5 Myths and Facts About Vitamin C

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Most people know a thing or two about vitamin C, like that it’s in orange juice, or that without it you can develop scurvy (as sailors famously did). But myths about this essential nutrient are also still fairly common, and the truth is our knowledge about its benefits and functions continues to evolve.

For example, did you know that vitamin C might help your cardiovascular health? A brand new study from University of Colorado, Boulder, found that that a 500 mg time-released dose of vitamin C had a protective effect on blood vessels that was similar to a walking workout, prompting some to dub vitamin C the “exercise pill.” Now, I wouldn’t go that far—the study was small, including just 35 inactive overweight or obese adults. And the reasons to exercise go beyond blood vessel health. But this certainly suggests that vitamin C does far more for our bodies than support immunity.

What else don’t you know about vitamin C? Test your nutrition IQ with my 5 myths and facts about this fascinating nutrient.

RELATED: Superfoods That Fight Colds

Blasting a cold with vitamin C will fight it off: myth

Now that cold and flu season is officially ramping up, a lot of people are loading up on OJ and C supplements to avoid getting sick. But sadly, that may not be as beneficial as you think.

While some research shows that people who regularly take vitamin C supplements may have slightly shorter colds or somewhat milder symptoms, for most people, boosting vitamin C doesn’t reduce the risk of catching the common cold. I say “most people” because there are studies that show that vitamin C cut cold risk by 50% in male athletes, but not in females.

It is true that vitamin C is critical for immune function, and that it plays a key role in wound healing. But the best way to keep your immune system strong is to eat healthfully, including vitamin C rich produce, all the time. Unfortunately, the latest stats show that three-quarters of Americans fall short of the recommended minimum two daily cups of fruit and 87% fail to eat the advised three daily cups of veggies. Fill that gap and you’ll easily take in at least 200 mg of vitamin C daily, enough to keep your immune system well supported every day so you won’t need to play catch up.

RELATED: Vitamins: What to Take, What to Skip

Vitamin C deficiencies are rare: fact

Our bodies cannot produce vitamin C, which is what makes this nutrient essential, meaning we must obtain it from food. But these days a deficiency serious enough to cause symptoms, which can include bleeding gums and nosebleeds, swollen joints, rough, dry skin, and bruising, is pretty rare.

The recommended daily target for adults is 75 mg for women, and 90 for men, although many experts believe it should be raised to 200 mg, the amount that saturates the body’s tissues. One medium orange provides about 70 mg, and scurvy can be prevented with as little as 10 daily mg of vitamin C. In other words, you’re probably not at risk of a true deficiency—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to get enough.

Citrus is the best source of vitamin C: myth

While citrus is an excellent source of vitamin C, a veggie—bell peppers—comes out on top. One cup of chopped raw red bell pepper (about the size of a tennis ball) packs 200-300 mg of vitamin C, about 100 more than a cup of OJ. Other good sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kiwi, strawberries, papaya, pineapple, and cantaloupe, as well as (of course) citrus fruits, like oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit.

RELATED: 12 Foods With More Vitamin C Than Oranges

Adequate vitamin C intake helps weight loss: fact (mostly)

A low blood level of vitamin C has been linked to having a higher BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference, compared to people with normal levels. And a study from Arizona State University found that vitamin C status might affect the body’s ability to use fat as a fuel source—during both exercise and at rest.

To reap vitamin C’s weight control benefits your best bet is to focus on being active, and making your meals with colorful produce that’s naturally rich in vitamin C.

You can’t get too much vitamin C: myth

Your body can’t store vitamin C, so when you consume more than you need the surplus is eliminated by your kidneys in urine. That doesn’t mean however that big doses can’t create unwanted side effects. Vitamin C is one of the nutrients that has an established Tolerable Upper Intake Level, or UL, essentially the maximum advised intake, from both food and supplements combined. For vitamin C it’s 2,000 mg a day, and while some people may be fine taking in this amount or more, megadoses of vitamin C supplements have been shown to trigger bloating and digestive upset, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, headaches, insomnia, and kidney stones. Bottom line: more definitely isn’t better; just enough is in fact just right!

What’s your take on this topic? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass.

Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the New York Yankees MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Cynthia is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her brand new book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

RELATED: The Best Foods for Every Vitamin and Mineral

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Shop Uzo Aduba’s 2015 Emmys Beauty Look at Target

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Last night Uzo Aduba made history (along with Viola Davis!), winning an Emmy for her role  as “Crazy Eyes” in hit show Orange is the New Black—in a drama series this year, comedy series last year. Her acceptance speech was no short of epic, left tears in everyone’s eyes, and the actress, of course, looked stunning while doing so.

 

Makeup artist Janice Kinjo (who is also a regular in Mindy Kaling’s glam squad) used all SheaMoisture Cosmetics products on Aduba, creating a Grace Kelly-inspired makeup look for the star. To achieve that classic beauty look we’re all after, Kinjo gave Aduba’s skin a natural, flawless finish and accentuated her long lashes and beautiful brows. See below for the evidence of Aduba’s dewey, glowing skin.

 

Kinjo started with SheaMoisture Sheer Liquid Foundation in Montego Toffee ($13.50, target.com) to highlight key areas like Adudba’s under eye area, t-zone, and bridge of the nose. She then applied the same product in the Ka’u Brown Blaze ($13.50, target.com) for a light contour before blending the two shades together and adding the Shea Moisture Wet/Dry Pressed Powder in Yala Golden ($13.50, target.com) to the highlighted parts of the face and SheaMoisture Perfecting Face Powder Duo in Deep ($12, target.com) to the darker contours of the face. For blush, Kinjo opted to use the Lip/Cheek Balm ($4.50, target.com) as a base and added the Mineral Blush in Annecy Maroon ($5.50, target.com) on top for a rosy flush.

Kinjo gave Aduba the perfect, subtle smoky eye using the brown shade from the Rich Earth Palette ($22.50, target.com) on the lid, the Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Claudia ($4.50, target.com), and the Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Cassandra ($4.50, target.com) to add some shimmer in the inner corner of the eye. The Lengthening Mascara ($8, target.com) pumped up the volume of Aduba’s lashes in a serious way.

Now, if you’re wondering what shade gave Aduba’s lips that natural, effortless look—the search is over. Kinjo used the SheaMoisture Lip Crayon in Calixta ($9, target.com), completing the look and accenting her incredible Jonathan Cohen gown.

Excuse us while we casually re-watch Season 3 of Orange is the New Black today at the office and stop at Target over our lunch break to scoop up her beauty look.

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com

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Every Beauty Look That Matters from the Emmy Awards

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‘Orange Is the New Black’ Stars Celebrate Being ‘Sexy At Every Size’ on ESSENCE’s July Cover

MIMI Chatter is an endless stream of beauty content. We bring together the must-knows and the how-tos from your favorite sites, beauty influencers, our editors, and YOU.

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New Data Shows 96% of NFL Players Test Positive for Brain Disease

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New data on the effects of football collisions on the human brain found that 96% of former NFL players whose brains were studied tested positive for a degenerative brain disease.

Eighty-seven out of 91 players suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, according to figures released by the Department of Veteran Affairs and Boston University, Frontline reports. Researchers believe the disease is caused by repeated hits to the head, and it has been found to lead to memory loss and dementia. Forty percent of the players who were found to have the disease were offensive or defensive linemen.

The new figures are in line with an earlier study by Boston University that found that 97% of brains of former NFL players who were studied tested positive for CTE. The more recent figures show 79% of football players overall suffered from CTE, when including people who had played high school, college and semi-professional football.

The increase in findings of CTE is widely believed to be a result of increased awareness about the dangers of repeated head trauma to the human brain. Because reaserchers only analyze the brains of players who have chosen to donate them for research, the results may be skewed, according to Frontline.

In a statement to Frontline, the NFL said it is dedicated to making football safer by changing rules, advancing sideline technology and expanding medical resources.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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Exercise May Help Keep an Aging Mind Agile

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Regular exercise may help seniors’ minds stay as agile as their bodies, a new study finds.

The study included 100 adults, aged 60 to 80, who wore monitors to record their physical activity levels over one week. The participants also underwent MRI scans to measure blood oxygen levels and assess brain activity at rest.

Those who did regular moderate to vigorous exercise had more variable brain activity at rest than those who were less active, the investigators found.

“In a previous study, we showed that in some of the same regions of the brain, those people who have higher brain variability also performed better on complex cognitive [mental] tasks, especially on intelligence tasks and memory,” study co-leader Agnieszka Burzynska said in a news release from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

She was a postdoctoral researcher at the university when she conducted the study, and is now a professor at Colorado State University.

The researchers also found that more-active seniors had better white matter structure in the brain than those who were less active. White matter fibers carry nerve impulses and connect different brain regions to each other.

The study was published recently in the journal PLoS One.

The findings suggest a new way to assess people’s brain health as they age, according to Burzynska.

“We want to know how the brain relates to the body, and how physical health influences mental and brain health in aging,” she said. “Here, instead of a structural measure, we are taking a functional measure of brain health. And we are finding that tracking changes in blood-oxygenation levels over time is useful for predicting cognitive functioning and physical health in aging.”

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about exercise and physical activity.

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Though Rare, Some Disabilities Seen Long After Newborn Heart Surgery

By Tara Haelle
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Some newborns who undergo complex heart surgery may be more likely to have neurological or motor disabilities — such as cerebral palsy — as they grow older, a new study suggests.

However, one pediatric surgeon not involved with the study said such complications were relatively rare.

The Canadian study authors said that it’s not necessarily the surgeries that might have led to the disabilities. Instead, a likely reason for later trouble is that the children’s hearts pumped too little oxygen to the body and brain before the surgery, the authors suggested.

“This article highlights the frequent occurrence of chronic neuromotor disability in patients who had complex cardiac surgery and the importance of early and aggressive testing of patients at risk, including prenatal testing to identify a fetus with complex congenital cardiac defects,” said Dr. Irving Shen. A professor of pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery at Oregon Health & Science University’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Shen was not involved in the study.

The babies with the highest risk of disabilities were those who needed multiple surgeries or who had higher levels of lactate in their blood when they underwent their first surgery, Shen said. Lactate is a substance produced when the body tries to function normally without enough oxygen, he explained. That means higher lactate levels indicate lower oxygen levels.

Most of the disabilities don’t seem to be a result of the operations, said Dr. David Meyer, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Meyer also noted that most of the babies who had these complex surgeries did well, and didn’t have these disabilities.

“It is important to realize that the vast majority of surviving patients at 4.5 years old — almost 95 percent — do not have the cerebral palsy or acquired brain injury that this study investigated,” said Meyer, who also wasn’t involved in the study.

The findings were published online Sept. 21 in the journal Pediatrics.

The study researchers tracked more than 500 children born in Canada who received complex heart surgery requiring a heart and lung bypass when they were 6 weeks old or younger. Newborns require these surgeries when they’re born with certain kinds of heart defects.

When the children were 4.5 years old, the researchers assessed 420 of them for various types of motor, sensory or neurological disabilities. Just over 4 percent of those who had one heart surgery had some kind of neurological or motor disability. Nearly 10 percent of children who needed more than one heart surgery had a disability, the researchers said.

Among the children with a disability, 72 percent had partial weakness or paralysis on half of their body, and 80 percent had a type of cerebral palsy, where they have stiff, tight muscles that they have difficulty controlling, the study found.

Further, 44 percent of these children had intellectual disability, 16 percent had autism, 12 percent had epilepsy, 12 percent were partially or fully blind, and 8 percent had partial or full deafness, according to the researchers.

However, the study authors determined that about a third of disabilities were caused by something that happened before the child underwent heart surgery.

“It is unclear whether these patients, due to alteration of blood flow to the brain during development in utero, already have an abnormal brain at the time of birth or were more susceptible to injury,” Shen said.

“If a significant number of brain injuries occurred between the time of birth and the first complex cardiac surgery, it will alter our practice of doing earlier cardiac surgery to manage patients with complex cardiac defects,” he said.

On the other hand, if the cause of the disability is from some underlying condition that also plays a role in heart defects, then “perhaps it’s not just lactate that is the culprit,” said Dr. Richard Friedman, a pediatric cardiologist also at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Friedman wasn’t involved with the study.

Either way, the study’s findings suggest there is still room for improvement in preserving the neurological abilities of children who need these kinds of heart surgeries, said Meyer.

While it isn’t surprising that babies requiring multiple operations would already have a higher risk for long-term disabilities, the study “suggests that if the number of operations could be reduced, perhaps the outcomes would be better,” Meyer said.

But the study’s findings don’t necessarily mean doctors should operate on babies sooner, he added. “It is known that operating on patients who are in suboptimal condition and whose lactate levels are high is associated with poorer outcomes,” Meyer said.

Shen added, “What is unclear is whether early intervention in these patients will translate into better long-term outcome and quality of life.”

The study authors said larger studies need to be done.

More information

For more about congenital heart defects, visit the Cleveland Clinic.

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Tighter Gun-Control Laws May Lower Chances That Teens Carry Firearms

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Teenagers may be less likely to tote firearms if they live in a state with strong gun control laws, a new study says.

Researchers graded each state’s gun control laws on a scale of zero to 100 and compared that score against data from a federal survey that asked kids whether they had carried a gun around at least once during the previous month.

For each 10-point increase in the state’s gun law score, there was a 9 percent decrease in the odds that a teen would report carrying a gun, the study said.

“By reducing the availability of guns, potentially you can have a substantial impact on public safety,” said lead author Ziming Xuan, an assistant professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.

This relationship appears to hinge on adult gun ownership, the researchers found. If restrictive gun laws lower the rate of adult gun ownership, then teens are less likely to have guns to carry around, according to their findings.

Bindu Kalesan, an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, said that this study is “basically saying, adult gun ownership is the real problem.” She was not involved with the research.

However, this study only showed an association between gun control laws and the odds of teens carrying firearms. It did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

The study was published Sept. 21 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Each year, an average of 15,000 teenagers die in the United States, according to background information in the study. The three leading causes of death among teenagers were unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide, the study said.

Firearms played a role in 83 percent of youth homicides, and about half of suicides involved a gun, Xuan said.

In their study, the researchers graded states on their gun laws using an annual scorecard released by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The scorecards consider efforts to curb firearm trafficking, strengthen background checks, ensure child safety, ban military-style assault weapons, and restrict guns in public places.

The study authors found substantial variation in state-level gun law scores with average scores ranging from a low of 1.3 in Utah to a high of 79.7 in California.

Researchers then pulled data from the federal Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which regularly asked kids whether they had carried a gun on at least one day during the 30 days prior to the survey.

The study authors found that gun laws had a direct effect on the chance that a teen would carry a firearm. In addition, there was a significant association between adult gun ownership and the odds of a teen carrying a firearm.

However, the researchers found that when they factored in adult gun ownership, the association vanished between gun laws and the likelihood of a teenager carrying a gun.

“It’s very likely explained by the fact that the youth are getting their guns from adults,” Xuan said. “If a state with strong gun control is able to reduce the amount of adult gun ownership, it will reduce the number of kids carrying guns.”

The study provides powerful evidence that a state’s gun control laws can have an impact on the behavior of kids, said Sam Bieler, a research associate with the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C.

“The tendency of youth to carry firearms is related to the legal environment they’re growing up in,” said Bieler, who was not involved with the study. “This is something that states should be keeping in mind as they consider their gun control laws.”

More information

For more information on firearms and child safety, visit the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Tonsillectomy for Sleep Apnea Carries Risks for Some Kids: Study

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Children who have their tonsils removed to treat sleep apnea are more likely to suffer breathing complications than kids who have the procedure for other reasons, a new review shows.

Researchers found that across 23 studies, about 9 percent of children undergoing a tonsillectomy developed breathing problems during or soon after the procedure. But the risk was nearly five times higher for kids with sleep apnea, versus other children.

Experts said the findings, reported online Sept. 21 in the journal Pediatrics, should not scare parents away from a procedure that could help their kids.

Instead, they said, doctors should be aware that children with sleep apnea have higher odds of respiratory complications, such as low oxygen levels in the blood, during and shortly after the procedure.

Parents also need to be aware — since breathing difficulties can arise later on, said senior researcher Dr. David Gozal, chief of pediatrics at the University of Chicago.

“After they go home, parents should be attentive for breathing problems. That includes checking on your child while he or she is sleeping, at least for the first 24 hours,” Gozal said.

“In most instances, nothing will happen,” Gozal said. “But it’s important for parents to be aware that tonsillectomy can have [complications], like any other surgical procedure.”

Anywhere from 1 percent to 5 percent of children have obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which tissues in the throat constrict during sleep, causing repeated pauses in breathing. Loud snoring is the most obvious symptom, but daytime sleepiness and attention problems are also red flags.

In children, sleep apnea often stems from chronic inflammation in the tonsils and adenoids — infection-fighting tissues in the back of the throat and nasal cavity. So surgery to remove the tissue is often recommended.

In the United States, about half a million children have a tonsillectomy each year, and sleep apnea is the most common reason why, Gozal said.

The procedure is often effective: Studies show that around 80 percent of kids see their symptoms go away or substantially improve.

“When you can eliminate a child’s sleep apnea symptoms, there are important developmental and cognitive [mental] benefits,” said Dr. Tod Olin, a pediatric pulmonologist at National Jewish Health, a Denver-based hospital that specializes in respiratory diseases.

Since sleep apnea causes poor sleep, the effects often show up during kids’ waking hours — in the form of irritability and attention problems, for example.

Studies show that curing the condition with surgery can improve behavior problems and school performance, Olin said.

The new findings are important, he explained, because they quantify the risk of breathing problems from tonsillectomy.

But parents should also keep the potential benefits in mind, he added.

The findings are based on 23 studies that looked at tonsillectomy complications. Overall, Gozal’s team found, the most common issues included “respiratory compromise,” bleeding, pain and nausea.

Four of the studies differentiated kids having surgery for sleep apnea from those having it for recurrent tonsil infections. Across those studies, children with sleep apnea were five times more likely to have respiratory complications.

On the other hand, they were at lower risk of bleeding — for reasons that are unclear, Gozal said.

The next big question, according to Gozal, is whether the breathing risks are greatest for certain subgroups of kids with sleep apnea — such as those who are obese or who have severe apnea symptoms.

“This study can’t answer that question,” Gozal said.

If researchers can zero in on the most at-risk kids, that could help in managing their care before and after surgery, both Gozal and Olin said.

Right now, kids almost always go home the same day, whether they have their tonsillectomy at an outpatient clinic or a hospital, Olin pointed out. It’s possible, he said, that some kids could benefit from an overnight stay, or longer monitoring after surgery — but it’s not yet clear which children.

Gozal had another piece of advice for parents: “If tonsillectomy is being recommended to treat sleep apnea, make sure your child really has sleep apnea.”

Loud snoring and daytime grogginess are symptoms, but the only definitive way to diagnose sleep apnea is through an overnight stay in a sleep lab, Gozal said.

More information

The American Sleep Apnea Association has more on children’s sleep apnea.

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Apples Are American Kids’ Favorite Fruit

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Apples are the favorite fruit of U.S. kids and young people, accounting for almost 20 percent of all fruit consumed, a new study finds.

This childhood fave takes an even bigger slice of the fruit pie when apple juice is added to the tally, the researchers said.

“Apples and apple juice alone account for 30 percent of total fruit intake,” said study author Kirsten Herrick, a senior service fellow with the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

The study doesn’t say whether this is good news or not. “They’re a good fruit option, but there are a rainbow of fruits to consider that offer a variety of different minerals and vitamins,” she said.

Also, “substituting whole fruits for 100-percent fruit juices is always a good choice,” Herrick said.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a healthy weight and decreased risk of diabetes, stroke, cancers and other deadly conditions, the researchers pointed out. But estimates from 2007-2010 showed that only 40 percent of U.S. children met Department of Agriculture recommendations for one to two cups of fruit a day, Herrick said.

“In general, kids are not eating enough fruit,” she said.

Until now, information has been lacking about the specific types of fruit kids eat, she added. That’s where the new study comes in.

The researchers examined the results of 2011-2012 surveys on the food habits of more than 3,100 children and young people aged 2 to 19 years. The investigators found that whole fruits made up 53 percent of fruit consumption overall, and 100-percent fruit juices made up 34 percent. The rest consisted of mixed-fruit products and beverages that aren’t 100-percent fruit.

Apples made up 19 percent of fruit intake, followed by citrus juice (14 percent), apple juice (10 percent) and other fruit juices (9 percent). Next in popularity were bananas and melons, the survey found. Avocados, which are actually berries, weren’t included because a database considered them to be vegetables, Herrick said.

The research didn’t find any differences in fruit consumption between males and females or kids from rich or poor families. Black kids are less likely to eat whole fruit and more likely to drink fruit juice than kids of other races, and those of Asian heritage consume the most whole fruits and the least fruit juice, the findings showed.

“The study can’t speak to why these differences exist,” Herrick said, but other research suggests that ethnic culture and fruit availability are major factors.

Bonnie Braun, a nutrition specialist and professor emerita at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, welcomed the study. The findings are helpful to researchers, policymakers, parents and nutrition educators, she said.

What should parents do? “Scientists and nutritionists seem to have consensus around one key message: Eat a variety of fruits in multiple colors,” she said. “Their second key message is: The more whole fruits, the better.”

Braun said that it’s also wise to adjust portion size by age and size of the child or young adult. Also, she added, parents should watch what they eat themselves since they influence kids, and they should expose children to a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The study was published online Sept. 21 in the journal Pediatrics.

More information

For more about kids and proper diets, see the American Heart Association.

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Natural Surroundings May Promote Sound Sleep

SUNDAY, Sept. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Getting close to nature might improve the quality of your sleep, new research suggests.

Seniors and men sleep more soundly if they have access to natural surroundings, such as beaches or parks, according to a study published in the September issue of the journal Preventive Medicine.

“It’s hard to overestimate the importance of high-quality sleep,” study author Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois.

“Studies show that inadequate sleep is associated with declines in mental and physical health, reduced cognitive function and increased obesity,” she said in a university news release. “This new study shows that exposure to a natural environment may help people get the sleep they need.”

More than 255,000 adults from across the United States were surveyed about their quality of sleep in the previous month. Most said they slept poorly fewer than seven nights during the month.

But those who said they slept poorly on 21 to 29 nights were less likely to have access to green spaces or other natural areas than those who said they slept poorly on fewer than seven nights.

The link between good sleep and exposure to natural areas was much stronger for men than for women, the researchers found.

Living near parks and other natural areas can boost seniors’ physical activity levels, which can help them sleep better, Grigsby-Toussaint explained.

She said the stronger link between green spaces and sleep among men could reflect women’s reluctance to take advantage of such areas out of concern for their safety. More research is needed to understand this difference, she said.

“If there is a way for persons over 65 to spend time in nature, it would improve the quality of their sleep — and their quality of life — if they did so,” Grigsby-Toussaint said.

The results provide an incentive for nursing homes and retirement communities to design buildings with nature trails and dedicated garden spaces, and to provide safe, inviting outdoor areas, she added.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about sleep.

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Kicking the Nail-Biting Habit

SATURDAY, Sept. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Maybe it’s time to listen to your mother’s words and stop biting your nails. That’s because nail-biting isn’t just an unattractive habit, it can also lead to strange-looking nails and even skin infections, a dermatologist warns.

“Chronic nail-biting can cause serious problems,” dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, Davis, said in a news release from the American Academy of Dermatology.

“In addition to making the skin around your nails feel sore, repeated nail-biting can damage the tissue that makes nails grow, resulting in abnormal-looking nails,” she said. “It can also leave you vulnerable to infection as you pass harmful bacteria and viruses from your mouth to your fingers and from your nails to your face and mouth.”

To cut down on the problem, Parsons suggested avoiding temptation by keeping your nails trimmed short.

She also recommended applying bitter-tasting nail polish, getting regular manicures or wearing gloves.

Replacing the habit with another activity — such as squeezing a stress ball — is another option, Parsons added.

Some people might fare best by starting slowly, she said, focusing, for example, on leaving alone the thumbs before gradually expanding to include the rest of the hand over time.

But more generally, Parsons advocated trying to tackle the general underlying cause of the habit, whether it’s stress, boredom or anxiety.

“For some people, nail-biting may be a sign of a more serious psychological or emotional problem,” Parsons said. “If you’ve repeatedly tried to quit and the problem persists, consult a doctor. If you bite your nails and develop a skin or nail infection, consult a board-certified dermatologist.”

More information

Learn more about nails from the American Academy of Dermatology.

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