Have you been having issues with sleeping at the right time? Or are you the valium-dependent type before you can enjoy sound sleep? If you respond affirmatively to the above, then you need to try something new, which is having a warm bath before bedtime.

This has been proven to be effective by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, who embarked on a meta-analytical review of 5,322 data to discover that taking a shower about 1 to 2 hours or approximately 90 minutes before bedtime,  increases the rate and speed of falling asleep as much as 10 minutes.

The Texas University team in collaboration with other scientists from the University of Southern California, and the University of Texas Health Science Centre, also found a common temperature of 104 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit as the ideal water temperature to promote improved sleep quality.

They asserted that sleep makes people feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting one’s mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit human heart, weight, mind, and more.

The researchers further stated the health benefits of sound sleep noting that it can definitely reduce levels of stress, which allows people have better control of their blood pressure, it’s also believed that sleep affects cholesterol levels, which plays a significant role in heart disease.

Shahab Haghayegh, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and lead author on the paper explained in a statement that when he and his colleagues noticed significant disparities in terms of the approaches and findings, the only way to make an accurate determination of whether sleep can in fact be improved was to combine all the past data and look at it through a new lens.

The study, which was published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews used systematic review protocols, a technique utilized to search and analyze vital data, to review thousands of studies that link water-based passive body heating or showering with warm or hot water and sleep quality.

Specifically, the researchers, after analyzing known studies, found that bathing in water with temperatures of about 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit, can significantly improve one’s sleep quality.

To arrive at their findings, the scientists extracted and filtered relevant data to see the effects of water-based passive body heating on various sleep factors. These include total sleep time, sleep onset latency, subjective sleep quality, and sleep efficiency.

Sleep onset latency is how much time is needed to sleep from full wakefulness, sleep efficiency is the amount of time sleeping relative to the total length of time spent in bed trying to fall asleep, subjective sleep quality is how the person described his sleep, and sleep time, the number hours asleep.

The team assessed the consistency among the relevant researchers using meta-analytical tools. They found a common temperature of 104 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit as the ideal water temperature to promote improved sleep quality.

They also found that when the warm bath is scheduled about 1 to 2 hours or approximately 90 minutes before bedtime, it increases the rate and speed of falling asleep as much as 10 minutes.

The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating body temperature. Body temperature is responsible for regulating the sleep and wake cycle. Body temperature varies throughout the day since it has a circadian cycle, wherein it’s about 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit higher in the late afternoon and late evening, than during a person is sleeping wherein it’s the lowest.

The circadian cycle of an average individual involves the decrease of core body temperature, between 0.5 to 1-degree Fahrenheit an hour before bedtime, decreasing to the lowest level between the middle and late duration of sleep.

When the temperature rises, it acts as an alarm clock. The cycle of body temperature influences the sleep cycle and it’s important to attain rapid sleep onset and increased sleep efficiency.

The study helps in providing optimal timing, about 90 minutes before bedtime, for taking a bath to cool down the core body temperature, hence, making the person sleep faster and better. Taking warm baths stimulate the thermoregulatory system of the body, promoting circulation from the body core to the peripheral areas such as the hands and feet. As a result, it removes heat from the core and in turn, lowers body temperature.

Taking warm baths at the optimal designated time will help the natural circadian process to increase the likelihood of falling asleep faster, and also, having better sleep quality.

“These findings are consistent with the mechanism of water-based passive body heating (PBHWB) effects being the extent of core body temperature decline achieved by increased blood perfusion to the palms and soles that augments the distal-to-proximal skin temperature gradient to enhance body heat dissipation,” the researchers noted in the study.

In addition to the study, researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering found that bathing 1-2 hours before bedtime in water of about 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit can significantly improve your sleep.

“Knowledge is power”, goes the popular adage, whereas it absence could spell doom for others. This explains why some folks who are ignorant of the potentials of their dark skin or brown skin, go all out in search of whitening cream to make them fairer in colour.

However, dermatologists have validated the merits of dark skin, as it has been found to fight free radicals, protects against skin cancer, makes Africans look younger than their white counterparts, protects skin from ultraviolet radiation, and many more.

The scientists’ confirmation on dark skin potentials was actually a boost to the social media trend, precisely the #BrownSkinGirlChallenge trending on Twitter, which was triggered by the release of Beyonce’s new Album which featured different African singers from Nigeria, South-Africa, Ghana and Cameroon.

Subsequently appreciating the beauty and the excellent performances of the African singers in the Album, who were hitherto discriminated against in some continents as black monkeys, the Twitter community went agog since weekend to celebrate the African skin colour with the hashtag BrownSkinGirlChallenge.

According to a dermatologist with Twenty-five years of experience, Dr Atul Taneja, of Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, India, black skin is beautiful and it has a lot of health benefits.

His words: “Do you know that your skin colour is darker for very good evolutionary and biological reasons and that medically speaking, it is good that you do not have very fair skin?

“Darker skin is adapted to sunlight and has increased quantity of a pigment called melanin. The more melanin you have, the darker your skin. And the safer you are! Melanin along with other factors, acts as a “natural umbrella” and prevents harmful radiation from entering your skin. These are just some of the reasons why black skin is safe and beautiful”, he stated.

Benefits of Dark Skin

You are less prone to sunburns: White skinned individuals often get painful, carrot-red or tomato-red inflamed sunburns on exposure to sunlight. Some individuals also get blistering sunburns requiring aggressive medical treatment to control the reaction. Your darker skin allows you to spend a much longer time on the beach and you probably have never ever experienced any blister due to sunlight.

Lesser risk of skin cancers: Without melanin, you can imagine white skin as a transparent covering, which allows harmful UV light to penetrate through into the lower layers of the skin. This radiation causes damage to the DNA and a few cells may mutate to cause skin cancers, some of which are deadly. You are lucky that your “natural umbrella ”blocks UV light effectively and cells in different layers of the skin suffer much less damage compared to white-skinned individuals. However, don’t forget to see a dermatologist in case you see any new bump, or in case you see any change in (a)symmetry, border, colour, diameter or evolution (ABCDE) of any existing mole on your skin.

Younger-Looking Skin

Dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, author of “Brown Skin,” points out that African-Americans and other people of colour generally look younger than their lighter-skinned peers because of the higher levels of melanin in their skin. The increased melanin protects those who have it from short-term damage from the sun, as well as the long-term signs of aging, such as age spots, deep wrinkles and rough texture, according to Taylor.

Targets Free Radicals

Free radicals have been implicated as the cause of widespread damage to human cells. In an article published on www.livestrong, it was reported how melanin’s role in scavenging free radicals, prevents the skin damage they can cause. To explain how melanin fights free-radical damage, Clarke quotes Sergio Nacht, a principal in the skin care consulting firm of Riley-Nacht LLC: “It affects the delicately designed lipids that hold moisture in the stratum corneum.” This is the outermost layer of the epidermis. “If the skin loses its moisture, it becomes rigid and cracks.”

Demerit

Although increased melanin levels have many benefits for people with naturally darker skin, having more melanin has a few disadvantages. In “Brown Skin,” Dr Taylor says that having more melanin tends to make the skin of African-Americans and other people of colour more reactive. She writes: “That means almost any stimulus — a rash, scratch, pimple or inflammation — may trigger the production of excess melanin, resulting in dark marks or patches on the skin.”

Abelmoschus esculentus, mostly known as okro or okra in many English speaking countries, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods.

Okro has long been favoured as a food for the health conscious folks. It contains: Potassium, Vitamin B, Vitamin c, Folic acid and Calcium. It’s low in calories and has high dietary fiber content.

The plant okro is mostly  referred to as okra in the UK, Canada, United States and the Philippines, with a variant pronunciation in Caribbean English and Nigeria of okro. The word okra is from the Igbo ọ́kụ̀rụ̀

Okra is considered an important crop in many countries, because of its nutritional value, as many parts of the plant are useful, including the fresh leaves, buds, flowers, pods, stems, and seeds.

The taste is mild, but it has a unique texture with peach-like fuzz on the outside and small, edible seeds on the inside of the pod.

Okro is a green, finger-shaped vegetable with a characteristic viscous juice, it provides fiber folate, and vitamin K. Its nutritional content means it can promote heart health, strong bones and protect against cancer.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, one cup of raw okro, weighing around 100 grams (g) contains: 33 calories,1.93 g of protein, 0.19 g of fat, 7.45 g of carbohydrate, 3.2 g of fiber, 1.48 g of sugar, 31.3 milligrams (mg) of vitamin K, 299 mg of potassium, 7 mg of sodium, 23 mg of vitamin C, 0.2 mg of thiamin, 57 mg of magnesium , 82 mg of calcium 0.215 mg of vitamin B6, 60 micrograms (mcg) of folate, 36 mcg of vitamin A.

Okro is also a source of antioxidant. Okro seeds contain oligomeric catechins and flavonoid derivatives, both of which have been linked to a lower risk of cancer. The gumbo itself contains quercetin derivatives, and both pods and seeds contain phenolic compounds.

Health Benefits of Okra

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of a range of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

The mucilage of okro is also said to bind cholesterol and bile acid. It collects toxins from the liver and carries them out of the body. The nutrients in okro may make it useful for preventing a number of health problems.

Cancer

Lectin is a type of protein found in okro, beans, peanuts, and grains. Lectin from okro was used in a study to treat human breast cancer cells.

The treatment reduced cancer cell growth by 63 percent and killed 72 percent of the human cancer cells. More studies need to be done to see if okro has an effect on cancer in humans.

Okro water

According to studies drinking “okro water” is a popular new method of using okro. Some have even suggested that drinking it helps lessen diabetes symptoms.

The drink is made by putting okro pods in water and soaking them overnight. Some of the valuable nutrients in the skin and seed pods will be absorbed into the water.

Drinking this okro water solution is a quick and simple way to derive the benefits of okro without eating it.

Some people prefer to cut the okro into thin slices instead of soaking the pods whole. If you’re going to prepare okro water this way, be prepared for a drink that is slightly bitter.

Okro peel and powdered seeds

Okro peel is the most traditional way to use okro medicinally.

In the preliminary studies done to investigate the benefits of using okro, using shredded okro peel was seen to be the most favourable way to ingest it.

You can prepare okro peel yourself by using a handheld kitchen grater or a lemon zester. Though there’s no known limit for how much okro peel someone should eat at one time, half of a teaspoon of okro peel should be more than enough for your body to benefit.

Powdered okro seeds are dried out before being ground down. Ingesting the powder from the seeds as a supplement has also been researched and seen to be beneficial.

The process of making the powder is a bit time-consuming and labour-intensive. However, you can easily buy powdered okro seeds from health food stores and online suppliers.

Okro recipe ideas

The gel inside of okro is a thickening agent, making it a common ingredient in some soups and stews.

Pickled okro is another popular okro variation that replaces the bitterness of the okro pod with a sour taste. Pickling okro also softens the peel.

If there is a dehydrator, drying out okro pods and seasoning them with sea salt makes a tasty snack to satisfy one’s craving for crunch.

There’s no conclusive medical research that proves that okro is a natural cure for diabetes.

It’s important to understand that okro is definitely not an insulin replacement. However, with so many possible benefits for diabetics, it may be worth trying alongside traditional treatment if medical practitioners agree.

As a means of paying homage to an Icon of Pharmacy, the executives of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) paid a courtesy visit to the corporate head office of Pharmanews in Mende, Maryland, Lagos, to intimate the Pharmanews Publisher, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, with the activities of the association and appreciate him for his support to the group.

Speaking on the purpose of their visit, the National Chairman, NAIP, Pharm. Ignatius Anukwu said this crop of executives, which assumed office since 2017 have been looking for the best opportunity to visit Pharmanews, and their national executive meeting scheduled for Thursday in Lagos, put paid to the visit.

Expressing his delight to make the courtesy visit a reality, he said Sir Atueyi was one of the founding members of the association, who received the Icon of Pharmacy recognition from NAIP in 2013, of which they have a total of nine pharmacists with the award now.

Explaining the activities of the association so far, he said they have been doing well in the areas of corporate social responsibility, training of young pharmacists, Pharmacy students, national sales managers training, and advocacy.

He narrated further how they conducted a medical mission in Lagos State last year, precisely in Ogba area, in deworming children, and this year, they were also in Anambra State, in Omor community to carry out same activity for the benefit of the residents.

On Pharmacy project, the NAIP Chairman, said the association is working out modalities to establish partnership with some state governments for the establishment of pharma parks, which will minimize the cost of production for pharmaceutical companies operating from there.

According to him, “NAIP is preparing a proposal for this pharma parks establishment in states like Anambra, Oyo, Kano, and Jigawa”. He also hinted on their plan to partner with pharmacists in the academia, for the development of their indigenous research.

Pharm. Anukwu also noted that another purpose for their visit was to felicitate with Pharmanews, for clinching the Nigerian Healthcare Media Excellence Award consecutively from 2017 to 2019, also to partner in the celebration of the 40^th anniversary of Pharmanews.

In his response, the Pharmanews publisher, expressed his delight towards their visit, saying it was a very memorable one. Commenting on the Icon of Pharmacy recognition conferred on him by the association, he recalled how the association was formed in 1978 with four founding members of Pharm. A.O. Odusina–president; Pharm. H.B.K Bob-Manuel –treasurer/financial secretary; Pharm. Nath Akobundu, secretary; and Pharm. Ifeanyi Atueyi.

However, he said the founding members mobilised others into the association and there was an election in 1979 which brought up the foundation executives of the association including: Pharm. A.O Odusina–president; Pharm. Y. Arogundade- vice-president; Pharm. I. Atueyi –secretary; Pharm. (Mrs) R.O. Britto – assistant secretary; Pharm. H.B.K Bob-Manuel –treasurer/financial secretary; Pharm. F.A.G Ogunledun- publicity secretary; Pharm. L.B.R Adeeko- unofficial member; and Pharm. S.I.M Braide- unofficial member”.

Being the only one still alive among the founding members of NAIP, he urged them to give their best to serving humanity, because they can never tell, where their impacts will be felt and the number of lives they will touch through their services.

Atueyi also commended the executives for training others, saying without training, there can be no improvement in service delivery, and that was why he went into training and consulting in 1993, when there was dearth of training in the industry, in fact, he said no one was conducting training for pharmacists then.

He concluded by charging the pharmacists to give quality services to the people while in office, because they can never know if God will test the quality of services they are providing, and it could an open door to launch into their own life-time career, as it happened to him.

“I don’t know what my life would have been, without passing the commitment test posed before me in 1974, with the assignment of editing the Pharmacy Journal. So whatever your hands find to do, do it with all thy might”, he charged them.

Contrary to the widespread belief that calorie restriction is only relevant for plumpy people, while the slim folks have no need for calorie reduction, a new study conducted by scientists from Duke University in Durham, NC, has recently found that healthy, slim people can benefit from cutting 300 calories a day from their diet.

The strategy could reduce the “devastation” of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, possibly boosting longevity, the authors wrote.

According to the findings reported on Journal the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, people who followed the calorie-restriction diet for two years had a lower blood pressure, lower total cholesterol, lower risk of metabolic syndrome and improvements in insulin sensitivity.

The lead author of the study, Dr William E. Kraus a cardiologist and distinguished professor of medicine, and colleagues explained in their paper that some cardiometabolic markers such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular death even when they are within ranges that healthcare professionals consider to be normal.

On the other hand, numerous studies have suggested that calorie restriction benefits both a person’s health span and life span. However, are these benefits due to weight loss?

The researchers started their new study from the hypothesis that it isn’t just losing weight, but also some other, more complex molecular mechanism that explains the benefits of calorie restriction for cardiometabolic health.

All the trial participants had an average body mass index (BMI) of between 22 and 27.9. To begin, the researchers randomly assigned them to one of two groups: one group reduced their caloric intake by 25 percent (the intervention group), and the other group did not change their caloric intake (the control group).

The participants in the intervention group ate three meals per day and were free to choose from six different meal plans. They also “attended group and individual counseling sessions for the first 6 months of the trial.” The study started in May 2007 and continued through to February 2010.

During this time, the remaining participants those in the control group continued to follow their regular diet.

Not all the participants in the intervention group managed to maintain a 25 percent calorie reduction throughout the study period, but they did reduce their intake by almost 12 percent, on average.

After the intervention, the participants in this group lost and maintained the loss of 10 percent of their weight 71 percent of which was fat mass. The calorie restriction resulted in significant cardiometabolic benefits.

Specifically, “Calorie restriction caused a persistent and significant reduction from baseline to 2 years of all measured conventional cardiometabolic risk factors,” wrote the authors. This included changes in low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Also, “calorie restriction resulted in a significant improvement at 2 years in C-reactive protein.” This is a marker of inflammation that scientists have linked to heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Insulin sensitivity and markers of metabolic syndrome also improved.

The benefits remained robust after Dr Kraus and team conducted a sensitivity analysis that adjusted the results for relative weight loss.

Dr William E. Kraus explained that “this shows that even a modification that is not as severe as what we used in this study could reduce the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease that we have in the United States.”

Dr Kraus also made it clear that his study examined biomarkers for a person’s health span, and he says that he and his colleagues were “impressed” by the “dramatic” improvements and “remarkably” positive effects that caloric restriction had on waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, glucose control, and blood pressure.

The Nigerian Medical Association is set to hold her 2nd National Health Summit, scheduled to take place from 4 to 8 November, 2019, at the International Conference Centre 11, Central Area, 900 Herbert Macaulay Way, 900001, Abuja.

Themed: Patient Centred Care, with sub-themes including, Improving the Nigeria Health Indices, Inter-professional relationship; Brain drain and brain gain; Universal health coverage; Public private partnership and reversing medical tourism.

While medical doctors are enjoined to prepare for the conference, information regarding registration and hostel reservation can be obtained from the association’s website.

In what has been adjudged as an excellent performance by many, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) recently organised a dinner to appreciate the wonderful performance of the Drug and Substance Abuse Committee members, for the commitment and dedication they exhibited during the walk against drug abuse and the symposium organised by the committee.

The dinner held at the Sheraton Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, was graced by th NAPharm President, Prince Julius Adelusi – Adeluyi;  Vice-President, NAPharm, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi; Treasurer, NAPharm, Sir Ike Onyechi; Prof. Cecilia Igwilo, council member; Prof. Olukemi Odukoya; Chairman, NAPharm Drug and Substance Abuse Committee, Dr Lolu Ojo; other distinguished Fellows of the Academy and industry leaders.

The committee, comprising members drawn from thirteen different sections of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, had demonstrated team spirit during the last assignment committed into their hands and proved that a great result can be achieved with unity of purpose.

In his address at the dinner, the President of the Academy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, expressed his delight at the commitment and innovative ideas of the members and assured them that they would always be remembered for their services. He said the committee has demonstrated that with teamwork and unity of purpose great results can be achieved.

He especially appreciated the Chairman of the committee, Dr Lolu Ojo, for his leadership qualities. He noted that the walk against drug abuse organised on 10 July was very successful and attracted a large number of pharmacists both young and old, despite the drizzle of that morning.

While presenting highlights of the committee’s report, Ojo noted that the team of 25 members drawn from thirteen different sections of the Society was tagged, Pharmacy United. The committee had six sub-committees which performed very well and a few plenary sessions were held to which some experts were invited to enlighten them on the subject. He commended everyone for their unique contributions.

The chairman further explained that a press conference was held on Monday, 3 June and there was a blitz of news reports on popular electronic, print and social media.  The awareness walk was held on Monday, 10 June from Allen Roundabout to Ikeja Under-Bridge and various banners, placards were used. Thousands of handbills on the dangers of drug abuse were distributed. He thanked the pharmaceutical companies that supported the walk and provided the T-shirt and especially appreciated their strategic partner, Worldwide Healthcare Limited that mobilised their staff for the walk.

Ojo said the symposium was the grand finale held on Tuesday, 11 June at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. The keynote address was delivered by Dr Martin Agwogie, while the symposium panel discussion was professionally chaired by Dr Dere Awosika.

Experts from Rutgers University in the United States have recently found that men who delay fathering kids may put the health of their partners and unborn children at risk.

Their finding was contained in a study, which reviewed 40 years of research regarding the effect of parental age on fertility, pregnancy and the health of children, and published in the journal Maturitas.

Author of the study, Gloria Bachmann, a director of the Women’s Health Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, explained that “While it is widely accepted that physiological changes that occur in women after 35 can affect conception, pregnancy and the health of the child, most men do not realise their advanced age can have a similar impact.”

Bachmann added that, while the medical profession has no clearly accepted definition of when advanced paternal age begins, it ranges from 35 to 45.

The study found that men 45 and older can experience decreased fertility and put their partners at risk for increased pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and preterm birth.

Additionally, infants born to older fathers were found to be at higher risk of premature birth, late stillbirth, low Apgar scores, low birth weight, higher incidence of newborn seizures and birth defects, such as congenital heart disease and cleft palate. As they matured, these children were found to have an increased likelihood of childhood cancers, psychiatric and cognitive disorders, and autism.

Bachmann linked most of these outcomes to a natural decline in testosterone that occurs with aging, as well as sperm degradation and poorer semen quality. She however said that some correlations need more research. “In addition to advancing paternal age being associated with an increased risk of male infertility, there appears to be other adverse changes that may occur to the sperm with aging. For example, just as people lose muscle strength, flexibility and endurance with age, in men, sperm also tend to lose ‘fitness’ over the life cycle,” she said.

Damage to sperm from stresses of aging can lead to a decrease in sperm number and a change in the sperm and egg that is passed from parent to offspring and becomes incorporated into the DNA of cells in the offspring’s body. “In addition to decreasing fertilisation potential, this can also influence the pregnancy itself, as is noted by increased pregnancy risks when conception is successful,” Bachmann explained.

The study also found that older men struggled with fertility issues even if their partner was below 25.

“While women tend to be more aware and educated than men about their reproductive health, most men do not consult with physicians unless they have a medical or fertility issue,” Bachmann said.

She recommended that physicians counsel older men as they do older women on the effect their age will have on conception, pregnancy and the health of their child.

The study recommends that men who plan on delaying fatherhood should consider banking their sperm before their 35^th or at least by their 45th birthday to decrease the increased risks to the health of the mother and child.

A worldwide study conducted by scientists from Imperial College London, United Kingdom and the University of Loannina in Greece has recently linked too much iron to high risk of bacterial skin diseases.

Experts define skin infection as an infection of the skin that can be caused by bacteria, fungus, viruses or parasites.

According to the Nigerian journal of medicine, the annual prevalence of all types of skin infections increased from 6.9 percent in 2009 to 7.4 percent in 2015. The average annual prevalence was 7.1 percent.

Iron on the other hand is a mineral, and its main purpose is to carry oxygen in the hemoglobin of red blood cells throughout the body so cells can produce energy.

Iron helps eliminate fatigue, supports the immune system, improves muscle strength, and prevents anemia.

Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen.

The World Health Organization (WHO) statistics showed that anemia affects around 1.62 billion people worldwide.

Findings reported on Plos Journal, explained how researchers embarked on a study to uncover the impact of both low and high iron levels. They analyzed the role of iron in a variety of health conditions, using genetic and clinical data from about 500,000 people in the UK Biobank.

UK Biobank is a large long-term biobank study in the United Kingdom which is investigating the respective contributions of genetic predisposition and environmental exposure to the development of disease.

Dr Beben Benyamin, co-lead study author, a geneticist at the University of South Australia (UniSA) in Adelaide, explained that he and his colleagues used a statistical method called Mendelian randomisation that employs genetic data to better estimate the causal effect of iron status on 900 diseases and conditions.

He added that through this method, they found a link between excess iron and a reduced risk of high cholesterol.”

The positive effects of iron are well documented. Another study led by UniSA found that high iron levels protect against anemia and prevent high cholesterol.

“This could be significant given that raised cholesterol is a major factor in cardiovascular disease and stroke, causing around 2.6 million deaths each year according to the [WHO],” says DrBenyamin.

In contrast, not many studies have investigated the negative effects of excess iron, which can cause liver disease, heart problems, and sometimes diabetes. High iron levels may also lead to a higher risk of bacterial skin infections, such as cellulitis (a bacterial infection that affects the inner layers of the skin) and abscesses.

Previous research has shown that iron is an important nutrient for the survival and growth of bacteria, but this global study is the first to use large-scale population data to further investigate the link between high iron levels and bacterial skin infections.

Co-lead author Dipender Gill, from Imperial College London, added that this global study was able to “rapidly and efficiently determine the effect of genetically raised iron status on hundreds of clinically relevant outcomes using data that has already been captured.”

The study confirmed iron’s ability to protect against anemia, and it showed that this mineral may also reduce the risk of high cholesterol.

However, it also revealed that high iron levels can cause skin infections. Previous trials manipulated iron status in people with anemia, but to date, none of these studies focused on iron levels to manage skin infections or regulate cholesterol.

The researchers believe that they needed trial data before attempting iron manipulation for these conditions.