HEALTH & WELLBEING

A hospital is not the best place to get a good night's sleep, especially in a noisy intensive care unit. It's a cause for concern because studies have shown that a lack of sleep can cause patients to experience delirium - an altered mental state that may delay their recovery and lead to short and long-term confusion and memory problems.

According to the figures, some 20 million Americans either suffer themselves from Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia, or have a family member who does.

Mainstream medicine considers three bowel movements occurring less than three times per week a sign of chronic constipation. Mainstream medicine also considers one bowel movement per day more than adequate.

Eliminating meat and dairy, and including fruit smoothies and orange juice into the diet, has helped one woman normalize blood sugar levels.

One of the best ways I have found to address distress is by undressing it and redressing it , when possible that is, with laughter. Excuse me? Yes, with laughter.

A new study led by an international team of biologists has identified some of the brain chemicals that allow seals to sleep with half of their brain at a time.

Caffeine intake in pregnancy is linked to lower birth weight but not to preterm delivery, according to findings from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Caffeine from coffee, but not from other sources, is associated with slightly longer pregnancies.

A recent study, presented on February 15, involving 16 pregnant women, divided evenly between obese and lean subjects, conducted at the Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI) at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, "found that fetuses of obese women had differences in gene expression as early as the second trimester."

The Centre for Eye Research Australia in Melbourne is experimenting with the use of skin cells from patients with macular degeneration by turning them into stem cells to create new retinal cells.

Stem cells seem to be popular topic in the news; whether there are claims of new research's results or public debates over the use of them. One thing is sure that stem cells are not going anywhere and certainly will not disappear from either academic reality or social common awareness.

If you are a runner, swimmer or a work-alcoholic there stands a great risk of stiffening of piliformis muscle. This muscle is located beneath the gluten (butt) muscles and laterally rotates and stabilizes the hip. The piriformis turns your thigh out and helps to stabilize your pelvis and sacrum. Located under the gluteus maximus muscle, it runs from your sacrum to your upper thigh bone. The piriformis is probably best known as the cause of piriformis syndrome. The sciatic nerve runs directly ...

After pregnancy, it is necessary to realign your spine. Standing in the water allows you the maximum stretch between your hip bones and your ribs as you lift your arms above your head. Aqua yoga makes use of deep breathing in relaxed stretches that are easier and safer in water than on land. Your ligaments are still soft and should not be overstretched for at least four months after giving birth.

Black grapes have been associated with health and nutrition for centuries and they even appear in ancient literature and works of art. The very word ‘grapes’ conjures up images of bunches of plump black grapes, the jeweled wine goblets of the ancient Romans, and the splendors of a bygone era. The nutritional value of black grapes however, has stood the test of time and in fact new research only helps to uncover more health benefits of this fruit.

Biological Farmers of Australia, or BFA, has announced a name chance to "Australian Organic" this week, which owns the Australian Certified Organic "bud" mark logo.

US Consumers Driven to Fresh Food for the “Taste”, New Research

The University of Newcastle will tomorrow open an Australian-first radiation therapy simulation laboratory, completing the three-stage education cycle for students studying this life-saving treatment.

Lower Autism Risk with Folic Acid Supplements in Pregnancy

Contrary to the assumption that quality of life increases with each generation, baby boomers are actually significantly less healthy and more disabled than their parents were at the same age, according to a study conducted by researchers from the West Virginia University School of Medicine and published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Men who watch more than 20 hours of TV per week have a sperm count nearly half that of men who rarely watch TV, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Valentine's Day being considered by many people as a day for romance, a vital human organ - the heart - has become the symbol of this red-letter day. Thus, it is not unusual for lovers to say that in affirming their love for one another, they give their hearts to each other.

Detection of pancreatic cancer now becomes easier and more accurate, thanks to the breakthrough discovery that 15-year-old innovator Jack Andraka

Princeton researcher Michael Alpine and his team have created an innovative way to detect and report diseases for better response time in case of attacks and maladies.

Just when most women thought that drinking diet sodas help cut down the calorie intake, a new study has revealed that the artificial sweeteners put into them could actually result to an all-together different sickness of type-2 diabetes.

Horse meat found in Findus's lasagne, which contains up to 100% of the horse meat, marks the first product to contain horsemeat that is not in burgers.

For young children, the icing on every birthday party is when the people start singing happy birthday and then the celebrant gets to make a wish before blowing the candle on the cake. But Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) found this unhygienic and therefore banned candle blowing on shared birthday cakes. Really now?

The cure for age-related macular degeneration and blindness could be as simple as taking a natural supplement extract derived from common grape skins.

The Tesco scandal continues, this time with the finding of a human tooth in one of its premium range sausages.

National Geographic Kids attempt to set a Guinness World Record with more than 16,000 pairs of sneakers up for recycling to help the earth.

A 9-year-old girl recently gave birth to a baby girl in Jalisco, Mexico as the father, 17, is now being chased by the cops. She, however, is not the youngest mum-child as a 5-year-old gave birth in Peru back in 1939.