Health bits & bites

So, London is just full of interesting news these days. Within the last half-hour, I’ve come across these two stories:

(1) Tanning beds absolutely, positively, definitely can cause cancer. That is, they have been upgraded from a previous classification of  “probable carcinogens.” From the story: “The new classification means tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation are definite causes of cancer, alongside tobacco, the hepatitis B virus and chimney sweeping, among others.”

OK, I get that you need enough evidence to legally/officially/whateverly upgrade something from One Class to Another Class, but the overall notion that your skin being exposed to heavy-duty ultraviolet radiation is harmful is like a big DUH. What happens to bread when you put it in the toaster? You get toast.

Hey, I struggle to remember to reapply my sunscreen just like everyone else, and I’ve had my fair share of burns. But I’d rather be lily-white forever than a baseball mitt by age 50 and/or dead of skin cancer by 60. So there.

The other story is:

(2) Organic foods are no healthier than conventionally grown foods. That is, there’s a negligible difference in terms of nutrient content between the two. However, I noticed that the article seemed to only focus on nutrient content (your vitamins and minerals, etc.) and not considering the fact that organic foods may still be healthier because you’re putting fewer pesticides into your body. I wonder if that’s the second part of the study. As my brother says, Pesticides are preservatives! Anyway, interesting food for thought, no pun intended.

It’s amazing what we are learning about our world and our bodies and our health day by day. Scary, and information overload, but amazing.  Pick and choose your poisons and your causes, and do with it what you will.