Effects of BPA Could Last for Generations; Gross Smoking Labels Work

Discovered: BPA's effects will last generations, graphic smoking labels work, don't work out if you're depressed, and breast milk kills HIV.

Discovered: BPA's effects will last generations, graphic smoking labels work, don't work out if you're depressed, and breast milk kills HIV. 

• The toxic effects of BPA could last for generations. The dangerous effects of that just-as-bad as mercury chemical found in many plastics could last generations. Fun! "We have demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that BPA has trans-generational actions on social behavior and neural expression," explains researcher Emilie Rissman. Science has only confirmed this generational effect in mice. However, it still sounds pretty nasty. "Since exposure to BPA changes social interactions in mice at a dose within the reported human levels, it is possible that this compound has trans-generational actions on human behavior. If we banned BPA tomorrow, pulled all products with BPA in them, and cleaned up all landfills tomorrow it is possible, if the mice data generalize to humans, that we will still have effects of this compound for many generations," she continues. [Endocrinology]
• Those scary smoking labels work. Contradicting a study we heard about back when the FDA put out its offensive label, new science has found that those diseased mouths and lungs do work. "Based on this new research, we now have a better understanding of two important questions about how U.S. smokers view graphic warning labels: do smokers get the message and how do they get the message," explains researcher Andrew Strasser. Looking at 200 smokers, researchers found that those who saw text only warnings had a harder time recalling the dangers of smoking than those who saw the unappealing imagery. Makes sense to us, those labels sear the point into one's head. [American Journal of Preventative Medicine]
• Depressed? Don't work out. When you're feeling down does anyone ever tell you that working out will do you some good? Well, now you have a scientifically sanctioned reason to say no thanks. "Numerous studies have reported the positive effects of physical activity for people suffering with depression but our intervention was not an effective strategy for reducing symptoms," explains researcher Melanie Chalder. "Reducing depression more than is possible through usual care is clearly a huge challenge," she continues. Does not work! [BMJ]
• Breast milk kills HIV. This is some mystical power stuff here. "This study provides significant insight into the amazing ability of breast milk to destroy HIV and prevent its transmission," explains researcher J. Victor Garcia. This came from one of those mice studies, again, but science now knows that children can't get the disease from breastfeeding. T"hese results are highly significant because they show that breast milk can completely block oral transmission of both forms of HIV that are found in the breast milk of HIV-infected mothers: virus particles and virus-infected cells," added researcher Angela Wahl. "This refutes the 'Trojan horse' hypothesis which says that HIV in cells is more stubborn against the body's own innate defenses than HIV in virus particles." Even if it is just mice, sounds like good news to us. [University of North Carolina Health Care]