A U.S. research team claims that it has the answer to why our brains are worrying about everything. Apparently, there is a flaw in how the human brain can process data which enables our minds to worry more than they should about relatively rare problems.

Researchers compared the way our brain works to a neighborhood watch. If the group is very effective in detecting and reporting crimes, some members of the group may become hypervigilant. Paradoxically, even when the crime rates go down in the neighborhood, some volunteers tend to find suspicious things where there is no reason to be suspicious at all.

This is why problems never go away because our brains keep redefining them. Scientists have described this flaw in how our brains work as “moving the goalposts.” Most people are affected by this quirk which can be really frustrating.

In other words, most people cannot solve problems because their minds keep redefining the solutions and are constantly looking for trouble.

The Study

During the study, the research team asked volunteers to look at a series of images and tell which human faces seem more “threatening”. Some faces were indeed very threatening while others were relatively harmless.

The team found that as volunteers were shown less and less threatening faces, their brains redefined the notion of “threatening” to include faces that would otherwise be harmless. In other words, people’s definition of “threatening” varied depending on how many threats they were exposed to.

What’s more, volunteers’ brains tended to exaggerate neutral things like dots, too. If participants were shown a series of blue and purple dots, they tended to redefine purple dots as blue dots as blue dots become rarer.

Even when participants were offered cash praises to remain consistent in their judgment, they remained biased. This means that this mechanism is beyond our conscious control.
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Experts recommend not throwing the sunscreen after the summer is up as the product might not be expired yet. You should look instead for an open-jar symbol on the back of the product’s package to see how many months it is still active after opening it up.

On the back of the bottle, there should be a number next to an open-jar symbol. The number means how many months the product lasts after it was opened. Most sunscreens should last from 12 to 18 months.

Unfortunately, most people throw their sunscreen after the summer is over thinking that the product has expired. After the expiry date, it is not advisable to use the sunscreen as the active ingredients no longer shield your skin from harmful sun rays.

An Expired Sunscreen Is Not Good

Skin expert Nina Goad insisted that most sunscreen products are still active about a year after you opened them. You should check the open-jar symbol to see how many months it lasts. It could be 18 months.

So 12M in the jar symbol means it lasts a year from opening,

Dr. Goad explained.

Also, ensure that the sunscreen bottle is stored in a cool place and not in direct sunlight. An expired sunscreen contains lumps, smells funny, and the liquid has separated.

Also, ensure that the sunscreen has a high enough SPF to keep you protected in the summertime. An SPF 30 or higher is the best. However, SPF can only shield the skin against UVB rays. Pick a broad-spectrum product to ensure that you get UVA protection as well. On some sunscreens, the UVA protection is marked by a number of stars. The more stars, the better the product is.
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While China’s currency, the yuan, is lingering at a six-month low against the US currency analysts are concerned that the situation might herald a looming currency war between the two superpowers.

Beijing could turn a weaker yuan into an invisible weapon against its rival if the trade dispute morphs into a full-blown trade war. The Chinese could artificially depreciate the yuan to make Chinese exports cheaper on the international market than U.S. goods.

Not all analysts, on the other hand, are not convinced that Beijing would do that on purpose. BK Asset Management experts noted that markets are “on edge” because of the ongoing devaluation of the Chinese currency. People are talking about it and fear that a currency war might be next.

The anxiety was eased by an announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Trump promised to revamp the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a committee that will decide whether it is a good idea to allow Chinese businesses to have a stake in U.S. companies.

Trump’s promise suggests that the United States could back off on some drastic measures that barred companies owned by Chinese investors from purchasing certain U.S. tech companies.

The Yuan Could Further Depreciate

The yuan has been losing value against the U.S. dollar since the trade dispute became hotter earlier this month. The U.S. currency recently jumped to the highest level since late December to 6.6145 against the yuan.

The White House has often accused Beijing of keeping the yuan down on purpose to prop up exports. Also, the current U.S. administration almost called the Asian trade partner a “currency manipulator” earlier this year.

Many analysts believe that China is not devaluing the currency on purpose, but they do believe that the government could be doing less to keep it from sinking.

Deutsche Bank analysts don’t think that the yuan’s decline has stopped, but they dismissed the rumors about a currency war as “unfounded.”
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A group of researchers warns that many processed foods contain hidden salt which can make you consume more than the recommended daily intake. Study authors recommend taking urine samples every day to accurately assess your sodium intake.

Sodium intake can vary from one day to another, and too much salt can lead to hypertension or death. A recent study has confirmed it.

Study authors explained that past studies on sodium’s health risks have mixed findings because the sodium intake is hard to estimate. Lead researcher Nancy Cook noted that salt is extremely hard to track.

Sodium is hidden — you often don’t know how much of it you’re eating, which makes it hard to estimate how much a person has consumed,

Cook said.

The researcher recommends using sodium excretions like urine samples for several days. The latest study used multiple measures to ensure that the sodium levels are accurately measured.

There’s a Link Between Too Much Salt and Premature Death

Usually, sodium intake is assessed through a spot test based on a urine sample. But sodium levels can vary throughout the day so one sample is not enough. Scientists have used 24-hour samples in their study. What’s more, sodium intake  does not stay the same over a week, so you’ll need to take several samples.

Past research used the Kawasaki formula and urine samples. The latest study used the formula too but added several other methods of calculation to the mix. Also, multiple urine samples were taken over several, non-consecutive days.

Around 3,000 people were involved in the latest study. The new method revealed an association between too much salt in people’s diet and a higher risk of premature death.

The study was published in the journal International Journal of Epidemiology.
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Virginia authorities have confirmed the presence of a blindness-causing toxic weed in the state. It is the first time the plant is detected in Virginia, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced on Tuesday.

The agency added that the giant hogweed can be 15 foot-tall and can be easily mistaken for cow parsnip. The plant was spotted on a private property in Clarke County. A few weeks earlier, construction workers reported seeing the plant in Frederick County.

Authorities warn Virginians not to come into contact with the plant’s sap as they can get serious eye irritation, skin rash, blistering, and even blindness. The sap needs moisture and sunlight to develop its full toxicity.

VDACS employees are working with the homeowner in an effort to eradicate the #GiantHogweed from the Clarke County site. https://t.co/xbXfRg6Ljm pic.twitter.com/56I1eBJamm

— VDACS (@VaAgriculture) June 19, 2018

Don’t Panic!

Nevertheless, nobody should panic, experts said. The plant in Clarke County did not arrive there naturally. It was reportedly planted by the former owner of the home where it was spotted. It is highly unlikely for the plant to spread on its own.

It’s a dangerous plant but I’m not overly concerned about it. This seems to be an isolated incident,

said Assistant Prof. Michael Flessner.

The giant hogweed is not native to the U.S. It stems from Asia and it was first spotted in the U.S. in 1917. It is common on the East Coast and a handful of other areas across the nation. The plant can be found especially in the New York state.

It was added by the Department of Agriculture to the list of plant pests. Individuals who believe that they have found giant hogweed are asked to notify authorities asap. Do not try to remove the plant with no protective equipment.
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A new study has shown that pot users are more sensitive to pain than non-users. Scientists analyzed the doses of painkillers needed to alleviate pain in marijuana users after a car crash when compared with non-users.

Medical marijuana, ironically, is prescribed to alleviate pain. But the plant seems to lower pain tolerance in users, as well.

Study authors also found that short-term pain relief can prevent the body from enduring pain in time.

In the study, the team at Swedish Medical Center, Colorado, sifted through the medical data on 260 people admitted to emergency rooms after a minor car crash. More than 50 were frequent pot users while 16 admitted that they used the drug occasionally.

Nearly 10% of participants had cocaine or opiates in their system.

Researchers found that weed users needed 7.6mg of painkillers on average every day. Non-users needed just 5.6mg per day. When asked to rate their pain, pot users gave a 4.9 rating on average, with non-users giving a 4.2 rating.

Doctors said that pot users are more likely to stay in the hospital because no one wants to send them home while on massive doses of narcotics.

Pot Could Delay Healing

The study revealed that marijuana users had a higher risk to experience drug withdrawal, like vomiting while being treated. The withdrawal symptoms can severely hamper healing.

Researchers noted that other drugs and prescription medication do not impact people’s pain levels.

Dr. Anne Wagner of the UCHealth Burn Center noted that many people falsely believe that pot has no side-effects.

I don’t think they’re at all aware about how much it’s going to affect them in their recovery,

Dr. Wagner said.

The study appeared this week in the journal Patient Safety in Surgery.
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A team of U.S. researchers has tried out the 16:8 diet and found it effective in helping them shed weight. The popular fasting diet is believed to lower high blood pressure as well.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago asked two dozen obese individuals to stick to the 16:8 diet and document their results. The average BMI of the volunteers was 35.

Study participants were asked to eat whatever they wanted between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and fast the rest of the day for 12 weeks. They were allowed to drink water during fasting hours.

After the 12 weeks, researchers found that participants unwittingly trimmed their daily calorie intake, had lower blood pressure, and lost weight. On average, the group lost 3% of their weight and ate 350 fewer calories.

The study results were published in the Nutrition and Healthy Aging journal.

16:8 Diet Is Easier to Follow than Other Similar Diets

However, the diet brought no changes to insulin resistance, body fat mass, and cholesterol.

The take-home message from this study is that there are options for weight loss that do not include calorie counting or eliminating certain foods,

said the researchers.

Lead author Krista Varady explained that the name of the diet comes from the 16 hours of fasting. The latest study is in line with the findings on other forms of intermittent fasting diets.

Yet, the 16:8 diet seems more effective in helping people lose weight because it is easier to maintain. During trials on other types of fasting diets, more participants dropped out the experiment.

It is unclear if 16:8 can help dieters lose more weight than other diets. Study authors claim that the weight loss observed in the latest trial is slightly less than the weight loss in other fasting diets.
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New research shows that helicopter parents can up their kids’ risk of emotional issues later in life. Scientists have found that children and teens who had over-controlling parents as toddlers have a hard time in controlling their impulses and emotions.

Helicopter parenting is also tied to more problems in school for children.

Researchers focused on a group of toddlers and their mothers for eight years. Scientists paid attention to how controlling the mothers were with the toddlers. A controlling behavior included the parent dominating the kid’s playtime and telling him what to do.

Co-author Dr. Nicole Perry noted that the so-called helicopter parents are well-intentioned, but instead of helping their children, they can inflict irreparable harm in the long run. Dr. Perry recommends parents to allow kids to express their emotions and give them space to grow and be independent. If a task is too great, parents can intervene.

The study appeared in the journal Developmental Psychology.

Helicopter Parenting Can Lead to Emotional Issues in Kids

Researchers tracked 422 kids for eight years for the study. When the children were aged two, scientists asked their mothers to bring them into a laboratory and let them play for four minutes. Each session was videotaped, and scientists were able to assess the mothers’ level of control.

When the children were aged five, they were placed in a setting where a pile of sweets was shared unfairly. Also, they were asked to solve a puzzle until the time runs out. Meanwhile, researchers asked teachers to rate those children’s loneliness, anxiety, depression levels, academic performance, and social skills at age 5 and 10.

At age 10, most children with controlling mothers had a lower impulse control and more emotional issues than children not exposed to helicopter parenting since the early age. Also, children with over-controlling mothers had lower grades and poorer attitude in class than the other children.
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U.S. researchers found that healthy levels of vitamin D not only keep the bones strong, but they can also lower the risk of colon cancer.

Scientists from the American Cancer Society found that people who have higher than average levels of the Sunshine Vitamin have a lower risk of later being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Also, people who are vitamin D deficient are more likely to develop this type of cancer.

The study involved 12,000 participants in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Senior study authors Marjorie McCullough noted that people with higher than usual levels of the Sunshine Vitamin in their bloodstream had a 22% lower risk of colon cancer. McCullough is ACS’ senior scientific director.

Critics of the study, however, are not convinced. They are calling for more research before medics start prescribing the vitamin to their patients to keep cancer at bay.

Colon Cancer Can Be Deadly

The head of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, Zhaoping Li, thinks that the findings are interesting, but they do not prove a cause-and-effect link between vitamin D supplementation and lower risk of cancer. Dr. Li wants more research into the link as the latest study has not found a “smoking gun” yet.

Colorectal cancer is a very invasive form of cancer, often with deadly outcomes if it is not spotted in time. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third most widespread type of cancer and third top killer when it comes to cancer deaths.

In addition, more and more young people are being diagnosed with the disease, which marks a worrisome trend. This may be why the American Cancer Society recently lowered the age of undergoing colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45. It is one of the few conditions that a colonoscopy can prevent.

The recommended intake of vitamin D is 600 international units (IU) or more per day.
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New research has found that kitchen towels are packed with disease-causing bacteria that can sicken an entire family.

University of Mauritius researchers analyzed up to 100 kitchen towels provided by volunteers after using them for one month. Laboratory tests revealed that 49% of the towels were laden with bad bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and E. Coli.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that bacteria can lead to food poisoning when people are exposed to the bugs in contaminated foods. For instance, you can get infected with E. Coli when eating something that has human feces on it. Staphylococcus aureus can be carried by healthy people that don’t wash their hands before handling food.

Scientists found that kitchen towels can turn into a biological hazard when they are used for prolonged periods of times and are not dried shortly after use. Moist towels are perfect breeding grounds for the said bacteria, researchers found.

Lead author Susheela Biranjia-Hurdoyal warned that there are other risk factors that can lead to bacterial contamination in the kitchen. Dr. Biranjia-Hurdoyal advises large families with elderly and children to keep their kitchen squeaky clean.

Kitchen Towels Packed with Harmful Bacteria

Study authors found high levels of Staph in the kitchen towels in the kitchens of lower-income families. Also, families that consumed meat were more likely to get infected with E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus that vegetarian families.

The data indicated that unhygienic practices while handling non-vegetarian food could be common in the kitchen,

researchers said.

The team advises the public to stick to food safety guidelines to lower the risk of food-borne diseases. Also, people should wash their hands after every visit to the toilet and before handling food.

Also, if you are sick stay away from the kitchen, and let somebody else prepare your food.
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