13 Protein-Packed Foods to Build On

You’ve heard you need to have a sufficient amount of protein, but why exactly? Well, as WebMD points out, there are many ways your body uses protein – so it’s quite important you get healthy doses of it on the regular. Sources note that you should be getting around 50-grams of protein per day (slightly more for men than women).

Not only does your body use protein to build and repair tissues, it’s also an “important building block” of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and even blood, adds the source. Unlike some vitamins and nutrients, you actually need quite a bit of protein for optimal health – so without eating more, let’s look at 13 foods (meat and veggie) that will deliver a bigger protein punch…

1. An Eggcellent Source

Pardon the pun, but if you don’t have an aversion (or allergy) to eggs, then you should consider adding it to your diet if you haven’t already. Healthline.com notes whole eggs – meaning the egg whites and the yolk – are considered “superfoods,” meaning you’ll get protein along with a lot of other good stuff.

The source says an a single hard-boiled egg contains 6-grams of protein, 5-grams of healthy fats, along with vitamins A, B5, B12, B2, B6, D, E, K, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and selenium. Hard to find another food that has this much nutritional value… although the yolks are high in cholesterol.

2. Protein-y Pistachios

Women’s Health touts these tasty nuts with having an especially high content of protein – to be more specific, it says 30-nuts contain 3-grams of it. Without saying as much, we’re assuming 30-at a time is a healthy snack-sized portion.

While relatively high in protein, 30-nuts contain just 100-calories and 5-grams of carbohydrates, so it’ll satisfy your hunger cravings and “won’t break the calorie or carb bank,” adds the source. Because of this, this nut may help in your weight-loss efforts, it adds.

3. Avocados are Ace

The younger generations have faced some criticism recently for their love of avocado on toast, noting it’s not the best use of money if they’re aiming to buy real estate. However, young people have defended their avocados, and we defend these spreadable fruits too.

It’s not anything about the hip-ness of eating avocado toast at a fancy brunch spot – which is all fine and dandy, if that’s what you’re going for. Our reason to support the avocado is the healthy content – including the fact it’s 2-percent protein. It’s also low in sugars (glucose and fructose) compared to other fruits, as well as being a good source of fiber and healthy fats (mainly something called oleic acid) which MedicalNewsToday says may help protect against heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.

4. Lean and Mean Proteins

The white meat of chicken and turkey is a source of “excellent, lean protein,” notes WebMD. This doesn’t mean the delicious dark meat of these birds aren’t delivering protein – it means dark meat is a “little higher” in fat, it adds. How much protein does a chicken breast have, for example? Sources pin it at around 31-grams per 100-grams of meat.

WebMD also explains that the skin of chicken and turkey is loaded with saturated fat, which is not 1-of the “good” fats. Remove the skin before cooking, it suggests. Keep in mind you’ll also lose some protein content with the skin, but it’s still a sufficient amount without it. Oh – and it’s not just poultry that can be lean meat. There is such thing as lean beef, lamb and pork.

5. It’s in The Butter

Peanut butter, that is. Apparently this spreadable edible made from peanuts is such a rich source of protein that it regularly gets mentioned in bodybuilding forums, and BodyBuilding.com calls it a “super sports food.”

The source touts peanut butter for its ability to help you feel full, its heart-healthy benefits, and of course, it’s protein content. The website notes that 2-tablespoons of peanut butter, which is “the amount in an average sandwich,” provides 7-grams of it. Of course, not all peanut butters are made the same – there are “natural” varieties that don’t have the same levels of sugars, corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (or none at all).

6. Joy of Almonds

A handful of almonds rivals the amount of protein you’ll get from a lean cut of meat. SFGate.com explains that just 1-almond contains 0.25-grams of protein, so a fistful of 10-almonds is good for 2.5-grams.

The source goes on to say that a normal snack portion of almonds is about 1-ounce (or 23-almonds), which is around 6-grams of protein. Most of the fat content in almonds is unsaturated fat, which is actually heart-healthy, and there are many vitamins and trace elements in there as well, it adds.

7. Add Some Edamame

This soybean is sometimes brought at the beginning of a meal, but of course can be eaten on its own as a snack. Unlike some other plant-based proteins, Livestrong.com calls it a “complete protein” because it contains all 9-essential amino acids.

The source says that this green bean is ideal if you’re a vegetarian looking to pack some protein back into your diet. It’s also cholesterol free and is low in saturated fat, while being high in dietary fiber and Vitamin C. And they taste pretty good. What’s not to like?

8. Think Like the Greeks

Apparently Greek yogurt has more benefits than “regular” yogurt, but neither is going to harm your diet. Greek yogurt has been strained to remove a lot of the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar, and has roughly double the protein of traditional yogurts, according to an article from U.S. News.

The source says the high protein content of the Greek yogurt variety has 15 to 20-grams of protein per 6-ounce serving, which is the equivalent of about 3-ounces of lean meat and helps promote a feeling of fullness. “Regular” yogurt has around 9-grams of protein for the same serving size, it adds.

9. Fishing for Protein

Those gilled creatures from the sea are brimming with protein. Men’s Fitness has a list of the 10-best fish proteins, with salmon high on the list – not only does it pack healthy fats and high levels of B vitamins, it also “is hands down one of the best proteins you can add to your diet.”

Other healthy sources of fish protein according to the source are trout (40-grams per 6-ounce serving), sardines, tuna, mackerel, cod, haddock, flounder, perch, and halibut, the latter which weighs in at 36-grams of protein per 6-ounces.

10. Say Cheese More Often

While not suitable for all diets, cheese is an especially high source of protein – some types more than others, as noted by SFGate. It notes that the cheeses with the lower moisture content (that is, the harder cheeses) will deliver more protein than the soft varieties.

That being said, Parmesan has the highest protein content (10-grams per 1-ounce) and can be grated. The source says most other cheese have around 6 to 7-ounces of protein per ounce, including cheddar, Brie, blue cheese and mozzarella. Spreadable soft cheese has the lowest protein content (less than 3-grams per ounce), says SFGate.

11. Beans for Proteins

Good ol’ beans you might have been eating all along are actually boosting your protein content significantly. Livestrong.com has a list of particular beans that are especially high in protein content.

Among those beans are soybeans (we already mentioned edamame in the green soy variety), but yellow soybeans also pack a healthy protein punch. Other high sources include navy beans (15.8-grams of protein per 1-cup serving), black beans (15.2-grams per 1-cup), and pinto beans (14-grams per 1-cup), says the source. Lentils are part of the legume family that beans are included in, and (uncooked) lentils have about 50-grams of protein per 1-cup, according to the USDA.

12. Tofu it Up

Tofu is a soybean product, and we’ve already told you that soybeans are pretty heavy on the proteins. So it’s no surprise that Bodybuilding.com lists tofu among its top 40-protein sources.

The source says that tofu delivers about 12-grams of protein per 3-ounce serving, and that tofu works well in a stir-fry, or even on the grill “to infuse them with some smoky flavor.” You can use tofu as a substitute for protein powder in smoothies, it adds.

13. Meet The Quinoa Quota

The same source says this ever-increasingly popular side dish – which is “technically a seed” but is often used in place of rice – packs about 8-grams of protein per 1-cup serving.

It says that as far as whole grains are concerned, quinoa “is a rarity in that it contains a full arsenal of essential amino acids, meaning that it’s a complete protein with muscle-building potential.” You can enhance its flavor by toasting it in a dry skillet before simmering in water, it adds.

14 Health Facts About Borderline Personality Disorder

Those with borderline personality disorder (BPD) don’t always feel like themselves – literally. Those with this mental illness don’t have a firm grasp of who they are and what they represent – so they may seem like a different person from one day to the next to outsiders.

Unsurprisingly, a person with borderline personality disorder will go through a range of emotions that can change very quickly – within a few hours. It can be difficult for loved ones to deal with as well as the patient, so let’s take a closer look at 14 facts about borderline personality disorder…

1. What Is It?

The National Institute of Mental Health classifies BPD as a mental illness “marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior.”

This condition can also affect how a person sees their place in the world and their role, according to the source. “As a result, their interests and values can change quickly,” it adds. This can result in the individual making impulsive decisions.

2. The Telltale Symptoms

The same source stresses that not all people diagnosed with this disorder will experience the same symptoms, but there are dominant markers to look out for. The biggest indicators are (sometimes sudden) mood swings, as well viewing life “in extremes, such as all good or all bad,” notes the Institute of Mental Health.

Other symptoms include real or imagined feelings of abandonment, unstable self-image, possible self-harming, impulsive and sometimes dangerous behaviors (such as spending sprees or reckless driving), feelings of emptiness, non-triggered feelings of anger, and difficulty forming trust and maintaining relationships to those close to them, adds the source.

3. Pathological Symptoms

While symptoms of BPD can range in intensity from 1-patient to the next, there are certain symptoms that may stand out more as a result of the mental illness, notes MedicalNewsToday.com.

As mentioned before, individuals with this disorder will have highly volatile emotions, but can also be anxious, have high levels of separation anxiety, and display signs of depression, adds the source. There can also be risk-taking behaviors and unwarranted hostility, it adds.

4. There are Risk Factors

The National Institute of Mental Health says there are certain factors that can raise the risk of a person developing BPD, even though the main cause “is not yet clear.” However, it points to research that suggests “genetics, brain structure and function, and environmental, cultural, and social factors play a role.”

More specifically, the Institute explains that if you have a close family member – meaning a parent or sibling – who has this disorder, you may be at higher risk. Regarding structural differences the brain, studies have shown this disorder affects the areas that control emotions and “emotional regulation,” notes the source. Traumatic life events, including being abused or being abandoned, can also play a role.

5. Other Possible Causes

The Mayo Clinic backs up what the National Institute of Mental Health has to say about the risk factors, specifically genetics and brain abnormalities. It goes a bit further by noting those with the disorder may have mood-related neurotransmitters such as serotonin that are not functioning as they should.

The Mayo Clinic says while a stressful childhood could lead to this disorder due to unstable or abusive caregiver relationships, the personality of the patient could play a role – if a person already has increased aggressiveness or impulsiveness, it’s not a big of a leap to BPD, it adds.

6. Negative Outcomes

The Mayo Clinic says there could be a number of consequences to having BPD that can “damage many areas of your life,” both personally and professionally.

For example, those with the disorder may change jobs frequently or lose their position, have trouble completing their education, end up in legal hot water, have complicated or conflict-filled relationships, engage in self-harming, or wind up with unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases (due to impulsive intercourse), it explains.

7. How Does a Doctor Diagnose It?

The NEA-BPD organization outlines the diagnostic criteria for the disorder, noting a diagnosis is based on 5-or more personality traits that indicate a “pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships” and “marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood.”

The 9-signs signs medical professionals look for (based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) include fear of abandonment, unstable/changing relationships, unstable self-image, impulsive or self-damaging behaviors, suicidal behavior, random mood swings, feelings of worthlessness/sadness, anger issues, and stress-related paranoia, says the source.

8. It’s Not The Same as Multiple Personality Disorder

While someone with BPD can seem different from 1-day to the next, and even seem to become a different person within a few hours – it’s not to be confused with Dissociative identity disorder (DID), which was once commonly referred to as multiple personality disorder, notes VeryWellMind.com.

While there are similar possible triggers and overlapping symptoms, “Over time, chronic dissociation leads to the formation of different identities,” it explains. That suggests something beyond a severe mood swing – a person with DID has multiple personalities (at least 2) that are distinctly different. However, it is possible for a patient to be diagnosed with both disorders, says VeryWell.

9. The Outlook is Brighter

The National Institute of Mental Health explains that although BPD has “historically been viewed as difficult to treat,” there’s newer, “evidence-based treatment” that can improve the outcome for many patients.

The source notes that in order to reap the benefits of treatment, someone who is trained in the particular field should deliver it. The time it takes for measured benefits of treatment may vary from patient to patient, so it’s important for those afflicted and their caregivers to be patient, it adds.

10. Psychotherapy Can Help

Looking closer at particular treatments, the Institute notes that psychotherapy can be very helpful for BPD patients – in fact, it is the “first-line treatment” before medications and other methods, it adds.

Psychotherapy is 1-on-1 or group therapy that can help patients better understand what they’re dealing with, how to improve interpersonal relationships, and how to better express themselves (in healthy ways), it adds. The source says it’s important for the therapist to build trust, as the very nature of the mental illness can make it difficult to form a bond with the patient.

11. Directions of Psychotherapy

The Mayo Clinic details different types of psychotherapy that may be more efficient for particular patients depending on their needs. For example, it talks about Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which is designed specifically for BPD and “uses a skills-based approach to teach you how to manage your emotions, tolerate distress and improve relationships,” says the source.

There’s also Schema-focused therapy, which can help you “identify unmet needs that have led to negative life patterns,” and Mentalization-based therapy (MBT), which “helps you identify your own thoughts and feelings at any given moment and create an alternate perspective on the situation,” explains the clinic. Other types of therapy that have yielded results include Transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) that help you understand your emotions and manage interpersonal difficulties “through the developing relationship between you and your therapist,” and STEPPS, which is a 20-week program that brings caregivers into the mix. This particular approach is used in combination with other therapies, it adds.

12. Medications for Management

NEA-BPD notes that medications are by no mean a cure for BPD, but can help patients manage the symptoms of the condition including depression, impulsivity, and anxiety. “Often patients are treated with several medications, but there is little evidence that this approach is necessary or effective,” it notes.

While medication shouldn’t be ruled out, it’s important for the patient to talk to their doctor to understand why they’re taking each medication and what the possible side effects are, it adds.

13. How Patients Can Help Themselves

The same source says while medical help is important, there are certain things a BPD patient can practice to improve their outlook. These include getting regular exercise and adequate sleep.

Other positive self-care approaches include eating nutritious food, learning effective stress management, and taking any medications as prescribed. These can all further reduce the symptoms, it adds.

14. What Family and Friends Can Do

Those with any kind of mental illness can benefit from the attention and care of those around them, especially those in close contact they see on a daily or regular basis. “Accepting that a loved one has a personality disorder can be hard. You may feel helpless. But there are things you can do to help,” assures WebMD.

The source suggests learning as much as you can about the illness while showing love to the patient (which may not be easy if they’re lashing out – remember it’s likely the illness causing that behavior). You can also help by recognizing if the patient has become suicidal or violent, and calling for professional assistance. Remember to take care of yourself too by joining local support organizations if available in your area.

A Whole Food Diet is Better than Cutting Calories for Weight Loss

It’s a great day for naturally-minded nutritionists everywhere. That’s because the long-standing myth that all calories are equal and that you simply have to cut calories if you want to lose weight has just been proven wrong.

A new study published in the American Medical Association’s own online journal JAMA Network, found that people who cut back on sugar, refined grains and processed foods in favor of eating more fruits and vegetables and other whole foods lost significantly more weight than those who cut portion size or reduced their calorie intake. 

The results fly in the face of much of the weight loss advice offered by so many companies and health professionals who continue to tout the myth that the only thing that actually matters when it comes to weight loss is reducing calories and meal portion sizes. And, if you’re saying, “well, my parents were overweight, my grandparents were overweight, so I’m just overweight because of bad genes” you’ll need to rethink that belief too. The new study found that eating the higher quality food with less junk and more whole foods and fruits and vegetables worked regardless of genetics.

“I just can’t handle carbs, that’s the reason I’m overweight” you may be scoffing. And perhaps you can’t. But, the scientists who conducted the JAMA study found that the results were the same independent of peoples’ insulin response to their diet. The body (actually, the pancreas which is a long-thin organ that sits below your ribcage on the left side of your body) secretes insulin in response to blood sugar levels, which usually increase based on eating carbohydrates. In other words, by reducing the harmful foods in favor of eating nutritionally superior ones, people lost more weight, regardless of how their body responds to carbs, whatever their genetic makeup and even over those who cut calories or meal portion sizes.

So it turns out when it comes to eating for weight loss, size doesn’t matter—portion size that is. Eating for a healthy weight depends on quality over quantity. In other words, if you are choosing whether to eat that 540 calorie Big Mac or a brown rice bowl complete with roasted sweet potatoes and red peppers, spicy chickpeas, a sprinkling of pine nuts and pumpkin seeds, and topped with a garlic-tahini sauce which also totals 540 calories, opt for the rice bowl full of nutritious ingredients. Not only will it taste great and help you lose weight, it will also help keep you regular (a Big Mac has a measly 3 grams of fiber which really won’t make a dent in the 35 grams most people need every day to stay regular).

Additionally, the rice bowl would be packed with important anti-inflammatory Omega 3s, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and many of the other nutrients that are needed for great health. Conversely, the Big Mac contains trans fat which is a known contributor to heart disease, inflammation and cancer. It yields less than 2 percent of your daily vitamin C requirements needed to keep your immune system strong and your energy levels high. And, it contains a whopping 950 mg of sodium, which is about two-thirds of the maximum amount you should be getting each day. And, you may recall from my earlier blogs that high amounts of dietary sodium has been linked to brain damage and impairment of gut bacteria.

I’m sure more than a few diet coaches and weight loss centers will be flailing to disprove the study results uncovered by the eight PhDs and medical doctors from Stanford University, but let’s hope they’ll do the right thing by encouraging healthy eating rather than the starvation tactics that are a part of most weight loss regimes. Because when it comes to losing weight, the best food is packed full of nutrients, not small in portion or calories.

6 Surprising Things That Happen to Your Body After You Overeat

We all know the long-term effects of overeating, such as weight gain, diabetes, and shorter lifespan. However, do you know what happens to your body immediately after overeating?

It’s okay to occasionally overeat during the holidays and special occasions. But doing it every other day can add inches to your waistline and ruin your health. If you struggle with overeating, I encourage you to talk to a therapist or a doctor who deals eating disorders. You may also want to use these tricks to overcome overeating.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU OVEREAT

1. Blood sugar levels skyrocket.

Most people assume that only carbs raise blood sugar levels. The truth is all foods raises your blood sugar. However, processed and simple carbs cause the highest spikes. When we overeat, our blood sugar levels rise. This forces the body to produce lots of insulin in order to transfer the blood sugar into the liver, muscles and fat cells.

If you overeat regularly, your blood sugar levels will always be elevated, which can increase risk of diabetes. Additionally, your cells may become less responsive to insulin, which may also cause diabetes. 

2. Metabolism rises.

This is a good thing, right? Not really. The increase in metabolism from overeating doesn’t aid weight loss. Your metabolism will only increase in an attempt to burn off the excess calories you’ve consumed. It will drop back to normal soon after the food is digested.

3. Belly gets bloated.

We swallow air as we eat food, and the more food we eat, the more air we swallow. Once this air gets into the digestive tract, it forces the stomach to expand, which makes us feel bloated. Many people who overeat also drink carbonated drinks and this worsens the bloating.

4. Overeating may trigger heartburn.

When we overeat, the esophagus (the tube that passes food from the mouth into the stomach) doesn’t close. As a result, stomach juices and food can move up your esophagus and cause heartburn.

Note that foods that take longer to digest – such as potato chips and other fried foods – are more likely to cause heartburn.

5. Nausea kicks in.

You may start to feel nauseous after overeating. When you overeat, the body produces more leptin (the satiety hormone) than normal, and this may leave you feeling nauseated.

It’s worth mentioning that overeating regularly can cause leptin resistance, which makes it harder to recognize when you’re full.

6. Your organs are overworked.

Our organs have to work harder than normal when we overeat. The pancreas has to produce more insulin, the liver has to process more glucose, and the stomach has to produce extra digestive enzymes.

Overworking these organs can cause tiredness and fatigue. This is one of the reasons we feel sleepy after overeating.

China's hi-tech military technology has a new enemy: Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have killed more humans than all wars combined. Now, China has declared war!

China's rise as a major military force in the world and the country's focus on modernising its hardware has been widely seen with caution by other countries. Beijing's rapid militarisation though should also alarm a highly unlikely foe - mosquitoes!

The country has declared war on swarms of mosquitoes with South China Morning Post reporting that a cutting-edge military grade radar is being developed to combat the menace. A defence laboratory in Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) is working on a prototype that promises to detect the flapping of a single mosquitoe in a radius of 2 kilometres. It sends out rapid pulses of electro-magnetic waves and when they 'hit' even a single mosquitoe, they bounce back with all the information about its target - species, gender, flying speed and direction.

Science fiction? Not quite.
The technology being used is similar to one used in missile detection system. For mosquitoes though, it is being magnified exponentially. Health experts say that the technology could be a game changer in the war against mosquitoes - carriers of several deadly viruses around the world. Detection, control and prevention of mosquitoe outbreak are the prime focus areas of the radar-in-development.

In a world where mosquitoes have killed more humans than all wars combined, China's latest experiment has already received close to US$12.9 million. 

NASA astronauts successfully complete 209th spacewalk outside space station

Expedition 55 Flight Engineers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA successfully completed the fourth spacewalk of the year outside the International Space Station on Thursday, March 29.

Expedition 55 Flight Engineers Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel of NASA successfully completed the fourth spacewalk of the year outside the International Space Station on Thursday, March 29.

The two astronauts began their spacewalk at 9:33 a.m. EDT, about an hour behind schedule, lasting 6 hours, 10 minutes.

The duo installed wireless communications equipment on the station’s Tranquility module to enhance payload data processing for the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) experiment being flown to the station on a future SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. They replaced high-definition video cameras on the port truss of the station’s backbone and remove aging hoses from a cooling component on the station’s truss.
This happens to be the 209th spacewalk in support of International Space Station assembly, maintenance and upgrades. It was seventh spacewalk for Feustel and the third for Arnold.

The astronauts are recent additions to the crew of the orbiting space station, arriving on March 23 with Russian crewmate Oleg Artemyev aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 54 days and 10 hours working outside the station in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory.

The Best Way to Get Vitamin D: Sun, Supplements, or Salons?

If one is going to make an evolutionary argument for what a “natural” vitamin D level may be, how about getting vitamin D in the way nature intended—that is, from the sun instead of supplements?

Though supplements may only cost about 10 dollars a year, sunlight is free. We never have to worry about getting too much vitamin D from sunlight, since our body has a way to regulate production in the skin, so if we get our D from the sun, we don’t have to trust poorly regulated supplement companies not to mislabel their products. Indeed, only about half the supplement brands that researchers tested came within 10 percent of their labeled amount.

Sunlight may also have benefits beyond vitamin D, such as how our body may use the sun’s near-infra-red rays that penetrate our skin to activate chlorophyll by-products in our bloodstream to make Co-Q10.  

There’s another way our body appears to use the sun’s rays to maximize the effects of the greens we eat: Within 30 minutes of exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight, we can get a significant drop in blood pressure and improvement in artery function, thanks to a burst of nitric oxide-releasing compounds that flow into our bloodstream. We can even measure the nitric oxide gas coming straight off our skin. Of course, we have to eat greens or beets in the first place, but that combo of greens and sunlight may help explainsome of the protection that plant-based eaters experience.

Morning sun exposure may help those with seasonal affective disorder, as well as improve the mood of wheelchair-bound nursing home residents. Underexposure to daytime sunlight may affect our melatonin levels, which don’t only regulate our circadian rhythms but may also be helpful in the prevention of cancer and other diseases. Older men and women getting two hours of outside light during the day appear to secrete 13 percent more melatonin at night, though we’re not sure what, if any, clinical significance this has. 

The downsides of sun exposure include increased risk of cataracts (which can be minimized by wearing a brimmed hat and sunglasses), and of course, skin cancer.

Medical authorities from the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, to the Surgeon General warn about excess sun exposure and for good reason, given the millions of skin cancers and thousands of deaths diagnosed every year in the United States alone.

The UV rays in sunlight are considered a complete carcinogen, meaning they can not only initiate cancer, but promote its progression and spread. Melanoma is the scariest, which “makes the rising incidence of melanoma in young women particularly alarming.” This increase has been blamed on the increased usage of tanning salons. Tanning beds and UV rays in general are considered class 1 carcinogens, like processed meat, accounting for as many as three quarters of melanoma cases among young people and six times the risk of melanoma for those who visited tanning salons ten or more times before the age of 30.

The tanning industry is big business, bringing in billions of dollars. There may be more tanning salons than there are Starbucks, and they use those dollars like the tobacco industry: to downplay the risks of their products. Laws are being passed to regulatetanning salons, from complete prohibitions, like in the country of Brazil, to age restrictions for minors.

Studies show that tanning salons even have addictive properties, which add to their danger. Harvard researchers suggest that we should “view recreational tanning and opioid drug abuse as engaging in the same biological pathway.” But there’s a reason sun exposure feels good. Sunlight is the primary natural source of vitamin D, and, evolutionarily, it’s more important, in terms of passing along our genes, not to die of rickets in childhood. Unlike natural sunlight, tanning bed lights emit mostly UVA, which is the worst of both worlds: cancer risk with no vitamin D production. The small amount of UVB many tanning beds do emit, however, may be enough to raise vitamin D levels.

Is there a way to raise D levels without risking skin cancer? Yes: vitamin D supplements.