Which active ingredients do you look for when you’re shopping for sunscreen? In theory, it shouldn’t matter. We have an agency -- the Food and Drug Administration -- that looks out for the safety of products like these.
But earlier this year, the FDA raised concerns about many sunscreen ingredients, noting that they can enter the bloodstream at levels significantly higher than the current threshold for safety testing. In other words, a lot of ingredients getting into our bodies have not been proven safe. So the agency has asked sunscreen manufacturers to complete safety studies by this November.
Of course, this doesn't mean these ingredients are harmful. Until we know for sure, experts caution: Don't let fears about unknown effects of chemicals prevent you from protecting your skin against the known dangers of sunlight. Skin cancer can be deadly. So keep wearing sunscreen.
Read on to learn which sunscreens are known to be safest, and other ways to protect yourself from the sun.
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Social isolation is all too common and studies show that loneliness puts people at a higher risk of long-term physical and mental health problems.
A group in northeastern Minnesota is tackling this problem in a novel way: They're bringing together generations to support each other. The program pairs teens in need of part-time jobs with older adults who need help around their houses, or who just want to be mentors.
The kids and seniors work on projects together like building and maintaining community gardens, helping local food pantries, working on art projects. Along the way, they develop meaningful relationships that can last beyond the program -- and make their communities a more friendly, connected place to be.
Read how this program is touching the lives of isolated seniors and struggling youth. |
Low calorie! Less than 1 gram of sugar! Gluten-free! While these phrases are commonly plastered on food packaging, it's now not unusual to find wine and spirits brands touting these attributes. But how healthy can a drink be?
For example Oro Bello Light is a wine that is lower in alcohol and calories. LifeVine says that its wines contain 25% more antioxidants than other wines. And Gem & Bolt mezcal is distilled with the herb damiana, touted for its antidepressant properties.
These types of health claims might attract people to buy the product, thinking that its use is somehow safer than other drinks. "What that can end up doing is helping people justify that they can drink more of something," says Lisa Fucito, an alcohol addiction researcher at Yale School of Medicine.
Learn more about how to assess health claims on a bottle of wine or spirits. |
More of this week's health stories from NPR |
We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth.
Your Shots editor,
Carmel Wroth
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