We've become a society that sleeps less and weighs more. Researchers are beginning to believe that these two coinciding states are not a coincidence since science is beginning to unravel a link between sleep loss and weight gain. Furthermore, this trend for shorter sleep duration has developed over the same time period as the dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes.¹

Sleep is involved in the optimal health of many bodily systems, including the digestive, immune and cardiovascular systems. Yet, in the hectic pace of modern-day society, where we feel as if we don't have enough hours in the day, many people have come to consider sleep almost optional. Others suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia - difficulty in falling or staying asleep - and sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by the cessation of breathing or in some cases underbreathing during periods throughout sleep. Apnea results in the afflicted individual suffering from reduced oxygen levels (hypoxia). I describe to my patients the importance of sleep with the simple observation that the first four letters of the word "Restoration" are REST. When one "restores" something, they bring it into its original pristine state; it is sleep (rest) that allows the body to heal and maintain wellness.

Based on population-based studies, approximately 30 percent of adults around the world report one or more of the symptoms of insomnia: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, waking up too early, and in some cases, nonrestorative or poor quality of sleep.² According to stricter diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV),³ the additional requirements that insomnia symptoms persist for at least 1 month and do not exclusively occur in the presence of another sleep disorder, mental disorder, or the direct effects of a medical condition, yields current prevalence estimates of approximately 6 percent.

Abraham Haim, a professor of biology at Haifa University in Israel, said that the bluer light that compact flourescent lamps (CFLs) emitted closely mimiced daylight, disrupting the body's production of the hormone melatonin more than older-style filament bulbs, which cast a yellower light.

Melatonin, thought to protect against some breast and prostate cancers, is produced and secreted by the brain's pineal gland around the clock.

Highest secretion levels are at night but light depresses production, even if one's eyes are shut.

A possible link between night time light exposure and breast cancer risk has been known for over a decade, since a study was published showing female shift workers were more likely to develop the disease.

A breath test for early stage bowel cancer could be developed after scientists found that dogs can sniff out the disease in nine out of 10 cases.

A specially trained female black Labrador retriever picked out early stage bowel cancer in 33 out of 36 cases by smelling the patients' breath alone - a 90 per cent success rate.

The dog was even more accurate when given stool to smell, correctly identifying the faeces of someone with early stage bowel cancer with 98 per cent accuracy (37 out of 38 cases).

However, the former is potentially more exciting as it holds out the possibility that a person could be "breathylised" for early stage bowel cancer.

This would be a much more pleasant and less invasive testing method than is currently available.

At the moment in England, all men and women aged 60 to 74 are eligible for screening every two years.

In December we carried a report on a new film called The Idiot Cycle (Movie Breaks All Rules Exposing Cancer Origins) that delivers the goods on the world's top cancer causing culprits, could easily have been titled "The Business of Cancer"- as it so fully divulges the dark and dirty side of companies like Bayer, BASF, Dow, Dupont, Monsanto, Syngetna, Novartis, Pfizer, and others.

Over the past several weeks, since this article was published, problems have become worse. These same companies control the FDA, and under the new "food safety" bill - S 510 (structured by agribusiness to end access to safe local food systems and by Pharma to eliminate access to safe nutritional support), they have just gotten the FDA to ban IV vitamin C as an unapproved drug.

There is a strong correlation between the intake of certain fats and depression, anxiety, and suicide risk.

Studies have shown that high intake of omega-6 oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, canola, and soybean oils) increases the risks of major depression because it increases inflammation in the brain.

On the other hand, omega-3 oils - especially their DHA (fatty acid) component - have been associated with reductions in depression, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex. Low DHA levels in this brain area are also associated with bipolar disorder.

If you're noticing a growing number of senior moments - where did I put those keys? - you might consider taking a walk.

New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) confirms the brain benefits of physical activity for older adults, but this time with the added evidence that walking can actually increase the volume of certain parts of the brain involved in memory.

Until recently, researchers thought that new nerves did not sprout in already developed adult brains, while with age worn out neurons slowly die off. But once imaging studies proved them wrong, scientists documented two areas where nerve growth seemed to be the most active - the olfactory bulb (involved in smell) and a portion of the hippocampus, which is responsible for regulating learning and memory.

The medical press trumpeted again this month the shopworn pharmaceutical marketing message that menopausal hormones may be good for women, after all.

This is at least the eighth time researchers have tried to resuscitate the lucrative therapy, which sank in 2002 when a government study found it caused the cancer and heart disease it was marketed to prevent. Wyeth, now Pfizer, had to close a plant and phase out 1,200 employees when the highly advertised hormone therapy nosedived.

Recently, Dr. Joseph Ragaz, clinical professor at the University of British Columbia, presented at the yearly San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. In a re-analysis of the 2002 study, called the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), Ragaz found estrogen alone in some groups of women who have had a hysterectomy protected against breast cancer. The evidence that estrogen can protect against breast cancer has "been largely ignored" Ragaz says.

But anyone who follows medical literature knows that estrogen hasn't been ignored at all.

Linus Carl Pauling (1901 - 1994) was an American chemist, peace activist, author and educator regarded as one of the most influential chemists in history. He was among the first scientists to work in the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology, and is the only individual to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes.

A paper submitted by Pauling to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and accepted for publication on June 11, 1991 was later revoked by the editor under questionable circumstances: "We are aware that this pullback was not the decision of an individual. It happened in the interest of those who are personally or economically dependent on the present dogma of human cardiovascular disease."

In the mid-1930s, Pauling shifted his interest towards biological molecules and protein structures, although it was his work on vitamin C which generated much controversy. Pauling popularised vitamin C as an effective therapy for terminal cancer patients and the common cold. However, the failure of randomised trials by the Mayo Clinic to demonstrate any benefit and the public debate that ensued resulted in the medical establishment eventually rejecting his claims as quackery.

In his last years, Pauling continued to research vitamin C and became especially interested in its possible role in preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is this forgotten work by Pauling and Matthias Rath at the Linus Pauling Institute which presents a compelling case for re-examining atherosclerosis research, prevention and treatment.

Poached cod and potatoes with lemon butter, sautéed haricot verts, and fresh avocado -- sound like a meal from Heartland or Spoonriver? Well, that's what I had for lunch recently at College Simin de Palay, a junior high school in the town of Lescar, France. And as good as the meal sounds, the story behind it is equally appealing.

But first, like a good meal, we need a little appetizer. In Minnesota and across the nation, health care and education reform are topics of high importance. And from the First Lady to five-star generals, more and more people are making the connection between what our students eat in school and how it affects health, well-being, and academic performance. On the heels of Simple, Good, and Tasty's, exposition on Minneapolis school lunch, I wanted to share my recent visit to Lescar, where I experienced first-hand how the school prepares meals for its students and learned directly about their approach to school lunch.

An expert speaking on an Australian TV news show reveals fluoride for what it is - a poison.