Appetite Myth Put To Rest

Contrary to obese wives' tales, exercise does not increase the appetite. This was the gist of a number of controlled studies with humans and animals that had been presented to the American College of Sports Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago, U.S.A. in the 80s.

The report emphasized that there is a distinction between long bouts of physical labor and shorter bouts of exercise. Tests have shown that one hour of exercise a day will not affect food intake.

Polluted Air Protects Against Sunburn. The gripe against air pollution is that it disarms city sunbathers. One day an urbanite may spend several hours out in the sun and yet remain pale white. Believing himself immune, the next time out he exposes himself longer. The result: a painful lobster burn. To prevent sunburn, remember that ultraviolet rays are screened out by pollution, but not by clean overcast skies, and that tanned skin will also burn.

The Real Cause of Atherosclerosis. Animal studies and human autopsies have led Dr. Earl P. Benditt, former chairman of the Pathology Dept., University of Washington School of Medicine, to question the present theory that atherosclerosis is caused by a buildup of lipids or thrombi on the inner arterial walls.

Under close examination, each atheroma (a degenerative condition of the arteries) appears to be a single tumor, and Dr. Benditt suggests that they are caused by chemical substances in the environment. When carcinogenic products are inhaled or swallowed , they can get into the blood and be absorbed by the cells of the vessel walls. High blood pressure and lipid abnormalities remain factors in atherosclerosis, says Dr. Benditt, the only change is the way they are understood.

Lung Damage: Result of Gas. Scientists at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research claim that lung cancer and other respiratory damages are mainly caused by the gas in cigarette smoke--carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, acrolein (a decomposition product of glycerol and glycerides, used as a tear gas) and other hydrocarbons. They found that while animal cells exposed to normal cigarette smoke showed distinct signs of being sick, cells exposed to smoke with much of the gases removed were far more healthy. Symptoms were present, but to a much lesser degree. The Swiss researchers contend that any so-called "safe" cigarette will have to be free of these gases.

Smoking May Cause Infertility. Male hormone levels proved to be higher in non-smoking males than in men who smoked. Researchers at Alfred Hospital, Victoria, Australia, compared plasma testosterone levels in two groups of healthy men carefully matched for height, weight, marital status and occupation. The first group had never smoked, while those in the second group smoked a minimum of 30 cigarettes a day. Two specimens were taken seven days apart. During the interval all smoking ceased. Although the non-smokers' testosterone levels were higher in both tests, the smokers all showed a significant hormone increase in the second sampling, taken after seven days of prohibition. Carbon monoxide is believed responsible.

And by the way, another research claims that smoking causes multiple brain shrinkage, leading to Alzheimer's disease.