Category: Health

Scientists from Newcastle University and Stiefel have discovered that a protein in the skin barrier could be key to triggering eczema. The protein, called filaggrin, is said to impact other proteins and pathways in the skin, leading the development of eczema. Atopic eczema affects up to 10% of adults and 20% of children in the…

Sales of prestige anti-pollution skincare in the UK have grown by 30% in the past six months, according to the NPD Group, a global information company. Furthermore, sales of anti-pollution face masks have increased even more dramatically, by as much as 112% in the first half of this year, while a 62% growth was reported…

Postural awareness training can be a useful tool in improving chronic neck pain in clients, according to a study published in Spine. The study aimed to establish whether postural awareness contributed to exercise-induced improvements in neck pain intensity, with a secondary analysis examining tai chi and neck exercises. More than 70 participants with chronic nonspecific…

What if chocolate cravings, experienced by 50% of women before their period were the result of culture, rather than a natural physical response? Scientists at the the State University of New York seem to think so. In a paper published recently, they have shown that out of 275 women of diverse backgrounds, foreign-born women were…

Practising yoga may be beneficial for both your memory and wellbeing, according to a recent study published in the PLOS ONE online journal. The study examined the effect of yoga practice on cognitive function, by looking at measures of working memory both before and after six sessions of yoga. More than 40 participants were asked…

The UK government has announced a ban on microbead plastics in cosmetics from 2018. The ban is said to be the strongest to date on the tiny plastic beads that pollute the world’s oceans, causing harm to fish and other marine life. The ban follows calls from the public, scientists and MPs and will come…

Vitamin D deficiency in expectant mothers during pregnancy has a negative effect on the social development and motor skills of pre-school age children, a new study in the British Journal of Nutrition reports. Examining data gathered from over 7,000 mother-child pairs, researchers from the University of Surrey, and the University of Bristol, discovered that pregnant…

Worldwide health authorities are being urged to rethink official guidance around vitamin D following the publication of a ground breaking study from the University of Surrey, which dispels the myth that vitamin D2 and D3 have the same nutritional value. In the first ever study of its kind, using low doses of vitamin D in…

More than a third of parents incorrectly believe that suntans are a sign of good health, according to a recent study by the Met Office, despite sun damage in childhood being strongly linked to skin cancer in later years. The study, which involved 1,000 parents with children aged 11 and under, looked at perceptions of…

The Health Foundation has released the first in a series of infographics looking at the social determinants of health. The foundation says these determinants include political, social, economic, environmental and cultural factors which shape the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age. The first infographic, entitled ‘What makes us healthy’ looks…