Been tempted to try a nicotine pouch during a work break?
Otherwise referred to as “lip pillows” or “popping an upper
decker”, nicotine pouches are a relatively newer way to consume nicotine. They
are illegal in some countries without a prescription. These flavoured pouches
are placed in between your gum and your lip. From there the nicotine is
absorbed into your bloodstream through your mouth where some report the same
rush of dopamine that cigarettes and vapes provide.
Some companies market them as the safer alternative to
smoking, but how safe are nicotine pouches?
Because they are still a newer product, research is still
ongoing into their long-term effects on the body. However, we do know the
short-term effects.
Concerningly, a 2024 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health has revealed that when using nicotine pouches, 97% of
participants reported one or more side effects. This included 48% reporting
mouth lesions, 39% reporting upset stomachs and 9% reporting nausea.
And because the pouches are placed on the gum, it can cause
significant gum recession. This is when the gum tissue pulls away from your
teeth, revealing roots and raising the chances of cavities.
Although the nicotine in these pouches do not directly cause
cancer, research shows that nicotine is a tumour promoter which can make the
cancer more aggressive. On top of that, nicotine can also cause heart, lung and
stomach problems, create issues relating to fertility, raise your blood
pressure and weaken your immune system.
So if you are thinking of making the switch to nicotine
pouches, make sure you consider all the health risks and remember that it is
better to quit nicotine altogether.
31May is World No Tobacco Day
Insomnia is a common problem for adults, with at least one
third of adults worldwide experiencing symptoms. Over the counter sleep
supplements promise a deep refreshing sleep. Does the evidence support these
claims?
Most OTC supplements are a mixture of herbs
A browse along your pharmacy shelf will reveal a plethora of
sleep supplements available to buy without a prescription. The labels boast a
variety of specific benefits including “beauty sleep” “deep sleep” “fall
asleep” “sleep recovery”. However if you read the ingredients labels, most of
these preparations contain a mixture of similar herbs.
Common herbal preparations in sleep supplements include:
valerian, kava, wuling, hops, chamomile, passionflower and St. John’s wort.
Most claims are not backed up by science
Very few scientific studies have examined the effectiveness
of these herbal ingredients. The studies that have been done focus on a
specific herb rather than the combination you will find in a supplement.
Overall, the evidence that herbal supplements will actually help you sleep is
“low” (stronger ratings would be “moderate” or “high”). There is, however, some
promising research that three herbs may help reduce anxiety: kava,
passionflower and chamomile. Anxiety often contributes to poor sleep so these may
be of some benefit.
Magnesium supplements
In the last year, there has been an explosion in the
availability of supplements containing magnesium for sleep. Although magnesium
is crucial for muscle and nerve function, the studies report only a minimal
impact, if any, on sleep. A healthy balanced diet will provide you with the
recommended amount of magnesium and adding more is unlikely to be helpful. If
your diet is lacking vegetables and wholegrains then perhaps a magnesium
supplement would be beneficial. Remember it is always better to obtain vitamins
and minerals from food rather than a tablet.
Melatonin
Melatonin is not a herbal preparation. It is a natural
hormone produced by the brain that signals it is time to go to sleep. Levels of
melatonin increase at night, hence it is often referred to as the hormone of
darkness. Melatonin is useful for treating jet lag and specific sleep
syndromes.
Depending on your country, melatonin may be able to be purchased
over the counter as a supplement rather than as a pharmaceutical drug. These
supplements are available without a prescription, but they contain such a small
amount of melatonin they are very unlikely to help you sleep. It is important
to understand that the over the counter preparations are not considered “drugs”
and are therefore not subject to the same rigorous testing for quality and
effectiveness that prescription medications undergo.
In some countries, melatonin tablets are available by
prescriptions to treat certain sleep disorders and depending on your location,
may be available for people aged over 55 without a prescription. You should
discuss with your pharmacist and doctor if melatonin is likely to help you as
for many individuals it will not be effective. Focusing on lifestyle changes
can often have a more significant impact on your sleep.
Can sleep supplements be harmful?
Herbal supplements are not tested for safety. There have
been reports of serious liver disease from the use of kava while hops are known
to cause skin rashes and changes to the menstrual cycle. High doses of
magnesium are likely to cause gut side effects and may be dangerous. You should
always be cautious with any over the counter product – we often mistakenly
think they are safer because they are natural or herbal. They can also
interfere with any other medications you may be taking, so be sure to ask your
GP before starting to take a supplement.
Understand the real reason you cannot sleep
The first step to improving your sleep is to complete a
sleep diary. These are freely available on the internet. Complete the diary for
one week. You will observe connections between things you do during the day and
the quality of your sleep. For example, it took you a long time to fall asleep
when you spent several hours scrolling on your phone in bed; or you had a good
sleep on the night you did yoga after work. Noticing will allow you to make
specific changes to your daily routine.
Tinned fish
Are you getting your recommended 3 serves of fish a week?
Tinned fish is a cheap and easy way to boost your omega 3 and protein requirements.
Fish is an excellent source of healthy fat and protein and
is considered an essential part of a healthy diet. However most adults are not
eating the recommended amount. Tinned fish is extremely nutritious, has a long
shelf life and is much cheaper than buying fresh fish. A great addition to your
weekly shop!
We can obtain many types of fat from food, but most adults
consume too much red meat which contains unhealthy saturated fat and not enough
fish which contains healthy unsaturated fat. A specific type of unsaturated fat
that we must obtain from our diet is called Omega 3 fat. Omega 3 fats are
needed to build the cell membranes, produce hormones and are very important for
their anti-inflammatory properties – reducing the risk of heart attack and
stroke. Oily fish are the best source of Omega 3. Tinned salmon, mackerel and
sardines (and to a lesser extent tuna) are rich sources of this essential fat.
A recommended serve of fish is 100g - which is the size of most small cans on the
supermarket shelves. This makes a serving of fish a very budget friendly
option.
The healthiest tinned fish are those with the fewest
ingredients on the label.
We know how good walking is for us. It is a convenient and
relaxing aerobic exercise that strengthens our quadriceps, hamstrings and
calves, it improves the health of our cardiovascular system and it decreases
the risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. But is walking by
itself enough to keep us fully fit?
Not quite, says Dr Jackson Fyfe, a sports scientist from
Deakin University. “Walking is of course better than no exercise at all, but to
maximise heath benefits, a combination of aerobic-type (running, cycling,
swimming) and strength-type exercise (lifting weights or bodyweight exercises)
should be performed regularly.”
While walking is a good aerobic exercise, without
strength-type exercises, we are susceptible to some serious health risks.
Our muscle mass naturally decreases with age. To compensate
for this, we need to have specific exercises to retain our muscle mass or risk
a decrease in function and a higher risk of injury. Although walking does
benefit bone health, it is not nearly as effective at increasing bone density
as strength training is. Without preserving our bone strength, we are at risk
of fractures and osteoporosis.
“People’s understanding of walking more and doing aerobic
activity, keeping up the heart rate, has grown”, says Louise Ansari, chief
executive at Healthwatch, “but the need for us to do two sessions of strength
and balance exercise a week has been the Cinderella of public health advice”.
It is recommended to do 2 sessions of muscle-strengthening activities such as
push ups or lifting weights a week.
However, this does not mean you have to go sign up to a gym
and get your bicep curls on. Instead, you could consider modifying your walking
routine.
One idea is to try Nordic walking, where you use ski-like
poles to support your body with every stride you take. When you use these poles
to utilise your upper body in walking, you actually stimulate your chest, back,
triceps, biceps, shoulders and core muscles as well as your lower body. It is
also been estimated as producing up to a 46% increase in energy consumption, compared
to normal walking.