Virtually every living thing, from single-celled amoebas to humans, produces melatonin—and for good reason. This hormone has two essential functions: It governs the sleep cycle and the biological rhythms associated with light and darkness, and it acts as an exceptionally powerful antioxidant that is particularly protective of DNA. In humans, melatonin is synthesized in the pineal gland, located front and center in the brain. This hormone is most intimately involved with sleep. Darkness signals its gradual release, and as levels build up, you begin to feel drowsy. Production peaks during the middle of the night and then begins to fall, tapering off as the sun rises. Problem is, sunset no longer means darkness as it did for most of human history. These days, as soon as night falls we turn on the lights, and we don’t turn them off until we go to bed. Bright lights dramatically reduce melatonin output, and this not only has detrimental effects on sleep—witness our epidemic of sleep disorders and the $4.5 billion we spend a year on sleeping pills—but it also increases risk of cancer and other serious health problems. Fortunately, you don’t have to wander around in the dark, go to bed at dusk, or take sleeping pills to get your melatonin cycle back on track and dramatically improve your sleep and overall health.
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More on Sleep, Cancer And Marvelous Melatonin

Valerian Helps Ensure Restful Sleep The herb valerian may also help you sleep. Extensive European studies have proven the herb’s safe, mild sedative powers and its ability to improve the quality of sleep. Valerian can be even more effective when combined with the extracts of hops (Humulus lupulus), passion flower (Passiflora incarnata), and kava (Piper methysticum). All these herbs are combined in a formula called Sedaplex® from Tyler Encapsulations. You can purchase Sedaplex from Nutritional Ecological Environmental Delivery System (N.E.E.D.S) by calling 800-634-1380 or visiting www.needs.com.
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More on Beauty Sleep Is A Must To Stay Young

First of all let's clear something up. Flu shots aren’t very effective. Last year the Cochrane Collaboration, a well-respected nonprofit organization that provides up-to-date, accurate reviews of various therapies, evaluated the efficacy of influenza vaccines. After looking at hundreds of clinical trials involving hundreds of thousands of study subjects, the research team came up with some unsettling conclusions. First, they found that the majority of the studies, including those the government bases its recommendations on, were flawed. Second, they concluded that flu shots just don’t work very well. For people over age 65 living in nursing homes, the vaccine was fairly effective in protecting against flu complications such as pneumonia. However, for people over age 65 living on their own, the effects were negligible. Healthy younger adults were afforded some protection by the flu vaccine, but only when it matched the actual flu strains going around. But because experts can make only an educated guess as to which strains will appear, ensuring a match is, at best, a hit-and-miss proposition. When they don’t match, as is often the case, protection is minimal. As for overall benefits, getting a flu shot was found to lower the number of days of work missed in this group by less than a day. Epidemiologist Tom Jefferson, who coordinated the review, summed it up as follows: “There is a big gap between policies promoting annual influenza vaccinations for most children and adults, and supporting scientific evidence.”
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More on What to Do if You Get the Flu

Enlargement of the prostate is very common in older men but it’s not inevitable. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that the risk of developing this condition, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can be reduced by eating a diet rich in vegetables. Researchers from Johns Hopkins looked at 32,000 men they’d been following since 1986 and found that the men who ate the most vegetables were less likely to have BPH symptoms or surgery. Unfortunately, fruit had no effect but don't neglect it please! In addition to diet, saw palmetto and pygeum remain first-line therapies for BPH. Both of these botanical extracts have a strong track record in cutting down on nighttime urination, hesitancy, and other urinary symptoms. Some studies even suggest that they protect against or slow the growth of prostate cancer. Guys, if you improve your diet, start taking saw palmetto and pygeum supplements in your late 40s, and you just may be able to sidestep this very common affliction of aging.

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