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Istheresomething magical about hot pep- pers? Recent research suggests that peo- ple who fre- quently like to eat spicy food may live longer, healthier lives. The sci- entists stud- ied nearly half a million Chinese adults for more than seven years (BMJ online, Aug. 4, 2015). The folks who ate dishes with fresh or dried chili peppers in them several times a week were 14 per- cent less likely to die dur- ing the study than those who hardly ever ate them. The investigators point out that capsaicin, the hot compound in chili peppers, has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cancer and fight in- flammation. Capsaicin also is an antioxidant and has antibacterial activity. The scientists suspect that eating chili-pepper- laced food might alter the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract. The ecol- ogy of these bacteria can affect diabetes, obesity and heart disease. They observe that fresh chili peppers also are a great source of vitamins C, A, B-6 and K, as well as potassium and capsaicin. Which of these nutrients might be contributing to the apparent health ben- efits is unknown, and the epidemiologists are careful to note that their study was not able to de- termine causation. In other words, while we know that people eating peppers live longer, it's not clear that it is their hot-pepper habit that is responsible. Nonetheless, many readers of this column have long been enthusi- astic about the benefits of capsaicin. This hot es- sence has a long history of use in liniments for sore joints, and the Food and Drug Administra- tion even approved a cap- saicin cream, Zostrix, to treat the painful rash due to shingles. One mother reported putting capsaicin to work against resistant plan- tar warts: "Our son suf- fered from plantar warts for more than eight years. After a long succession of procedures and med- ications, we were told to sprinkle cayenne pepper in his socks and have him sleep in them. We washed them each morning. After a week, the giant warts on his soles disappeared for good and have not re- turned." One unexpected use for hot peppers is to stop bad headaches. We have heard from many read- ers who find that sipping spicy soup at the first on- set of a migraine may be capable of averting it. One woman wrote: "My husband has been plagued with headaches from an early age, so we're always on the lookout for some- thing new. Although it is early in our trial of us- ing hot salsa with chips at the onset of a headache, it has definitely stopped two headaches that would have been doozies!" Another very surpris- ing medicinal use of hot peppers is to help ease heartburn. One indi- vidual wrote of a diffi- cult struggle getting off omeprazole for heart- burn: "Feeling discour- aged, I ate some jala- peno-topped snacks even though my doctor had warned me to avoid any- thing hot. My reflux is now kept in check by ja- lapenos every few days without needing any- thing else! The reflux pain only returns if I go a week without eating any jalapeños. It eases within an hour of eating them, and the relief lasts for several days." Hot peppers have long been popular in Latin America and Southeast Asia. They now are catch- ing on in the U.S. as well. The new research from China suggests that this may be a healthy trend. JoeGraedonisa pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Email them via their website: www.peoplespharmacy. com. PEOPLE'SPHARMACY There are some health benefits of hot peppers Joe+ Teresa Graedon By Zen Vuong zen.vuong@langnews.com @zenReport on Twitter LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab- oratory and Los Angeles' Skull Base Institute have collaborated to create per- haps the world's smallest 3-D camera — an endoscope that could be used in brain surgery and space explora- tion. Although an endoscope is meant to help visualize the interior of an organ or body part, the tiny device could also help NASA ex- amine inaccessible geolog- ical features, such as nar- row cracks in a planetary body, said Harish Mano- hara, principal investiga- tor of the special project at JPL. With a recent superbug scare at Huntington Memo- rial Hospital and outbreaks at UCLA and Cedar-Sinai Medical Centers, people are worried about exactly how safe endoscopes are, said Dr. Hrayr Shahinian, a surgeon and director of the Skull Base Institute. "It is imperative that these instruments are cor- rectly sterilized and are sterilizable because — es- pecially in brain surgery — you could have viruses similar to mad cow dis- ease," Shahinian said. "Hav- ing NASA on board is a big safety net for me because I know that it will be done right. We're not talking about a commercial entity that will try to cut corners or does not go through the FDA, as has been the case with some of these previous incidents." For the past eight years, NASA's JPL has been devel- oping a Multi-Angle Rear- Viewing Endoscopic TooL or MARVEL for the Skull Base Institute, which has li- censed technology from the California Institute of Tech- nology. The single-lens cam- era in the device is merely 0.4 of an inch in diameter and 0.6 of an inch long. The prototype includes a bend- able neck that could rotate 120 degrees. "This is the first of its kind," Shahinian said. "It is the smallest of its kind in the world as far as min- iaturization is concerned." Shahinian said he led a class of surgeons who moved away from open- skull surgery to endoscopic brain surgery in the mid- 1990s. The technology al- lowed for shorter, less in- vasive surgeries that re- quired smaller incisions and shorter hospitaliza- tion, he said. The tools pro- vided magnified images at a higher resolution and let surgeons maneuver into spots their hands and fin- gers usually don't have ac- cess to. The only disadvantage to endoscopic brain surgery is a loss of depth perception because imaging is two-di- mensional, Shahinian said. The endoscope that Skull Base Institute and JPL are developing is expected to solve a surgical dilemma. Stereo-imaging endo- scopes use two cameras, but brain surgery requires more miniaturization, so MARVEL uses a single-lens camera with two "pupils" in the back of the lens. Each iris transmits distinct wave- lengths only in red, green and blue using filters. Soft- ware merges the distinct color images, creating a 3-D image. JPL and the Skull Base Institute are working to- gether to build a clinical trial prototype. Completion of this third phase is about four years away, Manohara said. Thus far the prototype has been tested on walnuts, oranges and pomegranates, Shahinian said. The next prototype is expected to be sterilizable, more ergo- nomic, have a lower profile and provide better imaging, he added. MARVEL would not have made it this far with- out an incredible team pas- sionate about the possibil- ities of this device, Mano- hara said. "It is not part of a bud- geted mission," he said. "It's still considered exploratory work whose use and utility will become evident as we go into the future and more scenarios come up." SCIENCE Ti ny 3 -D c am er a be in g de ve lo pe d COURTESYOFNASA—JPL-CALTECH—SKULLBASEINSTITUTE A laboratory prototype of MARVEL, one of the world's smallest 3-D cameras. MARVEL is in the center foreground. On the display is a 3-D image of the interior of a walnut, taken by MARVEL previously, which has characteristics similar to that of a brain. Theendoscopic device could be used in brain surgery and space exploration COURTESY OF THE SKULL BASE INSTITUTE A prototype of the Multi Angle Rear Viewing Endoscopic tooL or MARVEL was built as a collaborative effort between NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Skull Base Institute. By Traci Lowenthal Special for Digital First Media I began getting calls in early July from families anxious about their chil- dren heading to college. For many, this connec- tion is paramount, if pro- fessional mental health services have been used and were beneficial for the student in recent years. For others, these calls can be more about the pa- rental anxiety than the student anxiety. As I have had many years experience working with college students and their parents, I wanted to share some thoughts and tips for coping. IT CAN BE TOUGH Many young people experience intense anxiety and uncer- tainty as they head to col- lege. The first weeks, and even the first semester for some students can be a very difficult transition. Increases in anxiety, stress and depression are all pos- sible experiences—espe- cially if those have been present at other times in your child's life. Make sure that you and your child are aware of resources on campus (student health service, counseling cen- ter, etc.). EXPECT TO STUMBLE This goes for you and your child! Your child is likely to make some mistakes as they are trying out their "sea legs" at school. Miss a deadline, do poorly on an exam, get a parking ticket. Remember to attempt to empower your child to make better choices in the future, rather than always rescuing them. Listen when they share their mis- takes; help them explore what they might do differ- ently next time. PRAISE When your child attempts to create the foundations of his new life (schedule, friends, deci- sions, etc), praise him for his efforts – even the ones that didn't work so well. Help him explore (rather than directing him) what works and what doesn't. Let him know you believe in him and his ability to figure things out. TAKE CARE OF YOU Em- brace this new chapter of your life too. If the college bound child creates more time in your schedule—fill that time with something you enjoy, a hobby or time with friends. A new exer- cise class might be just the thing that helps support your mood as you adjust as well. BE KIND With your- self and your child. You may both be irritable and stressed as the first few weeks unfold. Be kind and forgiving if this happens. Apologize when necessary and forgive easily. This time represents a mas- sive shift in your relation- ship and roles in life; to have a strong reaction is normal and expected. Re- member too that this time is rich with opportuni- ties for gratitude; you and your child have prepared and looked forward to this time for years! Enjoy the successes of having your child reach this important milestone! Dr. Traci Lowenthal is the owner of Creative Insights Counseling, a counseling agency in Redlands serving individuals, families, and couples. She can be reached at drlowenthal@mac.com or 909-240-7833. GUEST COLUMN Mental health when your child is college bound RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANTDENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 Askyourselfthefollowingquestions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. 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