TIPS FOR TREATING DRY SKIN
For many winter means dry skin, which dermatologists advise can be averted by such strategies as avoiding hot showers and using tiny amounts of mild soap. Dr. Amy Theos, a University of Alabama, Birmingham, dermatologist, also advises dry skin sufferers to avoid washing the dry areas and to use a cream-based moisturizer like Cetaphil within three minutes of getting out of the shower or bath, while the skin is still damp. For redness or persistent itching, she recommends consulting a dermatologist who can help treat extremely dry skin with a prescription cortisone cream.
MAKE POPCORN HEALTHY
Popcorn -- high in fiber and low in calories -- can be good for your health if you keep it free of oil, butter and cheese, nutritionists say. Noting the average American eats some 59 quarts of popcorn each year, the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers some kernels of wisdom on keeping popcorn a healthy snack. These include: Consider air-popped popcorn, the healthiest kind, with 93 calories and no fat in a 3-cup serving; when preparing popcorn, use a monounsaturated fat, such as canola oil or olive oil or safflower, corn or sunflower oils; check labels carefully for fat, calorie and sodium, which vary considerably for microwave or pre-popped popcorn; look for the light varieties with no more than 2 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat and 200 milligrams of salt in a 3-cup serving; be careful around movie theater popcorn, which tends to be high in saturated fats and calories; and, avoid super-sized portions.
HEART-HEALTHY TIPS FOR VALENTINE'S
You can show your Valentine you really care by selecting heart-healthy choices, such as dark rather than light chocolate. Small amounts of dark chocolate can have beneficial antioxidant effects, which could also be healthy for the heart, but research shows adding milk to the mix reduces the benefits, scientists say. Even better, bring a bag of nuts, as the oils from walnuts and peanuts actually help reduce bad cholesterol levels, says Dr. Prediman Shah, director of the Division of Cardiology and the Atherosclerosis Research Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. You can also say "yes" to cinnamon, which studies suggest may help lower cholesterol levels and may aid diabetics to control their blood sugar, if used in small amounts. Researchers say February, designated American Heart Month, is a good time to start some heart-healthy habits.
CAUTIONED URGED ABOUT ST. JOHN'S WORT
The amount of active ingredient in over-the-counter St. John's wort can vary and may contain up to 114 percent of the amount on the label, a study shows. The research, reported in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, involved five commercial St. John's wort products purchased in California health food stores. Miao-Lin Hu and fellow researchers at the National Chung-Sing University in Taiwan analyzed the amounts of hypericin and pseudohypericin, the two active ingredients reported to have antidepressant and antiviral effects. They compared their results with the manufacturers' label. The study authors report none of the labels listed pseudohypericin, although it was found in higher quantities than hypericin in some products. The amounts of hypericin ranged from 1.7 percent to 38.5 percent of the claimed amount, the researchers said. When total hypericin (both active ingredients) was measured, the actual figure was up to 114 percent of the amount shown on the label, the study authors said.
(Editors: For more information about DRY, contact Tracy Bischoff at (205) 934-8935 or [email protected]. For POPCORN, Carol Lammers, (507) 284-5005 or [email protected]. For VALENTINE'S, Sandy Van at (808) 780-5091 or [email protected]. For WORT, David Greenberg at (201) 748-6484 or [email protected])
