Health briefs: Belly fat and circulation

Using either a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet to shed belly fat can improve blood vessel function, researchers at Johns Hopkins say. The study included 60 women and men who weighed 215 pounds on average and were assigned to either low-carb or low-fat diets that provided a similar amount of calories each day. The participants also did moderate exercise. During the study, people on the low-carb diet lost an average of 28.9 pounds and those on the low-fat diet lost an average of 18.7 pounds. The more belly fat a person lost, the better their arteries were able to expand when necessary, allowing blood to flow more freely.

No cancer from deodorants

Rumors that antiperspirants and deodorants cause breast cancer are largely unsubstantiated. Most good studies over the years have not found a link. One concern has been that paraben preservatives in antiperspirants and deodorants could migrate into breast tissue and cause cancer. However, a new English study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology found that woman who never used these products had similar levels of paraben residues in their breast tissue as users. Parabens are added to many cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food products, and have been detected in nearly all human blood and urine samples. It's thought that parabens may increase cancer risk because of their weak estrogenic activity, but so far there has been no convincing evidence to support this claim.

-- HealthDay