Here’s How to Get the Most Health Perks Possible from Olive Oil

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When you think about olive oil, one adjective probably comes to mind: healthy. And you’re not wrong, there are plenty of studies supporting that thought. Research suggests that specifically extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. But in the midst of all the positive press, there are also some controversies and concerns surrounding olive oil. Here’s my take on three buzzy topics, plus some advice for reaping the benefits of EVOO while avoiding the risks.

RELATED: 13 Healthy High-Fat Foods You Should Eat More

Olive oil fraud is common

You may have seen a recent 60 Minutes report that exposed rampant fraud in the olive oil industry, due to Mafia corruption. Investigators concluded that as much as 80% of the olive oil sold as EVOO in the U.S. is not truly extra-virgin. Instead, some are mixed or lower-quality olive oils. Others may not be olive oil at all, but rather another type (like sunflower, canola, or soybean) with added coloring and flavoring so it mimics the real thing. Buying fake EVOO is like purchasing a fancy bottle of wine that turns out to be “Two-Buck Chuck,” or just grape juice!

What do to: This doesn’t mean you should give up on EVOO completely, just do a little sleuthing before you buy. For starters: high-quality EVOO isn’t cheap. So if a bottle is a bargain, you should probably be suspicious. Next look at where the oil was produced. One UC Davis report randomly tested bottles from retail stores and found nearly 70% of imported EVOO didn’t pass their purity test, while only 10% of California-produced oil failed. (Keep an eye out for the California Olive Oil Council seal, which requires olive oil to meet stricter standards than those set by the USDA.) If you’re interested, check out the full report, which includes a list of popular brands the university tested.

RELATED: 3 Alternatives to Olive Oil

How you cook with EVOO can impact your health

A brand new study published in the journal Food Chemistry revealed that cooking veggies in olive oil improves their nutritional value. Researchers found that the effect is two-fold: EVOO contains its own antioxidants and thereby increases overall antioxidant levels; and cooking with the oil increases your body’s ability to absorb antioxidants from the veggies. 

However, there’s debate among health professionals about whether EVOO should be heated at all. Many believe EVOO can’t be used in cooking because it has a low smoke point—the temperature at which heated oil begins to smoke continuously, triggering the production of harmful by-products. But since EVOO’s smoke point is close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, it can safely be used in sautéing and even oven roasting without smoking.

But even if it is safe, some research shows that heating olive oil below the smoke point, especially for longer lengths of time, may diminish some of its natural anti-inflammatory powers. But the effect may be minimal. One study found that when EVOO samples were heated at 180 degrees for 36 hours (yup 36, not 3-6), they still retained most of their nutritional benefits.

What to do: I advise my clients to eat lots of raw veggies, dressed with unheated EVOO-based vinaigrettes, or combined with other healthy plant-based fats like avocado and almonds. However, I don’t think it’s necessary to refrain from using EVOO in cooking completely, as long as it’s used at lower temperatures and for a short durations of time, in order to best preserve its beneficial properties.

RELATED: 6 Ways You’re Using Olive Oil Wrong

The age and treatment of EVOO affect its benefits

Recently, while looking through a client’s pantry, I asked her how long she’d had a bottle of EVOO. She replied: “Mmmm, I don’t know, maybe six months?” She had no idea at the time, but that’s too long to keep an opened bottle. When it comes to EVOO, freshness matters, a lot. EVOO can start to break down due to air, light, or heat exposure (including sitting on the countertop near a range). When this occurs, it produces unhealthy substances that can trigger artery hardening and cell damage in your body. This kind of breakdown also lowers the smoke point of the oil, which means it’s more likely to produce harmful substances.

What to do: First, look for the date of the harvest (any quality brand will include this on the label), and buy the freshest bottle possible (within one year, ideally less). Also, be sure to buy an EVOO bottled with tinted glass, since light can trigger oxidation. Then, whenever you use your oil, pour a little out and give it a sniff. A quality oil should smell fruity, while one that’s going bad may smell stale, or have an aroma of crayons or glue. Finally, be sure to store your EVOO in a cool, dark space; use it up within six weeks; and never reuse it after it’s been heated. These rules may seem overly-cautious, but trust me, they’re well worth the effort to maximize the health perks of your oil.

Meet Cynthia Sass at the Health Total Wellness Weekend at Canyon Ranch April 22-24! For details, go to http://ift.tt/1AYb7dA.

Do you have a question about EVOO? 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 Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her newest book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Feeling Old? Your Risk for Hospitalization May Rise

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that there may be some truth to the old adage, “You’re only as old as you feel.”

Researchers report that people who feel older than their actual age are more likely to be hospitalized.

“How old you feel matters,” said study author Yannick Stephan, from the University of Montpellier in France.

“Previous research has shown it can affect your well-being and other health-related factors and, now we know it can predict your likelihood of ending up in the hospital,” Stephan said in a news release from the American Psychological Association.

The study, however, doesn’t prove a definitive cause-and-effect relationship; it was only designed to find an association between how old people feel (subjective age) and their health risks.

The research team reviewed data from three previous studies. The research was conducted from 1995 to 2013, and included more than 10,000 U.S. adults.

The participants ranged in age from 24 to 102, and they were asked how old they felt when the study began. The volunteers also completed a questionnaire designed to reveal if they experienced any symptoms of depression.

In addition, the participants reported if they had been previously diagnosed with any health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, heart condition, stroke, osteoporosis or arthritis.

The researchers followed up with the participants to find out if they had been recently hospitalized for any reason.

The investigators took the participants’ age, gender, race, education and other such factors into account. They found that people who said they felt older than their actual age were 10 to 25 percent more likely to be admitted to a hospital within two to 10 years after entering the study.

Study co-author Antonio Terracciano, from Florida State University, said in the news release that “individuals with an older subjective age are more likely to be sedentary and to experience faster cognitive [mental] decline, all of which may precipitate a hospital stay.”

Symptoms of depression and worse health helped explain this link between feeling old and being hospitalized, the study authors said.

How old people say they feel “could be a valuable tool to help identify individuals at risk of future hospitalization,” said Stephan.

“People who feel older may benefit from standard health treatments — for example through physical activity and exercise programs, which may reduce their risk of depression and chronic disease, and ultimately their hospitalization risk,” he added.

The study was published online recently in the journal Health Psychology.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about getting older and depression.

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Cranberry Juice for Urinary Tract Infection?

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Contrary to popular belief, cranberry juice does not cure a urinary tract infection, a doctor says.

Many people drink cranberry juice in an attempt to ease their symptoms, but it will do nothing to help them, said Dr. Timothy Boone, vice dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Houston campus.

“Cranberry juice, especially the juice concentrates you find at the grocery store, will not treat a UTI [urinary tract infection] or bladder infection,” he said in a center news release.

“It can offer more hydration and possibly wash bacteria from your body more effectively, but the active ingredient in cranberry is long gone by the time it reaches your bladder,” Boone said.

Each year, more than 3 million Americans have a urinary tract infection — an infection in any part of the urinary system, kidney, bladder or urethra, according to the news release.

The active ingredient in cranberries — A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs) — is effective against UTI-causing bacteria, but is found only in cranberry capsules, not in cranberry juice, Boone said.

“It takes an extremely large concentration of cranberry to prevent bacterial adhesion,” Boone said. “This amount of concentration is not found in the juices we drink. There’s a possibility it was stronger back in our grandparents’ day, but definitely not in modern times.”

However, one study found that taking cranberry capsules reduced the risk of urinary tract infections by 50 percent in women who had a catheter in place while having gynecological surgery, he noted.

“In this study, they took the cranberry itself and put it in a capsule — the equivalence of drinking 16 ounces of cranberry juice. As you can see, it takes a large amount of pure cranberry to prevent an infection,” Boone said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about urinary tract infections.

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Monkey Trial Offers Hope for Future Ebola Treatment for Humans

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An antibody treatment for Ebola might be able to protect people for up to five days after they’ve been exposed to the deadly virus, a new animal study suggests.

The treatment protected a group of three macaque monkeys exposed to a high dose of Ebola, even though researchers waited five days before injecting the antibodies, said senior study author Nancy Sullivan.

All three monkeys had a fever, one of the first signs of Ebola infection, by the time they received treatment, said Sullivan, chief of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Biodefense Research Section.

Public health officials plan to perform phase 1 trials on healthy humans with the antibody, to make sure the treatment is safe, before building a stockpile that could be used to test its effectiveness during a future Ebola outbreak, she added.

“It’s difficult to go from monkeys to humans in terms of when one can start treatment and have it be effective,” Sullivan said. And many animal findings do not bear out in humans at all.

The antibody is derived from a survivor of a 1995 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the researchers reported.

The researchers developed the antibody by first isolating the survivor’s B cells, a type of white blood cell that secretes antibodies, Sullivan said. These cells are considered the “memory” of the immune system, since they store the knowledge needed to create appropriate antibodies that will effectively fight off specific infections.

The research team painstakingly reviewed the B cells until it found the ones responsible for making the Ebola antibody, she said.

“We can clone antibody genes,” Sullivan said. “You have to just test to see which B cells have the right antibody genes by testing whether the antibodies they make bind to Ebola. Once you select the right cells, you can clone the antibody gene from those cells.”

Testing in monkeys showed that a three-day course of treatment with the antibodies effectively protected them against Ebola infection, even if treatment started when symptoms were already showing.

The findings were published in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Science.

“It’s exciting news, and very encouraging,” said Ebola expert Dr. Lee Norman, chief medical officer for the University of Kansas Hospital, in Kansas City. “Short of a terrific vaccine, the next best thing is to provide effective treatment.”

The Ebola epidemic that began in 2014 in West Africa, the largest outbreak in history, has to date resulted in 11,316 deaths out of a suspected 28,639 infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Norman expects that the antibody treatment could be “turned into human trials and human therapies very quickly,” if another Ebola outbreak occurs.

“I think the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control are going to be more willing to have philosophical acceptance of getting something to patients more quickly when a disease is something so lethal,” Norman said.

Unfortunately, it won’t be possible to fully examine the antibody’s effectiveness in humans until the next outbreak, Sullivan said.

“A big challenge to developing vaccines and therapeutics against Ebola is the fact that the outbreaks are sporadic, unpredictable and often in small numbers of patients,” she said.

But in the meantime, the antibody would be available to treat researchers accidentally exposed to Ebola in the lab. And, further testing on monkeys can show how far out from infection the treatment continues to be protective, Sullivan said.

Norman added that the prospect of an effective treatment does not mean researchers should stop pressing to develop an Ebola vaccine.

People who receive the antibody treatment will not have developed their own immunity to Ebola, he explained, and will remain vulnerable to reinfection with the virus.

“The real goal is a vaccine, where a person has their own immunity and doesn’t need to rely on another person’s antibodies,” Norman said. “We would not want to dial back on our enthusiasm for a vaccine.”

More information

For more on Ebola, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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1 in 3 Americans Drinks Sugary Soda or Juice Daily: CDC

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Almost one-third of Americans drink at least one sugar-laden soda or juice every day, federal health officials report.

Sugary drinks are a major source of added sugars consumed by Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These drinks can promote obesity and its consequences, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, experts said.

“Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed to people 18 to 24, as this survey indicates,” said Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center.

Unfortunately, these drinks often don’t have any nutritional value, said Heller, who wasn’t involved in the current study.

Sohyun Park, of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and colleagues reported their findings in the Feb. 26 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The researchers found that the amount of sugar-sweetened sodas and juices that Americans drink varies widely across the country.

The survey included people in 23 states and the District of Columbia. The researchers asked the study volunteers if they had one or more sugar-sweetened drinks daily. Answers ranged from a low of 18 percent in Vermont up to 47.5 percent in Mississippi.

People aged 18 to 24 were most likely to consume at least one sugary drink a day. Others most likely to have at least one of these drinks a day included men, black people, unemployed adults, and those with less than a high school education, the study found.

“The question is, how do we muscle past the highly funded advertising campaigns targeting children and young adults to get the message across that, over time, consuming sugary drinks regularly can make people very sick,” Heller said.

The solution has to start at home, she said. “Kitchens should have beverages such as water, seltzer, 100 percent juices and unsweetened soy milk for family members to drink,” she added.

People also have to train their palates away from highly sweetened and artificially sweetened drinks to simpler, healthier choices, Heller suggested.

“This will take time and persistence. Start today by not purchasing sodas or fruit drinks. Re-stock your refrigerators with pitchers of water with slices of oranges or strawberries and seltzer,” she said.

More information

For more on the calorie content in beverages, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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This Body Butter Cures Ashy Skin, Minus the Grease

Photo: Getty Images

In college, I had the reputation for having ashy skin (the whitish look dark skin takes on when it’s dry). My friends thought it was hilarious that I could write my name in my leg with my fingernail. Cute, right?

My dry skin problem stems not from a health condition, the weather, or too many hot showers. If I’m being totally honest, then I have to tell you it’s from pure laziness. I just don’t enjoy putting on lotion. Most moisturizers leave me feeling like a big, slick mess, and since I shower at night, applying them so close to bedtime meant getting grease all over my sheets (ugh!). Plus, in my case, I’ve always had to apply multiple coats to see real results.

So when I was asked to try La Belle Femme Body Butter—a product to be featured in the March ESSENCE BeautyBox—I thought to myself, “Great, another product that won’t work.”

Photo: Courtesy of La Belle Femme

I could not have been more wrong. In fact, I was blown away.

The natural blend of vegan butters, organic oils, and essential oils makes this moisturizer different than any other I have tried. The Pomegranate Kiss scent combines pomegranate top notes with lemon verbena, cinnamon, and vanilla to create a transformative aroma that could replace my perfume.

But, even better than the scent is the fact that La Belle Femme actually works. Per the package directions, I applied the butter to my skin as soon as I got out of the shower. One swipe with my finger was all that was needed to quench my skin’s thirst. “We’ll see in the morning,” I smugly thought to myself. My landlord keeps the thermostat set at “Antarctica,” so I just knew I’d wake up with ultra-dry skin once again.

Wrong. I woke up with my skin still feeling velvety-smooth to the touch. Unfortunately, the scent had worn off, but hey the butter did its job. As someone who never tries new beauty products—especially moisturizers—I was completely happy with the results and I think I have found my new nightly ritual. (Well, except on those days when I want to show off my leg-drawing party trick.)

But don’t just take my word for; try it for yourself. You can get the La Belle Femme Body Butter and more great products delivered straight to your door monthly, by subscribing to the ESSENCE BeautyBox. This new subscription box, curated by the editors of ESSENCE, addresses the unique challenges in finding a variety of beauty products for dark skin. The monthly box includes five new hair and beauty products, with one from an independent, Black-owned brand.

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This Is the Best Makeup for Acne-Prone Skin, According to Dermatologists

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Acne is the WORST. And the more you have, the more inclined you feel to layer on heavy foundation to cover it up. But sometimes your makeup can lead to new breakouts, and you become trapped in a vicious cycle of wanting to hide your blemishes while the product you’re using creates more of them.

Before you reach for the concealer, it’s worth taking a moment to understand what’s going on with your skin: “The development of acne requires the presence of several contributory factors including oil production, certain bacteria, and occlusion of pores,” says Arielle Nagler, MD, a dermatologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. Any of these factors can make you more likely to break out when you add makeup to the mix. But, she explains, not all makeup is created equal. The trick is to choose a foundation that’s right for your skin.

Avoid comedogenic products

“The main mechanism by which cosmetic ingredients cause acne is through occlusion of pores,” says Dr. Nagler, and the following are all known pore-cloggers.

Alcohols: Cetearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, and other types can trigger the development of white heads and blackheads, the first lesions in acne.  Even worse, alcohols are irritants and can dry out the skin. The irritation can trigger flare-ups, which make it more difficult to use acne-fighting medications, since those too can be drying, explains Dr. Piliang.

RELATED: 15 Home Remedies to Make a Pimple Vanish

Lanolin: Used as an emollient to soften the skin, lanolin and its derivatives (like acetylated lanolin) can also lead to breakouts.

Silicones: Cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, and other forms of silicone such as dimethicone, phenyl, and trimethicone are a no-no for acne-prone skin, according to Debra Jaliman, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and author of Skin Rules ($13; amazon.com). Another substance to avoid: petrolatum, which is sometimes found in moisturizing foundations, she says.

Oils: Some foundations include oil, such as mineral oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. But oils are not recommended for anyone with acne, cautions Melisa Piliang, MD, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Adding extra oil to already oily skin can clog your pores even more.

Fatty acids: The ingredient ehylhexyl palmitate, a derivative of palm oil, may also be responsible for makeup-induced acne woes. “Keep in mind that ‘natural ingredients’ can be comedogenic as well,” says Dr. Piliang.

Be wary of the claims on labels

Some companies have begun labeling their foundation and concealer as “acne-fighting.” But that may not mean what you think: Acne-fighting typically indicates that a product contains over-the-counter medication like salicylic acid. While salicylic acid does have properties that can help unclog pores, but it also has the potential to be drying, says Dr. Piliang.

RELATED: 16 Adult Acne Myths, Busted

Look for these four ingredients

There are foundations out there that can actually help your skin, says Dr. Jaliman. When you’re shopping, she recommends scanning labels for ingredients such as aloe and antimicrobial peptide 10. Retinols and vitamin A derivatives are plusses as well, says Dr. Nagler: Both are thought to “improve the rate of turn over of your skin to help prevent the development of those pesky zits,” she explains. “In addition, retinols stimulate collagen helping to counter the effects of aging and sun.

The best makeup for acne

Dr. Jaliman has no problem recommending these noncomedogenic foundations that are free of oil and heavy moisturizers.

CoverGirl Clean foundation ($11, amazon.com)

Photo: amazon.com

Physicians Formula Organic Wear ($15, amazon.com)

Photo: amazon.com

Almay Pure Blends ($13, amazon.com)

Photo: amazon.com

Laura Mercier Oil Free Supreme Foundation ($57, amazon.com).

Photo: amazon.com

 

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Lyme Disease ‘Biofilm’ Eludes Antibiotics: Report

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The bacteria that causes Lyme disease protects itself from antibiotics by forming a slime-like layer called a biofilm, a new study shows.

In many cases, Lyme disease returns after a patient has completed antibiotic treatment, and this finding may help explain why that occurs, the researchers said.

University of New Haven researchers determined that Lyme disease-causing Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria produces a biofilm that makes it up to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than other bacteria.

They reported their findings recently in the European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology.

The discovery may lead to new ways to treat Lyme disease, said study author Eva Sapi, head of biology and environmental sciences at the university.

“These findings could change the way we think about Lyme disease, especially in patients where it seems to be a persistent disease, despite long-term antibiotic treatment,” she said in a news release from the Connecticut-based university.

“This recent finding could help to better understand how Borrelia can survive treatment and … will provide novel therapeutic targets for chronic Lyme disease, with the hope of eradicating Borrelia in these patients,” Sapi added.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about Lyme disease.

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Report Suggests Zika’s Effect on Fetus May Be Even Deadlier Than Thought

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Zika virus may harm a fetus to a greater degree than previously suggested, potentially causing a range of life-threatening birth defects, a new report says.

The stillborn baby of a 20-year-old Brazilian woman infected with Zika had almost no brain tissue, which is a birth defect called hydraencephaly, according to the case study.

The fetus also suffered from microcephaly, the most common birth defect thought to be caused by the mosquito-borne virus. Children with this birth defect have underdeveloped heads and brains.

Most troubling, the fetus also showed the first reported birth defect potentially caused by Zika that affected a part of the body other than the central nervous system, according to the report authors.

Dangerous amounts of fluid buildup caused swelling and damage to different parts of its body, a condition called hydrops fetalis, said the researchers, from Brazil and Yale University. They reported their findings in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

It’s not certain that Zika was the cause of these abnormalities, and experts say many questions remain unanswered.

In fact, some medical professionals contend that Brazil and some international health officials prematurely declared a link between Zika and an apparent surge in birth defects.

Among them are 14 Brazilian and American researchers who said in the Feb. 24 Annals of Internal Medicine that the connection between the virus and microcephaly “remains presumptive.” So far, the evidence is circumstantial, they wrote.

Others health experts said the evidence against the Zika virus is mounting.

Anecdotal reports of Zika causing birth defects other than microcephaly have surfaced, but “this is the first clearly documented case with an obvious link to Zika infection that has been well-documented in a peer-reviewed journal,” Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University, said of the PLOS study.

The case study shows that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was on the right track when it recommended that any pregnant woman who’s been to a Zika-affected region be tested for the virus, said Dr. Veronique Tache, an assistant professor of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of California, Davis.

This was the first time Tache heard of Zika potentially causing such extensive damage to a fetus, but she said she is not surprised by the report.

“It’s a devastating finding, but it goes along with what these early onset congenital infections can do to the fetus,” Tache said.

Zika’s impact on fetal development tracks closely to cytomegalovirus (CMV), another fetal infection that can cause a wide array of birth defects and health problems, Tache said.

Children infected with CMV in the womb can suffer from microcephaly, as well as hearing and vision loss, seizures, and problems with major organs like the liver, lung and heart, according to the CDC.

The effect that measles can have on an unborn baby might serve as another “good model for understanding the full trajectory of fetal Zika infection,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior associate at the UPMC Center for Health Security in Baltimore.

“Congenital infections of all sorts, because they infect a rapidly developing fetus, can have myriad effects on many organ systems as they form,” Adalja said. “What is needed is to truly understand the role that Zika may have in causing abnormal development of not just the brain, but all organ systems in gestating fetuses.”

Since it first surfaced in Brazil last spring, the Zika virus has spread to more than 32 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Health Organization estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year.

The Brazilian mother-to-be was having a normal pregnancy during her first trimester, last summer. That changed abruptly during her 18th week of pregnancy, when an ultrasound examination discovered the fetus’ weight was well below normal.

The woman did not report any symptoms commonly associated with Zika — such as a rash, fever or body aches — prior to or during the early stages of her pregnancy, the report authors said.

But by the 30th week of pregnancy, the fetus showed a range of birth defects. Doctors induced labor at the 32nd week after an ultrasound revealed it had died.

Researchers said they subsequently confirmed the presence of Zika virus in the fetus, apparently the same strain currently spreading throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Any pregnant woman who’s visited a Zika-infected region should tell her doctor and have her blood tested for the virus, hopefully from two to 12 weeks after potential exposure, Tache said.

After that, the woman should undergo regular ultrasound scans to carefully track fetal development, she said.

“To date, there’s no antiviral [drug] that works on the Zika virus, so we’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard place,” Tache said. “We can make the diagnosis that there’s been a Zika infection, but getting infected doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have abnormalities. Not everyone who gets the Zika virus will have an infected fetus.”

First discovered in Uganda in 1947, the Zika virus was not thought to pose serious health risks until last year. In fact, approximately 80 percent of people who become infected never experience symptoms.

More information

For more on Zika virus, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To see the CDC list of sites where Zika virus is active and may pose a threat to pregnant women, click here.

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Can You Really Be Addicted to Porn? Experts Weigh In

Photo: Getty Images

Terry Crews is opening up about a very personal subject with the hope of helping others. Over the past few weeks, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and former NFL player has posted a series of videos on Facebook in which he speaks candidly about his past addiction to porn.

“For years, my dirty little secret was that I was addicted to pornography,” Crews says in the first video, which has over three million views. “It really messed up my life in a lot of ways. It became a thing where I didn’t tell anybody… it was my secret, nobody knew, and that allowed it to grow, and it got bad.”

RELATED: Celebrities and Sex Addiction

After his marriage began to suffer, Crews sought treatment in rehab. “Some people say, ‘Hey man, you can’t really be addicted to pornography, there’s no way,'” he says. “But I’m going to tell you something. If day turns into night and you are still watching, you’ve probably got a problem, and that was me.”

Porn addiction isn’t as rare as you might think, says Health contributing psychology editor Gail Saltz, MD. Unlike sex addictions, which require a partner, porn is readily accessible to anyone with a Wi-Fi connection.

Dr. Saltz points out that porn addition is a behavioral (or psychological) addiction, which isn’t the same as a physiological addiction to drugs or alcohol. “With behavioral addictions, you won’t have physical withdrawal symptoms, which are the hallmark of physiological addictions,” she explains. “But there’s evidence to suggest that [behavioral addictions] do similarly engage the dopamine reward system in the brain, and when you try to stop, it’s made difficult by your brain chemistry.”

RELATED: ‘I’m a Recovering Sex Addict’

Not all experts agree that porn addiction can be classified as an addiction in the true sense of the word, however. “I am careful with using words like ‘addiction’ and ‘disease’ in regards to an out-of-control behavior,” says psychotherapist and sexuality counselor Ian Kerner, PhD.

But Kerner and Dr. Saltz both agree that an obsessive pornography habit could be a sign of other mental health issues. Kerner points out that Crews says he was suffering from anxiety when his addiction began. “I would treat his anxiety disorder and his use of porn to regulate that anxiety,” Kerner explains.

A preoccupation with porn could also indicate that you’re predisposed to other types of addictions, adds Dr. Saltz. “Somebody who develops a porn addiction might have other things they are obsessive about,” she says. “When someone who has an obsessive personality is in a negative mood, they may seek stimulation to feel better.”

RELATED: How Much Sex Is Too Much?

In the video above, Crews alludes to the toll that his addiction took on his relationship—which isn’t surprising, says Dr. Saltz. There’s no question that excessive use of porn can lead to problems with your significant other, she says: “The objectification in pornography creates distance and space with someone you’re intimate with. And partners can never live up to the unrealistic porn model.”

For Crews, opening up about his struggle enabled him to finally make a change. “The thing that I found is by not telling people, it becomes more powerful,” he explains on camera. “But when you tell, and when you put it out there in the open—just like I’m doing right now, telling the whole world—it loses its power.”

While Crews went to rehab for treatment, Dr. Saltz says that some patients are able to recover by working with an individual provider who has experience in this area.

The actor, grateful to be “free” of his addiction today, is committed to spreading awareness of the problem. “It’s become my battle to help other people who are going through the same thing,” he says. “There are a lot of people who can’t stop, and I’m here to help you.”

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1R4Dv4u