Oh, No! I Have Backne! The Continuing Mystery Behind Back AcneWritten by Charlene J. Nuble
“Backne” is street slang for back acne. And while contraction’s definite origin is unknown, it can be said that it comes from fact that nearly everyone in world has, at one point in his or her life, experienced having back acne. Indeed, back acne is universal enough to merit its own term.Back acne knows no specific target. It afflicts people from ages ten to forty; sometimes even years after that. A lot of theories have been introduced as to why back acne happens. Sadly, however, none have been proven to be direct cause of back acne. But, before we get into that, let’s see first what constitutes back acne. Back acne happens when so-called sebaceous glands (or glands that create oily substance) produce an excess of oil. Commonly, males suffer from back acne, particularly during puberty, where shooting androgen levels interfere with sebaceous glands and cause them to overproduce, clogging skin pores. Such clogging attracts bacteria; hence, back acne is born. And, mind you, back acne does not only appear on a person’s back; it can also surface on buttocks. Some believe that back acne is aggravated by wearing tight clothes and constant heat exposure, which disallows skin to breathe. However, since we are fully clothed most of time and it is inevitable that we sit, it is impossible for us to prevent back acne consciously. Therefore, it would be better if we just focus on ways to control them.
| | Whiskey: An Antidote For Cancer?Written by Charlene J. Nuble
Some scientists believe that whiskey may be one of keys to preventing Big CFor a quite a number of years, liquor has been known not only to bring destructive intoxication and addiction upon its patrons, but also as deterrent to a healthy lifestyle. But as a potential weapon against cancer? Sounds controversial. Rumors that single malt whiskey may be a tool to combat cancer have begun circulating recently. Whether it actually holds any water has yet to be proven. According to one of theory’s proponents, a consultant to whiskey industry, Dr. Jim Swan, antioxidants present in whiskey, particularly ellagic acid, can reduce risk of developing cancer, since this acid fights unstable atoms that aid in rapid cell replication. He added that more cells were produced, more likely that rogue cancer cells will be born. “Whiskey can protect you from cancer and science proves it,” he said, speaking at EuroMedLab 2005 conference in Glasgow. Dr Swan explained that ellagic acid, which is in greater concentration in whiskey than in red wine, breaks down harmful free radicals present in our body. However, Cancer Research UK remains unconvinced. The agency has raised concerns that what Dr Swan and his supporters are pushing might mislead consumers into drinking excessive amounts of whiskey just to avoid cancer. Cancer Research noted that liquor intake can eventually lead to certain kinds of cancer, such as those in esophagus, throat, mouth, bowel and liver. Dr Swan’s idea that whiskey can prevent cancer also received criticism, owing mostly to an absence of population data supporting them. Contrariwise, according to agency’s head of cancer information Lesley Walker, there exists evidence that high alcohol consumption does increase cancer risks. Ms Walker noted that while ellagic acid is a formidable antioxidant and may greatly aid in fight against cancer, its presence in whiskey is not reason enough for people to begin drinking up, especially as ellagic acid can also be found in certain fruits.
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