Researchers at the University of North Carolina have found that meditation has analgesic benefits associated with creating a relaxed state of mind and enhancing the ability to moderate reactions to pain.

They recruited students who were interested in learning meditation for their study, which is published in The Journal of Pain. Subjects were trained in meditation for three consecutive days and then were given experimental pain stimuli.

Results of the trial showed that relaxed states promoted by the brief mindfulness meditation sessions reduced the reported pain ratings. In addition, researchers say the subjects showed significant reductions in anxiety after each meditation stimulation.

The study’s authors noted that the analgesic effects of meditation can be realized even after a short period of time learning the technique. Also, the results provide additional validation of the benefits of cognitive techniques for controlling pain.

Other natural ways to relieve pain include hypnosis, massage, reflexology and chiropractic manipulations. Capsaicin cream or ointment as well as nutritional supplements containing arnica, turmeric, fish oil and sam-E may also help reduce pain.

Foods high in folic acid such as asparagus, help the brain produce the chemical serotonin, which is a mood stabilizer.

Experts say foods high in antioxidants including vitamins C and E as well as the mineral selenium can repair damage to cells caused by stress. Citrus fruits, berries and nuts are all known for being high in antioxidants.

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids may also be beneficial for fighting stress. Experts say packing a tuna sandwich for lunch on particularly stressful days can help avoid stress and depression.

EMaxHealth.com suggests eating oatmeal as a healthy carbohydrate to fuels the brain’s production of serotonin. Putting milk on your oatmeal also fights stress since because foods high in calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension.

Nutritional supplements containing these stress-busting vitamins can also help individuals who don’t get enough from food sources.

And, exercise, meditation and deep breathing exercises may also help keep you healthy and stress-free.

Foods high in folic acid such as asparagus, help the brain produce the chemical serotonin, which is a mood stabilizer.

Experts say foods high in antioxidants including vitamins C and E as well as the mineral selenium can repair damage to cells caused by stress. Citrus fruits, berries and nuts are all known for being high in antioxidants.

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids may also be beneficial for fighting stress. Experts say packing a tuna sandwich for lunch on particularly stressful days can help avoid stress and depression.

EMaxHealth.com suggests eating oatmeal as a healthy carbohydrate to fuels the brain’s production of serotonin. Putting milk on your oatmeal also fights stress since because foods high in calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension.

Nutritional supplements containing these stress-busting vitamins can also help individuals who don’t get enough from food sources.

And, exercise, meditation and deep breathing exercises may also help keep you healthy and stress-free.

Researchers at the Group Health Research Institute found that massage treatments as well as simple relaxation were as effective in reducing anxiety as psychotherapy, medication or both.

The study, which is published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, followed 68 individuals with generalized anxiety disorder for more than three months. Each participant received 10 one-hour sessions of massage, relaxation therapy or thermotherapy. They all also received information on practicing deep breathing daily at home. All three treatments were conducted in a softly lighted room with relaxing music playing and were presided over by licensed massage therapists.

All three of the groups reported that their symptoms of anxiety had decreased by about 40 percent by the end of the 12-week treatments and by about 50 percent three months later. In addition to the decline in anxiety, the patients also reported fewer symptoms of depression and less worry and disability.

"Treatment in a relaxing room is much less expensive than the other treatments (massage or thermotherapy), so it might be the most cost-effective option for people with generalized anxiety disorder who want to try a relaxation-oriented complementary medicine therapy," said the study’s lead author, Dr. Karen Sherman.

L-glutamine is an ingredient most commonly found in body-building supplements, but scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had previously found that it protected against ammonia caused by some bacteria, and were hopeful that a similar effect could be found in the stomach.

After six weeks of supplementation, the body’s ability to fight the infection of H. pylori, a common cause of ulcers, was increased through L-glutamine supplementation, according to the study’s authors, and the level of inflammation normally caused by the bacteria was reduced.

"Because many of the stomach pathologies during H. pylori infection [including cancer progression] are linked to high levels of inflammation, this result provides us with preliminary evidence that glutamine supplementation may be an alternative therapy for reducing the severity of infection," said lead author Dr. Susan Hagen.

While supplements offer L-glutamine, natural sources also include meats such as beef and chicken, as well as protein sources like eggs.

According to HealthDay, the survey of more than 1,000 adults across the country found that people sleep almost two hours less than they did 40 years ago.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they know that a lack of sleep can cause health problems.

"Sleep duration is a very important variable in health, especially cardiovascular health," the study’s Dr. Jose Loredo said. "There is a strong association of sleeping less and hypertension, sleeping less and heart attacks, sleeping less and obesity."

Among the other findings, 24 percent said they have missed work or social engagements because they were too tired and as many as 26 percent of married people or couples who live together said that they were too tired to have frequent sex.

The National Sleep Foundation says natural ways to help individuals sleep better include going to sleep and waking up at the same time, adapting a relaxing bedtime ritual or routine, avoiding television too close to bedtime, exercising regularly as well as reducing caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

Nutritional supplements containing calcium, magnesium, vitamin B, chromium and melatonin may also be beneficial for sleep.

In the experiment, laboratory mice consumed low-fat diets that were identical except that they contained either soluble or insoluble fiber. After six weeks on the diet, the animals had distinctly different responses when the scientists induced illness by introducing a substance (lipopolysaccharide) that causes the body to mimic a bacterial infection.

"Two hours after lipopolysaccharide injection, the mice fed soluble fiber were only half as sick as the other group, and they recovered 50 percent sooner. And the differences between the groups continued to be pronounced all the way out to 24 hours," said researcher Christina Sherry.

The recommended daily dietary recommendation is 28 to 35 grams of total fiber.

Dietary sources of soluble fiber include oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, lentils, citrus fruits, apples, strawberries and carrots. Nutritional supplements such as psyllium, methylcellulose and polycarbophil all provide soluble fiber as well.

Researchers say insoluble fiber, found in whole wheat and whole-grain products, wheat bran, and green, leafy vegetables, is valuable for providing bulk and helping food move through the digestive system, but it doesn’t provide the boost to the immune system that soluble fiber provides.

The study included overweight men and women with measured characteristics of MetS.

All were given a diet and aerobic exercise plan that included supervised exercise five days a week, for four to six months. After losing weight, participants underwent programmed weight regain and were separated into two groups, one that exercised and one that didn’t.

Researchers found that the non-exercise group experienced rapid deterioration in weight loss-induced benefits to metabolic health. The exercise group, on the other hand, maintained improvements in almost all measures, including LDL and HDL cholesterol, oxygen consumption, blood pressure and glucose.

"It’s clear that the message to lose weight isn’t working because so many people regain weight. A new message is to keep exercising and maintain your weight to reduce disease risk and improve overall health," said the study’s lead author, Tom Thomas. "Don’t worry so much about losing weight, but focus on exercising and maintaining your current weight."

The study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2010 found that single or unhappily married men may have an elevated risk of fatal stroke in the coming decades.

The results were based on findings from 10,059 civil servants and municipal workers with an average age of 49 who participated in the Israeli Ischemic Heart Disease Study in 1963. Using the national death registry and other records, researchers tracked the fate of the men through 1997.

Researchers found that both single men and men who reported dissatisfaction with their marriage had a 64 percent higher risk of dying from a stroke than men who considered their marriages very successful.

The research team admits there are several limitations to their study, including a lack of data on nonfatal versus fatal strokes and information on participants’ medical treatment after the first five years of the initial study. Women also weren’t included.

Among the best ways to prevent strokes are controlling hypertension, avoiding smoking, eating a healthy, low-fat diet and exercising, according to the National Stroke Association.

A scientist from the University of Liverpool claims that increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and nuts in one’s diet may reduce the degeneration of sight caused by an eye disease.

People who suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can experience a gradual loss of eyesight. The disease is the leading cause of blindness in the United States among people who are 60 and older, according to the National Institute of Health.

However, in an effort to raise awareness about the health benefits from whole food nutrition, professor Ian Grierson has produced a cookbook called Fruit for Vision, which encourages AMD patients to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into meals.

"Eye problems such as AMD, cataract and even glaucoma can all be affected by what we eat. But a relatively minor change in diet—adding a little more fruit into our meals—can make a profound difference and can keep eye diseases like AMD at bay for up to 20 percent longer," Grierson said.