5G smartphones ; a poisoned gift?

Many waiting for it, some may find it at the foot of the Christmas tree! Lucky or not, owners of 5G phones? That's the whole question. Admittedly, this technology, which has a speed 50 times faster than 4G, allows, among other things, to download movies in the blink of an eye or to play video games without latency. It will make our connected objects even more “intelligent”. But at what cost?  Three researchers have been interviewed in that purpose. Their responses, published in the latest issue of Inserm magazine, do not appeal to associations that have asked for a moratorium on 5G ...

"Human beings have been exposed to artificial electromagnetic radiation for a long time, in particular by radio," recalls Olivier Merckel, head of the Physical agents, new technologies and major development unit at ANSES (Maisons-Alfort). “But now, with the mobile phone, almost the entire population places the most intense source of electromagnetic radiation against his head or body. The agency was interested in possible consequences, including the risk of brain tumor in the biggest users of mobile phones. In the absence of conclusive studies, it has just set up a multidisciplinary working group (biology, toxicology, epidemiology, biophysics, etc.). "If 5G has its own biological effects, it will probably not be on the brain, but rather on surface tissues: the skin, the eye or the eardrum," said the researcher.

Finally, Brigitte Lacour, epidemiologist at the Sorbonne Paris Cité Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center (Inserm unit 1153, Paris) and director of the National Register of Solid Tumors in Children, is also cautious. Certainly, studies classify electromagnetic radiation as a possible carcinogen. Certainly, the arrival of 5G will push young users to expose themselves more, to download films or to play on the network. But “do they have an accumulated risk of brain tumor? ". These pathologies being extremely rare, the current studies sin by a too limited sample. As for the Mobi-Kids international epidemiological survey, which involves 900 patients with a brain tumor and 1,900 controls from 14 countries, its results have not yet been published. It is therefore impossible to pronounce today.

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E-cigarette : a "healthy" alternative for traditional cigarette?

Burning tobacco releases carbon monoxide, which can lead to a myocardial infarction, and tars are responsible for many cancers. In total, there are more than 4,000 toxic substances in tobacco smoke, more than 70 of which are carcinogenic. As for nicotine, it is not responsible for cancers or cardiovascular accidents, but for heavy dependence on tobacco.

The electronic cigarette should therefore avoid these problems. But she poses others ...

The question of its harmfulness was recently posed in light of the deaths from pneumonitis which occurred among vapers in the United States. The problem of e-cigarette is the way it's used : when it is used with suitable products, it is probably less toxic than traditional cigarettes, since there is no tobacco or combustion. Currently, the true causes of the events in the United States are not known. E-liquids of questionable origin based on oily cannabis derivatives are involved in a very large number of cases. For the record, e-cigarettes and e-liquids sold in France are subject to numerous checks and are registered with the National Agency for Food and Environmental and Occupational Health Safety. And, to strengthen vigilance, Public Health France recently set up a system for reporting severe pneumonitis linked to vaping.

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Fitness trends in 2020

Fitness has become the trend this year.

Gyms, sports shops, branded sportswear and even fitness watches also sporting events have all appeared at once this year. This trend had a certain  positive influence on the human being, who has became   somehow  aware about  the importanceand benefits  of sport for health.

So if you are looking to start a work routine or even improve your fitness level, here are some techniques:

example of bootcamp workout 

 OUTDOOR FITNESS

You are a person who spends all day imprisoned in his office surrounded by 4 walls without any view of the outside, this will surely have a negative impact both mentally and physically .

Therefore to refresh yourself morally and physically, the best suitable solution is to look for outdoor boot camps because nature brings only positive energy.

Going to boot camps and training events like Shape Run and Shape Yoga have become very popular in recently.

IMMERSIVE FORM

As there are yoga and pilate lovers, we also find in another angle people who admire motivating and dynamic sports the example of dancing on a bike.

And it’s the trend by the way in several gyms where they  train in a dark environment with music and mood lighting using rhythms of pop, rock or even electronic music.

FITNESS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Laziness prevent people from physical activities and they try to make excuses each time. So to avoid similar situations, Amrap workouts (as many repetitions as possible), 7-minute workouts have appeared , and other alternatives such as  walking with your dog, cleaning upyour house or just taking the stairs….

FITNESS HOLIDAYS

Holidays allow you to relax and , so to avoid any kind of unwanted weight gain in this period and then to feel guilty after the holidays. This is a good opportunity to grab if you are not planning a trip.

So it's time to discover the hotels that are oriented towards the well being of the person such as Oasia Hotel Downtown.

ALTERNATIVE CARDIO 

Running is the most suitable sport for heart health, it is a fact whether you accept it or not.

This is the reason why cardiovascular workout such as biking, spinning, boxing, rowing, trampoline and fitness dancing are part of a recent increase.

In this case, you can try the TFX JumpX classes - a mixture of plyometric movements on the trampoline and weight training on the ground, performed at a work-rest ratio of 30:30.

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Tobacco: how natural aversion turns into addiction

Nicotine has a paradoxical effect on the brain, activating both the reward and aversion circuits. It was previously thought that it was dopamine that was responsible for the pleasant sensation, but researchers have just discovered that the dopaminergic neurons are, conversely, those which cause the initial repulsive effect. On the other hand, it is she who "traps" the brain to make us dependent.

What do coffee and tobacco have in common? In both cases, both substances cause an initial aversion when tasted. The instinctive reaction of disgust towards bitterness thus allowed our ancestors to avoid poisonous plants. Adults then learn to appreciate the bitter flavor and end up loving coffee, beer or endives.

For nicotine, it's a bit the same thing: this substance has a double effect on the brain, activating both pleasure and aversion. On the one hand, dopamine receptors activate the reward circuit, on the other, GABA receptors trigger aversion. During the first experience with tobacco, one or the other wins depending on the people and the context (stress situation, joint alcohol consumption, etc.).

Ø The craving effect stronger than aversion

the researchers found that aversion was activated by dopamine neurons, while GABA neurons send the reward signal. A result in total contradiction with current theories that dopamine is reserved for the reward circuit. However, this discovery is not that illogical.

Ø A track to deal with tobacco addiction?

The need to relieve the negative effect of the lack of nicotine becomes stronger than the natural repulsion to nicotine. This discovery, if it could be transposed to humans, could offer new perspectives for treatment for tobacco addiction. The idea would be for example to develop a drug reinforcing the aversion to nicotine, a little like disulfiram (Antabuse) which causes nausea and vomiting when one ingests alcohol with.

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Electronic cigarette

► Is the electronic cigarette dangerous?

This subject has been debated for several years without an indisputable scientific consensus having been reached. Without sufficient hindsight, it is not possible to completely exclude that certain components of the electronic cigarette could have an effect on health in the more or less long term. So, it is better not to vape… unless you are a smoker.

Because specialists agree that vaping remains much less dangerous than smoking tobacco. "It is an absolutely indisputable reality." In 2015, British health authorities estimated that the electronic cigarette would be 95% less toxic than cigarettes. The problem is that this reality is difficult to pass on to the public: according to this 2017 Barometer, 40% of those questioned think that the e-cigarette is as harmful as tobacco and even 13.4% that it is more harmful .

► Does vaping promote entry to smoking?

This is a major question among young people but which, for the moment, cannot be answered scientifically by consensus. Some studies indicate that non-smokers, trying the electronic cigarette, are between 2 to 8 times more likely to try the classic cigarette afterwards. But some experts say that young people who vape before smoking are just individuals with a certain curiosity or vulnerability to experiment with risky products. And that they would have smoked anyway even if they hadn't previously vaped. "Some even believe that vaping could delay the transition to the first cigarette."

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Social media : the new face of teens bullying

Social media use has been linked to depression and several mental and physical diseas. But a new study argues that the issue may be more complex than experts think.

The study, published in the "The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health" journal, concerned interviews with almost 10,000 children between the ages of 13 and 16 in England. The researchers found that social media may harm teens' mental health by increasing their exposure users to cyberbullying, and that's what leads to lower well-being and problems with mental health.

As a way of protection to reduce risks of exposure to these agressions and lack of sleep and physical activity, parents are supposed to control there children activity on social media, and set a timer to their daily or weekly use to the new technology devices. 

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Red hot pepper could extend your life

Are you tempted by a healthy and long life?.... It's time to spice up your life!

A study had highlighted the benifits of chilli peppers on prolonging your days.

Scientists at the Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Italy have identified the benefit of frequent consumption of peppers which helps to prolong your life and reduce the risk of  premature death by 23%.

Scientists monitored the health of 22,811 people for eight years. They noted that those who consumed red peppers regularly , four times a week or more, were 40% less likely to die from a heart attack  and the risk of death from stroke was also reduced.

Scientists plan to continue their research to determine the biochemical mechanisms underlying the action of red hot pepper and related cultures containing capsaicin, a burning alkaloid. This substance contributes to the death of malignant cells by acting on the mitochondria of cells.

Some health benefits of chilli peppers:

• Source of vitamin C, B6 and K.
• Source of irone, copper, manganese.
• Improves digestion.
• Useful in cancer prevention.
• Reduces the risk of  cardiovascular disease.
• Protects the lining of the stomach.
• Prevents diabetes.

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