Health
Americans to get new sunscreen option already used abroad for decades
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its list of permissible sunscreen ingredients for the first time in more than 25 years.
On Tuesday, the federal health agency signed off on allowing bemotrizinol to be added to sunscreen products after it met the FDA’s standard for protecting against dangerous ultraviolet rays and causing little irritation or absorption into the skin, according to the Associated Press.
This addition gives Americans access to a skin-protecting chemical that has been historically used in Europe and other parts of the world.
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Bemotrizinol will initially be sold in the U.S. as Parsol Shield, manufactured by Dutch company DSM Nutritional Products, expected to launch later in 2026, the AP reported. The ingredient will be available for use by other manufacturers after an 18-month exclusivity period.
The FDA has signed off on allowing bemotrizinol to be added to sunscreen products. (iStock)
DSM (the sunscreen ingredient company) submitted a format request for the FDA to approve bemotrizinol as a new sunscreen ingredient in the U.S., allowing its use in over-the-counter sunscreens at concentrations up to 6%.
In a December press release announcing the proposal of this request, the FDA noted that bemotrizinol is “generally recognized” as safe and effective for adults and children 6 months and older.
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FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, commented in a statement that the agency has “historically moved too slowly in this area, leaving Americans with fewer options than consumers abroad.”
Bemotrizinol is “generally recognized” as safe and effective for adults and children 6 months and older, according to the FDA. (iStock)
“We’re continuing to modernize the regulation of sunscreen and other over-the-counter drug products,” he said in the release. “Americans deserve timely access to the best safe, effective and consumer-friendly over-the-counter products available.”
In the same news release, Karen Murry, MD, acting director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs in Maryland, commented that bemotrizinol “would be a welcome addition to the current array of effective sunscreen active ingredients already available to American consumers.”
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“We look forward to working with other companies on bringing products containing other new active ingredients to market for a wide array of conditions in multiple therapeutic areas, in a much more timely fashion than was possible in the past,” she added.
The FDA encourages the public to use sunscreen with other protective measures. (iStock)
The FDA continues to regulate sunscreen products to ensure that they meet safety and effectiveness standards, while encouraging the public to use numerous protective measures.
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This includes using broad-spectrum sunscreens SPF 15 or higher to help reduce the risk of skin cancer and signs of aging, along with wearing protective clothing and limiting time in the sun.
Health
The Next Wave of Weight Loss Science May Come From a Peptide Inside Your Body That Mimics Ozempic
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A specific gut microbe could help with long-term weight-loss goals.
New research published in the journal Nature Medicine tested whether a pasteurized (not live) gut bacterium, called Akkermansia muciniphila MucT, could help people keep weight off after losing it.
The study enrolled 90 overweight and obese adults from the Netherlands in an eight-week, low-energy diet where they were instructed to lose 8% of their body weight, according to a press release.
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The participants then started a 24-week weight-maintenance phase and were randomly assigned to take either the gut bacterium or a placebo.
People taking Akkermansia regained significantly less weight than those taking the placebo, the study found. (iStock)
People taking Akkermansia regained less weight than those taking the placebo, at an average of 2.6 pounds versus 7.1 pounds — a statistically significant difference, according to the study results.
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The researchers noted that the efficacy of the treatment depends on a person’s existing gut microbiome. There were no serious adverse events reported.
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The study’s short duration and small sample size may not be enough to prove long-term benefits, the team noted. Another limitation is that participants ate whatever they wanted instead of following a standardized diet.
The study enrolled 90 overweight and obese adults from the Netherlands in an eight-week, low-energy diet where they were instructed to lose 8% of their body weight. (iStock)
Dr. Peter Balazs, MD, a hormone and weight loss specialist practicing in New York and New Jersey, called this a “well-designed” trial.
“The finding that a single gut microbe, pasteurized Akkermansia, significantly reduced weight regain is particularly compelling,” the expert, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “Most probiotics have demonstrated far less efficacy, making these results especially noteworthy.”
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Balazs pointed out that pasteurized Akkermansia isn’t a live probiotic, but works through “components of the bacteria, particularly a protein called Amuc_1100.”
Akkermansia is “not a miracle pill,” an expert noted, although the study results are promising. (iStock)
“This protein helps strengthen the gut barrier, reduce low-grade inflammation and support healthy metabolic function,” he said. “After weight loss, the body naturally tries to regain fat, but Akkermansia appears to help quiet some of those biological signals, making it easier to maintain results over time.”
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While the study results are promising, the doctor cautioned that Akkermansia is not a miracle pill.
“It helps with maintenance, not initial loss,” he said. “Long-term use is plausible; however, it hasn’t been proven beyond 24 weeks. This does not replace diet, exercise or medical advice.”
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