Diet Rich in Vitamin C Reduces Diabetes Risk

Eating a diet rich in vitamin C may significantly reduce your risk of developing type-2 diabetes by as much as 62 percent.

The findings are based on a new Cambridge study, which also found that an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables helped lower the risk of diabetes by 22 percent.

The research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed 21,831 men and women for 12 years.

Chemical-Free, Nano-Free Sunscreen Recommendations

If you prefer to use a natural sunscreen this summer, but hate the chalky white coating many of the mineral-based ones leave on your skin, you'll be relieved to know that Natural Solutions did the research and came up with a list of safe, effective, non-Casperish (as in Casper the ghost) sunscreens.

Additionally, the seven chemical-free sunscreens that made the list do not contain questionable nanoparticles, according to their manufacturers. Currently, there are no regulations concerning nanoparticles, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in sunscreens and other skincare products. At the same time, there is growing concern about whether nanoized ingredients can penetrate the skin and cause damage.

So if you are heading to the beach, below are your best options for healthy sunscreen. They are listed from most absorbable to least.

UV Natural Sunscreen (5.29 oz, $33.50; uvnaturalusa.com). It has a 30+ SPF and it's active ingredient is zinc oxide. It was found to be highly absorbable, but a bit oily.

Lavera Family Sun Spray (6.6 oz., $26.50; lavera.com). This one was the editor's pick. It has an SPF of 15 and it also received the highest absorbability rating. It's active ingredient is titanium dioxide.

Lotus Moon Sage Sun Protective Creme (2 oz, $32; lotusmoon.biz). Made with both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It has an SPF of 25 and is easy to apply. It is pretty absorbable, but not as much as the two listed above.

Erbaviva Sunscreen (4 oz., $28; erbaviva.com). Has an SPF of 15 and is made with titanium dioxide. It is noted to have a fresh herbal scent. Ranked in the middle for absorbability.

Alba Botanica Fragrance Free Mineral Sunscreen(4 oz., $9.95; albabotanica.com). This one has an 18 SPF and is made with titanium dioxide. It's also middle of the road for absorbability.

Nature's Gate Mineral Sunblock (4 oz, $9.49; natures-gate.com). With an SPF of 20 this titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreen is one of the least absorbable on the least.

Jason SunBrellas Mineral Based Physical Sunblock (4 oz, $14; jason-natural.com). It has a higher SPF of 30 and contains both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Like Nature's Gate Mineral Sunblock, this one also has a poorer absorbability rating.

New Seals on Natural & Organic Bodycare Products

Ever wonder how pure, natural or organic your soap, shampoo and deodorant are? Sure their labels might proclaim in big, bold lettering natural, but then you read the ingredient lists and you can't pronounce half of what you read or have a clue if those chemicals are really safe.

Well, starting this summer, things are going to get a little easier for those in search of healthier personal care products.

If you shop at Whole Foods Market, you've already seen their Premium Body Care seal on 1,200 items sold in their stores. To qualify for the label, a product must contain "ingredients as close to nature and as minimally processed as possible" as well as have minor environmental impact. See wholefoodsmarket.com/wholebody.pbc for more information.

If you've been confused about what products are truly organic, the OASIS label is debuting this August to give some clarity on the claim. OASIS--which stands for Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards--is the first organic standard for the U.S. beauty and personal care market. It has the support of 30 founding members, including: Perfect Organics, Hain Celestial, Aveda, Juice Beauty, Buddha Nose, Origins, L'Oreal, Head Organics, Trillium Organics and Suki.

In order to qualify for the OASIS seal, a product must contain 85 percent certified organic ingredients (not including water and salt). For more information, visit: oasisseal.org

The Natural Products Association also has rolled out a seal, which covers products containing at least 95 percent natural ingredients. Additionally, in order to bear this seal, a product cannot contain any synthetic ingredients linked with any suspected health risks.

Companies participating in this certification, include: Burt's Bees, Aubry Organics, Badger, California Baby, Farmaesthetics, Trilogy and Weleda. Visit thenaturalseal.com for more information.

Drink White or Green Tea for Bone Health

More good news for tea drinkers. A recent study has found that drinking tea--especially white or green--is good for the bones.

The research, which was published in the Journal of American College of Nutrition, found that regular tea drinkers had higher bone density in their hips than non-tea drinkers.

Additionally, tea drinkers lost less bone-mineral density than nondrinkers.

Researchers believe that the potent antioxidants, called catechin polyphenols, found in tea are responsible for the bone-boosting benefits.

White tea has the highest catechin concentration, followed by green tea. Black tea has the least amount.

Photo Credit: David Wilmot (Wikipedia.org)

Omega-3s May Be A Good Weight Loss Aid

Here is some good news if you're trying to cut calories, but need help keeping hunger pains away. A new study has found that when overweight people supplement their restricted diet with omega-3 fatty acids, they feel fuller longer.

The research, published in the journal Appetite, compared two groups of overweight volunteers. While both groups were randomly assigned a calorie-restricted, balanced diet, one group was given 260 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day while the other groups was given 1300 mg.

The participants' appetites were tested during the last two weeks of the eight-week study. Researchers found that the group supplementing their diets with the higher dosage of omega-3s had fewer hunger sensations both immediately following a meal and two hours later.

"The most important finding of this study is that subjects who eat a dinner rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids feel less hunger and more full directly after and 2 hours after then their counterparts fed with the low long chain omega-3 fatty acids diet," wrote the authors. "This observation indicates that long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulate hunger signals."

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