From lipstick to green tea, our life is full of items and habits that can help to promote a healthy lifestyle or to hinder our healthy aspirations. Here we show you five shocking health facts every woman should be aware of. We warn you though; some of them are pretty shocking.

Your lipstick could lead to heart failure

The details: Many big brand lipsticks contain harmful chemicals, such as parabens, methacrylate, lead, calcium and triclosan. Harmful substances like these are quickly absorbed into your bloodstream because you are applying them directly to your lips, which make them dangerous. Also, most ladies retouch their lipstick repeatedly throughout the day. If you are an appearance-conscious woman you could therefore be putting high levels of these substances into your body unknowingly.

Shocking health fact: Although none of the chemicals listed aboveare good for us, triclosan is particularly harmful. Researchers have found that when mice are exposed to this chemical their brain processes are interrupted and that this disruption could lead to heart failure and muscular problems. Although the study was not tested on humans, there is still concern that triclosan does pose a health risk and one of the biggest skincare companies, Johnson and Johnson, proposed to remove this chemical from their products. They also announced they would no longer use parabens.

Green tea can prevent osteoporosis

The details: Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease and it can be incredibly painful. The disease weakens bones and can lead to sudden fractures and breakages. Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis because they have lighter and thinner bones than men. They also live for longer.

Shocking health fact: Studies into the benefits of green tea have found that this herbal drink contains chemicals that can stimulate bone growth.Interestingly, it has also been suggested that compounds within green tea inhibit bone resorption, which weakens bones. If you're not a fan of green tea you could always add some honey to a cup of the herbal drink, or try flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil has also been found to help those at risk of developing osteoporosis because it contains fatty acids that positively affect bone density.

Makeup linked to weight gain

The details: Non-organic makeup brands often contain substances that are not great for our health. One chemical that has worried people in recent years is phthalates, which are in around 70 per cent of all cosmetics, including things like makeup, cleaning products and body lotions.

Shocking health fact: Researchers at the Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York conducted a study that found a strong correlation between the high levels of phthalates in children's urine and obesity. Although the research did not conclude that phthalates cause weight gain the study does suggest that these chemicals play a contributing role to obesity.

Losing weight can help reduce risk of breast cancer

The details: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is the second biggest killing cancer. Shockingly, it is thought that breast cancer affects one in eight women in their lifetime.

Shocking health fact: Although breast cancer can be caused by lots of different factors, being overweight and having a diet that is high in fat can mean that you are more likely to develop breast cancer. It is believed that losing half a stone could reduce the risk of getting breast cancer by 50 per cent. If you want to reduce the amount of fat in your diet you could swap some of your more unhealthy foods for low fat options. For example, instead of eating mayonnaise try crème fraiche.

Wearing the wrong bra can give you a headache

The details: It's been drummed into us that wearing the wrong bra can be harmful, yet apparently four out of five women still wear ill-fitting bras.

Shocking health fact: According to research, wearinga badly fitted bra is not just bad for our image; it's also bad for our health. The strain and stress our breasts place on our bodies can cause all sorts of problems, from back pain and stiffness in the neck, to headaches. Apparently six in 10 women experience at least one of these problems because of badly fitting bras. Women often think that their boobs stay the same size and so they stick to the same bra size. However, this is not the case and women should have regular bra fittings.

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