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A28 SCIENCE
Friday 22 december 2017

Science Says: Are poinsettias poisonous? Some holiday truths

By LINDSEY TANNER bacteria. Authorities re-
AP Medical Writer called 10 million pounds of
CHICAGO (AP) — Are flour, some of which had
poinsettias really poison- been sold to restaurants
ous? Are snowflakes really that allow children to play
pure as the driven snow? with raw dough while wait-
Does feasting really put on ing for their meals. Baking
the pounds? Sure as sugar- generally kills any bacteria.
plums, myths and miscon- A headline on a Food and
ceptions pop up every hol- Drug Administration con-
iday season. Here’s what sumer update sums up the
science says about some agency’s advice: “Raw
of them: dough’s a raw deal.”
FLOWER POWER THE BOTTOM LINE
Poinsettias, those showy The truth about holiday
holiday plants with red weight gain depends on
and green foliage, are not whether your Champagne
nearly as harmful as a per- glass is half empty or half
sistent myth says. Mild rash- full. One often-cited study
es from touching the plants says it’s commonly as-
or nausea from chewing or sumed that the average
eating the leaves may oc- American gains 5 pounds
cur but they aren’t deadly, between Thanksgiving and
for humans or their pets. In this Tuesday, April 5, 2016 file photo, snowflakes stick to a car window in Brookfield, Wis. New Year’s Day. But the
Poinsettias belong to the Associated Press study authors found the av-
same botanical family as erage was a little less than
rubber plants that produce germs to that list. University but transient depression in an even worse hangover.” 1 pound. Other studies
latex, so some skin rashes of Florida microbiologist some people, a condition Alcohol is dehydrating so have found it’s closer to 2
occur in people allergic Brent Christner has found sometimes called season- replenishing with lots of wa- pounds, still barely enough
to latex. According to a that bacteria commonly al affective disorder. It’s ter or other non-alcoholic to make your pants feel
Western Journal of Emer- found on plants are surpris- linked with lack of sunlight drinks can help relieve the tight. An extra piece of
gency Medicine research ingly abundant ice “nucle- in winter and some scien- symptoms. But experts em- pie or one gigantic holi-
review, the plants’ toxic ators” present in snow from tists think affected people phasize that prevention is day feast won’t doom you,
reputation “stems from a populated areas, barren overproduce the sleep- the healthiest cure. says Indiana University’s
single unconfirmed death mountain peaks and even regulating hormone mela- Says Koob: “It all boils down Vreeman. The problem,
of a 2-year-old in Hawaii in Antarctica. tonin. Research suggests to, don’t drink too much.” she says, is that the extra
1919.” So is catching snowflakes it affects about 6 percent So what about that saying, pound or two at holiday
Dr. Rachel Vreeman, an on your tongue a bad of the U.S. population and “hair of the dog?” Accord- time becomes a pattern
Indiana University pediatri- idea? rates are higher in Scandi- ing to an old folk remedy, year after year and adds
cian who has researched “There’s a yuck factor,” navia. But contrary to pop- a dog bite could be cured up.q
holiday myths, cited a Christner said. “It’s better ular belief, suicides peak in by putting the animal’s hair
study on more than 20,000 than yellow snow.” springtime, not winter. No in the wound.
poison control center re- He said the number of bac- one has figured out why. DOUGHN’T EAT IT
ports involving contact teria in snow would prob- HAIR OF THE DOG Bakers beware: sampling
with poinsettias. ably be about 100-fold less Forget that bloody mary. holiday cookie dough, or
“In none of those cases than in the same amount If extra shots of bourbon any raw dough, can make
were there deaths or se- of bottled water. in your eggnog have you you sick. And recent re-
rious injury. In fact, more “There are a lot more feeling lousy the next day, search says it’s not just be-
than 95 percent of them things to be worried about drinking more alcohol — cause dough often con-
required zero medical in making you sick than hair of the dog — won’t tains raw eggs, which may
care,” she said. ingesting snowflakes,” he cure you. harbor salmonella bac-
The anglicized name said. Here’s what George Koob, teria. Flour is another cul-
comes from Joel Poinsett, MOODY BLUES director of the National In- prit. A study published last
a 19th century U.S. diplo- The same things that can stitute on Alcohol Abuse month in the New England
mat who brought the plant make holidays merry — and Alcoholism, has to say Journal of Medicine de-
back from Mexico. great expectations and about that: tails a 2016 E. coli outbreak
THE WHITE STUFF family time — can also “You are in a sense self- that hit dozens of people
To form snowflakes, mois- be stressful. Holiday blues medicating a mild with- in 24 states that was linked
ture high in the atmosphere are a real thing for many drawal syndrome by drink- with flour. Some patients
is frozen by clinging to par- people grieving loss or ab- ing more. The problem is had eaten or handled raw
ticles that may include sence of a loved one, and that’s going to wear off dough made with flour
dust specks or soot. Add wintertime can trigger true and you’re going to have contaminated with that