The elderly frequently complain about fatigue. There are few effective treatments and even fewer that are safe. In this new study 96 men and women aged 71 to 88 with fatigue were placed on either inactive placebo or Acetyl-L-Carnitine at a dosage of 2 grams twice a day for 180 days.

In lab experiments Vitamin D helps prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading. In published clinical trials people who were supplemented with high dosages of Vitamin D had fewer cancers. In this new study scientists from the University of California, San Diego, compared the average-wintertime blood levels and the rates of both colon and breast cancer in 15 countries.

Valerian and Hops are two herbs traditionally used as sleep aids. In this study patients with insomnia who took at least a half hour to fall asleep were given either Valerian extract, Valerian with Hops extract, or inactive placebo for 4 weeks. Valerian alone was not more effective than placebo for helping insomnia but when Valerian was combined with Hops there was a significant improvement in decreasing the time it took to get to sleep.

APC Min mice have been bred to develop colon cancer so that various drugs and diets can be efficiently and dependably tested to measure their protective or therapeutic ability. APC Min mice have a mutation in the same gene as humans who inherit a large risk of developing colon cancer. Like humans that have a family trait for developing colon cancer, these mice develop large numbers of intestinal tumors at an early age.

Bad news for the soft drink industry and especially children who consume sodas sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Beverages, especially sodas sweetened with HFCS are loaded with undesirable, highly unstable free radical generators known as reactive carbonyls. These dangerous substances have a toxic effect on our cells causing tissue damage.