Tag: drinking
Gwyneth’s drinking tea and he’s Ken: The 8 best tweets of the week
For those of us on the East Coast, it felt like spring really arrived this week. And not a moment too soon.
The weather is getting nicer. The allergies are getting worse. My goodness are my allergies getting worse. Please someone make it stop.
OK, sorry about that. But as the weather turns maybe we should all just…stay inside and read tweets. Because I’ve yet to be allergic to a tweet. Sure, the platform is getting weirder and worse by the day, but it’s never made me sneeze. So there’s that.
That in mind, per usual, we’ve collected the best tweets of the week. There were some good ones. Please enjoy eight very good tweets.
1. Arizona Iced Tea absolutely nailed it with this tweet. That is the perfect way to spend a single dollar.
2. I don’t know how a human being comes up with a tweet like this, but it is so good.
3. OK, but would this work? Like…maybe?
4. A wonderful play on a classic meme format.
5. I, too, cannot get this choice right for the life of me.
6. This is just such a good roast (and also my parents basically had these sheets).
7. An obligatory, very good dril tweet.
8. And finally, everything you could want from an airport.
It Turns Out Moderate Drinking Isn’t Good For Your Health, New Study Finds
The review, which examined existing research on the health and drinking habits of nearly 5 million people, is one of the largest studies to debunk the widely held belief that moderate drinking of wine or other alcoholic beverages is good for you. Last year, researchers in Britain examined genetic and medical data of nearly 400,000 people and concluded that even low alcohol intake was associated with increased risk of disease.
The new study, which appears Friday in Jama Network Open, also found that drinking relatively low levels of alcohol — 25 grams a day for women (less than 1 ounce) and 45 grams (about 1.5 ounces) or more per day for men — actually increased the risk of death. A standard wine pour is about 5 ounces. The standard serving size for beer is 12 ounces, and for distilled spirits, 1.5 ounces. “This study punctures the hope of many that moderate alcohol use is healthy,” said Robert DuPont, a psychiatrist and substance abuse expert who served as the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse…. Much of the research into the health effects of alcohol has been funded by the alcohol industry. One recent report found that 13,500 studies have been directly or indirectly paid for by the industry….
The new review, called a “meta-analysis,” looked at 107 observational studies that involved more than 4.8 million people. The study stressed that previous estimates of the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of death by “all causes” — meaning anything, including heart disease, cancer, infections and automobile accidents — were “significantly” biased by flaws in study design. Earlier research did not adjust for numerous factors that could influence the outcome, for example, age, sex, economic status and lifestyle behaviors such as exercise, smoking and diet, they said. Using statistical software, the researchers essentially removed the bias, adjusting for various factors that could skew the research. After doing so, they found no significant declines in the risk of death by any causes among the moderate drinkers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
New booze ban to enforce fines for drinking at bus stops and war memorials
EPA To Limit Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
“The science is clear that long-term exposure to PFAS is linked to significant health risks,” Radhika Fox, assistant EPA administrator for water, said in an interview. Fox called the federal proposal a “transformational change” for improving the safety of drinking water in the United States. The agency estimates the rule could reduce PFAS exposure for nearly 100 million Americans, decreasing rates of cancer, heart attacks and birth complications. The chemicals had been used since the 1940s in consumer products and industry, including in nonstick pans, food packaging and firefighting foam. Their use is now mostly phased out in the U.S., but some still remain.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Proposed EPA drinking water standard would restrict cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’
For the first time, the US government plans to regulate the presence of “forever chemicals” in drinking water. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are ubiquitous in the modern world. They’re found in many household items, including non-stick Teflon pans and dental floss, and can stay in water and soil for generations. What’s more, PFAS exposure has been linked to a whole host of health problems, including cancer, liver damage, asthma and developmental issues among children.
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed national drinking standard that would require public utilities to monitor drinking water for PFAS contamination and notify the public if the levels of those chemicals exceed the new standard. The proposal calls for classifying Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as individual contaminants that water utilities would be mandated to detect at a level of four parts per trillion. Under an Obama-era recommendation, the agency previously recommend that water contain no more than 70 parts per trillion of PFAS chemicals. The EPA estimates the new guidelines will prevent “thousands” of deaths and “tens of thousands” of illnesses that are attributable to PFAS poisoning.
EPA is proposing the first-ever national standard to limit PFAS in drinking water. This action is a major step to protect communities from PFAS pollution, leveraging the latest science and building on existing state efforts to limit PFAS. pic.twitter.com/iBw91oL5Xh
— U.S. EPA (@EPA) March 14, 2023
“EPA’s proposal to establish a national standard for PFAS in drinking water is informed by the best available science, and would help provide states with the guidance they need to make decisions that best protect their communities,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “This action has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses and marks a major step toward safeguarding all our communities from these dangerous contaminants.”
With today’s announcement, the EPA will accept public comment on the proposal for 60 days before it takes effect. A handful of states, including New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan and New York, already regulate the chemicals on their own. That said, PFAS water contamination is a national problem. One 2020 study estimated that as many as 200 million Americans have been exposed to the chemicals through their tap water. More recently, scientists have found polyfluoroalkyl substances in human breast milk.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/proposed-epa-drinking-water-standard-would-restrict-cancer-causing-forever-chemicals-183538221.html?src=rss
Why Drinking Water in the Morning is Essential for Your Day?
Shocking AI images reveal how drinking BEFORE pregnancy can change your baby’s face
DRINKING before pregnancy could change your baby’s face, a study claims.
Just one small glass of wine a week had an effect on how babies looked, which remained as they got older, researchers found.
Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to find a link between the shape of children’s faces and the amount of alcohol their mothers drank, both before becoming pregnant (left column) and during pregnancy (middle and right columns). Blue areas show areas of the face protruding, while red show it being sunken in, compared to children whose mother’s did not drink before or after pregnancy[/caption]
This is because booze can cause foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which affects facial growth in the womb and damages the brain.
While previous research has shown drinking during pregnancy can result in a slightly shorter, more upturned nose in children, this study also links it to alcohol before conception.
Dr Gennady Roshchupkin, of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, said: “I would call the face a ‘health mirror’ as it reflects the overall health of a child.
“A child’s exposure to alcohol before birth can have significant adverse effects on its health development.
“If a mother regularly drinks a large amount, this can result in foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, FASD, which is reflected in children’s faces.”
Up to 2.4million people were believed to have had FASD in the UK in 2020.
The condition causes slower growth and brain problems, with a noticeable effect on how face’s develop in the womb.
It is a lifelong condition with no cure, although early diagnosis can help improve a child’s development with drugs for symptoms and behaviour and education therapy.
Symptoms include learning difficulties, memory and behaviour problems, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Previous studies have suggested it is caused by drinking during pregnancy, particularly heavy sessions.
The latest research, published in the journal Human Reproduction, linked the condition to even small amounts of alcohol.
What does foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) do?
FASD can cause problems with:
- movement, balance, vision and hearing
- learning, such as problems with thinking, concentration, and memory
- managing emotions and developing social skills
- hyperactivity and impulse control
- communication, such as problems with speech
- the joints, muscles, bones, and organs, such as the kidneys and heart
These problems are permanent, though early treatment and support can help limit their impact on a child’s life
Source: The NHS
Researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to analyse 3-D images of more than 3,000 children aged nine and nearly 2,500 aged 13.
Their mothers’ drinking habits were recorded in questionnaires completed in early, mid- and late pregnancy.
They were split into three groups: those who did not drink at all, those who drank during the three months before but stopped during, and those who continued drinking throughout.
Face shape changes in children aged nine — including a turned-up nose tip, shortened nose, turned-out chin and turned-in lower eyelid — were significantly associated with mothers who drank before or during pregnancy.
The more they drank, the more pronounced the changes were, although just 12g of alcohol a week — the equivalent of a 330ml beer — was found to have an effect.
Dr Roshchupkin said: “It is possible that as a child ages, these changes may diminish or be obscured by normal growth patterns.
“But that does not mean that alcohol’s effect on health will also disappear.
“Therefore, it is crucial to emphasise that there is no established safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
“It is advisable to cease drinking alcohol even before conception to ensure optimal health outcomes for both the mother and the developing foetus.”
However, independent experts questioned how well the study was able to accurately record whether mothers had drunk.
Professor Matt Sydes, of University College London, said: “A key limitation is likely recall bias in reporting the levels of alcohol consumption or even deliberate misreporting.
“Self-reported alcohol consumption is perhaps a little unreliable, and this maybe more pronounced in a group that’s repeatedly told not to drink.”