Dear Healthy Friend,

It's no big secret - many women rely on cranberry juice
and supplements to prevent and fight  painful urinary tract
infections. But new research shows that the power of the cranberry isn't just restricted to "women's problems".

Keep reading to find out how this refreshing drink could be helping men too!

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor ofNutrition & Healing

P.S. Tossing and turning... Lights on, lights off... The frustration of not being able to fall asleep - or stay asleep for that matter - is enough to drive anyone loopy! Keep reading for natural remedies to help you nod off with ease...

P.P.S: Send to a friend! Please send your friends and family these health tips and advice! And if they want to subscribe all they need to do is click here!

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Not just beneficial for women...
Christine O'Brien
Contributor, Nutrition & Healing

No matter your gender, if you're concerned at all about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or other staph infections (major worries in this age of the antibiotic-resistant "superbug"), you might want to stock the fridge with cranberry juice.

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in New England found that a cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) from beginning the infection process.

The researchers say this is all pretty early data, but they were surprised at how effective the juice was in preventing infection. Could it be that, with all our advances in medical technology, all the money that goes into drugs that end up being useless against these infections, the answer is as simple as a little red berry?

Basically, when S. aureus gets in the body, the bacteria attach to host cells and form a biofilm, making themselves a nice little home where they can multiply. It appears that cranberry juice keeps the little nasties from forming those biofilms - severely cramping their multiplication style.

Like I said, this is some pretty early research, but there's certainly no harm in adding more cranberry to your diet. With MRSA cases rising in hospitals, long-term care facilities and even gyms, it's becoming a more and more frightening issue.

With antibiotics failing left and right, it's uncertain how long the medical mainstream can keep the situation under any kind of control. We need all the help we can get - and it looks like cranberry juice is a pretty darn promising place to start.

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Get a full night's sleep

Q: All I want is a good night's sleep. I don't have much trouble falling asleep, but I just can't stay asleep! I end up tossing and turning throughout the night. What can I do?

Dr. Wright: While you may not be struggling with the typical sleep-onset variety that most people associate with the word "insomnia", your situation could be a subset of this condition - one called "sleep maintenance insomnia". A few years ago, my colleague and regular Nutrition & Healing columnist Kerry Bone shared an herbal remedy for this type of insomnia called chaste tree.

Research shows that this herb could actually increase the body's own natural production of melatonin, which helps you have more restful, uninterrupted sleep. In one study, researchers examined melatonin secretion in 20 healthy males ages 20 to 32 after the intake of placebo or various doses (120 to 480mg) of chaste tree extract for 14 days. The chaste tree caused a dose-dependent increase of melatonin secretion, especially during the night. Total melatonin output was approximately 60% higher in the chaste tree group.

They speculated that chaste tree may have value in the treatment of insomnia and jet lag. Since reading about this research, Kerry tells me that he's tried the chaste tree approach with his sleep-maintenance insomnia patients. So far, they've all reported back with good results.