Since the introduction of Diet Coke in 1982, artificially sweetened beverages have become increasingly ubiquitous in the American diet. In fact, according to a consumer survey in 2018, more than half of Americans aged 18 to 49 had at least consumed a slimming Coke in the last four weeks. It is therefore not surprising that epidemiologists are studying the effects of calorie-free sweeteners on our health. The most recent study, published this week in the journal Stroke, drew conclusions that seem worrisome: in postmenopausal women, drinking two or more of these drinks a day was linked to an earlier risk of stroke, heart disease and premature death.
The study collected nutrition and health information from more than 80,000 women aged 50 to 79 through the Women's Health Initiative, a longitudinal health 1991 by the National Institutes of Health. The authors specifically sought a link between the consumption of diet sodas and other artificially sweetened beverages (such as Snapple, Vitamin Water or Crystal Light) and stroke, heart disease and overall mortality.
12PICTURES
12 things about your mother's health
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Fragmentary skeleton
Genetics play an important role in health problems. Therefore, examining your mother's health can give you an idea of what to expect. This is especially true of complications that affect women more than men, such as osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones. According to the CDC, osteoporosis affects 25% of women over 65, but only 6% of men – and recent research has shown that genetic variants predispose some people to the disease. "There is strong evidence of an increased risk of osteoporosis if your mother suffers," says Todd Sontag, DO, a family medicine specialist at Orlando Health Physician Associates. "It often has to do with an inherited body structure of having a lower body weight – less than 58 kg. [128 pounds] in adults or a BMI less than 22. "Another risk factor is simply having a parenting history (mom or dad) of hip fracture, he says. To mitigate these effects, make sure to consume enough calcium and vitamin D and lead a healthy lifestyle. Here are the signs that you are not as healthy as you think.
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Cracked skin
Are you wondering if you are going to have wrinkles or skin lesions? Look at your mother's face. Research has shown that men's and women's skin ages differently because of different hormones. "Your mother's ability to decompose collagen and the age at which it begins to decompose – the age from which it has wrinkles – are transmitted to you, as well as the collagen breakdown pattern: a Did she first have wrinkles around her eyes or more deeply? Dermatologist Purvisha Patel, MD, creator of Visha Skin Care. "Viewing photos of her age helps you understand how to fight your aging process." Daily sunscreen and anti-aging serum containing retinol, vitamin C, acid Ferulic and vitamin E act to combat these genetic effects, she says. In addition, your skin type, transmitted from your mother and father, can affect your chances of being damaged by the sun and skin cancer. Those with lighter skin are the most exposed. This is what dermatologists would like to know about preventing wrinkles.
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Mental Health
If you know what psychologists would like to know about depression, you may already know that depression is diagnosed twice as often in women than in men, perhaps because of hormonal fluctuations and women's reaction trauma and stress. "Another important aspect of the gender studies is that women experience more chronic depression than men," says psychologist Deborah Serani, psyD, an award-winning author. Living with depression. "This means that women suffer from depression more often and longer than men." In addition, he is genetically linked, with experts at Harvard Medical School noting that some genetic mutations associated with depression only occur in women. . So, if your mother was suffering from depression, you should be on the lookout for symptoms and get treatment if needed. "That's why it's so important to know your family's medical history to become proactive about your health," said Dr. Serani. Here are the signs that you are in good health with each type of doctor.
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Eye problems
Women are more likely to suffer from glaucoma, but are also more likely to be visually impaired or blind, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Through menopause, women are also more likely to suffer from dry eye syndrome, which occurs frequently with glaucoma. In addition, glaucoma is prevalent in families – so if your mother (or father) suffers, talk to your eye doctor and get tested regularly. "You are at higher risk of developing glaucoma and [another eye condition] macular degeneration if your mother suffers, "says Dr. Sontag. "Like everything else, there are other lifestyle factors that contribute as well." The AAO also says to avoid smoking to reduce your risk. Here's how to improve your sight without eating carrots!
migraines
Migraine can have many reasons, and your mother is just one of them. According to the Mayo Clinic, women are three times more likely than men to have migraines, probably because of hormonal fluctuations. The National Headache Foundation notes that 70% to 80% of migraine sufferers have a family member who suffers debilitating attacks. "The family history of migraines is one of the major risk factors for migraines," says Dr. Sontag. "So yes, if your mother has migraines, you're also more likely to develop them." Emerging research is about how and why genetics play a role. A large international study suggests that this may be related to the functioning of the blood vessels. in the brain. But until we know more, if your mother is suffering from migraines, you can try to reduce your risk by limiting other risk factors, such as regular exercise and sleep, stress management and prevention of caffeine and individual triggers of food.
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Alzheimer's disease
Nearly two-thirds of people with Alzheimer's are women, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The exact reasons are unknown, but seem to go beyond the simple fact that women live longer than men. The researchers also found genetic links for Alzheimer's disease. "There are genetic alleles that increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Sontag. "Maternal history increases the risk." According to the National Institute on Aging, if your mother or father has a genetic mutation related to the early onset of Alzheimer's disease (occurring between 30 and 60 years of age), there is 50% chance that you will inherit – and if you do, there is a strong possibility of developing the disease. If your mother is suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementia, you can reduce your risk by exercising, eating healthy for your heart, maintaining social connections and staying mentally active. These are the first signs of Alzheimer's disease that every adult should know.
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Weight, body shape and fitness level
As with many other aspects of health, the state of your body is partly genetic and partly environmental. So, if your mother has some type of body or weight, you may be more likely to have the same, but this could also be the result of learned behaviors. "Although serious research supports the shape and weight of a mother's body and its influence on her children, it is certainly not the only contributing factor," says Dr. Sontag. "Often, the mother's lifestyle is what is learned and passed on to her children, which includes how she eats and exercises." So if you grow up eating the same way your mother does Is not surprising to develop a similar body. Likewise, the level of fitness you can achieve is both hereditary and lifestyle. "Genetics play an important role in building up our muscles," says Dr. Sontag. "No matter how many workouts some people train, they will never be as fast as Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps." Nevertheless, if your mother is overweight, you can help avoid the same fate by eating healthy and exercising. healthier than you can for your individual body.
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Heart disease and diabetes
Women may believe that they do not have to worry about heart disease, but just like men, they need to understand their genetic factors. Given the genetic similarities between weight and body shape, you and your mother may also have a similar risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in women, as well as type 2 diabetes. A recent study presented to The American Society of Human Genetics has revealed that genetic variants inherited from the mother of how women store fat can affect their risk of type 2 diabetes. "There is strong evidence that, if your mother has heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or stroke, you're at a higher risk of developing them, "says Dr. Sontag. "The earlier the mother has developed, it tends to be associated with a higher risk in children." But again, lifestyle factors must be taken into account. "If your mother had a heart attack at age 50, but weighed 300 pounds, had never exercised and smoked, the risk could be completely related to her lifestyle," he says. "You can not take sodas every day or ice cream every night, and then use family history as an excuse to develop your diabetes." Nevertheless, if your mother (or father) had early heart disease, Dr. Sontag recommends doing a checkup. a cardiologist. These are the physical and emotional ways that heart disease is different for women.
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Pregnancy and fertility
If you want to know how your pregnancy experience will be, ask your mother if she is wearing you. "Gestational diabetes is more common among women who are at risk of getting adult diabetes, which exists in families. So, if you have a family history of diabetes, you are at increased risk of gestational diabetes, "said Pamela Berens, MD Gynecology with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. In addition, "preeclampsia is more common in hypertensive women, and high blood pressure can be hereditary". A Norwegian study showed that severe morning sickness, or hyperemesis gravidarum, could also be hereditary. With regard to pregnancy issues, most causes of infertility and miscarriage are not genetic, but some may be. "There seems to be an increased risk of endometriosis in first-degree relatives of women with endometriosis," says Dr. Berens. "Rarely, some women with recurrent miscarriages may have a hereditary chromosome problem that makes miscarriage more common, and genetic testing can be done." For some other conditions of infertility, such as PCOS, it is not yet clear if genetics is at stake.
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Postpartum depression
You should also ask your mother if she was suffering from postpartum depression after pregnancy. Like other aspects of mental health, it can be passed from mother to daughter. "Studies show that postpartum depression is genetically linked," says Dr. Serani. "Your risk of PPD increases if your mother, or another member of your family – a sister, an aunt – has had the experience." A small Johns Hopkins study has revealed specific chemical alterations in two genes that, when they occur during pregnancy, can predict whether or not postpartum depression will develop with 85% accuracy. The researchers hope that this will eventually lead to a blood test that will give pregnant women a better indication of their risk – but for now, knowing your family history is important. "Ask your mother what her postpartum experiences are," says Dr. Serani. "It can informally tell you whether or not depression is a risk factor for you." Here are seven dangerous myths related to postpartum depression.
Breast and ovarian cancers
Angelina Jolie, whose mother died of breast cancer, may be responsible for raising awareness of the genetic link between breast and ovarian cancers. After discovering that she was wearing the BRCA1 gene, the actress underwent a preventive mastectomy, reducing her risk of breast cancer by 87% to less than five years. "The gene mutations most commonly associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer are mutations in the BRCA1 and 2 genes," Dr. Berens said. "If you have a questionable family history – for example, if you have several family members with breast or ovarian cancer, whether breast cancer occurred at an early age, or if the same family member had both cancers – this Is more suspicious could have a genetic tendency. "Talk to your doctor about your individual risk if your mother or other members of your family have any of these cancers and consider using a genetic counselor for the genetic test .
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Menopause
Studies have shown that the age at which your mother had menopause would be partly responsible for this situation. In addition, if your mother has menopaused early, you should inform your doctor. "Premature ovarian failure, before the age of 40, can be caused by a number of conditions, some of which may be inherited, for example women with fragile X," says Dr. Berens. Fragile X is an X-linked gene mutation that can cause anxiety, hyperactivity, and intellectual disability. With regard to menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, Dr. Berens explains that scientists are trying to determine if there is a genetic link. The first study of this type in humans, conducted by UCLA, may have found a variant of the gene, but further research is needed. Then check what your sweat says about your health.
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First of all: the authors have taken into account the confounding factors. This means that the findings, after considering the characteristics we already know, influence a person's chances of having a stroke or heart disease, such as smoking, unhealthy diet, high blood pressure, diabetes and age. Once these items were controlled, the authors found that women who ate at least two sweetened beverages each day were 31% more likely to have a stroke, 29% more likely to have heart disease and 16% more likely to have a heart attack. to die prematurely women who drank an artificially sweetened drink a week or less.
however, the authors point out that neither this study, nor similar studies, prove that drinking soda the causes these diseases. "The most important thing in all prospective studies like this is that it is impossible to establish causality. People who drink baking soda may have another stroke-related feature that we do not know yet, "says Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, lead author of the study and epidemiologist at Albert Einstein's College of Medicine in New York. York.
It notes that it is impossible to prove with certainty that artificial sweeteners have adverse health effects without conducting a clinical trial, which would involve administering an excessive amount of artificial sweeteners to an group of people. Beyond that, scientists are using the best research tools available to them, including longitudinal health studies, from data from large basins of people from across the country – which is what this study does.
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Soda sizes compared to the US
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This is not the first study to look at the links between artificial sweeteners and the long-term health consequences. In a study published in 2017, also in the journal Strokepeople who consumed diet sodas every day were three times more likely to have a stroke or develop a dementia than people who ate drinks once a week or less. Again, however, the results are correlative, which means that there is not enough evidence (or science about the mechanisms) to say that artificial sweeteners have caused these people to develop dementia or to experience stroke.
And, most importantly, a recent meta-analysis published last month in the British Medical Journal, which examined data from 35 observational studies (like the two mentioned in Stroke) and 21 controlled studies, the researchers found no statistically significant link between artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, cancer or cognition.
Wassertheil-Smoller states that sporadic drinkers of diet sodas should not be particularly concerned. "We did not start seeing this relationship until people started drinking diet sodas daily or more than twice a day." In addition, the study questionnaire asked participants only if they drank at least twice a day – not a specific number – so it is possible that those most at risk drink more than two drinks a day. "[Diet soda] deserves ongoing studies and investigations, "says Wassertheil-Smoller.
Research has been conducted to determine how artificial sweeteners affect the body, including many recent studies, mainly in mice, on how sweeteners affect the composition of intestinal bacteria, which play a role in our health. . Other factors could also be at play. Wassertheil-Smoller says that the identification of potential genetic factors, for example, could reveal new mechanisms.
The science on the link between diet sodas and weight loss is not clear either. The studies done on this link are inconclusive, although some people suggest that consuming artificial sugar encourages your brain to want more sugar.
His most important tip for people concerned about the possible ill effects of consuming diet sodas: "Almost anything you do, with the exception of extreme things like jumping to the elastic band, will be a serious harm to your health if you do it from time to time. "
15PICTURES
Things in your home that can cause cancer
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Your big comfortable sofa
Your favorite couch could kill you, not just because it takes you away from the activity: many sofas, mattresses and other upholstered furniture are treated with TDCIPP, a flame retardant known to cause cancer (ie a carcinogen). TDCIPP was used so often before 2013 that a study from Duke University found it in the blood of everyone they tested. According to this study, it is also one of the ten chemicals most commonly found in household dust.
What can you do?
Consider replacing upholstered furniture that you purchased before 2013, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council – and check furniture labels when making any purchases.
And while you're at it, make sure you're not aware of any of these other causes of cancer.
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Your curtains and carpets
Cadmium is a carcinogenic byproduct of cigarette smoke. If you smoke in your home, cadmium and other byproducts of cigarette smoke can hide, especially on soft surfaces such as curtains and carpets, even long after the disappearance of the cigarette. smell of smoke. There is even third-party smoke resistant to the most powerful cleaning products. Here's where you can learn more about second-hand smoke and its dangers.
What can you do?
Quit smoking – here are 23 tips to get you started – and never allow smoking at home.
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Your leather chair
Chromium (VI) is a known carcinogen in tanned leather, wood furniture, some dyes and pigments used in textiles and cement. To give you an idea of the prevalence of chromium VI, a Danish study found that almost half of imported leather shoes and sandals contained a certain amount of carcinogen.
What can you do?
As with TCIPP, pay attention to labeling. And do not be afraid to ask questions of your furniture salesman.
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Your old fridge
According to cancer.org, carcinogenic PCBs can appear in old appliances, fluorescent lighting fixtures and electrical transformers. Although they are no longer commercially produced in the United States, PCBs are still manufactured and used in developing countries and, on all PCBs ever produced, up to 70% are still found in the United States. 39; environment. Food is another important source of exposure, according to Gushée.
What can you do?
Get rid of old appliances and fluorescent fixtures. Pay attention to warnings about PCB-contaminated fish and aquaculture fauna.
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Your cleaning products
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen found at home in foods, cosmetics, various cleaning products (such as dishwashing detergents, fabric softeners and carpet cleaners), paint, foam insulators and the fabrics to be squeezed permanently. In addition, you can be exposed by breathing smoke from gas stoves and open fireplaces.
What can you do?
Here is a list of household products containing formaldehyde, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Choose your cleaning products with care – here are some chemical-free methods to clean your home. Also be sure to ventilate your cooking zones.
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Your cupboards
Perchlorethylene (Tetrachlorethylene or "perc"), a chemical for dry cleaning, is a carcinogen that can accumulate anywhere you store your dry-cleaned clothes. It is also found in stain removers, polishes and wood cleaners.
What can you do?
Wear gloves to polish your shoes and clean the wood. If you dry clean your clothes, try to find a dry cleaner that does not use perc. And check out schedules where you can ignore the dry cleaning tag only.
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Your vinyl floor and mini-blinds
Phthalates are suspected of causing cancer and can adversely affect reproduction or human development. They are found in vinyl flooring, shower curtains, synthetic leather, mini-blinds, wallpaper and everything made of PVC vinyl. They are also found in foods packaged in plastic.
What can you do?
Stay away from products made with PVC vinyl. Look for products labeled phthalate-free. According to mindbodygreen.com, combine plastic toys made before 2008 and opt for containers and bottles made of glass and stainless steel. And reconsider your use of plastic packaging and food containers.
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Your favorite rice and chicken dinner
Everyone knows that arsenic is toxic, but at lower doses it is also carcinogenic. Yet you'll find it in the foods you probably eat regularly, including chicken, rice and some fruit juices, as well as in degreasers, dyes, furniture wax, glues, lubricants, nylon and the paintings.
What can you do?
Only use organic chicken and follow the Rice Guidelines published by Consumer Reports. Check the labels on your household products; People who follow a gluten-free diet may be particularly exposed to arsenic.
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Your insulation
Fortunately, asbestos has been down for decades, but you can still find it in the insulation of old homes. As insulation deteriorates, asbestos fibers become suspended in the air. Since asbestos fibers stick to clothing and shoes, workers exposed to asbestos work can also import asbestos into their homes.
What can you do?
Follow these guidelines to reduce asbestos exposure in your home.
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Your styrofoam cups
Styrene is a known carcinogen, widely used in the manufacture of polystyrene plastics, which can be made into foam and rigid plastic products such as cups, plates, trays, utensils, packaging and peanuts. ;packaging. Styrene can seep into your coffee or hot soup if you use polystyrene containers. It is also present in cigarette smoke and in all these housekeeping, automotive and craft products. What can you do? Avoid using styrofoam to hold food and hot liquids, and read the labels of your products carefully. Discover the 12 foods you should never use in the microwave.
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Your weed killer
Nobody likes weeds, but if you decide to decimate them by using herbicides such as Roundup, which contains glyphosate, a carcinogen, you may increase your risk of cancer.
What can you do?
Take the habit of carefully reading the labels of your herbicides. And think about using some of these natural herbicides that do not contain dangerous chemicals.
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Your insecticide
Pests and other crawling animals can carry diseases. But if you eliminate them with chemical pesticides, you increase your risk of cancer. Chemical pesticides include those that you use on your pets, such as flea collars and tick repellents.
What can you do?
Look for less toxic alternatives to pesticides – or make your own, like this natural tick repellent that works.
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Your granite counter
Radon naturally forms from the radioactive decay of uranium in rocks and soil. Ashley Sumrall, MD, FACP, a Charlotte-based oncologist, increases the risk of lung cancer. If you live in an area where the amount of uranium and radium in the rocks is high, you may be exposed to radon through the cracks in your foundation. You may also be exposed to radon if you have a granite countertop.
What can you do?
If you live in an area where uranium and radium levels are high, or if you have a granite worktop, consider having radon levels measured in your home. Here's what you need to know about the radon test.
Ensuite, découvrez les causes du cancer qui pourraient vous surprendre.
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