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People thinking of voluntary assisted dying may be able to donate their organs. We need to start talking about this

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-ray-1441988">Robert Ray</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>The number of people needing an organ transplant vastly outweighs the number of organs available.</p> <p><a href="https://www.donatelife.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/OTA%202022%20Donation%20and%20Transplantation%20Activity%20Report.pdf">In 2022</a> there were about 1,800 Australians waiting for an organ but only about 1,200 people received an organ transplant.</p> <p>But in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imj.16085">a recent paper</a>, I outline one unexplored option for increasing the number of potential organ donors in Australia – transplanting organs from people undergoing voluntary assisted dying. This would involve transplanting organs only after someone had died.</p> <p>It’s estimated <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2616383">about 10%</a> of people eligible for voluntary assisted dying are likely to be medically suitable to donate their organs. Based on <a href="https://www.safercare.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-09/Voluntary%20Assisted%20Dying%20Review%20Board%20Report%20of%20Operations%20July%202021-June%2022_FINAL.pdf">Victorian figures</a> alone, this could lead to about an extra 40 potential organ donors each year.</p> <p>This type of organ donation has taken place <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9297969/">for more than 20 years</a> in Europe, and more recently in Canada.</p> <p>Organs transplanted from donors undergoing voluntary assisted dying <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2769118">have</a> <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajt.16267">similar</a> <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajt.16971">success rates</a> to more traditional donations.</p> <p>Yet, this is a discussion we’ve yet to have in Australia. Here are some of the ethical and practical issues we need to start talking about.</p> <h2>Is this ethical? It’s tricky</h2> <p>The main ethical challenge is ensuring a person isn’t motivated to end their life prematurely so they can donate their organs.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajt.13746">Internationally</a>, <a href="https://jme.bmj.com/content/42/8/486.short">this challenge</a> is mainly addressed by having <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1600613523000291">independent assessments</a> by multiple doctors. This is to ensure the motivation is genuine and honest, much like assessing someone before voluntary assisted dying.</p> <p>Similarly, it is important the doctor of someone undergoing voluntary assisted dying isn’t persuading them to donate an organ. This means any doctor overseeing voluntary assisted dying may be limited in how much they can discuss organ donation with their patient.</p> <p>Again, this <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajt.13746">has been managed internationally</a> by having separate, independent doctors overseeing organ donation and voluntary assisted dying, <a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/44/E1305.short">without one influencing</a> the other.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=437&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=437&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=437&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=549&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=549&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528192/original/file-20230525-27-sjwdaa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=549&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Elderly woman in bed hand on covers" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Is this what people really want, with so little time left?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-laying-on-bed-hospital-1054837748">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Organ donation may also affect the way voluntary assisted dying is conducted, which <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1600613523000291">may impact</a> participants’ very limited quality of life.</p> <p>That’s because determining if someone is eligible to donate an organ involves a number of <a href="https://jme.bmj.com/content/43/9/601.short">investigations</a>. These may include blood tests, radiology (imaging) and numerous clinical encounters to exclude diseases such as cancer, which would prevent someone donating their organs. These investigations may be exhausting but necessary.</p> <p>This burden must be weighed against the participant’s wishes and motivation to donate their organs. So people must also be informed of the impact organ donation will have on their limited life left.</p> <p>The choices of people considering this option must be respected and they must be given multiple opportunities to review their decision, without undue influence or bias.</p> <h2>Practical issues: coordination, location, regulation</h2> <p>Practically, combining organ donation and voluntary assisted dying is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajt.13746">challenging</a>. This includes the difficulty organising and coordinating specialists in organ donation, voluntary assisted dying and transplantation.</p> <p>This is why, internationally, organ donation of this nature mostly occurs in large hospitals, where it’s easier to coordinate.</p> <p>So if people want to donate an organ this way, they may spend their last moments in an unfamiliar environment.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528195/original/file-20230525-15-irsqg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Patient being wheeled on stretcher through hospital corridors" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">People may have to be moved to a large hospital with the facilities and staff on hand.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/surgeon-assistant-team-transport-move-stretcher-2062330820">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Efforts have been made <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2776765">internationally</a> to prioritise these valuable last moments by giving people the choice of where voluntary assisted dying occurs (<a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/44/E1305.short">such as their home</a>). But this currently only occurs in a minority of cases and increases the complexity of organ donation.</p> <p>Regulating the process is also essential to developing a safe, trustworthy and effective program. Ideally a centralised organisation such as Australia’s national <a href="https://www.donatelife.gov.au">Organ and Tissue Authority</a> would organise, undertake and regulate this.</p> <p>However, this may be challenging given voluntary assisted dying practices are specific to each state.</p> <h2>The challenges ahead</h2> <p>If someone considering voluntary assisted dying wants to donate their organs and is deemed eligible, there is currently <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imj.16085">no legal barrier in Australia</a> to stop them.</p> <p>What might prevent them is how their doctor responds, and whether there are the services and organisations willing to fulfil this request ethically and practically.</p> <p>The next step in considering this form of organ donation is to discuss the prospect publicly.</p> <p>Every extra donated organ is potentially lifesaving. So we should make every effort to consider potential safe and ethical ways to increase donation and transplantation rates.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206298/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-ray-1441988">Robert Ray</a>, Affiliate Associate Lecturer, School of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-thinking-of-voluntary-assisted-dying-may-be-able-to-donate-their-organs-we-need-to-start-talking-about-this-206298">original article</a>.</em></p>

Body

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Prince Harry believes he was born to offer spare organs to his brother

<p>Prince Harry has shared that he believes he was only bred to offer spare organs to his brother, Prince William. </p> <p>In yet another bitter revelation from the Duke of Sussex's memoir <em>Spare</em>, he revealed that he thinks he was only brought into the world in case the heir apparent needed help. </p> <p>“Two years older than me, Willy was the Heir, whereas I was the Spare,” the exiled prince wrote, explaining the title of his memoir, which was officially released on Wednesday.</p> <p>“I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy,” he wrote of his brother and current heir to the throne.</p> <p>He said he understood his role was to be a “diversion” and “distraction” from his brother, or to provide, “if necessary, a spare part” to him.</p> <p>“Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow,” he added in morose detail.</p> <p>He also shared how his dad, now King Charles III, could never be on a plane with his elder son, William, “because there must be no chance of the first and second in line to the throne being wiped out”.</p> <p>“But no one gave a damn whom I travelled with; the Spare could always be spared,” Harry claimed.</p> <p>“This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter,” he claimed of his apparent throwaway standing in the family.</p> <p>Harry complained that the heir and spare clarification “wasn’t merely how the press referred to us”, but was also “the shorthand used by” his royal family, including “Mummy,” the late Princess Diana, “and even Granny,” the since-deceased Queen Elizabeth II.</p> <p>He wrote that when he was 20-years-old, he was told that his father reacted to his birth by saying to Princess Diana, “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare — my work is done.”</p> <p>Despite naming his memoir Spare, and using his clear distaste for his role in life to justify his ultimate split from his family, Harry maintains that he was initially accepting of it.</p> <p>“I took no offence, I felt nothing about it, any of it,” he wrote — initially acknowledging his incredibly privileged life.</p> <p>“Every boy and girl, at least once, imagines themselves as a prince or a princess. Therefore, Spare or no Spare, it wasn’t half bad to actually be one,” he conceded.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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These 60 gut microbes have evolved alongside humans since we first left Africa

<p>When homo sapiens made their way out of Africa, they were carrying tiny little friends with them.</p> <p>A new study has shown those same friends – gut bacteria – have been evolving, or “codiversifying,” alongside us for the last couple of hundred thousand years.</p> <p>As well as allowing us to understand more about ourselves, it’s hoped the new research will also give us more information on how to treat microbiome-based diseases or create new therapies.</p> <p>The study – published in Science – looked at the differences and similarities between our closest bacterial friends in 1225 humans living around the world. The team found 59 bacterial species, and one archaeon, that have evolved in parallel with humans. (An archaeon are a domain of single-celled organism, originally thought to be bacteria, but are now known to be more similar to eukaryotes – multi-cellular organisms like us.)</p> <p>The human gut microbiome contains hundreds of species of bacteria, and many of the most prominent species are found in people worldwide, says Andrew Moeller, an evolutionary biologist at Cornell University in an accompanying paper. “Gut bacterial communities are not haphazard collections of bacteria but reflections of the distinct ancestries of human populations.”</p> <p>However, within microbial species, some strains can show remarkable genetic diversity between specific human populations. Whether or not this diversity arose through a shared evolutionary history between humans and their microbes hasn’t yet been fully understood.</p> <p>Max Planck Institute for Biology microbiologist Taichi Suzuki and his team evaluated 1225 people living in Gabon, Vietnam, and Germany and discovered 60 microbial strains that, between and within countries, have evolutionary histories that indicates codiversification.</p> <p>The team also found that the species displaying the strongest codiversification appear to have also independently evolved traits such as oxygen and temperature intolerance and reduced genomes, which means they really are stuck with us – also known as host dependency.</p> <p>“The list of human health conditions linked to the microbiome ranges from malnutrition to allergies and cardiovascular disease,” the team write in their new paper.</p> <p>“An awareness of differences in gut microbial strains between populations has already led to the notion that probiotics for treating malnutrition should be locally sourced.</p> <p>“The microbiome is a therapeutic target for personalized medicine, and our results underscore the importance of a population specific approach to microbiome-based therapies.”  </p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/these-60-gut-microbes-have-evolved-with-us-for-200000-years-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jacinta Bowler.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: </em><em>López et al. 2015</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

<p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p>Donating a kidney to somebody in need is not an easy decision. But when a young woman named Colleen had the chance to change her boyfriend’s life six years ago, she didn’t think twice about donating the vital organ.</p> <p>In a series of viral videos, the TikTok star explained how she made the decision to have the procedure to save his life according to<span> </span><em>The Sun.</em></p> <p>When they first got together, Colleen said her boyfriend had been upfront about how he’d been struggling with chronic kidney disease since the age of 17. This meant he had to be on dialysis and his kidneys functioned at just 5% at average capacity.</p> <p>She explained: “I decided to get tested to see if we were a match because I didn’t want to watch him die.” Luckily for the couple, the surgeries went well and both parties recovered.</p> <p>But while you’d naturally assume the man would be eternally grateful to his girlfriend for what she did for him, he then cheated on her seven months later.</p> <p>In a follow-up video, Colleen explained how her ex-boyfriend told her he was going to Las Vegas for a bachelor party with some guys in his church. At the time, the TikToker was in a busy exam period and trusted her boyfriend completely so didn’t think anything of it.</p> <p>Until he turned up on her doorstep and confessed to cheating.</p> <p>“A lot of arguments later, I eventually forgave him and gave him a second chance,” she said. However, three months later the now ex brutally dumped Colleen over the phone.</p> <p>She claims he said: “If we are meant for each other, God will bring us back together in the end.”</p> <p>Unfortunately, the break-up only got messier from there, when her ex told her: “You only donated your kidney to look good”.</p>

Relationships

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What you didn’t know: Why can some organs regenerate while others can’t?

<p><strong>What are cells?</strong></p> <p>As you may know, the body is made of cells. We sometimes call these cells “the building blocks of life”. Nature builds all the parts of our bodies with cells.</p> <p>In other words, you might have played with Lego before. Cells are like pieces of Lego! Just like Lego blocks do, cells come in lots of shapes and colours. Cells can also do lots of different things.</p> <p>Your skin is made of different cells. Some of them make your hair, and some make your scars when you get a cut, for example.</p> <p>Even your blood is made of many different cells. The red blood cells give your blood its red colour.</p> <p>So going back to your question, some cells in our body are very special because they can multiply. Not only that, these special cells can turn into other cells as well. The name of these special cells is “stem cells”, and they are the key to our organs regenerating.</p> <p>Imagine if your Lego blocks could do that!</p> <p><strong>Which organs can regenerate themselves?</strong></p> <p>Maggie, you’re very clever at nine to know what “regeneration” means, but in case some other young readers don’t, regeneration is when our organs fix themselves after they’ve been damaged. Our organs might have been damaged if we get injured or we’re very sick.</p> <p>Organs like our skin (yes, the skin is the biggest organ of the body!) need to regenerate often. The skin’s stem cells produce new cells when the old ones are lost, like when we get a paper cut.</p> <p>Our livers are very good at regenerating themselves because they too can make new cells. The cells of the liver are called “hepatocytes”. Hepatocytes start to multiply when the liver is damaged. So hepatocytes work like stem cells.</p> <p>Intestines are another good example of an organ which regenerates itself. Our intestines regenerate all the time, even when we’re healthy. They lose cells when we digest food, but the stem cells in the intestines multiply to keep this important organ working well.</p> <p><strong>Which organs aren’t very good at regenerating?</strong></p> <p>The brain actually can’t regenerate itself well because when the brain is damaged its cells find it harder to make new ones. This is because the brain has very few of the special cells, or stem cells.</p> <p>In recent years, we’ve found some areas of the brain can regenerate. But we still need to do more research to better understand how this works.</p> <p>We do know the brain is better at regenerating itself when we are young than when we are old.</p> <p><em>Written by Jose Polo. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-can-some-organs-regenerate-while-others-cant-128217"><em>The Conversation.</em></a></p>

Caring

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Scientists create first ever living programmable organism

<p>A remarkable combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and biology has produced the world’s first “living robots”.</p> <p>This week, a research team of roboticists and scientists <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/01/07/1910837117">published</a> their recipe for making a new lifeform called xenobots from stem cells. The term “xeno” comes from the frog cells (<em>Xenopus laevis</em>) used to make them.</p> <p>One of the researchers <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/01/14/worlds-first-living-robot-invites-new-opportunities-and-risks/#379ef46c3caf">described the creation</a> as “neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal”, but a “new class of artifact: a living, programmable organism”.</p> <p>Xenobots are less than 1mm long and made of 500-1000 living cells. They have various simple shapes, including some with squat “legs”. They can propel themselves in linear or circular directions, join together to act collectively, and move small objects. Using their own cellular energy, they can live up to 10 days.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M18nPjLZrMA"></iframe></div> <p>While these “reconfigurable biomachines” could vastly improve human, animal, and environmental health, they raise legal and ethical concerns.</p> <p><strong>Strange new ‘creature’</strong></p> <p>To make xenobots, the research team used a supercomputer to test thousands of random designs of simple living things that could perform certain tasks.</p> <p>The computer was programmed with an AI “evolutionary algorithm” to predict which organisms would likely display useful tasks, such as moving towards a target.</p> <p>After the selection of the most promising designs, the scientists attempted to replicate the virtual models with frog skin or heart cells, which were manually joined using microsurgery tools. The heart cells in these bespoke assemblies contract and relax, giving the organisms motion.</p> <p>The creation of xenobots is groundbreaking.</p> <p>Despite being described as “programmable living robots”, they are actually completely organic and made of living tissue. The term “robot” has been used because xenobots can be configured into different forms and shapes, and “programmed” to target certain objects – which they then unwittingly seek.</p> <p>They can also repair themselves after being damaged.</p> <p><strong>Possible applications</strong></p> <p>Xenobots may have great value.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/f/615041/these-xenobots-are-living-machines-designed-by-an-evolutionary-algorithm/">Some speculate</a> they could be used to clean our polluted oceans by collecting microplastics.</p> <p>Similarly, they may be used to enter confined or dangerous areas to scavenge toxins or radioactive materials.</p> <p>Xenobots designed with carefully shaped “pouches” might be able to carry drugs into human bodies.</p> <p>Future versions may be built from a patient’s own cells to repair tissue or target cancers. Being biodegradable, xenobots would have an edge on technologies made of plastic or metal.</p> <p>Further development of biological “robots” could accelerate our understanding of living and robotic systems. Life is incredibly complex, so manipulating living things could reveal some of life’s mysteries — and improve our use of AI.</p> <p><strong>Legal and ethical questions</strong></p> <p>Conversely, xenobots raise legal and ethical concerns. In the same way they could help target cancers, they could also be used to hijack life functions for malevolent purposes.</p> <p>Some argue artificially making living things is unnatural, hubristic, or involves “playing God”.</p> <p>A more compelling concern is that of unintended or malicious use, as we have seen with technologies in fields including nuclear physics, chemistry, biology and AI.</p> <p>For instance, xenobots might be used for hostile biological purposes prohibited under international law.</p> <p>More advanced future xenobots, especially ones that live longer and reproduce, could potentially “malfunction” and go rogue, and out-compete other species.</p> <p>For complex tasks, xenobots may need sensory and nervous systems, possibly resulting in their sentience. A sentient programmed organism would raise additional ethical questions. Last year, the revival of a disembodied pig brain <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01216-4">elicited concerns about different species’ suffering</a>.</p> <p><strong>Managing risks</strong></p> <p>The xenobot’s creators have rightly acknowledged the need for discussion around the ethics of their creation.</p> <p>The 2018 scandal over using CRISPR (which allows the introduction of genes into an organism) may provide an instructive lesson <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614761/nature-jama-rejected-he-jiankui-crispr-baby-lulu-nana-paper/">here</a>. While the experiment’s goal was to reduce the susceptibility of twin baby girls to HIV-AIDS, associated risks caused ethical dismay. The scientist in question <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/30/gene-editing-chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-jailed-three-years">is in prison</a>.</p> <p>When CRISPR became widely available, some experts called for a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/13/scientists-call-for-global-moratorium-on-crispr-gene-editing">moratorium</a> on heritable genome editing. Others <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/crispr.2019.0016?utm_source=miragenews&amp;utm_medium=miragenews&amp;utm_campaign=news&amp;">argued</a> the benefits outweighed the risks.</p> <p>While each new technology should be considered impartially and based on its merits, giving life to xenobots raises certain significant questions:</p> <ol> <li>Should xenobots have biological kill-switches in case they go rogue?</li> <li>Who should decide who can access and control them?</li> <li>What if “homemade” xenobots become possible? Should there be a moratorium until regulatory frameworks are established? How much regulation is required?</li> </ol> <p>Lessons learned in the past from advances in other areas of science could help manage future risks, while reaping the possible benefits.</p> <p><strong>Long road here, long road ahead</strong></p> <p>The creation of xenobots had various biological and robotic precedents. Genetic engineering has created genetically modified mice that become <a href="http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/research-medical-benefits/glowing-mice/">fluorescent</a> in UV light.</p> <p><a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/4/e1500077">Designer microbes</a> can produce drugs and food ingredients that may eventually <a href="https://solarfoods.fi/">replace animal agriculture</a>.</p> <p>In 2012, scientists created an <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/brainwaves/what-would-it-take-to-really-build-an-artificial-jellyfish">artificial jellyfish</a> called a “medusoid” from rat cells.</p> <p>Robotics is also flourishing.</p> <p>Nanobots can <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2013/nanotechnology-could-help-fight-diabetes-0516">monitor people’s blood sugar levels</a> and may eventually be able to <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/tiny-robots-can-clear-clogged-arteries-180955774/">clear clogged arteries</a>.</p> <p>Robots can incorporate living matter, which we witnessed when engineers and biologists created a <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/robotic-stingray-powered-light-activated-muscle-cells">sting-ray robot</a> powered by light-activated cells.</p> <p>In the coming years, we are sure to see more creations like xenobots that evoke both wonder and due concern. And when we do, it is important we remain both open-minded and critical.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129980/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-coghlan-108606">Simon Coghlan</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kobi-leins-939980">Kobi Leins</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-bot-not-beast-scientists-create-first-ever-living-programmable-organism-129980">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

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The truth benefits of organic skincare products

<p>From your coffee to your T-shirts, everyone is trying to convince you how their product is more organic or natural, ergo better, than the rest.</p> <p>But when it comes to skincare, just how much of the "organic" hype should be believed?</p> <p>The amount of chemicals we apply to our skin on a daily basis is something that concerns many of us. And, like in the case of antibacterial soaps, there does seem to be a steadily growing case that maybe they aren't so great for us after all.</p> <p>So, it's no wonder that many of us are turning to products that claim ingredients only "found in nature".</p> <p><strong>Wholefood, whole-skin</strong></p> <p>Irene Falcone, organic skincare guru and founder of Nourished Life, says the push towards organic skincare is a natural progression of the healthy food movement.</p> <p>"As people are becoming more conscious about what they are putting into their bodies, naturally this extends to what they are putting onto their bodies," she tells Fairfax.</p> <p>"Organic personal care products really are an extension of the organic and whole food movement, if we remember back to when artificial colours and flavours being removed from food, removing them from beauty and skincare products is the next logical step."</p> <p>Often accompanied with the promise of containing no apparent "nasties" or "toxic" ingredients – things like parabens, sulphates, phthalates and mineral oil and the like – organic skincare in favours nicer sounding ingredients like rosehip and almond oil.</p> <p>But are these alternatives any better than your standard cleanser and moisturiser or is it all just another version of "bottled water"?</p> <p>Short answer is yes – to both these questions.</p> <p><strong>“Organic” defined</strong></p> <p>According to Sydney-based dermatologist and spokesperson for the Australasian College of Dermatologists Dr Natasha Cook, the main issue in the debate about natural or organic skincare is how these terms are applied.</p> <p>"There really isn't a debate about whether natural is better," she tells Fairfax.</p> <p>"The periodic table is natural; these are chemicals found in nature and they're the same chemicals that some companies will tell you are bad for you so it can get confusing when consumers are confronted with information that pushes a “natural” and “organic” is best philosophy."</p> <p>One of the biggest names in the beauty industry, the founder of Paula's Choice, Paula Begoun, argues against the idea that organic is better than "synthetic" skincare, primarily because organic products tend to be heavily laced with volatile and fragrant essential oils such as peppermint, lavender and orange.</p> <p>However, Begoun also believes that the parfums found in many over the counter products are equally as bad for the skin and that good skincare should be completely fragrance-free.</p> <p>Have you been buying “organic” make-up since the trend toward whole-foods started? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Written by Benjamen Judd. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/09/tips-for-treating-dry-skin/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 tips for treating dry skin</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/09/greenpeace-want-to-ban-microbeads-in-beauty-products/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Greenpeace want to ban microbeads in beauty products</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/things-to-eat-and-drink-to-make-your-skin-glow/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">6 things to eat and drink to make your skin glow</span></em></strong></a></p>

Beauty & Style

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Great grandmother gives up spot on organ transplant list for younger woman

<p>An American woman has selflessly forgone a liver transplant so that she could save the life of a woman younger than her.</p> <p>Benda Jones, 69, had joined a transplant waiting list after she was diagnosed with liver failure a year ago, local broadcaster <em>WFAA-TV</em> reports. On July 18 of this year, she got the call announcing that a liver had become available for her.</p> <p>However, when Mrs Jones reached Baylor University Medical Centre hospital for the surgery, she discovered that 23-year-old Abigail Flores had also just arrived in the emergency room. Doctors told Miss Flores that without a new liver, she would live another day at best.</p> <p>So, when doctors approached Brenda with the information, she felt compelled to step aside.</p> <p>“In my heart, I wouldn’t have been able to live with the liver if I had let this little girl die," she said.</p> <p>Ms Flores is now recovering in hospital and thanks god for Brenda’s good deed “each and every day”.</p> <p>"If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be sitting right here right now,” she said.</p> <p>And in a true happy ending, Mrs Jones has now also undergone surgery and received a new liver.</p> <p>What a special person. Are you an organ donor? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/08/grandson-surprises-grandparents-with-brand-new-car/"><em>Grandson surprises grandparents with brand new car</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/08/police-make-dinner-for-lonely-elderly-couple-found-in-tears/"><em>Police make dinner for lonely elderly couple found in tears</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/08/bride-walked-down-the-aisle-by-man-who-received-her-fathers-heart/"><em>Bride walked down the aisle by man who received her father’s heart</em></a></strong></span></p>

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Mothers emotional letter to baby’s organ donor

<p>Seven-month year old Lincoln Seay received a heart in the nick of time last month, thanks to the humility of an organ donor.</p> <p>The new born has a rare condition called Heterotaxy Syndrome, which means his organs developed on the opposite side of the body, including his heart. Since birth, Lincoln has undergone multiple surgeries, but his heart continued to fail him even putting him into cardiac arrest. </p> <p>Lincoln was on the organ donation waitlist for 89 days before something incredible happened. On February 19th, he was given a new heart from an anonymous donor.  Dr. Michael McMullan, told the Seattle Times that Lincoln was "He was right on the edge.”</p> <p>"We have a list of patients and he was the one we were most worried about," he added. </p> <p>Because of organ donation privacy regulations, all Lincoln's mother knows is that the heart was received from another child of similar size to her son. Unable to thank them herself, she wrote a touching, open latter on social media.</p> <p> <em>"You and I may never meet, may never speak, may never cross paths, but we will be connected on a divine, spiritual level. Your child and mine will be forever intertwined as the heart that grew in your womb now pumps the blood through the body of the child created in mine. They have merged in a way, and your child will forever live on in mine. When my child bleeds, I will think of you. When I bandage his scraped knee, I will think of you. When I hear his heart beat, I will remember you. When his eyes flutter closed as he falls asleep, I will remember your beautiful child. I will say prayers of gratitude and blessings over your family, often. I will treasure the gift you've given. I promise. </em></p> <p><em>"I am so very sorry that your child's journey ended so soon. I am so very sorry that you endured life's greatest grief. I am just, so very sorry. But I hope that in your sorrow you can take comfort in knowing that you gave life. You gave life to other children. You gave comfort to other families. Your sweet child can live on in the lives of others. That is the greatest gift anyone can ever give. And your child gave that to my beautiful boy. Your child gave that to me. To my family. Your selfless act kept our family whole and spared me, a mother you've never met, the same grief you had to endure."</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/vintage-photos-capture-pure-innocence-of-children/">Vintage photos capture the pure innocence of children</a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/how-to-bring-up-a-happy-child/">22 tips for bringing up a happy child</a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/heartwarming-photos-that-prove-every-child-needs-a-pet/">15 heartwarming photos that prove every child needs a pet</a></strong></span></p>

News

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Is organic meat and dairy really the best option?

<p>Organic meat and milk could offer more health benefits than conventional products, according to a new wide-ranging study by British researchers from Newcastle University.</p> <p>Published in the <em>British Journal of Nutrition</em>, the largest study of its kind of date looked to see if there was any nutritional differences between organic and its conventional counterpart. In other words, is organic products worth the extra few dollars, nutritionally-wise at least?</p> <p>Analysing the data from 196 studies of milk and 67 papers on meat around the world, the researchers found obvious nutritional differences between conventional and organic meat and dairy.</p> <p>Both organic meat and milk provide 50 per cent more of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in human nutrition. Organic meat also has slightly lower concentrations of two saturated fats that have been linked to greater risk of cardiovascular disease.</p> <p>Organic milk contains 40 per cent more linoleic acid, as well as carries slightly higher concentrations of iron, vitamin E and some carotenoids. However, conventional milk has 74 per cent more iodine and slightly more selenium, two minerals essential for healthy development.</p> <p>“People choose organic milk and meat for three main reasons: improved animal welfare, the positive impacts of organic farming and the perceived health benefits. But much less is known about the impacts on nutritional quality, hence the need for this study,” said lead author Professor Carlo Leifert of the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group at the University of Newcastle.</p> <p>“Several of these differences stem from organic livestock production and are brought about by differences in production intensity, with outdoor-reared, grass-fed animals producing milk and meat that is consistently higher in desirable fatty acids such as the omega-3s, and lower in fatty acids that can promote heart disease and other chronic diseases.”</p> <p>Chris Seal, co-author and professor of food and human nutrition at Newcastle said “Omega-3s are linked to reductions in cardiovascular disease, improved neurological development and function, and better immune function. Western European diets are recognised as being too low in these fatty acids and the European Food Safety Authority recommends we should double our intake. But getting enough in our diet is difficult. Our study suggests that switching to organic could go some way towards improving intakes of these important nutrients.”</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/body/2015/12/6-signs-you-need-more-sleep/">6 signs you need more sleep</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/side-sleeping-avoid-neurological-disease/">Your sleep position linked to diseases</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/12/women-have-a-harder-time-sleeping-than-men/">Why do women have a harder time sleeping than men?</a></em></strong></span></p>

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How to grow an organic veggie garden

<p><em><strong>Over60 community member, Norah Martin, who is currently obsessed with working on her new garden, shares her top tips for growing organic.</strong></em><em><strong> </strong></em></p> <p>Even though I usually do not travel during the summer, I visited Rome three years ago and the things that swept me off my feet were not the tourist attractions and medieval monuments, but the food. I stayed at a nice family-owned hostel that had its own little garden on the rooftop and they grew their own vegetables, completely organic and completely natural. After only a few meals, I knew this is something I simply had to try on my own!</p> <p>For me, the biggest benefit I have from my organic garden is knowing that what you eat is healthy and completely chemical-free, which you cannot count on with vegetables you buy in a supermarket. Moreover, I spend less on groceries and have a bigger choice of herbs. But the thing I love the most about this hobby is that I have a chance to spend time outside and literally taste the fruits of my labour – there is no bigger satisfaction for a nature lover than that.</p> <p>For those who want to know how to grow organic food, here are a few useful tips that I’ve learnt beginning my own garden:</p> <p><strong>Location and size</strong></p> <p>Among several things a beginner gardener should pay attention to is the location of your garden. If you have a backyard – or a rooftop, like my Italian hosts – your choice of a garden location will be easy, but if you do not, be ready to sacrifice a part of your lawn in favour of some vegetables. Make sure that it has a lot of sun and is close to a water source or at least accessible by a hose.</p> <p>Regarding size, less is more – going into this adventure with a half an acre makes no sense, especially if you are a beginner like I was. Instead, go with a couple of square metres and see how things are developing. Your garden with easily expand once you acquire some basic skills and knowledge.</p> <p><strong>The choice of vegetables</strong></p> <p>Finding seeds turned out to be rather easy – I simply asked around my neighbourhood and got more than enough I needed for starters. Additionally, I brought back some cherry tomato seeds with me from Rome. Once your garden starts blooming, you should collect seeds from it and ensure the continual development of your vegetables without having to use store-bought seeds.</p> <p>A very important thing to learn is when to plant certain vegetables. I usually plant things like broccoli, cabbage, kale and spinach in the spring and leave carrot, lettuce and radicchio for autumn. Since summers tend to be quite hot, I stick to only a handful of vegetables such as cucumber, peppers and tomatoes I use in refreshing summer salads.</p> <p><strong>How much water and when</strong></p> <p>Very few things can help vegetables grow as much as water and adding no fertiliser is more beneficial. That is why your organic garden needs a good watering system if you want it to grow.</p> <p>What I opted for was a drop-by-drop system which gives my plants a sufficient amount of water without overwatering. Moreover, I like using sprinkler systemsfor a more thorough watering. You can leave these on all day long, especially in the summer. However, you should look into collecting and reusing rainwater – it is not only healthier because it does not include chemicals, but also helps you with your water bills. I know mine is about 20 per cent lower since I started using it.</p> <p><strong>Protection</strong></p> <p>When it comes to protecting your crops against threats, you have to be extra resourceful to come up with an ecologically-friendly solution for your organic garden. Since you choose not to use store-bought substances, two natural ways to fight off pests are watering the soil instead of the leaves of the plants themselves (this helps reduce fungi) and planting complementary vegetables next to each other – I heard that some sorts help others with parasites, so this is what I will be looking into in the future. Finally, you should install plastic covers over your garden and a fence around it to prevent insects and other pests from entering.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/gardening/2015/06/choosing-a-potting-mix/">A guide to choosing the best potting mix</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/gardening/2015/06/diy-raised-veggie-garden/">How to set up a raised veggie garden</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/gardening/2015/05/grow-food-from-kitchen-scraps/">Foods you can (and should) grow from kitchen scraps</a></strong></em></span></p>

Home & Garden

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5 myths about organ donation that need to be busted

<p>Last year in Australia, 1,117 Australian lives benefited from 378 organ donors. While this is a great number, it’s actually down three per cent on the figures from the previous year, indicating that fewer people are signing up to be organ donors.</p><p>The wonderful thing about organ donors is their legacy of turning a tragic situation a life-giving opportunity. Unfortunately, there are some persistent myths about being an organ donor that could be the cause of fewer people signing up. Let’s bust those myths, shall we?</p><p><strong>Myth:</strong> I’m too old to be an organ donor.</p><p><strong>Busted:</strong> Age is not a barrier to organ donation. People in their 70s and 80s have become donors.</p><p><strong>Myth:</strong> I’m just not healthy enough.</p><p><strong>Busted:</strong> You do not need to be in perfect health. Even if you drink, smoke, or don’t have a healthy diet, you can still be a donor.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Myth:</strong> Doctors won’t try as hard to save my life if they know I’m an organ donor.</p><p><strong>Busted:</strong> A doctor’s first priority is always to save your life.</p><p><strong>Myth:</strong> It’s a personal decision I don’t need to discuss with anyone.</p><p><strong>Busted:</strong> If you wish to be an organ or tissue donor, you need to discuss this with your family because they will be asked to confirm your decision.</p><p><strong>Myth:</strong> Enough people already donate organs – I don’t need to do it too.</p><p><strong>Busted:</strong> It’s actually quite a rare occurrence – only 1 per cent of hospital deaths allow for organ donation.</p><p>You can find out more information about becoming an organ donor by <a href="http://www.donatelife.gov.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">visiting DonateLife.gov.au.</span></strong></a></p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2015/03/95-year-old-man-smashes-world-sprint-record/" target="_blank">This 95-year-old man smashed the 200m indoor sprint record</a></em></span></strong></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/03/baby-names/" target="_blank">15 baby names on the verge of extinction</a></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/03/love-on-the-brain/" target="_blank">Scientists can now use brain scans to tell if people are really in love</a></strong></em></span></p>

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The surprising truth about natural and organic beauty products

<p>Natural, organic, certified organic. These words are becoming more prevalent by day. And one area in which they are getting a lot of airtime is when it comes to beauty products. So what exactly does natural, organic and certified organic mean in the land of beauty? That’s a very good question. Over60 sat down with the founder of new beauty e-tailer, <a href="http://www.floraandfauna.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Flora and Fauna</span></strong></a>, Julie Mathers to sort fact from fiction.</p><p>With a curated collection of nourishing and failsafe natural and organic beauty products, Julie has lived a natural and vegetarian life for years. It was after shopping for a lipstick in early 2014 that spurred her to launch Flora and Fauna. “I realised that retailers make it hard for you to know what is in products and whether it has been tested on animals,” she explains, continuing, “I walked out of that particular store without a lipstick and with an idea.” <br> <br> Before Julie reveals her favourite natural products, let us explain to you a little bit about the green beauty industry in Australia. <br> <br> Australia does not have a government standard specifically for organic or natural claims in cosmetics. This means companies can theoretically place all sorts of “natural” and “organic” promises on their labels without having to prove them. However, we do have the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which offers some justice for false or misleading claims. But it’s up to the consumer to make a complaint before it can act, which places the burden on them rather than the manufacturer.<br> <br> As Mother Nature has a cure for almost everything, many beauty brands are now keeping their ingredients list as close to the earth as possible. But you’d be surprised at the amount of labels that use the words natural and organic and are neither of those things. So what really counts is what they don't use. “There are lots of nasties in beauty products and it is quite confronting when you know what is in what you use,” Julie advises. So what to avoid? Well, skip anything with unnecessary chemicals, fillers, parabens, or additives. “[At Flora and Fauna] we ensure there are no parabens and SLSs (sodium lauryl sulphates) in our products,” she enthuses. “These are two of the worst processed ingredients.&nbsp;SLS and SLES are known irritants; research has been done which has some links to carcinogens although other research says no.”</p><p><br> In any case, before you buy, it's important to know the rules and regulations around claiming to be natural, organic and certified organic. Julie warns, “If something is described as organic check the certification with the Australian Certified Organic. The guidelines are strict and they look at percentage of organic ingredients, processing, auditing, animal testing amongst other factors. Natural doesn't have the same strict criteria although it should indicate natural ingredients and minimal processing. Vegan must exclude certain processes and ingredients such as beeswax.”</p><p><br> <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Here’s what you need to know about each green description:<br> </span></strong><br> Natural: As we stand currently, there are no regulations around the use of the word natural in the Australian beauty market. Saying that, truly natural beauty products should feature at least 90 per cent of naturally-derived ingredients and be free from all synthetics, but as there is nobody policing it in Australia, you need to be careful. <br> <br> Organic: A product is allowed to call itself organic should it be formulated using all natural ingredients, be free from parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, genetic modification and petroleum derivatives and contain between 70 to 95 per cent of organic ingredients. Only then should it carry a "Made with organic ingredients" statement, according to <strong><a href="http://www.australianorganic.com.au/" target="_blank">Australian Certified Organic</a></strong> (ACO), one of the certifying bodies in Australia that grades organic cosmetics. If there is no endorsement logo, be wary about the validity of the claims.<br> <br> Certified Organic: In order for a product to receive certified organic accreditation, it must meet strict guidelines from a national or international governing body. It's important to note that, while very stringent rules apply, there is no one overriding accrediting body so all standards differ. According to ACO, in Australia, for a product to be able to call itself certified organic, it must contain at least 95 per cent organic content. Again the formula should be free from parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, genetic modification and petroleum derivatives. If in doubt, always check for the logo from an accredited certifier.<br> <br> Accredited organic certifiers: <strong><a href="http://www.australianorganic.com.au/" target="_blank">ACO</a></strong> (Australia), <strong><a href="http://www.organicfoodchain.com.au/" target="_blank">OFC</a></strong> (Australia), <strong><a href="http://www.ecocert.com/en" target="_blank">Ecocert</a></strong> (Europe), <strong><a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome" target="_blank">USDA Organic</a></strong> (US), <strong><a href="http://www.nasaa.com.au/" target="_blank">NASAA</a></strong> (Australia), <strong><a href="http://www.demeter.org.au/" target="_blank">Demeter</a></strong> (Australia), <strong><a href="http://www.tasorganicdynamic.com.au/" target="_blank">TOP</a></strong> (Australia) and <strong><a href="/http:/www.soilassociation.org/" target="_blank">Soil Association</a></strong> (UK).</p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Quick Q&amp;A with Julie Mathers:</strong><br> <br> </span><strong>Why are non-natural and non-organic products so bad for you?</strong><br> <br> Sunscreen is a perfect example of where natural is best. Standard sunscreen is made from chemicals and designed so that when UV rays hit the sunscreen the molecules absorb the radiation through their chemical bonds. The components of the sunscreen then slowly break down and dissipate heat. In summary, you have a chemical reaction taking place on your skin! Whilst this happens, there is the possibility that your skin – your biggest organ – absorbs some of these chemicals and these have been linked to cancer and hormonal issues. However natural sunscreen contains&nbsp;zinc oxide that is a reflector and much better to use.&nbsp;<br> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> </span><strong>Natural vs. organic – what team are you on and why?</strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span>I think it is crucial to understand what is in your beauty and skincare products. Some amazing brands are not certified organic because they are so small and the fees too high for certification. However they use some of the best ingredients. Always read the labels and always ensure you know the ethics of the company; research will pay off.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span><strong>What are you favourite products that you use and why?</strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span>Vanessa Megan Blood Orange Body Wash is amazing. It has wonderful smell, gorgeous ingredients and it works. I also love Ere Perez's make-up range in general but the Almond Oil mascara is great. I have sensitive eyes and this does not irritate plus, my lashes look great. Another amazing product is Trilogy's Nutrient Plus Firming Serum.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span><strong>Since using these products, what changes have you noticed?</strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span>My skin is less itchy and sensitive. I also find with Trilogy that my skin feels more hydrated yet moisturised. The products really do work. A lot of the changes I’ve noticed are on the inside. It’s great to know where my products are from and gives me assurance I'm doing the right thing.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span><strong>A lot of people think to go organic and natural, is expensive. Is this the case?</strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span>You can spend a fortune on chemically engineered products whereas some of the natural ones aren't as expensive. Vanessa Megan creates some amazing perfumes. My favourite is Darling Natural perfume and this is $29.95, a lot cheaper than other perfumes you will find, and no alcohol. Of course some products are on the higher side but there is always a range.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span><strong>What products would you recommend to over-60s and why?</strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br> <br> </span>It depends on your skin type and your preference. We have a huge range of anti-ageing products on Flora and Fauna but there are lots of other beautiful products such as make-up, body washes, lip balms that are all wonderful for anyone.&nbsp;One product I would recommend though is rosehip oil – it’s great for lines, revitalisation and skin tone. It’s my secret weapon at night.&nbsp;</p>

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