Scientists from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that a water soluble extract of cinnamon, which is rich in antioxidants, may be useful in mitigating risk factors for metabolic or cardiovascular conditions.

The international team — which included French and American academics as well as government scientists — recruited 22 obese volunteers who were diagnosed as prediabetics for a 12-week study based in Ohio. The condition is characterized by impaired glucose tolerance.

After dividing the participants into two groups, one of which was given 250 milligrams of a dried water-soluble cinnamon extract twice a day, and analyzing their blood samples, the researchers discovered that the treated individuals demonstrated lower levels of fasting glucose, a sign of better health, compared to the control group.

American Diabetes Association estimates that some 57 million people in the U.S. can be classified as prediabetics.

According to psychologist Mary Alvord, Ph.D., you have the right to get angry. By realizing and acknowledging your emotions and letting others know so they can help, you’ve taken a first critical step.

As the situation wears on, you should be able to get a fresh perspective on things. Research from the University of Pennsylvania suggests analyzing things in two ways: best-case scenario and worse-case scenario. By looking at the outcomes and journaling your ideas, you might realize your worries aren’t looming so large.

Leaning on your trusted friends and colleagues can make a big difference when you need the support. And shed the emotional attachments to negative people who seem to always bring you down. Make plans with your group and enjoy the company.

Now that you’ve got a supportive group of allies, work on a strategy. This includes making to-do lists and trying to find the positive in problems that come your way. By working on solutions instead of getting bogged down by the negative aspects, you can work on current situations and meet future problems head-on. This preparation will help boost your mood and reduce the downtime that depression takes on your life.

Over the course of 14 years, a team of researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) examined the amount of coffee and tea consumed by more than 4,800 people aged 65 years or older. The investigators then compared consumption to each participant’s cognitive function.

The results of the study showed that individuals who drank tea every day were 17 percent to 37 percent less likely to develop memory problems. However, researchers found that those who consumed the largest amount of coffee had a decreased memory decline of up to 20 percent.

Lenore Arab, professor in the department of medicine and department of biological chemistry at UCLA, stated that these findings suggest "a potential neuroprotective effect of tea consumption against cognitive decline." She added that "the effect may be related to some other component in tea, such as flavonoids or perhaps theanine, however more research is required before a link can be confirmed."

In addition to drinking tea, which is a high source of antioxidants, consuming foods and beverages that are enriched with these nutrients can also prevent memory problems. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, eating blueberries, cherries, strawberries and other fruits can help protect cognitive function.

Soy is a vegetable used to make milk, oil and other food products, and contains a variety of nutrients, including compounds similar to estrogen, that can lead to many health benefits when added to one’s diet.

Women who have experienced menopause will typically have lower hormone levels, which has been linked to abdominal weight gain. In order to maintain healthy hormone levels, some women turn to replacement therapy, which has been proven to cause many health problems, including the development of breast cancer.

In an effort to find a natural alternative to hormone treatments that also provided weight loss benefits, researchers fed soy, a plant that contains compounds similar to estrogen, to post-menopausal rats.

The results of the rats eating an increased intake of soy led to higher energy expenditure and weight-loss.

Michelle Murphy, a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, stated that these findings have "implications for the development of alternative natural treatments for obesity in post-menopausal women."

For post-menopausal women who are interested in adding other natural alternatives to their diets in order to improve weight-loss, recent research conducted at Johns Hopkins University showed that eating pomegranate can boost weight loss results and provide natural replacement therapy.

A new study appears to lend support to proponents of medicinal use of marijuana, as it shows that, when smoked, the plant has the potential to relieve chronic neuropathic pain.

The research was conducted by scientists from McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University, and was reported in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Study participants, who suffered from pain associated with nerve injury, were asked to smoke 25 mg of cannabis that contained about 10 percent THC – the active ingredient – three times a day for five days. The results suggested that most experienced modest pain reduction as well as better mood and sleep.

"The patients we followed suffered from pain caused by injuries to the nervous system, which was not controlled using standard therapies" said Dr. Mark Ware, lead author of the study and director of clinical research at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the MUHC.

He added that for these people, a similar approach "is sometimes seen as their last hope."

The center’s scientists have identified a genetic mechanism that can help determine the severity of allergic asthma. They say that what distinguishes a mild form of the disease from a more severe case is the pro-inflammatory protein called interleukin-17 (IL-17A).

When exposed to an environmental pollutant – such as cigarette smoke – the body produces high levels of IL-17A, which in turn stimulates the expression of a gene called complement factor 3 (C3) that sets off an "amplification loop," perpetuating increasing inflammatory responses.

"This study suggests that at some point it may be possible to treat or prevent severe forms of asthma by inhibiting pathways that drive the production of IL-17A," said senior investigator Marsha Wills-Karp, director of the division of immunobiology at Cincinnati Children’s.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 7 percent of adults and more than 9 percent of children in the U.S. have asthma.

The results were presented in the August 29 issue of Nature Immunology.

When it comes to foods, you must understand that there is a huge difference between “acidic foods” and ”acid-forming foods.” A good example is citrus fruits, which are truly acidic foods because they contain citric acid—until they enter the body. So just because lemons are acidic, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them.

In fact, a few drops of lemon juice in your water can be an alkaline booster. How does it work? During the process of digestion, foods change their chemistry. Energy is derived from foods by oxidation similar to the burning of fuel in a stove. And as in a stove, there is always an ash or residue. The residue that occurs in the human body as a result of the burning of foods is termed as “ash” and has a definite chemical reaction. Some foods leave an “acid ash” and are known as “acid-forming foods.” 

Other foods leave an “alkaline ash” and are known as “alkaline-forming foods.” To clarify this point, please remember that the acid and alkaline reaction described above occurs AFTER digestion and assimilation, and these terms do not indicate the chemistry of the foods BEFORE digestion. Therefore, do not assume that all acid foods are acid-forming and vice versa.

You should find a healthy balance between consumption of alkaline-forming foods and acid-forming foods. The best recommendation is to follow the 80/20 rule, where 80 percent of your foods are alkaline and only 20 percent of foods are acidic.