Plain soap as effective as antibacterial one for
hand-washing reveals study
Using antibacterial soap
for hand-washing is no more effective than using plain soap, scientists have
discovered. ‘Advertisements and consumer belief regarding the effectiveness of
antibacterial soaps needs to be addressed,’ said study lead author Min Suk Rhee
of Korea University in Seoul. The researchers examined the effectiveness of
triclosan, one of the most commonly used ingredient in antibacterial soaps. Use
of triclosan has come under the scanner as previous studies have linked it to
antibiotic resistance and hormone problems.
The researchers first examined the bactericidal
effects of triclosan in soaps against 20 bacterial strains. In the second
experiment, they compared the ability of antibacterial and non-antibacterial
soap to remove bacteria from human hands, by using 16 healthy adult volunteers.
The results of the study indicated that there is no significant difference
between the effects of plain soap and antibacterial soap when used under ‘real
life’ conditions.
The scientists recreated the conditions of human hand washing by exposing the
bacteria for 20 seconds at 22 degree Celsius (room temperature) and 40 degree
Celsius (warm temperature) to triclosan with a concentration of 0.3 percent –
the maximum allowed by law. There were significantly great effects after
more than nine hours, but not during the short time required for hand
washing. But use of triclosan has come under the scanner as studies have
linked it to antibiotic resistance and hormone problems. The study was
published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
18.09.2015
Stress can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, says study
A team of researchers has
found a link between stress
andAlzheimer’s
disease. University of Florida Health research, conducted on a mouse
model and in human cells, found that a stress-coping hormone released by the
brain boosts the production of protein fragments. Those protein pieces, known
as amyloid beta, clump together and trigger the brain degeneration that leads
to Alzheimer’s disease. The research contributes to further understanding the
potential relationship between stress and Alzheimer’s disease, a disorder
believed to stem from a mix of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors.
The findings strengthen the idea of a link between stress and Alzheimer’s
disease, researcher Todd Golde said. Golde noted that it adds detailed insight
into the stress mechanisms that might promote at least one of the Alzheimer’s
pathologies.
Figuring out the non-genetic factors that heighten
the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is especially challenging, and the recent study
is one step in a long process of looking at the effects of stress and other
environmental factors, according to Golde. It could also point the way to a
novel treatment approach in the future, he said. Here is what researchers
found: Stress causes the release of a hormone called
corticotrophin-releasing factor, or CRF, in the brain. That, in turn, increases
production of amyloid beta. As amyloid beta collects in the brain, it initiates
a complex degenerative cascade that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. The study is
published in The EMBO Journal.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
18.09.2015
Wise and
strong is he who leaves his heart open and searches without fear
The
Monna
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