How to get a better sleep

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule. It is especially important to have a consistent wake-ip time.
• End your day before going to bed and develop a regular sleep routine to cue your brain to sleep.
• Create a relaxed, calming sleep environment. Your room should be cool and your mattress and pillow should provide good support.
• Exercise daily for deeper, quality sleep, but allow 3 hours after workouts before going to bed, since exercise raises metabolism.
• Eat well-balanced meals throughout the day to maintain energy levels. Do not eat a heavy, late evening meal before bedtime, since it affects sleep quality.
• Watch stimulant intake, especially late in the evening. Caffeine remains in the body up to 6 hours. Limit nicotine and alcohol use, since later in the night the act as stimulants and disrupt sleep.
• Leave the bedroom if you cannot sleep. Tossing and turning can create a negative sleep pattern and soon your bed becomes the enemy.
• Examine any medications you take to see if the contain caffeine. Many common medications interfere with sleep, such as aspirin, antihistamines, and antidepressants.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Zinc Lozenges not Effective in Treating Colds

According to a new study, there is nothing to back the claim that Zinc Lozenges can actually fight the common cold.

A U.S. analysis of 14 studies on the effectiveness of zinc lozenges from the last 20 years found fault with 10 of the studies.

The research was performed by medical student Thomas Caruso of Stanford University School of Medicine with the direction of Dr. Gwaltney, a professor of internal medicine, emeritus, at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and with the assistance of Charles Prober, MD, also at Stanford.

The study found of the four remaining studies, three reported no therapeutic effect from zinc lozenge or nasal spray and one study reported positive results from zinc nasal gel.

"The best scientific evidence available indicates that zinc lozenges are not effective in treating colds," said Gwaltney.

In 1984, the first study reporting that zinc lozenges effectively reduced the duration of the common cold was published. Many other studies followed, some seeming to support the idea of zinc either lessening symptoms or length of illness and some finding no effect.

For this study, the authors sorted out 105 studies of zinc and the common cold and extracted the 14 randomized, placebo-controlled studies, the type of study that might provide the strongest evidence for or against zinc's usefulness in cold-relief.

They found major errors in 10 of the studies, errors that may have invalidated the results. The most frequently found problem was the lack of an "intent to treat" analysis, which ensures that data for all subjects will be used regardless of whether or not they complete the trial. Other problems found in the studies included lack of a quantifiable hypothesis or sample sizes too small to produce statistically valid findings.

Chronic zinc intake of greater than 40 mg/day can lead to malfunctioning of the immune system and chronic fatigue. Various brands of lozenges have between 5 and 24 mg of zinc in each lozenge, Gwaltney said.

"Since less information is available on the intranasal approach, additional well-designed studies of intranasal zinc spray or zinc-treated nasal swabs should be performed," said Dr. Gwaltney.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Caffeine, Exercise may cut skin cancer

One or two cup of coffee after your morning jog may help your skin fight the damaging effects of the sun and prevent skin cancer.

A new study shows the combination of caffeine and regular exercise appears to help kill some of the precancerous cells damaged by the sun's ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation.

The sun-protective effect of this caffeine-exercise combination is still no excuse to skimp on the sunscreen. But researchers say the two may work together to prevent skin cancer better than either element alone.

"We need to dig deeper into how the combination of caffeine and exercise is exerting its influence at the cellular and molecular levels, identifying the underlying mechanisms," says researcher.

"With the stronger levels of UVB radiation evident today and an upward trend in the incidence of skin cancer among Americans, there is a premium on finding novel ways to protect our bodies from sun damage".

Caffeine, Exercise, and Skin Cancer
The study compared the effects of caffeine, exercise, and the combination of both in groups of hairless mice whose exposed skin is prone to skin cancer.

Some of the damaged (precancerous) skin cells died naturally through apoptosis - the process that occurs when the body orders damaged cells to die. But the rate of cell death among the precancerous cells was highest in the group that drank caffeine and exercised.

"If apoptosis takes place in a sun-damaged cell, its progress toward cancer will be aborted," says researcher. "The most dramatic and obvious difference between the groups came from the caffeine-drinking runners, a difference that can likely be attributed to some kind of synergy".

Researchers says previous studies have linked increased exercise or caffeine consumption with a lower risk of certain types of cancer, but the mechanisms behind this protective effect of the two working together are still somewhat of a mystery.

Suddenly you may be at risk for skin cancer? Find support and information on Complete Health Care Guide’s.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com