Sleep Tight No Matter Your Age

 JUST AS sleep is crucial to the health of adults, new research suggests that lack of sleep may affect teen's health, too.

Ohio researchers found that otherwise healthy teens who slept less than 6.5 hours a night were 2.5 times more likely than those who slept longer to have elevated blood pressure. 

Want To Prevent Peanut Allergies? EAT PEANUTS

IF YOU WERE ever worried that treating your four-month-old nephew to peanut butter might have been a health hazard, you ( and he) may be safe: New research casts doubt on the notion that infants and new mothers should avoid eating peanuts to prevent the development of a food allergy.

The study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, reveals that children who were not given peanuts during infancy and early childhood were ten times more likely to develop peanut allergy than children who were exposed to peanuts.

While the researchers suggest dietary guidelines that advise against peanuts during pregnancy, breastfeeding and infancy could be linked to the higher number of peanut allergies in recent years, they caution that further evidence is needed before recommendations are changed.

The Nose Knows

Do you prefer the whiff of frying bacon or freshly mown grass?

It seems certain aromas have the power to stir up strong emotions and even change our mood. A new study of 4000 people in the UK looked at the scents that appeal to us most. Freshly baked bread topped the list. Interestingly, while women claim certain smells make them happy because they're homely or remind them of someone they love, guys prefer exciting and invigorating aromas. Still 94% of men admitted they wanted their homes to smell nice.

According to Dr. Pamela Dalton, the link between smell and memory is very strong. "Smell has the power to revive the past and transport us to a happy time or place, or remind us of a special person, evoking feelings of nostalgia comfort,"

TOP SMELLS THAT MAKE US HAPPY

1. Freshly baked bread
2. Clean sheets
3. Freshly mown grass
4. Fresh flowers
5. Freshly ground coffee
6. Fresh air after rainfall
7. Vanilla
8. Chocolate

Bottoms Up For Your Bones

Move over, milk: One study of men and post-menopausal women found those who drank one to two glasses of beer or wine daily had bones that were up to 8% more dense than those of teetotallers. Lead researcher Katherine Tucker of Tufts University says beer is very high in silicon, a trace mineral that promotes bone formation, and wine's full of resveratrol, an antioxidant shown in animal studies to protect against bone loss. But remember: Excess alcohol can harm your bone - and the rest of you.

Don't Like Fish?

It's a top source of omega-3 fatty acids, which studies show can reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart attack - but what if you don't like the flavour of fish?

A study from England suggests that you may get nearly as much benefit from plant foods that contain alpha-linolenic acid, a substance that your body converts into omega-3. Blood tests on women who eat fish and those who don't suggest that fish-avoiders become more efficient at converting alpha-linolenic acids into omega-3, boasting and omega-3 count only 10% lower than fish-eaters. The best sources of this acid? Canola and soybean oils, walnuts, tofu and flaxseed.