VAPING e-cigarettes could trigger deadly allergic reactions and chemical asthma, experts have warned.

Ingredients used to flavour e-liquids could aggravate the bodys immune system.

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An allergic reaction usually happens within a few minutes of exposure to an allergen the compound that a person is allergic to.

Most mild reactions can cause symptoms including sneezing, red and itchy eyes, wheezing and coughing and a rash or worsening of asthma and eczema symptoms.

But, severe reactions can also occur, and are called anaphylaxis a medical emergency that can prove life-threatening.

Experts say flavourings are an important part of the vaping experience.

But, some contain ingredients that act as allergens.

Dr Sandra Costigan, principal toxicologist at British American Tobacco, explained the most common type of allergy is caused by the skin coming into contact with an allergen.

Less common is a respiratory allergic reaction or chemical asthma.

Although respiratory allergy is much less common than skin allergy, the potential adverse effects are much more severe, Dr Costigan said.

Inhaling allergens over a long period of time can lead to symptoms ranging from mild breathing difficulties to fatal anaphylaxis.

To address the risk, researchers at British American Tobacco, have designed new guidelines.

There is no official rules or restrictions in Europe or the US, with regards to allergies and e-cigs.

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British American Tobacco launched their first e-cig brand Vype in 2013, and now sell the devices across the world.

Dr Costigan said: No two people have the same immune response, which is why it is important to tell people about allergens in a product even if all your data says most people shouldnt experience a problem.

With regards to skin allergens, Dr Costigans team said any known allergen must be labelled as an ingredient if it is present at 0.1 per cent concentration or higher.

Wed recommend against using cocoa extract in an e-liquid. The risks just arent worth the benefits

Thats the case even if it is found that it can be used safely at higher concentrations.

The scientists said this will help those consumers who already know they are sensitive to certain ingredients, and help them avoid potentially dangerous e-liquids.

To test respiratory allergens, the researchers used a cocoa extract commonly used in e-liquids as a case study.

They found when something is suspected as a respiratory allergen, the concentration at which it could be used safely is too low for the ingredient to provide any flavour.

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Wed recommend against using cocoa extract in an e-liquid, said Dr Costigan.

The risks just arent worth the benefits.

She said all known respiratory allergens should be left out of e-liquids, to be safe.

In addition to skin and respiratory allergens, food allergens can also pose a risk.

Any food allergens included as ingredients should be well labelled, Dr Costigans team concluded.

On May 21, new laws in the UK come into full force restricting the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids.

NEW vaping laws are set to come into force next month restricting the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids.

The new guidelines include:

A wealth of scientific research has explored the health benefits and dangers of the devices, which are becoming increasingly popular. E-cigarettes were designed to help smokers quit their deadly habit, and are marketed as a healthier alternative to regular fags.

The NHS agrees vaping is better for a smokers health than regular tobacco.

Public Health Englands independent review, published in 2015, found e-cigs are around 95 per cent safer than smoking.

The devices allow a vaper to inhale nicotine, without taking in the other harmful substances in tobacco.

But the health service also warns, e-cigs are not completely risk free.

Various scientific studies have shown they could cause damage to the lungs, be as dangerous to the heart as smoking, and increase the risk of severe strokes.

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And other studies have warned they are a gateway to smoking, encouraging a new generation of smokers, getting them hooked on the highly addictive substance, nicotine.

Earlier this year, public health experts in Wales called for flavoured e-liquids to be banned to stop young kids developing a taste for the potentially dangerous devices.

Sweetie flavours, such as bubblegum, strawberry and chocolate, encourage youngsters to try the devices, they argue.

But, leading charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Independent British Vape Trade Association said flavoured liquids play an important role in encouraging smokers to quit.

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Could you be ALLERGIC to your e-cigarette? Vaping 'could cause deadly reactions and chemical asthma' - The Sun

Gluten-free diets are popular these days, but a new study finds that avoiding gluten won't lower your risk of heart disease.

In fact, the researchers say thatgluten-free dietscould pose health concerns because people who go gluten free tend to lower their intake of whole grains an ingredient that is linked with a lower risk of heart disease.

For this reason, "the promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged," the researchers concluded in their article, published today (May 2) in the medical journal BMJ.Celiac diseaseis an autoimmune condition that makes people sick if they eat gluten.

Still, for people who have gluten-sensitivity meaning they don't have celiac disease, but they experience abdominal pain or other problems when they eat gluten it is reasonable to restrict gluten intake, with some precautions, said study researcher Dr. Andrew T. Chan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "It is important to make sure that this [gluten restriction] is balanced with the intake of non-gluten containingwhole grains, since these are associated with a lower risk of heart disease," Chan told Live Science. [7 Tips for Moving Toward a More Plant-Based Diet]

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. In people with celiac disease, the protein triggers an immune reaction that damages the lining of the small intestine.

Some people without the condition adopt the diet in the belief that gluten-free diets are generally healthier. But no long term studies have examined whether gluten affects the risk of chronic conditions such ascoronary heart disease, in people without celiac disease, the researchers said.

In the new study, researchers analyzed information from a long-running study of more than 110,000 U.S. health professionals. The participants periodically answered questions, over a 26-year period, about the types of food they consumed. Based on these questionnaires, the researchers estimated how much gluten participants' consumed in their diet. The researchers also collected data on whether participants experienced aheart attackduring the study, which was considered a proxy for the development of coronary heart disease.

When the researchers divided participants into five groups based on the amount of gluten they ate, they found those in the group that ate the most gluten were at no greater risk for a heart attack than those in the group that ate the least gluten.

The researchers also found that gluten intake actually initially appeared to be linked with a lower risk of heart attack. But this link wasn't due to gluten consumption itself, rather, it was due to the consumption of whole grains associated with gluten intake.

"These findings do not support the promotion of a gluten-restricted diet with a goal of reducing coronary heart disease risk," the researcherswrote in their paper.

The researchers noted that they did not specifically ask participants whether they followed a gluten-free diet, but rather, calculated their gluten consumption based on the estimated proportion of gluten in wheat, rye and barley. The researchers also noted that they were not able to determine whether trace amounts of gluten were present in certain foods, such as soy sauce, but this would likely have only a very small effect on people's overall gluten consumption, they said.

Original article onLive Science.

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A gluten-free diet may raise your risk of heart disease - Fox News

If youre intrigued by the 5:2 diet or other forms of intermittent fasting, you probably want to know if these diets work in the long term. Until recently, we didnt have much data. Now, we have a little bit: fasting every other day turns out to deliver the same results as regular dieting.

The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, followed people through six months of trying to lose weight and six months of a maintenance diet. During the first six months, one third of the 100 subjects could eat whatever they wanted; one third had three meals a day provided, making up 75 percent of their calorie needs (so, 1500 calories a day if they would normally eat 2000); and the fasting group alternated between a 25 percent (500 calories) day and a 125 percent (2500 calories) day.

By the end, both groups kept off the same amount of weight (just 5-6 percent, which is 10-12 pounds for a 200-pound person) and had similar numbers for blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, insulin resistance, fasting glucose, and more.

The biggest difference between groups? The dropout rate. The fasting group lost 13 out of 34 people (38 percent), with five of those saying they were quitting because they hated the diet. The group on the steady diet only saw 29 percent of their members leave, and none of those cited the diet as the reason. The control group lost 26 percent of people. Remember, these folks all had to keep in touch with the researchers for a year, and the dropout numbers include people who just plain flaked out. The averages above, like the 10-12 pounds lost, include the people who dropped out. So that means weight loss may have worked a little better for the intermittent fasters who stuck with it.

The diets ended up being more similar than intended. People ended up eating more than just the provided food, and they ate too much on fast days and too little on feast days. Thats another way in which this diet was hard for people to stick to.

So does this study prove intermittent fasting is nothing special? Yes and no. The subjects were metabolically healthy obese women, while proponents of IF often say its value is in fixing a broken metabolism. And the food they ate was pretty standard, carb-heavy fare: 55 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 15 percent protein. Many intermittent fasters combine the regimen with lower carb food, relying on protein, fat, and fiber to provide most of their calories.

Finally, its just one type of fasting. The 5:2 diet gives you a little more time between fasts. Another common way to fast is to go 18 hours of each day without eating: basically, skip breakfast and eat nothing between yesterdays dinner and todays lunch. We dont know if these other formats would be better or worse than alternate-day fasting, but you can always try them and see.

Bottom line, intermittent fasting isnt good enough to blow traditional dieting out of the water. But its worth a try, if you think it might work for you.

Original post:
We Finally Have Long-Term Data on an Intermittent Fasting Diet - Lifehacker Australia

ForGisele Bndchen and Tom Brady, the menu they set at home makes a difference both locally and globally.

Talking to PEOPLE for this weeks issue, the legendary supermodel who recently stepped out alongside Brady for a glamorous date night at Mondays Met Gala says her family has been eating a more plant-based diet for years.

We all love it. Its not only good for our health and makes us feel good, but it is also good for the planet! says Bndchen, 36, who is mom to daughter Vivian Lake, 4, and son Benjamin Rein, 7.

My friend Paul Hawken taught me that eating a plant-rich diet will have a hugely positive impact on global warming as well, she adds.

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

RELATED VIDEO: Gisele Bndchen and Tom Brady Join Many Celebrities in Supporting Climate Change

Bndchens kids arent just reaping the rewards from the familys home garden, though. They help their mom out with planting andactivities like beekeeping to stay involved in the process.

And the mother of two tells PEOPLE that her New England Patriots quarterback husband, 39, isnt the only one keeping his athletic levels up.

We are all pretty active at our home. We do some form of physical exercise every day; it all depends where we are, she shares.

If its not cold, I love to exercise outside in nature. But its cold a lot where we live, so I get to work pretty hard in the gym too!

FROM COINAGE: Being On The Cover of Sports Illustrateds Swimsuit Edition Can Launch Your Career

Bndchenhas spoken out often in the past about her interest in environmental efforts. As she tells PEOPLE, I love the Earth and every living being on it.

I feel we are all so blessed we get to live on this beautiful planet, Bndchen says. No matter what country we are born in, the earth is the home we all share, so we should take care of it.

In a way, we are all Earth trustees, and we need to make sure we leave it in a better place for future generations.

For more from Gisele Bndchen, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

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Gisele Bndchen Says Her Kids Eat a (Mostly!) Plant-Based Diet: It's 'Good for Our Health' and 'the Planet' - PEOPLE.com

High blood pressure affects one in 4 adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. If you have high blood pressure, visit your health care provider regularly and take medication as prescribed. If your blood pressure returns to normal levels, this indicates that the medication is working so keep taking it.

Research shows that increased sodium consumption can increase blood pressure. Ninety percent of the sodium in our diets come from salt. On average, American adults consume twice the American Heart Associations recommended sodium intake of 1500 mg daily. Changing your dietary habits can help to reduce sodium consumption. The majority of the sodium consumed is from processed foods and not salt that is added in cooking or at the table. Learning to read food labels and recognize foods that are high in sodium is the first step. Six common foods, loaded with excess sodium, include breads and rolls; cold cuts and cured meats; pizza; poultry; soup and sandwiches. Follow these simple steps to lower your sodium intake in three weeks.

Week 1: Focus on grains, cold cuts and cured meats. Cured meats include bacon, sausage, ham and hot dogs. Use food labels to identify lower-sodium choices in these foods. When you start tracking your sodium consumption, with the help of food labels, you might be surprised how much sodium you are truly eating. Write down how much sodium you have reduced in your diet in just one week by reading food labels and making healthier choices.

Week 2: Focus on pizza and poultry. You do not have to give up pizza; just make a few changes in the toppings. Cut back on the cheese and meats, which have more sodium, and add more veggies such as onions, green peppers and mushrooms. When eating poultry, select fresh poultry instead of fried, canned or processed that has more sodium. Keep logging how much sodium you are reducing in your diet.

Week 3: Focus on soups and sandwiches. Canned soups are loaded with sodium. For example, one serving (1 cup) of chicken noodle soup can have as much as 940 mg of sodium. Each can of soup has two servings so double that amount if you eat the whole can in one sitting.

There are many lower sodium canned soups available so read the labels carefully. It is best to make your soup from scratch to reduce even more sodium.

When making sandwiches, use lower sodium meats, cheeses and condiments. You might be surprised how the sodium adds up from these foods. Add plenty of low-sodium vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and onions to your sandwich.

After a few weeks, your taste buds will adjust and you will start to enjoy the real flavor of food without the salt. In fact, you will wonder how you ever ate food that was so salt. Decreasing the sodium in your diet is a heart healthy step to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Lisa McCoy is a family and consumer-sciences educator with University of Maryland Extension in Washington County.

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Three weeks to lower the sodium in your diet - Herald-Mail Media