| Lavender oil and tea tree oil may make boy's breasts bigger
A study published in this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that repeated topical use of products containing lavender oil and/or tea tree oil may cause prepubertal gynecomastia, a rare condition resulting in enlarged breast tissue in boys prior to puberty, and for which a cause is seldom identified. Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), confirmed in laboratory studies what a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Science Center's School of Medicine suspected after diagnosing three of his young male patients with prepubertal gynecomastia. The researchers found an association between the use of products containing these oils and the rare disorder, but cautioned more research is needed.
Turkey's exotic call: Eurasian flavorings influence culture mix
Next time in Istanbul, I'm hiring the Screaming Shopper. It was a hot July day when I was cooling my heels in the hotel bar waiting for friends. But the party had to wait until Joe and Mary Lou Rimsky finished their four-hour shopping blitz at the Grand Bazaar. This was no small venture. The Rimskys were prowling for three new Turkish rugs for their Cincinnati home. Shopping for Turkish rugs is a complex ritual of tea-drinking and rug-unfurling, so the thought of scoring three in a matter of hours boggles the mind. The Grand Bazaar boggles the eyes, the ears and the mind, with more than 4,000 shops spread over 61 streets under one roof. It's fascinating and confounding, with pulsating colors and beckoning vendors. Please, have a cup of tea and see our rugs.
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