Adding to all the doom and gloom about what gives you cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into whether tattoos could give you cancer after they found troubling findings about toxic chemicals in tattoo ink.

A lot of our vices such as Smoking, drinking, sunbathing and mobile phones have been linked to cancer and although it can never be easily proved that doing one of those things will give you cancer it will increase your chances, like anything really now.

For centuries man has been tattooing and not a second thought was given to the effect the ink could have on the human body however recent published studies have found that the inks can contain a host of substances which can be harmful, including some phthalates, metals, and hydrocarbons that are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. The most common chemical found in tattoo ink is called benzo(a)pyrene which is known to be a potent carcinogen that causes skin cancer in animal tests.

According to an FDA fact sheet some pigments are industrial grade dyes ‘suitable for printers’ ink or automobile paint,’ so now the FDA has launched an investigation into what the long-term effects of these pigments are and what happens when they break down in the body or fade from light exposure.

Joseph Braun, an environmental epidemiologist at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, told Environmental Health News: ‘The short answer is we don’t know if the chemicals in tattoo inks represent a health hazard.’

In the US it is estimated that 45million people including at least 36 per cent of adults in their late 30s, have one tattoo at least. A spokesman for the agency said: “Because the dyes and inks used in tattoos have not been approved by FDA, we do not know the specific composition of what these inks and dyes may contain. Therefore, we are unable to evaluate for chronic health concerns, such as cancer.”

Great! It’s not like we didn’t know that watching TV was unhealthy but the news that it shortens your life is actually rather depressing. We all know we should be out there experiencing the world or getting some exercise, but sometimes we need time to relax and sometimes TV provides this for us.

According to experts who have done a study, someone who spends six hours a day in front of the television is at risk of dying five years earlier than those who regularly do gentle exercise. Shocker! The experts say: “Watching too much TV is as dangerous as smoking or being overweight, and the ubiquitous sedentary behaviour should be seen as a public health problem.”

It has been widely touted for years that TV is bad for us in fact there have been long running discussions between parents and campaigners about TV and the dangers to our health who want us to get on our feet and step away from the televisions.  It’s quite scary to think that just by watching TV you’re shortening your life, we all know about smoking and shortening your life but many never suspected TV could have a similar effect.

However it must be noted that the real danger is to those who lead a sedentary life style and do not get any regular exercise, (getting up to the freezer for ice cream does not count!) The researchers who did the study at the University of Queensland found that every hour of watching television shortened a viewer’s life expectancy by approximately 22 minutes.

Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation says: “Many of us make a conscious decision not to smoke because we know it’s bad for us, and this study suggests that more of us should make the same kind of pledge about lounging around and watching lots of TV.”

If you’re looking to add a bit of punch to your diet  or just want to add a little extra vitamins and minerals then why not have a look at adding some of these health drinks below:

Beetroot juice

Not a taste for everyone but it is exceptionally good for you, recent studies have suggested beetroot can help lower the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure, beetroot juice is also very good for a hangover and if you can’t stomach it on its own try mixing it with other fruit juices.

Berry drinks

Smoothies are an ideal way to get topped up with berries such as strawberry’s, which contain vitamin C and both blueberries and raspberries both of which contain lutein for healthy vision. It’s thought that darker berries are good for your skin because they contain antioxidants and anthocyanidins which strengthen the bond between the collagen fibres which strengthen our skin.

Coconut water

This is the drink many slim celebrities swear by but it has had a bit of bad press about its qualities recently however there are some facts which can’t be disputed. Coconut water contains more potassium, less sodium, and less sugar than most energy drinks plus and contains fibre which is good for energy boosts.

Pomegranate juice

There are quite a few health benefits in pomegranates; these include reducing stress levels; people who drank pomegranate juice regularly had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone in their saliva and they are also good for your heart.

Aloe Vera juice

It may not be the best tasting but it is one of the most effective juice drinks out there, aloe vera is rich in a range of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other trace elements. It is also good at reducing inflammation as well as good for your skin, dental health and immune system.

Researchers at the Kyoto University have managed to induce mice stem cells into creating sperm precursors, which were successfully transported into infertile mice. The infertile mice then produced that was successfully used to fertilize eggs in a lab dish.

According to a paper published online Thursday in the scientific journal Cell the offspring turned out to be healthy and fertile. The research team was led by Mitinori Saitou and members from it stated they believe their success may help in the development of infertility treatments in humans, although they said many hurdles remain.

On Friday from Kyoto, in western Japan Saitou spoke to the Associated Press by telephone, he said: “We have high hopes, but it’s not that easy. There are many difficult issues ahead in applying this to humans. But it is a first step.”

Toshio Suda, a developmental biology professor at Keio University added: This is a very good experiment for thinking about treatment of infertile man but a very, very long way. Suda also stated that the Kyoto team’s findings were great work nevertheless it is not easy to prepare the mature sperm cells at the moment. If some hurdles are cleared, it could successfully identify “which gene is very important to prepare the sperm.”

Embryonic stem cells were used by researcher in Japan to grow healthy mouse sperm on laboratory dishes and its thought that one day the research could lead to a development which could help treat human infertility. According to the finding which was published in the journal Cell, marks a step forward for using stem cells for regenerative medicine.

There are some things you can get away worth buying fakes of, UGG boots, designer handbags and clothing, if you really want to do stuff on the cheap however one thing you should never buy on the cheap online or anywhere is counterfeit medication. Licensed websites require patients to undergo an online consultation which will assess their need and suitability for the medication.

Many people buy medication online in the hope of saving some money however they are gambling with their health by doing this. There are numerous dangers to buying counterfeit Viagra online, so it’s always advisable to buy from reputable places amid a wave of counterfeit pills. There are always numerous stories in the press highlighting cases where counterfeit medications have been seized by authorities and it’s a million pound industry to the criminals who are pushing these drugs and buy purchasing from them you are aiding and abetting criminal activity. That’s before you endanger your health.

For many men who suffer from erectile dysfunction problems, it can seem easy to buy Cialis online or Levitra or Viagra, without having to suffer the embarrassment of visiting your doctor and getting a prescription. Unfortunately by taking the risk of buying from unlicensed online retailers you can end up taking dangerous chemicals that are used in creating fake medicines. Normally the fakes are made in drug factories using dangerous ingredients and unhygienic production environments.

Some factories use pesticides, floor wax, boric acid, brick dust, plus god knows what else, these fakes can cause heart attacks in those who take them and in some reported cases death.

The new alcohol substitute is being developed as we speak. The substance is becoming exceptionally famous due to its property of being ‘switched off’ instantly. The alcohol is ‘turned off’ by a pill allowing the drinkers to return to what they were doing, or even drive home safely.

The substitute alcohol is produced with chemicals similar to Valium which affects nerves in the brain to produce feelings of ‘relaxation’ and ‘ease.’ However, the alcohol is different to the normal kind as it does not affect the part of the brain which controls mood swings and addiction. The substance is also easy to drain from the body than regular alcohol.

Also, because the substance is much more precise in its effects, the substitute can be switched off using an antidote (a pill) which allows the drinker to be immediately sober.

The new substance is being developed by a team at ICL (imperial college London) which is led by David Nutt, a top professor.

Professor Nutt and his team of researchers are focusing on benzodiazepines. Thousands of benzos are already known, it us just a case of finding the perfect match and if necessary modifying it to fit our needs. The ideal benzo scientists are looking for should be tasteless and colourless… leaving those characteristics to the drink it is in.

Professor Nutt explains: “No one’s ever tried targeting this before, possibly because it will be so hard to get it past the regulators.” However Professor Nutt has faith as he strongly believe other countries may be persuaded to sponsor the team.

Researchers have discovered that taking common painkillers (including ibuprofen) frequently can enhance your chance of developing an irregular heartbeat by as much as 70%

Ibuprofen and aspirin, used to treat inflammation, are among ‘new generation’ anti-inflammatory drugs (referred to as selective COX-2 inhibitors) that have been proven to help contribute towards heart conditions.

Scientists in Denmark say these drugs have formerly been associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke however, the drugs have not been tested to see whether or not they increase the risk of AF (arterial fibrillation.)

AF is the explanation for irregular and rapid heartbeats contributing to the heart becoming less success full at pumping blood and failing to oxygenate the body. This can lead to a range of other further health concerns including: palpitations, dizziness, angina and also the blood clotting.

The researchers studied 32,602 patients being previously diagnosed with AF for the first time between 1999 and 2008. Each case was in comparison to 10 patients, matching in age and gender, randomly elected from the population.

Patients were then categorised as current or recent COX-2 users. Current users were then sub-categorised into new users or long terms users.

The study found that the use of COX-2 was clearly linked to the development of AF.

The highest risk was found among older patients and patients with kidney disease or arthritis.

The team from Aarhus University Hospital finalised: “Our study thus adds evidence that atrial fibrillation needs to be added to the cardiovascular risks under consideration when prescribing NSAIDs,”

A recent study by Harvard University found that men taking drugs to treat erectile dysfunction showed triple the rate of sexually transmitted diseases compared with those not taking the drugs, Viagra and Cialis.

The results of the study came from an analysis of the health insurance claims of men who were aged forty and older. It’s thought that the reason for an increase in STD’s in this group of men and is more to do with attitude than the actual drugs themselves. Some men may be taking a less cautious path when it comes to their sexual experiences when taking ED medication.

According to analysis the higher rate of infections were seen a year after the men started taking the drugs like Viagra, Cialis and also Levitra to treat ED, which has lead experts to believe that men taking the drugs may be more likely to engage in unsafe sex than nonusers. The leader of the study Anupam Jena said: “Younger people have more sex partners than older folks. But per sexual encounter, the actual safeness of the sex is probably lower among older folks in the sense that they don’t use condoms.”

Currently in the US there are about 19 million new sexually spread infections occurring each year, with almost half of them aged 15 to 24 years old. However people aged 30 to 40 accounted for the largest proportion of those who were newly diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections, which included a high proportion of HIV/AIDS cases.

When you go on holiday, you find yourself with a whole list of travel essentials you need to take and if you’re travelling abroad, especially to hotter climes for your summer holiday, well the list just keeps on going! For your ease we have a list of travel health essentials that you should make sure you have before you go.

Sunscreen – Very important for hot holidays and anywhere where your exposed to sunlight, you should make sure you have enough to last your holidays and that it is a high enough factor.; For children you should be putting on factor 50 and similarly as adults if you have fair skin, experts say factor 30 is suitable for most adults and anything lower should be avoided.

Sunglasses – Not just to finish off your holiday ensemble, sunglasses protect your eyes from the harmful UVA’s too  many cheap fashion pairs do not provide adequate protection for your eyes and should be avoided, look for pairs which have a at least 70% UVA protection, however 100% is best, especially for young eyes.

Medication – If you are on medication it is advisable to speak to your doctor before you go to make sure there isn’t anything you should be avoiding and also make sure if you’re visiting certain countries that your vaccinations are also up to date. You also need to make sure that you have enough medication with you, that you need, and a reminder for women who are on birth control pills make sure you take enough to last you and some spares if you lose any. It’s also advisable to make sure you pack basic drugs such as paracetamol, laxatives and diarrhoea tablets just in case.

First aid – It may not be first on your list for holiday essentials but a first aid kit is can come in handy, especially when you’re out and about, small scissors, bandages, antiseptic cream/wipes and plasters will probably be enough, even if you’re staying in a resort. Blisters anyone, from new sandals? Insect repellents and insect bite cream also will be useful especially if mosquito’s like to dine from you. 

For the airplane – If you’re travelling by air even just for a couple of hours you need to be aware of DVT, flight socks are an easy travel essential that can be packed into your hand luggage, ready for your flight and they can help prevent DVT and are a must on long haul. Also avoiding alcohol or anything that dehydrates you will also help.

A summer holiday is all about relaxing, putting your feet up and having some fun, however when it comes to the later, you have to be careful. Everydaysale.co.uk recently conducted a survey about holiday flings and found that 43% of British travellers would have a holiday fling if the opportunity arose, so if your single and looking for love, or a bit of fun in a foreign country then you need to be careful.

If you’re a part of a small group of women, then you will be high on a target list for many local men, not to mention other randy tourists, so you should always be aware, sometimes because of our reputation abroad locals can often misinterpret what women are after, often think all women want casual sex. This obviously isn’t the case.

However if you do want some fun on holiday, (sex) then you need to be equally as careful, making sure that the people you are travelling with know where you are and who your with. You need to make sure you know where you are as well, it’s no good going off with some stranger when drunk, if the next morning they just dump you on the street, leaving you to find your weary home in a foreign country which you’re not familiar with. Always try to stay on familiar ground, I know it may not that pleasant for your room mates but if your desperate for some fun go back to your room and get your roommate to keep out for an hour or ten minutes!

Finally if you’re having some holiday fun, you also need to make sure you don’t come home with more than the usual tacky souvenirs, i.e. a STD or even an unwanted pregnancy. So always make sure you use protection of condoms, whether you’re on birth control or not.