Health Updates

Recently, I have written on the studies that show that lack of sleep can torpedo your efforts at dieting.  "How to lose weight while sleeping," December 11, 2012.  Well, a recent study in the medical journal, Sleep, has shown that losing sleep may also reduce your tolerance to pain. Although it is not known why, there appeared to be a connection between chronic sleep loss and acute pain.  So there is another reason to get your 8 hours every night.

In my November 29, 2012 post, "The Benefits of Tea and Why Starbucks is Getting into the Act," I wrote about all the health benefits of drinking tea.  A new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology has now demonstrated that coffee may also have some unexpected benefits.  The study conducted by a researcher from the National Cancer Society has found that drinking caffeinated coffee may reduce the risk of oral cancer. The risk was shown to be reduced significantly by those drinking 4 to 6 cups of coffee a day. 

Today's New York Times contains an article entitled "Grapefruit is a culprit in More Drug Reactions." I first reported on this same subject in my December 6, 2012 post, "Should You Be Eating that Grapefruit?" The Times article reiterates that eating grapefruit can heighten the effects of  certain common medications including birth control pills and estrogen.  The full list is on  the Times' website, www.nytimes.com.

Melatonin, iPads and Sleep: Science You Can Use Today

How many of us check our iPads or tablets for emails before going to bed?  I know I do and I suspect that most of you do too.  Well, it turns out that might be why you are having trouble getting to sleep because the light from your iPad or computer may be suppressing the production of the sleep inducing hormone, melatonin.

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland located above the middle of the brain. According to the National Sleep Foundation, it is "turned off" during the day and becomes active around 9 pm as light is reduced. Melatonin remains in the blood for about 12 hours and is virtually absent from the blood during the day. Many people with sleep problems take supplements of melatonin in the hopes of elevating their levels of melatonin to aid in sleeping.  The answer to their problem, however, might be to just turn off that iPad several hours before going to bed.

In an article in The New York Times today, there is a discussion of a study published in the journal, Applied Ergonomics which strongly suggests that there is a connection between the bright light of the iPad and the suppression of melatonin in the hour or so before trying to fall asleep.  According to the article, studies have shown that two hours of exposure to the iPad's screen can reduce the amount of melatonin in the bloodstream by up to 22 percent.

Given these studies, it seems like a no brainer:  stop using that iPad or other device and sleep better.