Prevention May 2022

I’d love to get you in on a big decision we make every month. We have to choose what’s going to be on the cover—a fun part of my job, but also a fairly complicated one. There are tons of questions I have to ask, such as: Which article will we highlight? What words will explain it best? What picture will grab your attention? Which combo will make you excited to read Prevention as soon as it gets delivered—or inspire you to buy it at the store? Above are three for this issue that didn’t end up making the big time. Creative Director Jarred Ford made these mock-ups after we’d done a lot of brainstorming with Visual Director Bruce Perez, but the three of us never make the final decision…

You might want to assess your summer wardrobe—it could help prevent you from being eaten by mosquitoes. Skeeters seem to be drawn to certain colors, found a new study in Nature Communications. When University of Washington researchers placed mosquitoes in a test chamber with a colored dot at the bottom and sprayed carbon dioxide inside (when we exhale, this is what attracts the buggers), they flew toward dots that were red, orange, black, or cyan (a teal-like shade) and ignored ones that were green, blue, purple, or white. When CO? wasn’t sprayed, the mosquitoes ignored all colors. Scientists say these findings could help develop better deterrent methods. But for now, it can’t hurt to use this info for your own protection and deck yourself out in hues that may keep…

Plenty of kids love sugary drinks, and they’re a big driver of childhood obesity—which can snowball and lead to the development of other health issues like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and more. One way to address the problem is to get parents to buy fewer beverages for their kiddos, and researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill think they may have discovered a tool that could help: adding pictures to labels. A lab was set up to resemble a convenience store, and a diverse group of parents of children ages 2 to 12 were invited to “shop” for a drink, a snack, and a household item. Some shoppers saw sugary drinks with pictorial warnings about type 2 diabetes and heart disease risk on…

Once shunned by skincare pros as too abrasive, cleansing bars are having a resurgence. The latest formulas are gentle, nourishing, and hailed for their sustainability, typically lasting longer than bottled cleansers and creating far less packaging waste. “In the past, soaps had high pH levels and were made with alkaline and harsh detergents that stripped skin of its healthy oils, leaving it dry, itchy, and irritated,” says Dendy Engelman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “Today’s bars have balanced pH and contain moisturizing oils and soothing extracts to cleanse without compromising the skin barrier.” (If you have dry or sensitive skin, stick with bars labeled “soap-free.”) For the face, Dr. Engelman recommends formulas with calming extracts like green tea, rose, and aloe vera plus hydrating oils such as…

There’s nothing wrong with a nice Netflix marathon, but make sure you get up and move while watching. Spending four or more hours a day in front of the television was associated with a 35% higher risk of blood clots compared with less than two and a half hours, says a new meta-analysis in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. And this was true independent of other factors such as age, sex, BMI, and physical activity. Being immobile for long periods impairs circulation and can cause blood to pool, say researchers, and you may also be likelier to snack unhealthily while lounging, which can lead to other issues (like weight gain) that increase your risk of clots. Try setting a “stand up” timer that goes off every 30 minutes, or…

Meet your new foodie obsessions: Shito sauce and pepper sauce from Ayo Foods, two traditional accompaniments in West African cuisines. Pepper sauce has a habanero kick with notes of tomato, ginger, and basil, and it pairs well with meat, seafood, or Puff Puff (a classic fried dough ball also available from Ayo). Shito sauce is smoky, spicy, and sweet with an umami vibe, and it’s super versatile—try it on eggs or grilled fish, with rice and beans, or for dunking your grilled cheese or veggie sticks. ($9, ayo-foods.com)…