Antibiotic-resistant infections on the rise
When it comes to illnesses that cause the most deaths, we tend to think of things like heart disease and cancer. But a new study finds that one hidden killer is a lot bigger than most people think. It’s antibiotic-resistant infections. The study in the journal The Lancet shows that about 1.3 million people died of resistant infections worldwide in 2019, infections that used to be treatable. Another 3.5 million people might have died with antibiotic-resistance as a contributor. Researchers say resistant infections could be decreased dramatically if only we took the right steps to limit them.
Swap one serving of beef for poultry per day, greatly reduce environmental impact
A lot of people say they’d help fix the environment if it were easy to do. Now a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has a suggestion—swap out one serving of beef per day and eat poultry for that meal instead. That alone could cut your greenhouse gas emissions by 48% and your water use impact by 30%. Beef has the biggest carbon footprint, but other substitutions could make a big difference, too—eating peas instead of asparagus reduces your water scarcity footprint by 48% and replacing almonds with peanuts cuts it by 30%.
Certain hair products linked with negative impact on maternal hormone levels
The use of hair products could be altering the course of many pregnancies. A study in the journal Environmental Research finds that women using hair dyes and bleach, relaxers and mousse during pregnancy are more likely to have low levels of steroid hormones including estrogens, progesterone, and thyroid hormone. Those hormones can be critical to maintaining healthy pregnancies. Researchers say women with high income levels are more likely to be affected by hormone depletion.
N95 masks > paper masks > cloth masks
And finally… if you’re using a cloth mask to protect yourself against Covid, researchers say it’s a good idea to switch. Rutgers University scientists say paper masks are better than cloth due to the difference in pore size. N95 masks are the gold standard… but even a paper surgical mask is better than cloth.
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