Latest news with #healthadvocates
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How water improves your health
AS temperatures soar during the heatwave our fluid intake will increase. Water is a healthy and cheap choice to keep you hydrated and confers enormous health benefits. Accordingly, I'd like to reach out to all within our community to empower you with information on how water improves your health. Water is vital for numerous bodily functions and overall health. It helps regulate body temperature through sweating which prevents overheating. You can lose a significant amount of fluid through sweat, especially during exercise or in hot conditions. While it varies, a typical person might lose one to two litres of fluid per hour of exercise. In extreme cases, such as during intense exercise in hot and humid conditions, sweat loss can exceed three litres per hour. Several factors influence how much you sweat, including body size, exercise intensity, temperature and humidity and individual differences in sweat rate. Because sweating can cause significant fluid loss, it's crucial to stay hydrated by drinking enough fluids during the heatwave to replace what is lost. Water helps digest food, allowing your body to absorb nutrients effectively. It also plays a role in saliva production and aids in the absorption of minerals and nutrients. Water is crucial for maintaining kidney health by flushing out waste products through urination. The colour of your urine can be used as a crude guide to determine how well hydrated you are. The goal is to drink enough so that your urine is a pale, clear yellow colour. If your urine is consistently clear or transparent you may be drinking too much and if it's darker than pale yellow you may not be drinking enough. Water plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy joints by lubricating them and supporting cartilage health. Proper hydration ensures the production of synovial fluid, a lubricant that reduces friction and allows for smooth joint movement. Adequate water intake also helps maintain the health and cushioning of cartilage which is essential for protecting joints from damage. Furthermore, water helps to cushion and protect the spinal cord. Water is crucial for brain health, making up a significant portion of its composition and supporting various vital functions. It helps transport oxygen and nutrients to the brain, removes toxins, aids in hormone balance and facilitates communication between brain cells. Adequate hydration is linked to improved mood, cognitive function, memory and concentration. Dehydration can negatively impact cognitive functions like memory, attention and decision-making. Studies show even mild dehydration can impair cognitive performance while staying hydrated can improve these functions. Water helps maintain optimal blood volume which is vital for circulation and overall health. It helps to keep the skin moisturised, supple and healthy. Water may also aid in weight management. The brain can mistake thirst as a sugar craving — the next time you feel the need for something sweet try a glass of water first. Research has shown having water before a meal may help fill you up and therefore promote weight loss by suppressing your appetite. This was reported in a 24-week clinical trial in which diet drinks were swapped for water. The results showed water may lead to a greater reduction in weight and a lower risk of developing type two diabetes. Your body needs more water when you are in hot climates, more physically active, unwell with a fever, pregnant or breastfeeding or suffering from a loss of fluid through diarrhoea or vomiting. Additionally, the elderly need to be more mindful of their hydration as their bodies store less water and they are more vulnerable to dehydration during the heatwave. The NHS recommends that adults drink six to eight glasses equivalent to 1.5 to two litres of fluid per day. This can include water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee. The key is to start drinking in the morning and continue throughout the day. However, during the heatwave fluid intake may need to be increased to 2.5 to three litres per day. Anyone concerned with how much fluid they require during the heatwave should consult with their GP. Our columnist Dr Jason Seewoodhary is a former Worcestershire GP.
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Trump Administration, Reversing Itself, Won't Rewrite a Ban on Asbestos
The Trump administration has withdrawn its plan to rewrite a ban on the last type of asbestos still used in the United States. The Biden-era ban was a victory for health advocates who had long fought to prohibit the carcinogenic mineral in all its forms. Last month the Trump administration said it planned to reconsider the asbestos ban, which would have delated its implementation by several years. But late Monday, it withdrew that filing. 'The agency has further reconsidered,' the E.P.A. said in the filing in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and would no longer rework the asbestos ban. The filing is part of a court case brought by the industry challenging the restrictions. Chrysotile asbestos, known as 'white asbestos,' is banned in more than 50 countries for its link to lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer that forms in the lining of internal organs. White asbestos, however, has been imported for use in the United States for roofing materials, textiles and cement. It is also used in gaskets, clutches, brake pads and other automotive parts, as well as in chlorine manufacturing. The Environmental Protection Agency, under President Joseph R. Biden, adopted a ban in 2024 on the use, manufacture and import of chrysotile asbestos. It was the first legal constraint on the deadly substance since 2016, when Congress updated and strengthened the Toxic Substances Control Act by requiring testing and regulation of thousands of chemicals used in everyday products. When the administration said last month it would review the asbestos ban, it drew criticism from Democrats as well as health advocates. In a Facebook post, Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state and 2016 Democratic nominee for president, wrote, 'What is this — Make Asbestos Great Again?' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
29-06-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Can France, land of smoking and joie de vivre, end its cigarette habit?
VAUCLUSE, France — In a country where the cigarette holds an iconic status on par with the croissant or glass of red wine, a ban from Sunday on smoking in all parks, beaches and bus stops has ignited a fiery debate, pitting laissez-faire libertines against those worried by the serious health implications of France's stubbornly high smoking rates.
The Standard
25-06-2025
- Health
- The Standard
LCSD to open recreational facilities for free on Aug 3 'Sport For All Day'
Some Africans have long seen a big belly as a sign of wealth. It's killing them
News24
23-06-2025
- Health
- News24
Why 100% fruit juice should come with a sugar warning label
Under South Africa's latest proposed food labelling regulations 100% fruit juices won't have to show a high sugar warning because their sugars are 'naturally occurring' — researchers who gave input on the rules say that's a mistake. Juices can pack as much, or more, sugar than some sodas or energy drinks and nutritional experts say, when people consume too much of them, there isn't really a healthier option between these sugary drinks. Over one in ten children in South Africa under five are already overweight, and researchers have found that drinking just one sugar-sweetened beverage (e.g. sodas or fruit juice with artificially added sugar) a day raises the chances of a child being overweight by more than half. We compared different fruit juices, energy drinks, sodas and flavoured waters to work out which drinks have the most sugar and which will — or won't — need a warning label. Apples, oranges and grapes are healthy fruits. But when they are turned into juice they pack as much, or more, sugar than some sodas or energy drinks. Under South Africa's proposed food labelling regulations 100% fruit juices won't be required to show a high sugar warning on their packaging because their sugars are 'naturally occurring'. But because of their sugar content, nutritional experts say, when people consume too much of them, there isn't really a healthier option between soda, flavoured water or energy drinks. 'Coke has too much sugar, but fruit juices also have too much natural sugar,' says Edzani Mphaphuli, executive director of Grow Great, a non-profit which works to shape childhood nutrition policies. Sugar is helping drive South Africa's obesity rise. Over one in ten children under five are already overweight, and researchers have found that drinking just one sugar-sweetened beverage a day raises the chances of a child being overweight by more than half. That's part of what our proposed food labelling regulations are meant to combat. READ | Sweet saboteurs: How to spot hidden sugars in these everyday snacks and cut your intake Under the current draft — which the health department is still reviewing, according to spokesperson Foster Mohale — fruit juices will fall through a definition loophole. But that's not what researchers who gave input on the rules recommended, or what many public health experts advise. 'Our evaluation used the criteria of 'free sugars', where all 100% fruit juices would have carried a warning label,' says Tamryn Frank, a researcher at the University of the Western Cape and who was part of the technical team. 'That highlights the importance of reconsidering the best term to include when the final regulation is published.' The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 'free sugars' are sugars added to products like sodas and energy drinks, as well as those naturally found in fruits. But our current draft proposal says only products with 'added sugar' will be required to carry a label. Supplied/Bhekisisa The draft regulations say any drink with more than 5g of sugar (just over one teaspoon) per 100ml, or any amount of artificial sweetener (such as the calorie-free chemicals aspartame or sucralose) must show a black and white triangle with the word 'warning' in bold capital letters. If passed in their current form, researchers say almost six in ten of all sodas, energy drinks and juices sold at supermarkets in the country would carry a warning label. But while 94% of soft drinks and 97% of energy drinks would need warning labels for high sugar or artificial sweeteners, just 30% of juices would be labelled. Pure 100% fruit juices won't carry a warning label because their sugar is natural. But not all juices are completely natural, some contain added sugar or sweeteners — so those with more than just over a teaspoon of sugar per 100ml will still need to carry a 'high in sugar' warning. We did the sums to work out which drinks have the most sugar and which will — or won't — need a warning label, according to the current version of the regulations. Fruit juices While they didn't have any artificial sweeteners, all of the juices we compared — Fruugo sparkling apple juice, Ceres orange and Rhodes grape juice — had more sugar than all of the other drinks we compared except for Coke. 'Because they come straight from nature, people think they must be healthy. But it's not exactly the same thing as eating a single fruit,' explains Mphaphuli. 'Juice is highly concentrated and you need to dilute it with water if you're going to give it to a child [to reduce the sugar content].' Supplied/Bhekisisa Whole fruits are filled with fibre, which slows digestion and helps control blood sugar. But that fibre is shed when fruit is turned into juice. Without it, sugar reaches the bloodstream faster, which can cause spikes and drops in energy. Research has shown that swapping a fruit juice for some types of whole fruit three times a week can lower a person's chances of getting type 2 diabetes — likely because juice raises blood sugar faster and has less fibre. A study published in the South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition earlier this year found that almost three-quarters of fruit juices have more sugar than the proposed limit. But, as regulations stand now, only 17% would require a warning label because most of the sugar is natural, not added (because the regulations only look at the total amount of sugar in products with added sugar and not those with natural sugars). Soda Among the three sodas, Coke has the most sugar — and is the only one that contains caffeine, a stimulant, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and the body, and can therefore make you sleep less well. Too much caffeine can lead to anxiety, restlessness and affect the way your heart beats. The WHO says an adult should not consume more than six to 12 teaspoons of sugar per day. A can of original taste 440ml of Coke contains 2.65 teaspoons of sugar per 100ml, which means an entire can contains about 11.5 teaspoons of sugar — more than the maximum WHO daily limit. Sodas are some of the sweetest drinks you can buy and, research shows, South Africans love them: we drink an average of 254 Coca-Cola products per person per year, almost triple the global average of 89. Before South Africa's tax on sugar beverages was introduced in 2018, which requires manufacturers to pay 2.1 cents tax for every gram of sugar that exceeds 4 grams of sugar per 100ml, the average 330ml can of soda had about 10 teaspoons of sugar. But to avoid the tax — some producers changed ingredients in their drinks. For example, says Frank, Sprite and Fanta drinks lowered the sugar content but added non-nutritive sweeteners to keep the sweetness. Supplied/Bhekisisa While chemical sweeteners, which are often used in 'diet' drinks, can help people with short-term weight loss, the WHO says they should 'not be used as a means of achieving weight control or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases' like obesity in the long-run. Meanwhile, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed aspartame, a sweetener found in diet drinks such as Fanta Zero, as a possible cause of cancer, though more research is needed. The new regulations will require sugary drinks containing artificial sweeteners to carry the following warning on the front of the container: 'This product contains artificial sweeteners. Excessive consumption may be detrimental to your health.' Manufacturers will also not be allowed to market such products to children. 'None of these products are recommended as part of a healthy diet because they don't contain any nutrients other than sugar and energy,' says Makoma Bopape, a nutrition researcher and lecturer at the University of Limpopo. Bopape was part of the technical group who worked on the labels. 'What makes it worse is the fact that some contain sweeteners.' Energy drinks Monster has nearly four times more sugar than both Dragon and Power Play and all contain artificial sweeteners. A 500ml can of Monster has around 13 teaspoons of sugar — more than the maximum sugar intake the WHO recommends for adults per day. Energy drinks aren't just packed with sugar, like many sodas, they also contain caffeine. Experts say teens who weigh between 40 and 70kg shouldn't consume more than 100 — 175mg of caffeine a day. At an average of about 150mg, all three energy drinks contain almost the maximum amount of caffeine per can per day that experts recommend. Under the proposed regulations, these three drinks would all need a warning label — either for high sugar or containing artificial sweeteners. Flavoured water Of the three flavoured waters we looked at, Bonaqua Pump Lemon is the only one that does not contain any artificial sweeteners. Even though they're often marketed as 'healthier' options, the flavoured waters we looked at had similar amounts of sugar and sweeteners as sodas. One option had both sugar and three sweeteners — making it more soda than water. aQuelle naartjie and Thirsti berry use artificial sweeteners to keep the sugar low, but they respectively also contain nearly two and four full teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle. Bopape says plain water — not flavoured water — should be the preferred drink of choice. Show Comments ()
