WPI.edu - For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice , convinced of its power to prevent urinary tract infections , though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) reveals that cranberry juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary [...]

Popular summer drink could raise risk of painful kidney stones .
LoyolaMedicine.org - Mark Mulac was once an "avid lover" of iced tea, downing up to six glasses a day of the popular summertime thirst-quencher.
"I was a junkie on a bender. I had to have it every day," said Mulac, a resident of Brookfield, IL. "Iced [...]

In a diet-focused culture, desserts often get a bad rap. But some can actually be healthy.
Desserts made with fruit, nature’s natural sweetener, are ideal, healthy after-dinner treats. Reducing the sugar and fats in a recipe can make favorite desserts more healthful and still taste good.
The July 2008 issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers healthy [...]

UCLA.edu - In addition to helping protect us from heart disease and cancer, a balanced diet and regular exercise can also protect the brain and ward off mental disorders, perhaps even benefiting your children and grandchildren.
"Food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain," said Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a UCLA professor of neurosurgery and physiological [...]

UMASS.edu - Recent research shows that when it comes to managing Type 2 diabetes, all sweeteners may not be the same - both with regard to antioxidant content and spiking of blood sugar levels. Some natural raw sweeteners, including date sugar and less refined, dark brown sugars, showed potential for managing Type 2 diabetes and [...]

MayoClinic.org - A recent small but well-designed medical study showed that a combination of fish oil and red yeast rice supplements - combined with active lifestyle intervention - actually worked better than conventional statin therapy for lowering LDL cholesterol, improving triglyceride levels, and weight loss. The alternative medicine study is published in the July 2008 [...]