The Healthiest Ways to Watch TV

How can honey, black pepper, and egg shells help you?

(NEWSER) - Need to disinfect a wound? Use honey, not hydrogen peroxide. While hydrogen peroxide can prevent healing, honey is a good alternative because it's quite antibacterial. That's just one of the weird health tips rounded Listverse:

• To stop bleeding: Clean your cut, then sprinkle black pepper on it and apply pressure. Nope, it won't sting, but pepper has antiseptic, analgesic, and antibacterial properties.
• To lower your cholesterol: Take Metamucil—one study found it will work to decrease bad cholesterol, at least in men. Bonus: It also helps to lower blood sugar and blood pressure.

NY company recalls more than 500K pounds

(NEWSER) - A person each from Maine and New York has died in what authorities believe may be an outbreak of E. coli in ground beef that is suspected of sickening dozens of consumers. The suspect beef was produced by New York company Fairbank Farms, which has recalled more than half a million pounds of beef. The ground beef and packaged patties, all stamped with "EST 492," were sold in eight states, reports the New York Times . More»

Fatty, refined foods jack risk by 58%

(NEWSER) - Feeling blue? Put down the cookies: Eating a diet rich (or, should we say, poor) in processed foods increases the risk of depression, a study finds. British scientists studied 3,500 adults over five years; those who ate mainly fried, processed, refined, high-fat foods had a 58% greater risk of depression than those who ate the least. And those who consumed mostly whole foods, produce, and fish showed a 26% lower risk than those who consumed the least of those foods, reports the BBC . More»

Turns out nearly half of viewers don't skip commercials

(NEWSER) - A year ago, TV networks were terrified of the DVR. The devices allowed viewers to skip commercials on playback, and who, given the choice, would watch TV commercials? Lots of people, it turns out. TV watching is such an inherently lazy activity that many viewers can’t summon the energy to fast forward during breaks. In the key 18-49 age demographic, 46% watch all the ads during playback. More»

Swapping spit boosts immunity, say scientists

(NEWSER) - A kiss apparently is not just a kiss. An unromantic team of scientists has determined that the point of kissing is to spread germs and increase lovers' immunity and health. The bug cytomegalovirus, which is dangerous in pregnancy, is passed from smooching men to give a woman time to build immunity against it, reports the Telegraph . "Female inoculation with a specific male's cytomegalovirus is most efficiently achieved through mouth-to-mouth contact and saliva exchange," said the lead researcher. Way to kill the mood. More»