According to a new study published in the Journal of Patient Safety, physicians who treat their patients with non-drug techniques may effectively stop their discomfort.

Treatments such as relaxation response, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, music and aromatherapy and reflexology were administered to 1,837 caridiovascular, medical, surgical, orthopedic, spin, rehabilitation, oncology and women’s health patients at Abbott Northwestern.

It was found that a high number of patients experienced up to 50 percent less pain than before, giving hope to the researchers that there may be alternative treatments other than prescription drugs, which some physicians are hesitant to prescribe.

"We struggle to provide effective pain control while trying to avoid the adverse effects of opioid medications, such as respiratory depression, nausea, constipation, dizziness and falls," said one of the study’s authors, Dr. Gregory Plotnikoff.

According to researchers from Purdue University, high humidity that is typically present in bathrooms and kitchens has the capacity to degrade vitamins and nutritional supplements, even if the cap is screwed on tightly.

Researchers liken this process to something that also occurs in regular ingredients that are stored in the kitchen.

The process, known as deliquescence, occurs when humidity causes a water-soluble solid to start to dissolve. Keeping nutritional supplements at a normal-to-cool temperature might be able to help their effectiveness last longer.

"You might see salt or sugar start to cake in the summer, start to form clumps, and that’s a sign of deliquescence," said researcher Lisa Mauer. "You can also get chemical instabilities, which are a little more problematic if you’re consuming a dietary supplement with vitamin C for that vitamin C content."

The United States is currently looking for ways to determine exactly who should be tested for lead poisoning, as it can be an unnecessary cost. However, researchers from Michigan State University have found that there could be an accurate and cost-effective alternative.

"The key benefit of our method is that it identifies even more of those children who need testing and will lead to fewer unnecessary tests," said Stan Kaplowitz, principal investigator on the project. "Hence it will improve the health of children and families at less cost to the taxpayers."

Researchers created risk scores for more than 500,000 children in Michigan who were tested for lead poisoning between 1998 and 2005 and found that using scores based on race, Medicaid eligibility and socio-demographic characteristics would be better indicators for individuals who are at a higher risk of lead poisoning compared to a universal testing system.

According to researchers from Ohio State University, the more garlic people consumed, the lower the levels of a potential carcinogenic process (or cancer development) were. This indicates that individuals may want to add more of the spice to their daily intake.

By studying the bodily process that is associated with the development of cancer cells, it was found that individuals who consumed a high amount of garlic were at a lower risk for developing the potentially deadly disease.

The researchers noted that although there needs to be further evidence to suggest that this could serve as an effective treatment, too much garlic consumption will not be detrimental to anyone’s health.

"So if you like garlic and you like garlic-containing foods, go out and have as much as you want," said the study’s lead investigator, Earl Harrison. "There’s no indication it’s going to hurt you, and it may well help you."

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have indicated that taking an hour nap can help boost and restore brain power that could have been lost throughout the day.

Approximately 39 participants were split into two groups, one that napped and one that didn’t. At noon, the participants had to take learning tests. Researchers found that both groups performed at similar levels. At 2 pm, the napping group took a 90-minute snooze, while the other group worked through the time. When a similar test was given at 6 pm, the napping group performed better than the awake group.

"Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap," said the study’s lead author, Matthew Walker, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.

A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is looking into nano-sized capsules made with curcumin—an ingredient that gives curry its yellow color—that could potentially help in fighting colon cancer, psoriasis and Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s been found that curcumin prevents melanoma cell growth by forcing the cells to destroy themselves. In addition to this, curcumin also works as a nutritional supplement for antioxidant effects.

One problem the researchers are facing is that the digestive system quickly destroys curcumin, making it nearly impossible to reach the bloodstream.

The scientists are working to find a way for curcumin to get past the digestive system by incorporating insulin and other drugs that can help with absorption.

The ultimate goal of this study is to find a potential in this natural ingredient that may help prevent some of the most common killers in humans today.

Findings that were presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto revealed that mothers who consumed four glasses of milk a day were 56 percent less likely to have a daughter with MS.

Researchers also found that women who simply consumed nutritional supplements such as vitamin D may also lower their daughter’s risk of developing the nerve disorder.

"We also found the risk of MS among daughters whose mothers were in the top 20 percent of vitamin D intake during pregnancy was 45 percent lower than daughters whose mothers were in the bottom 20 percent for vitamin D intake during pregnancy," researcher Dr. Fariba Mirzaei said.

The scientists are looking at this evidence as an indication that vitamin D may be tied with the development of MS, and that the benefits should be looked into further.

According to new findings published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, a new chemotherapy treatment known as Triapine may help reduce advanced cervical cancer in some women, in addition to controlling the disease from spreading.

Researchers found a success rate in the way the new treatment handled the disease, leading scientists to believe this could open doors for a potential cure.

"This new drug, which suppresses tumor growth, shows a great deal of promise for cervical cancer patients who are at high risk for relapse and cancer-related death," said Dr. Charles Kunos, the study’s lead researcher. "In this ten-patient study, a 100% complete response rate was observed and no disease progression was documented through 18 months of median follow-up."

The scientists felt that this treatment discovery was "promising" and believed it could lead to a higher survival rate of the cancer.

A new report published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention indicates that soda consumption may leave an individual at greater risk for pancreatic cancer, which has a 5 percent survival rate five years after initial diagnosis.

Individuals who consumed two or more soft drinks a week had a twofold increase in developing the deadly disease than individuals who did not drink soda.

Researchers studied 60,524 men and women over 14 years and found that 140 of these individuals developed pancreatic cancer. Of these patients, individuals who had two or more soft drinks per week were 87 percent more likely to develop the cancer.

While these findings may lead to more precautions, the researchers feel that the number is still too low to create a need for a warning. Scientists are still trying to determine if this was just a casual association or probable cause.

According to findings published in Brain Research, scientists have discovered a sensation called deqi that is obtained through the treatment, which deactivates the feelings of pain in the brain, resulting in the person thinking they feel better.

These findings have given a broader understanding of how acupuncture affects the brain, leading scientists to believe that there should be further investigation into factors such as the exact mechanism that occurs with the treatment.

"The results are fascinating," said researcher Dr. Aziz Asghar. "Whether such brain deactivations constitute a mechanism which underlies or contributes to the therapeutic effect of acupuncture is an intriguing possibility which requires further research."

The team is currently researching if acupuncture has the ability to successfully treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and depression. Previous studies have indicated that the holistic treatment works on knee pain and migraines.