen and fluorescent lighting.
Eat breakfast by the window. A 20-minute dose of sunlight will reset your natural circadian rhythms and help ensure a healthy nighttime melatonin peak.
- Beth Howard
 Can Your Cola Habit
Soft drinks can raise your blood pressure. According to a new study, adults who consumed more than 74 grams of fructose per day—the amount in two-and-a-half colas—increased their likelihood of developing high blood pressure by 36 percent. That’s in addition to a bloated risk of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. And diet cola may not be any safer. In a recent Harvard Medical School study, women who drank two or more servings of artificially sweetened cola daily were found to have double the risk of kidney function decline, which can destroy that organ. For all soft drinks, the devil’s in the dose, so make cola a special treat, or at least practise portion control. Cola fans, take note: If you must have it, cut it down to half a bottle or glass. And there’s always the best option: drink water instead.
- Janis Graham
Dose it Safely
 It’s so easy to pull out a kitchen spoon to give or take a dose of liquid medicine. But it's a bad idea, shows a new study from Cornell University, USA. When people used a medium-size tablespoon, they underdosed by more than eight percent, on average—even after they saw the correct amount. Using a larger spoon, they overdosed by nearly 12 percent. Those errors could be dangerous if you're taking a medicine two or three times per day—or giving even a single dose to a child, says study co-author Koert van Ittersum, PhD. So stick to droppers meant for medicines, dosing cups, or dosing syringes.Other stay-safe tips: Don’t split sustained-, controlled-, or extended-release tablets—that dumps the medicine all at once. Don’t halve pills with an enteric coating either. Do remove an old transdermal patch before putting on a new one. A patch can release medicine even after it’s time to toss it.
- B.H.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea
 Storage Keep tea in a sealed container away from light, heat and moisture.Tea Place one level teaspoon of tea for each cup of water into a teapot. There’s no need to add another spoonful “for the pot.” While tea bags offer convenience, loose leaves generally have a more refined flavour. “It’s like comparing a four-litre cask of wine with a bottle.”Water Add fresh water that you’ve brought to a rolling boil. For green teas, use water cooler than 70 degrees C to avoid an astringent or bitter flavour.Brew Leave to brew for at least three minutes. Look at the size of the tea leaves—generally, the larger the leaves, the longer they need to brew.Milk and sugar Adding milk or sugar comes down to personal preference, but it can mask the more subtle of white, green, oolong and some black teas.Enjoy Savour the ritual. Perhaps the main health benefit of tea comes from the process of taking a break from your day and focusing on making a pot and enjoying it.
- Sophie McNamara
Mouth Aid
Drinking green tea can help prevent mouth cancers, says the US Academy of General Dentistry. The tea contains polyphenols—antioxidants that remove free radicals that cause gene mutation. They also kill off cancerous cells that may be present and prevent them from spreading. The catch is that a person needs to slurp four to six cups of green tea a day to get the benefits. However, actually drinking it isn’t necessary: You can swish and rinse those four to six cups.
- The Toronto Star
 Granny’s Tips: Myth or Marvel?
Just like your mum didn’t need a thermometer to know if you had a fever, we bet your grandmother didn’t let the absence of a medical degree stop her from issuing health directives. But which ones are worth following?
Gran’s wisdom Swimming after eating can lead to cramps and drowning.
Science says Not exactly, but not completely wrong. After eating, blood gets shunted to the digestive tract and away from exercising muscles. That can lead to a build-up of lactic acid in your muscles, so swimming soon after lunch could cause a sudden (though not fatal) cramp.
Gran’s wisdom Honey speeds healing.
Science says Yes. Mild to moderate burns (but not other types of wounds) heal faster if you spread honey on them, perhaps because it creates a moist, antibacterial environment that promotes tissue growth.
Gran’s wisdom Butter helps heal burns.
Science says No. There’s no evidence of a healing benefit from butter.
Gran’s wisdom Sleeping in an AC room can give you a chill.
Science says She may be on to something. Air-conditioners dry out the protective layer of mucus along nasal passages and make your nose cold—both of which make it easier for a virus to infect you.
Gran’s wisdom If you go out with wet hair, you’ll catch a cold.
Science says Maybe. Some research indicates (but doesn’t prove) that a wet head helps cold viruses take hold by tightening blood vessels in the nose and making it harder for white blood cells to reach the viruses and fight them off.
Gran’s wisdom An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Science says Gran’s overstating the fruit’s potency. Still, the peel is a very good source of antioxidants.
Gran’s wisdom Ginger is good for upset stomachs.
Science says Yes. There is good evidence that ginger reduces nausea.
Gran’s wisdom Eating chocolate gives you pimples.
Science says Not quite. Chocolate might trigger an acne flare-up, but if so, the culprit is probably the sugar, milk and gooey fillings, not the cocoa.
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