Handbags Carry More Bacteria Than a Toilet

Research carried out by Initial Washroom Hygiene has revealed that women’s handbags are likely to be contaminated with more bacteria than the average toilet.

The study also pinpointed the dirtiest item in handbags is hand cream – bottles of hand cream were found to carry more bacteria than the average toilet seat.  Leather hand bags are most at risk of containing unhygienic levels of bacteria as the spongy fabric is good growing ground.

Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial Hygiene, said: “Handbags come into regular contact with our hands and a variety of surfaces, so the risk of transferring different germs onto them is very high, especially as bags are rarely cleaned … Regular hand sanitisation is essential to prevent the presence of bacteria in the first place and thorough cleaning of bags is recommended to prevent the build-up of contamination.”

50 Things to Do for a Full Life

Before you die there is list of things you need to do to be considered having had a “full life”.

Researchers’ questioned 2000 adults aged between 18 and 65 years old before compiling a list of 50 things which must be achieved for a full life. Things on the list include; kissing a stranger, finding true love and being married for longer than 20 years, having a one-night stand, and dating someone “exciting but completely wrong for you”. Despite the list, it seems that the average adult can only tick off eight of the requirements for a full life. Other achievements include; owning a pet, starting a family, driving a really fast car and being true to yourself.

Magnesium Helps Build Strong Bones

A study presented by the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Washington DC, has found that foods rich in magnesium play an important role in bone density.

Image courtesy of Nevit Dilmen / Wikimedia Commons

Children have always been encouraged to drink plenty of milk and eat calcium-rich foods to assist strong bones but the new research has shown that pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, salmon and almonds are just as important as they are magnesium rich. Lead author of the report, Steven Abrams, said: “Lots of nutrients are key for children to have healthy bones and one of these appears to be magnesium. Calcium is important but except for those children and adolescents with very low intakes, may not be more important than magnesium … We believe it is important for children to have a balanced healthy diet with good sources of minerals, including both calcium and magnesium.”

Researchers studied 63 children who were healthy and not taking any multivitamins or minerals. The group were asked to keep a food diary and the children were hospitalised twice to check their calcium and magnesium levels via urine samples.

Asthma Care

Research by charity Asthma UK has revealed a postcode lottery for asthma care in England.

Some health authorities are providing effective care and support through the GP network and health centres but others are relying on hospitals to treat those with asthma, generally in a time of an attack. Figures published by the charity show a massive 19-fold difference in children’s’ emergency asthma admission rates across England, with Liverpool having the highest rate, and Tower Hamlets having the lowest. National guidelines state that every asthma sufferer should have a written action plan from their doctor or asthma nurse to help them understand their ‘triggers’ and make sure their asthma is under control.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of policy and research at Asthma UK, said: “Everyone with asthma deserves good quality care from knowledgeable healthcare professionals, irrespective of where they live. Guidelines are in place to give doctors and nurses the information and advice they need to prevent asthma attacks and save lives. But if these are not put into practice, they’re just a piece of paper.”

Forced Exercise

People who regularly exercise are less likely to suffer from mental health problems according to research compiled by the University of Colorado Boulder, USA.

It also shows that those who are forced to exercise can benefit from the feel good factor of the exertion. According to the study, being forced to exercise can reduce anxiety and depression just as much as voluntary exercise does. Dr Benjamin Goodwood, an assistant research professor at the university, said: “If exercise is forced, will it still produce mental health benefits? It’s obvious that forced exercise will produce peripheral physiological benefits. But will it produce benefits to anxiety and depression?”

The team studied lab rats to try to answer the question by dividing them into two groups; one who could exercise when they chose, and one who ran on a mechanical wheel at scheduled intervals. The rats had their anxiety levels tested after six weeks of the trial and found that exercise benefitted their stress levels. Dr Greenwood went on to comment: “Regardless of whether the rats chose to run or were forced to run, they were protected against stress and anxiety.”