Bad Seasonings: Your Spice Jars Are Likely Harboring Germs

The Washington Post: The Most Contaminated Things In Your Kitchen Might Be Your Spice Jars 
If you had to guess the germiest spot in your kitchen, you might think of the refrigerator handle, the cutting board or maybe the inside of your sink. But a new study shows that icky bacteria could be more likely to be lurking in an unexpected spot: your spice drawer. Researchers in a recent study commissioned by the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service examined how people preparing turkey burgers cross-contaminated various surfaces in a kitchen. (Heil, 1/17)

In other health and wellness news —

The Washington Post: Do Mocktails Really Help You Drink Less Alcohol? 
For people who have moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD), defined by the National Institutes of Health as the inability “to stop or control alcohol use” despite the consequences, these nonalcoholic drinks are generally discouraged because they might actually create a craving for alcohol, not cut it. “It really is, basically, a no,” said George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The cues created by a mocktail can “trigger relapse and re-engagement in excessive drinking.” (Amenabar, 1/17)

ABC News: Reducing Overall Calories May Promote Weight Loss More Effectively Than Intermittent Fasting, AHA Study Finds
Researchers at three major health care systems -- Johns Hopkins Health System, Geisinger Health System and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center -- studied weight trends, daily food intake and sleeping/eating time intervals charted in a mobile app over the course of six months for 547 adult men and women with a range of medical conditions and Body Mass Index (BMI) categories. (Miao, 1/18)

CBS News: MSG: Chefs On Why The Controversial Seasoning Is Making A Comeback
While it is associated with being found in Asian dishes, it is also a common ingredient in American foods. It also occurs naturally in foods such as tomatoes and cheese, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The safety of MSG first came into question in 1968 when a doctor wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," said chef and author J. Kenji López-Alt. The study was not based on science but on symptoms, Alt said, and soon started an MSG backlash. (George and Novak, 1/17)

Fox News: Care About Your Heart? Try Getting Better Sleep, New Study Suggests
A group of researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health evaluated the American Heart Association’s recently expanded metric — which now includes sleep as it relates to cardiovascular disease risk. The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association provided evidence that sleep plays an important role when it comes to heart health. (McGorry, 1/17)

Axios: Axios Finish Line: How Clutter Pollutes Your Mind
Clutter in our homes, offices and cars is something many of us are drowning in — but clearing it out can seem like a gargantuan task. A messy environment infects the mind. It can make us anxious and hurt our ability to relax, focus or sleep. (Pandey, 1/17)

KHN: After A Brief Pandemic Reprieve, Rural Workers Return To Life Without Paid Leave
When Ruby B. Sutton found out she was pregnant in late 2021, it was hard to envision how her full-time job would fit with having a newborn at home. She faced a three-hour round-trip commute to the mine site where she worked as an environmental engineer, 12-plus-hour workdays, expensive child care, and her desire to be present with her newborn. Sutton, 32, said the minimal paid maternity leave that her employer offered didn’t seem like enough time for her body to heal from giving birth or to bond with her firstborn. Those concerns were magnified when she needed an emergency cesarean section. (Orozco Rodriguez, 1/18)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Study Links Urban Pollution To More Asthma Attacks In Children
Urban air quality poses a major threat to asthma sufferers, according to a study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The study, which involved two groups of roughly 200 children, confirmed a long-standing theory associating higher levels of air pollution in low-income urban environments with an increased risk of asthma attacks. (Shelbourne, 1/17)

Also —

The Hill: The Best Place To Hide During A Nuclear Blast 
Those in the vicinity of a nuclear blast are unlikely to survive, though researchers have some advice for people in farther-away areas: stay out of the hallway. In a study published in Physics of Fluids, scientists simulated an atomic bomb explosion to determine the best and worst places to be in a concrete-reinforced building during such an event. The safest place: the corners of a room, author Ioannis Kokkinakis of Cyprus’ University of Nicosia said in a statement. (Elbein and Udasin, 1/17)