The experiments were targeted on figuring out how human brain can deal with unpleasant and traumatic memories during sleep. For that, the experts used brain scans of 35 volunteers who agreed to participate in the research. The first group of the participants were shown a series of highly emotional images, and then allowed to take a nap between the two brain scanning sessions. The other group was simply scanned before and several hours after watching the images, without taking a nap in between. Those who had a chance for sleeping have demonstrated considerably less brain activity linked to negative emotions.

Therefore, taking a nap and seeing dreams is linked to less activities in the amygdala, a part of human brain known for being involved in producing emotions. In addition, sleeping caused more activities in the prefrontal cortex, another brain area which is involved in rational thinking. To support these findings, the participants were interviewed, and those who had no opportunity to take a nap reported about being more distressed and emotionally disturbed by the seen images than those participants who had a chance to have a good sleep.

The authors of the study believe that chemical processes that occur in human brain during so called REM sleep (or a part of our sleep when we dream) is responsible for the displayed emotional relief and plays a role in processing bad memories and negative emotions. Dr Matthew Walker, one of the authors of the study, comments on the findings as the following: “By reprocessing previous emotional experiences in this neurochemically safe environment of low norepinephrine during REM sleep, we wake up the next day, and those experiences have been softened in their emotional strength. We feel better about them, we feel we can cope.” Read more about this interesting study in the recent issue of the journal Current Biology.

A group of Canadian scientists based in Montreal carried out a series of experiments and managed to compose a formula helping to induce sleep. A special formula containing melatonin, a hormone responsible for our sleep quality, helped lab rats and mice sleep better. As it was estimated, after receiving the drug, the animals could fall asleep about 60 per cent faster compared to those animals which were not given the formula. At that, the phase of the sleep known as deep sleep or a slow wave sleep (the most important phase) was of much better quality, giving the animals more rest and time to totally recover.

Sufficient amounts of sleep and rest are vital for normal activities of all major body organs and systems, especially for normal function of our brain. Our brain restores its function while we are sleeping due to slowed down processes and electrical activity. Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a leading psychiatrist of the research group and an expert from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, comments on the importance of deep sleep for restoring the brain function: “The body is low down, so the heart rate is very low, the breathing is low and most importantly the brain – the electrical activity of the brain – is very, very low.“

The findings of Canadian psychologists are very promising because they will help to create a cure for insomnia which is going to be free from harmful and unwanted side effects. Moreover, many of those people who have tried using various available sleeping pills know that they can also cause addiction, which is not less harmful and dangerous than other side effects. The sleeping pills created in Montreal are reported to be free from side effects, however, it will take some time and investments to totally complete the studies and tests, and make the pill ready for hitting the market.

1. Drinking a glass of wine. Actually, it is highly recommended to avoid using alcohol while you are on any sort of medications. However, if you decided to have a glass or two of wine while you’re having a medication therapy, remember that it will result in lower concentrations of the medication in your blood, thus lower the effects of the medication. Unless you are taking sedatives, which can have higher effects if taken with alcohol.

2. Drinking a cup of orange or apple juice. These juices can have negative effects and block the activities of such medications as antibiotics ciprofloxacin, talinolol, celiprolol, etoposide, atenolol, itraconazole, and others. It is strongly recommended to avoid drinking these juices while using the mentioned medications.

3 Eating some cranberries and grapefruit. Certainly, if consumed in small amounts these fruits can not have too much effects on the actions of medications. However, increased amounts of cranberries can interfere with the effectiveness of blood-thinning medications, and grapefruit can suppress the activities of antihistamine medications and high pressure medications.

4. Being exposed to hot water or high temperatures. Some medications are absorbed through skin, and being exposed to high temperatures can considerably speed up the absorption process. As a result it is possible to receive a deadly dose of the medicines.

5. Being over 70. Aging is a very important factor which plays a role and can alter the effectiveness of medications. Aging is linked to reduced function of many organs like kidneys, that can lead to less effective elimination of medication from the body and longer exposure to the medications. It is necessary to take this factor into account in cases when a long-term taking of medications is considered.

6. Taking other medications. It is a very important factor as one medication can effect tremendously on the effectiveness of another medication. Especially dangerous can be the effects of taking antibiotics in conjunction with some other medications. It is necessary to be very careful about this!

7. Crushing your medications before using them. Though this can make medicines easier to swallow, it can be quite dangerous to damage special coatings which many medications have. This can affect the effectiveness and lead to very fast drug release.

• Food allergies should be considered among the most common types of allergies. This is not true and experts believe that most of those people who think that they have a food allergy actually do not have any food allergy at all. It is estimated that below 1 per cent of adult people have a food allergy, and about 3-8 per cent kids have a food allergy, too.
• Allergies can not be hereditary. Studies have shown that such factor as heredity actually can play a role in allergy development. If a parent or both parents have certain allergies the child has about 30 per cent higher chances to have the same type of allergies.
• It is impossible to develop an allergy if you’re an adult. It is true that mostly allergies start in the childhood. However, adults can get allergies as well. Mostly the situation goes like this: in the childhood we develop certain types of allergies but they are not revealed with any symptoms and signs, and when we turn into adults, the allergies start persisting.
• Allergies do not impose a life-threatening danger. It is partially true and many allergies are quite harmless, but some people are quite sensitive and allergies in such people can trigger very serious health conditions. Anaphylactic shock, extremely low blood pressure, problems with respiration and other symptoms can signal about the necessity to go to a health care specialists.
• Eating cooked foods can not cause food allergies. This fact is actually not totally false as eating cooked foods lowers our chances to develop allergies, but cooking the foods can not save us completely from developing food allergies.
• 100 per cent organic foods do not cause allergies. Consuming only organic foods can not guarantee that you are not going to have allergies. Moreover, a number of the most common allergens are actually almost unprocessed foods like wheat, soybeans, seafood, nuts and so on.
• Pets with no hair or short hair do not cause allergies. This is a very common allergy myth, and the truth is that pets’ hair does not cause allergy at all. Usually, pet allergies are caused by special proteins released by pets’ skin.
• It is possible to outgrow allergies. It was found out that children can outgrow certain allergies as their digestive system grows and develops. This can be said about such food allergies as the ones to eggs, cow’s milk, soy products and some others. However, it is impossible to outgrow the most of allergies.
• Moving to another climatic zone can help us solve the problem of allergies. This is one of the common allergy myths which was recently debunked by scientists.

According to the findings a recent study, carried out by a group of Spanish specialists and sponsored by Pomegreat PurePlus, a regular consumption of pomegranate or pomegranate extract can have excellent rejuvenating effects. Namely, the study has shown that this natural remedy can play a role for slowing down aging processes in human DNA, this way preventing such health conditions as brain damage, muscle atrophy, kidney and liver malfunction, extreme skin aging and many more. The findings of Spanish experts were published earlier this months and evoked a great public reaction.

The experiments involved about 60 volunteers who were given a special formula, a pomegranate extract received from the peel, seeds and the pith of the fruit. Another group of volunteers was given placebo. The scientists monitored chemical processes in the body of every participant, and it turned out that those people who were having pomegranate extract for 30 days had much more improved markers showing cell damage. This kind of decrease in oxidation processes which naturally occurs with the time and is linked to aging, is attributed totally to consuming pomegranate extract.

‘We are very excited about this study which we believe demonstrates that regular consumption of this pomegranate extract can slow down the process of DNA oxidation,’ Dr Sergio Streitenberger, one of the study leaders, comments to Spanish mass media. It is very exciting to find a potential for slowing down aging in such a fruit as pomegranate, especially taking in the account the fact that nowadays, our bodies becoming depots for dozens of dangerous toxins and scores of harmful chemicals which speed up aging and bring to a great deal of illnesses. Let pomegranate extract benefits work for health and longevity of every one of us!

A group of graduate students and specialists from the University of Alberta Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science analyzed chemical content of organic eggs laid by farm hens fed by a usual diet dominated by wheat and corn. Chemical tests have shown that egg yolks are rich in such compounds as tyrosine and tryptophan, natural amino acids known for their very potent antioxidant properties. It was also found out that consuming two raw egg yolks a day can provide our body with the same amounts of antioxidants as a half cup of cranberries, one of the best known natural antioxidant sources.

However, the scientists worn us that only consuming raw and uncooked egg yolks will give us an opportunity to enjoy the stated antioxidant properties of yolks. In particular, fired or boiled eggs have 50 percent reduced antioxidant properties, and if you cook the eggs in a microwave oven, the properties will reduce even more. In addition, as the previous studies have shown, consuming raw organic egg yolks will assist in improving the function of our digestive system, as well as preventing such common health condition as high blood pressure.

Jianping Wu, an associate professor of agricultural, food and nutritional science, and one of the leaders of the study, underlines that the findings put the scientists only on the beginning of the long road leading to finding all properties of antioxidants in egg yolks. “Ultimately, we’re trying to map antioxidants in egg yolks so we have to look at all of the properties in the yolks that could contain antioxidants, as well as how the eggs are ingested,” he comments. In particular, Wu and his group are now working on testing antioxidant properties of peptides and carotenoids, other potential natural antioxidants found in egg yolks.