The labels may sport bubbling springs, mountain glaciers, and tropical oases, but if you’ve ever thought your bottled water tasted suspiciously like the H2O dripping out of your faucet, you may not be far off the mark. New research from Consumer Reports finds that 47 percent of bottled water sold in the U.S. comes from tap water that’s been purified. Then there are the tricky terms like “artesian,” “distilled,” and “spring” that manufacturers use to define their product. Check out this guide that shows where the most popular brands are sourced. Is Your Makeup Counter Making You Sick? [ABC] Think about your favorite makeup counter. No, not all the eyeliners and alluring shades of lip gloss, but what’s hiding under the sheen. A test by Good Morning America revealed that about 20% of makeup at store counters contained significant amounts of yeast, mold, and fecal matter. As gross as that may be, it’s actually not too harmful, experts say—just keep any makeup far away from your face, testing colors on hands instead. The Long-Term Effects of Loneliness [Time Healthland]There’s no question that loneliness affects quality of life—but it may actually shorten your life, according to a new study. Harvard Medical School researchers followed thousands of people who had heart disease or were at high risk over four years. Not only did they find that those who lived alone were more likely to die of heart-related problems, but participants who reported feeling lonely were 45% more likely to die by the end of the study than the happier subjects. Interestingly, increased risk of death due to loneliness was highest among the youngest group, ages 45-65. One theory posits that living solo is much more rare for middle-aged people than for the elderly, leading to greater depression and solitude. For Exercise, The Feeling Outweighs the Benefits [New York Times] We all know those people: the ones who get a serious high from working out, who say they’re just addicted to it. And after we feel like killing them, we wonder why we can’t get the same rush from breaking a sweat. Not much research exists on why some people keep exercising at all costs while others are quick to lose motivation, but some experts now assert it’s the addictive emotional high, rather than the thought of health benefits, that keeps people coming back to the gym—and that some of us may be more biologically inclined to those positive feelings than others. Relief from Recurring UTIs [Newswise]If you’ve ever been frustrated by a urinary tract infection that just…won’t…go…away, better treatments may be on the horizon. A Washington University study found that the bacteria that cause UTIs appear to interfere with a cellular waste process in the body, which allows them to hide in cells instead of being removed along with other harmful invaders. When this cellular disposal system was disabled in mice, the infected critters had a much easier time keeping UTIs at bay. The discovery may help researchers understand other diseases that exploit the body’s systems and find new methods of treatment.
