Hibiscus Tea may be your new health tonic to sip. You can sip this tart tea either hot or cold while toasting to better health at the same time. The red-hued drink has been linked to significant health benefits. The tea helps to ward off colds, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, aid in weight loss, reduce inflammation, improve liver health, and is also a natural remedy if you are suffering from a sore throat. The tea is also a great source of antioxidants that help fight the aging process promoting youthful skin and helping to prevent dementia.
SKIN CANCER ON THE RISE
More people are being diagnosed with skin cancer than all other cancer types combined. Researchers predict that 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with some kind of skin cancer by age 70. Several factors are causing this sharp increase. The generation that made tanning salons profitable are now seeing the repercussions of their quest for golden brown tans. Radiation exposure and exposure to cigarette smoke also contribute to the increase in cases. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and indoor tanning devices will result in more cases of skin cancer than lung cancer from smoking cigarettes. The good news is that the survival rate for skin cancer is approximated at 92%, and early detection brings it up to at 98%. Dermatologists recommend two things: prevention by applying one ounce of SPF 15 or higher sunscreen each day combined with annual skin checks for early detection for your best defense against skin cancers.
ANOTHER REASON NOT TO VAPE
Last year a 17-year-old boy from Nevada suffered severe injuries when the vape pen that he was using exploded in his face. The case was reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. The blast was strong enough to break bones and blow out teeth. “He broke his lower jaw, which takes a large amount of force,” Dr. Katie Russell, a pediatric surgeon at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. “His jaw was wired shut for about six weeks,” she said. “He could only eat soft foods for six weeks until it healed, and then he had to come back and have another operation to get those wires removed.” Although the boy is now fully recovered, it brings attention to this little-known hazard of e-cigarettes. Between 2016 and 2019 there were 195 documented incidents of explosion and fire with vaping devices. The incidents resulted in 133 injuries, with 38 being severe enough to warrant hospitalization. Doctors predict that with the increasing popularity of vaping, that the number will only get higher in the future.
PUPPY DOG EYES
We’ve all experienced that moment when a cute pup gazes up into our eyes with a quizzical look that melts our heart. New research released from the University of Portsmouth in England found that look was an evolution over the years that dogs developed to please their owners. Dogs were domesticated more than 33,000 years ago, and they have changed over time to communicate with humans. In the study, they compared wolves to modern day pooches and found that dogs have a muscle that raises the eyebrows, a muscle which the wolves did not have. The muscle pulls the corner of the eyelids toward the ears. Only the Siberian Husky, an ancient breed, was missing this muscle. Compared to wolves, dogs seem to become more expressive and raise their eyebrows when around people—suggesting that the behavior exhibits that dogs evolved to appeal to humans.