By Nanette Wiser
HERBALICIOUS
The Herbal Apothecary on Park Blvd. in Seminole tantalizes with potions, lotions, teas, candles, green tea and rose creams, lip butters, essential oils, sugar body scrubs, loofahs and soaps. Every month, they conduct classes in a lovely room that doubles as a haven for the stressed. You can learn about botanical printmaking, mindfulness and soap making at the in-store workshops. Their deep stress relief tea is just in time for the busy holiday season and includes a calming herbal blend of nervine adaptogenic herbs (passionflower, skullcap, lemon balm, lavender, and chamomile). One whiff of their Doterra lavender essential oil calms the spirit and the oil’s linalool soothes the GI tract, eases intestinal spasms, and prompts digestive enzyme release. The store celebrates one year in December. They are part of the outdoor market with vendors, free yoga 10-11am and live music noon-2pm in the parking lot (Market @ Crossroads). Get there early and grab breakfast in the same location at Clear Sky on Park @8am.
DRINK WISELY
Are women who drink sugar-sweetened beverages every day at greater risk of developing liver cancer and chronic liver disease? Yes, says a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The study looked at nearly 100,000 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative. Women in the study reported their daily soft drink and fruit drink consumption, not including fruit juice. After three years they also reported artificially sweetened drink consumption. They were followed for a median of more than two decades. Researchers looked at self-reported liver cancer incidence and death due to chronic liver disease, including fibrosis, cirrhosis, or chronic hepatitis. Results showed that 6.8% of women who participated in the study drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages every day. Of those women, 85% had a higher risk of liver cancer and a 68% higher risk of dying from chronic liver disease compared with those who had fewer than three sugar-sweetened beverages per month.
“One of the sugars that’s present is fructose, and that can be stored as fat in the liver,” said Dr. Gina DeNicola, interim chair of the Department of Metabolism and Physiology at Moffit Cancer Center. “That fat can cause a lot of inflammation and damage to the liver, which can lead to the risk of cancer formation.” Gut microbiome can also play a role in potentially developing liver disease. The bacteria in the gut can process that sugar, which makes the building blocks for fat. While this process doesn’t start in the liver, it can have an influence on the entire body, including liver function.