Deep, adequate sleep is like a healing medicine to the body. But the opposite is true, too. In fact, consistently poor or insufficient sleep can contribute to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and weight gain, according to experts at the Cleveland Clinic.

Blood pressure, for example, rises and falls during sleep. But when sleep is interrupted, there can be an unhealthy impact on the blood pressure's normal variability, causing it to rise and setting off problems with the heart and arteries. (Read more about The Medicine Called Sleep)

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Some studies show St. Johns wort helps alleviate depression, and some don't. But one government agency, one educational institution and a nonprofit biomedical group recently gave it a something of a thumbs-up.

"There is some scientific evidence that St. John's wort is useful for treating mild to moderate depression," according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

And the University of Maryland Medical Center says that, "in numerous studies, St. John's wort has been effective in reducing depressive symptoms in those with mild to moderate but not severe [or major] depression." (Read more about St. John's Wort and Depression)

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Just as important as food, water and exercise for the health of your body is sleep. In fact, without sleep, animals in the laboratory die in a matter of weeks.

In humans, lack of sleep works havoc on biological systems. It not only causes the relatively minor symptoms of drowsiness, irritability and concentration difficulty, but it appears to also cause hormonal changes that result in increased appetite, weight gain, obesity and greater risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. It also contributes to motor vehicle and on-the-job accidents. (Read more about Sleep Is Food for Your Body)

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There is new hope for the millions of americans suffering from fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain, stiffness and fatigue for unknown reasons. It affects between three and six percent of Americans, mainly women.

Treating the disorder using western medicine can be frustrating. This is why many are now turning to old, eastern medicine for an answer. (Read more about ACUPUNCTURE AND FIBROMYALGIA)

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A recent report by health provider BUPA has found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, and erratic eating habits. The 2007 Worry Report demonstrates that almost one in five people constantly worry about numerous things, and more than half feel they worry more now than five years ago. Half of the people surveyed this year, which is 6% more than in 2006, claimed they were more worried about their health and their family's health than about other concerning issues such as climate change or terrorist attacks. The survey finds that almost three quarters of people worry, but around 19% admit to worrying all the time or about a number of things. (Read more about Worried Sick? There Might Be Some Truth There)

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Research conducted by The General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition finds that women who eat yogurt frequently are less likely to be overweight and more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of important nutrients, like calcium and vitamin D. The fourteen day study followed the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older. Thirteen percent of these women ate three or more servings of yogurt over a two week period. In this group, the women on average had a 15% lower body mass index compared with women who consumed no yogurt. (Read more about Yogurt Consumption Linked to Healthier Body Weights for Women)

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Have you been to a practitioner besides your family physician? Whether chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga or homeopathy, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become increasingly common in the United States, and 72% of adults use some form of CAM therapies according to the US National Centers for Disease Control and US National Center for Health Statistics.

A recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine highlighted how chronic pain tends to be under treated because doctors worry about over prescribing medications, and being liable for malpractice or even criminal penalties. Many doctors fear entering the field of pain management at all. Many patients are also concerned about becoming dependant on medication or about the invasiveness and dangers of surgery and anesthesia. CAM therapies, which are able to treat pain and help manage diseases without medication or surgery, are rapidly growing services as people search out better, safer approaches.

So how effective are Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies? (Read more about Rapid Rise in "Complementary" Medical Services)

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Yoga may offer solutions for depression, anxiety and epilepsy.

Reports from the World Health Organization and elsewhere estimate that mental illness comprises fifteen percent of the global disease burden. Depression and anxiety disorders contribute heavily to these numbers. One treatment approach is offered by various medications designed to stimulate the brain's primary inhibitory neuro transmitter, gamma-aminobutyric (or GABA) levels. Findings released by Boston University School of Medicine report that yoga may elevate these GABA levels in the brain and may provide a way to treat these disorders. (Read more about Yoga Is a Possible Treatment For Depression)

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A new study finds that habitual snoring in women is strongly tied to body mass index—a marker of fatness-- and age.

Overall, 7.6 percent of women snore.

The frequency of snoring reaches its peak in women ages 50 to 59.

Frequent snoring was found to increase with alcohol dependence, smoking and physical inactivity.
-- (Read more about Health Wrap: Reports on Snoring, Fetuses and Pain, Forgetfulness and Baseball)

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It is supposed to be the joyous holiday season. But around the winter solstice sunlight is usually pretty short-lived. With daylight at a premium, darkness can cause seasonal affective disorder depression due to lack of light.
While it comes seasonally, it’s no less significant as a cause of depression. Seasonal affective disorder is a very real mood disorder that in many cases requires a visit to a mental health professional and treatment. (Read more about SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER)

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