BY SANDRA GUY

Just days after a DePaul University professor told the student newspaper about COVID vaccination obstacles, the university announced it will require students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus starting in Fall 2021.

“In the spirit of caring for each other and for our surrounding community, DePaul has decided to require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when the 2021-22 academic year begins,” the university announced April 22.

“This requirement covers all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all degree programs who intend to be on campus for any period of time starting in the fall 2021 term,” the announcement said.

“While documented medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated, we expect the vast majority of students will be vaccinated.”

DePaul administrators asked students to take a survey about how they feel about being vaccinated, but made it clear that they’re keeping that information anonymous.

Yet DePaul students have proudly posted their vaccination successes on social media, and student workers complained to the student newspaper that they wanted more stringent protections on campus.

One employee of the university mail and print services told The DePaulia that he left his job because of what he described as a persistent Covid-unsafe work environment.

Chicago has confronted vaccine shortages, overloaded and complicated online vaccine sign-up systems, and suburbanites jumping the vaccine lines ahead of city residents.

Those issues are slowly being resolved, as DePaul set up a Moderna vaccine clinic for faculty, staff and students April 27-29, and Chicago officials said all of its mass vaccination sites will start accepting walk-in appointments on April 23.

BY SANDRA GUY

Your body needs niacin, also known as vitamin B3, to turn food into energy.

Doctors can prescribe it to lower high cholesterol levels and to treat respiratory or vascular disorders. It aids in good blood circulation and normal brain functioning.

The vitamin also acts as an antioxidant, which can further protect your heart.

But can niacin become too much of a good thing?

Yes, if you take too-high doses. In fact, niacin can lead to liver damage, glucose intolerance and gastrointestinal problems.

So don’t treat yourself with over-the-counter niacin supplements. Instead, get a doctor’s advice and a prescription. That’s especially true if you take statins or blood pressure-lowering medication.

People need niacin in varying amounts. Though the quantities listed below are guidelines, it’s best to check with your doctor.

• Children: between 2-16 milligrams of niacin equivalents daily, depending on age
• Men: 16 milligrams daily
• Women: 14 milligrams daily
• Pregnant women: 18 mg daily
• Women who are breastfeeding: 17 milligrams daily
• Maximum daily intake for adults of all ages: 35 milligrams daily.

Your body doesn’t store water-soluble niacin. But damage can occur when you overload the dose.

BY SANDRA GUY

As news headlines proclaim daily allegations of long-silenced sexual assaults and harassment — many tinged with racial and ethnic prejudice — it seems appropriate that April is deemed Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

Age-old myths, assumptions and stereotypes about women and sexual assaults and unwelcome comments won’t disappear overnight.

But heightened awareness, and women’s increasing willingness to call out inappropriate behavior, aim to upend mistaken conventional ideas and ultimately, punish abusers and harassers.

First, sexual harassment and assault are acts of violence. The perpetrator can be anyone, and the inappropriate behavior can happen to anyone.

Indeed, many victims know their attacker or harasser, and they can be taken by surprise when the perpetrator suddenly grabs, kisses or otherwise physically touches them inappropriately, or says something inappropriate with sexual overtones. Silence doesn’t equal consent.

The victim may be at a workplace-sponsored event or even in the workplace, and be stunned and uncertain about how to deal with the situation, especially if one’s boss is the perpetrator.

So how can you protect yourself?

The typical answer is to report harassment to the human resources department. But so many people have been rebuffed by their employer or compliance officer, it’s necessary to consider stronger responses. It may be necessary to file a complaint with a government agency, the police and/or discuss the incident in the legacy media or on social media.

The Biden administration has said it will revise Title IX — the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal funding — to bolster protections for sexual assault and harassment victims.

If you’ve been assaulted, call the police and go to a hospital emergency room for medical care. Ask the doctor to record injuries and insist that you undergo all the necessary tests to complete a rape or sexual assault kit so that the police have the evidence on file. Don’t disturb any potential evidence.

Seek counseling to figure out how to prosecute or hold accountable the attacker or harasser and to help you deal with the breach of trust and respect.

Know that your reaction can have an impact for good, and perhaps for the longterm.

A New York Times analysis in 2019, one year after the #MeToo movement started in earnest, 920 people had reported sexual misconduct by 200 prominent men who then lost their jobs. Nearly half of those men had been replaced or were succeeded by women, the analysis showed.

BY SANDRA GUY

Chronic alcohol consumption doesn’t just lead to a whole host of health woes, including teeth, brain, liver, pancreas and immune system damage, it also can lead to a deficiency of folic acid — an essential B vitamin.

Folate helps the body make healthy new red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. And an inadequate amount of red blood cells can lead to anemia.

Folate is also important to repair and synthesize DNA and other genetic material, and it’s necessary for cells to divide.

It’s especially important for pregnant women to get enough folate because being deficient can lead to severe situations such as the baby developing spina bifida or being born without parts of its brain or skull.

In fact, chronic heavy drinkers suffer a double health whammy: They usually eat an inadequate amount of nutrients, and lose the benefits of those they do consume.

The process of metabolizing alcohol requires nutrients. As the liver decreases its supply of these nutrients, the blood stream is called upon to replenish the supply. As a result, body cells are deprived of critical nutrients and normal body functions suffer.

Alcohol itself can interfere with the nutrition process by affecting use, digestion, storage and excretion of nutrients. Most people may not even realize that the body starts breaking down food into molecules starting in the mouth. The process goes on in the stomach and intestines, as well as the pancreas.

Alcohol interferes with the body’s vital work of breaking down and absorbing nutrients. It does so in several ways, including damaging cells that should absorb the nutrients; impairing the pancreas from secreting digestive enzymes; and upsetting the body’s gut health, which is proving more and more vital to healthy aging.

BY SANDRA GUY

The key to World Immunization Week April 20-25 is to get your COVID vaccination, regardless of its producer.

It’s actually a race against time — before an even more contagious COVID-19 variant kills even more people.

In America, scientists say people hesitating to get vaccinated and abandoning masks, social distancing and other restrictions are opening the door for the faster-acting variants to grow.

Another reminder of COVID’s danger is the continuing suffering of “long-haulers” — millions of COVID survivors who, a year after testing positive — still endure exhaustion, muscle pain, brain fog and other debilitating conditions.

To try to get the truth to prevail, Don Brown’s Big Ideas That Changed the World graphic non-fiction series has added “A Shot in the Arm!” which tells the history of vaccines and offers clever infographic explanations of how vaccines help antigens fight pathogens, according to a New York Times review. [tinyurl.com/d2ytzr28]

Though aimed at children, the book, “A Shot in the Arm!” offers accessible explanations about science and medicine, and especially the vital role that vaccinations have played throughout history.

For those seeking a more technological dive, NPR has reported that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made from mRNA technology.

The idea, beyond today’s vaccines, is to develop solutions that guide each person’s immune system to target the most virulent part of a virus.

For now, the goal is herd immunity.

White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci has estimated that 70 to 85 percent of the U.S. population needs to be vaccinated to develop “a blanket of protection over the country and very little viral activity.”

Some experts predict a return to normalcy as soon as April or May, while others say it may not be until 2022. The timing depends on vaccination rates, the length of people’s natural immunity after they’ve tested positive for COVID-19, the spread and deadliness of new variants and the numbers of people who refuse vaccination.

Anyone who has been vaccinated must still take precautions. The Centers for Disease Control has recommended that even those vaccinated must wait two weeks after the final vaccination so your body can build up immunity. It’s possible to contract COVID-19 before or just after getting vaccinated because you must let the vaccine have time to work.

After you’ve been patient and wise, you can meet with a friend or a small group of friends, but everyone must be fully vaccinated to stay safe.

Experts caution that you must still wear your mask, and preferably a double mask; defer traveling; stay away from groups of people outside of your household; and continue to maintain social distancing practices.

BY SANDRA GUY

Obesity’s health risks can no longer be ignored. People with obesity, regardless of age, are more likely to be hospitalized with the coronavirus and have a higher risk of complications and even death, research shows.

More than 42 percent of U.S. adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What are obesity’s risks? It’s a condition that keeps the body in a chronic state of low-grade inflammation. That situation reduces the body’s ability to fight off COVID-19 and its respiratory infection.

People with obesity also have a compromised immune system that’s more susceptible to infections, doctors say.

These situations pose particularly serious issues with COVID because people with obesity suffer from greater respiratory distress because their airways, ribcage and reserve volume add up to danger zones.

So how do you reverse obesity when each day feels like a slog and it’s so easy to just eat that chocolate?

One of the keys is to monitor your intake of sugar. It’s lurking, hiding in packaged foods, breads and drinks. Check the labels.

Americans get about 20 percent of their calories from sugar — double the target in the current guidelines.

What can you do? Just a few ways to get started:

• Use oil instead of solid fats. Olive oil kicks butter to the curb every time, and canola oil is a great alternative when you’re baking.
• Prepare fish, such as salmon and mackerel, instead of meat at least twice a week to take advantage of the omega-3 fatty acids. Bake or broil it.
• Keep packaged and canned food out of your house as much as possible. Just do it. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Meet with an expert to set goals — even if you meet via Zoom — and find someone who inspires you. Try to find buddies who hold you and each other accountable for a healthier lifestyle.

After enduring the endless exhaustions of a pandemic, now is the time.

BY SANDRA GUY

It’s no wonder women cringe at the word “endometriosis.”

The painful and incurable gynecological condition — it gets his name from the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, the endometrium — affects more than 170 million women worldwide and can also cause bleeding, digestive issues, and fertility problems.

But a glimmer of hope comes from Oregon State University, where researchers say their work shows nanotechnology can both identify and kill the diseased tissue that causes the condition.

The breakthrough could offer a safer alternative than today’s surgical solutions and give new urgency to National Endometriosis Awareness Month each March.

The dilemma is that half of the women who undergo surgery to remove lesions that form in the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the outside of the uterus, must have more surgeries after the lesions grow back.

Women often require three or more surgeries to treat their symptoms, researchers say. That also involves potential complications and risks that healthy tissue may be harmed unintentionally.

Roughly 10 percent of childbearing-age women will experience endometriosis, and 35 percent to 50 percent of women with pelvic pain and or infertility suffer from the disorder.

The Oregon researchers, whose study was published in April 2020 in the journal Small, used nanoparticles to deliver a special dye to the endometriotic lesions.

This dye turns fluorescent once inside the cells, and when exposed to near-infrared light — which can penetrate human tissue — it heats to temperatures that kill them.

“The challenge has been to find the right type of nanoparticles,” researcher Oleh Taratula said in a news release. “Ones that can predominantly accumulate in endometriotic lesions without toxic effect on the body, while preserving their imaging and heating properties.”

The dye heats to temperatures that kill the diseased tissue.

The researchers will next work with human trials.

BY SANDRA GUY

This year’s National Nutrition Month theme — perfect for the COVID era — “Eat Right, Bite by Bite” — sums up everyone’s heightened awareness to stay healthy and, at the same time, mindful and intentional.

The campaign for the month of March, created by the Chicago-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, aims to help people, especially those under stress and homebound, to achieve variety and balance in their diets.

Easier said than done, especially when the Zoom connection goes on the blink and the children start fighting over their class work. One of the best ways to go about it is to focus on the building blocks of a healthy body —  B-complex vitamins.

They have a direct impact on your energy levels, brain function and cell metabolism.

Vitamin B complex is composed of eight B vitamins:

B-1 (Thiamine)

B-2 (Riboflavin)

B-3 (Niacin)

B-5 (Pantothenic acid)

B-6 (pyridoxine)

B-7 (biotin)

B-9 (folic acid)

B-12 (cobalamin)

The recommended daily allowance of B complex vitamins varies by age, gender, and condition. So check supplement details with your doctor.

But if you’re spending most of your time at home, start experimenting with new recipes and you’ll become accomplished at getting a healthy dose of B complex vitamins the healthy way — in foods.

You’ll have plenty of ingredients because B complex vitamins can be found in eggs, nuts, tuna, milk, salmon, shellfish, bananas, spinach and kale, and black beans and kidney beans.

Now, how do you eat them in a well-balanced diet?

Tools can help. One is MyPlate. Here are some of its suggestions:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Choose fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits.
• Make a quarter of your plate grains. Try oats, whole wheat bread, quinoa, brown rice and whole wheat pasta.
• Make a quarter of your plate proteins. Choose lean cuts of meat, skinless poultry, seafood, and eggs. Just beware of high sodium found in processed meats.
• Try low-fat or fat-free dairy. Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and fortified soymilk. Aim for low-fat yogurt that is also low in added sugars.

Just beware that certain underlying health conditions can prevent your body from properly absorbing vitamin B. You should talk with your doctor if you have Crohn’s disease, HIV, celiac disease, alcohol dependence, kidney conditions, rhumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease.

BY SANDRA GUY

Whether you’ve always thought Valentine’s Day was overrated or you can’t wait to celebrate, the dawning of the New Year and upcoming coronavirus vaccines offer a great opportunity to celebrate — with lots of safety and creativity.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. Try these ideas:

• If you live with your Valentine, make your home a romantic oasis. Cut out paper hearts and leave them as surprise hand-written love notes. If your loved one goes to a workplace, slip a love note — or a note of gratitude — in his or her lunch bag or coat pocket.
• Carve out some quiet time and look through scrapbooks, photo collections and other compilations. Enjoy the precious memories.
• If you need some help, you can find conversation-starter sets with questions such as “What song reminds you of a romantic time that we spent together?” or
• Make a Valentine’s Day playlist of love songs or stream a virtual concert that you’ll both enjoy.
• Go on a bike ride or a hike, or ski or work out together. You can even invest in a “hot” winter trend: A back-yard ice rink. Or just have an impromptu campout in the back yard.
• Make chocolate fondue to pour onto strawberries, and top off the treat with a glass of champagne.
• Download a Night Sky app to stargaze, or design a vision board for the New Year by cutting out images from old magazines, newspapers and calendars.

And if your significant other just won’t cooperate, there’s always Galentine’s  Day — a day for women to celebrate one another – single or not.

A few ideas to keep it fun:

* Exchange gift cards to a virtual yoga or paint class (another big hit is pairing wine gifting with virtual painting class).

* Give each other — or have delivered to keep it safe — fuzzy/cheesy character socks.

* Send hand sanitizer paired with hand lotions/softeners/do-it-yourself spa treatments.

* Ship each other journals or adult coloring books complete with markers and colored pencils.

* Buy mugs that stay heated, along with a new sensation  — coffee that’s packaged in what looks like tea bags (coffee bags).

* Gift each other comfy pajamas/onesies that look good on Zoom.

* And get your best friend a terrarium (plastic or real ones; makes no difference). They’re still adorable.

Not only will your Valentine pal — gal or guy — feel incredibly loved, but you will feel fabulous, too, for being such a wonderful Cupid.

BY SANDRA GUY

Let’s admit it. We’ve all run, silently screaming, out of the condo, apartment or house just to get some fresh air — even through our masks.

Just take a long, relaxing breath, even if you can see your breath in the cold (that can be fun, actually). Walk briskly, even if it’s on a muddy sidewalk. Let the holiday lights brighten your mood. Aren’t your neighbors keeping their lights up as we wait out the pandemic? Experience the calm that comes from seeing grass and the sky.

It’s not your imagination.

Research has found evidence that spending time in nature can protect against a startling range of issues, including obesity, diabetes, depression, ADHD and cardiovascular disease.

That’s especially important since a recent study showed that 74 percent of U.S. adults are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That includes nearly 43 percent who are obese — who have a body mass index of 30 or higher — and another 31 percent who are overweight, with a BMI of 25 to 29.9. BMI is a measurement of body fatness and can help tell if a person’s weight is healthy.

After reviewing hundreds of studies examining nature’s effects on health, University of Illinois environment and behavior researcher Ming Kuo said she believes the answer lies in nature’s ability to enhance the functioning of the body’s immune system.

“I pulled every bit of the research in this area together that I could find, and was surprised to realize I could trace as many as 21 possible pathways between nature and good health — and even more surprised to realize that all but two of the pathways shared a single common denominator,” said Kuo, director of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“The realization that there are so many pathways helps explain not only how nature promotes health, but also why nature has such huge, broad effects on health,” she said in a news release.

“Nature doesn’t just have one or two active ingredients. It’s more like a multivitamin that provides us with all sorts of the nutrients we need,” said Kuo, who is a contributing author of a free e-book on the subject, The Natural World as a Resource for Learning and Development: From Schoolyards to Wilderness.

“That’s how nature can protect us from all these different kinds of diseases — cardiovascular, respiratory, mental health, musculoskeletal, etc. — simultaneously,” she said.

Other research in the e-book by Rachel Szczytko of North Carolina State University, showed that outdoor learning can improve attention span and decrease disruptive behaviors in children with emotional, cognitive and behavioral disabilities.

Separately, scientists have surmised that breathing in phytoncides — airborne chemicals that plants produce —increases our levels of white blood cells, helping us fight off infections and diseases.

Research also has shown that natural scents such as roses, pine and soils can make people feel calmer. And Vitamin D from sunlight, even in the wintertime, has long been known to help the body’s calcium absorption. Sunlight, too, can brighten mood and boost alertness.