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Research published this fall in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that women who frequently drink sugary soft drinks have an increased risk of stroke compared to women who seldom drank sugary drinks.

Researchers from the Japan Public Health Center investigated the link between soft drink intake and cardiovascular disease. Although drinking sugary soft drinks has been linked to obesity and diabetes, the link to cardiovascular disease has not been as clear.

A study from the University of Alberta has made the link between sleep, electronic devices, and increased obesity rates. Canadian researchers did a province-wide survey of Grade 5 students and found that too little sleep, as well as the presence of a TV or other electronic device in the bedroom, led to increased chances of kids being overweight or obese.

As little as one hour of additional sleep per night decreased the odds of being overweight by 28 to 30 percent. Getting more sleep at night was linked to more physical activity and better diet choices in children. Having a TV, DVD player, computer, video game console, or cellphone in their bedroom also significantly increased kids' chances of being obese. The findings have led the researchers to recommend that parents keep technology out of the bedroom, which will help children to sleep better and, by extension, improve their health.

We live in an increasingly sterile world where it seems that, at every moment, we are bombarded with advertisements for cleaning products to make our lives cleaner. Whereas good old soap used to be sufficient for most of our cleaning needs, today we have an assortment of antibacterial soaps and detergents to strip away the dirt. But new studies are showing that our lack of good clean dirt, as it were, may be taking a toll on our health. A Finnish study, for example, shows that babies who were raised in homes with dogs got sick less often. As the theory goes, we need to be exposed to germs in order to be healthy.

It's a familiar rite of passage for young people in high school and college — the parties and hedonism of Spring Break. But research shows that binge drinking, such as that which takes place during Spring Break, can have dangerous consequences for young people's brains.

Consuming large amounts of alcohol at one time can lead to thinning of the cortex in the prefrontal lobe of the brain, a key part of the brain regulating attention, planning and decision making, processing emotion, and controlling impulses.

In a study last year, brain scans of young people aged 18 to 25 showed that consuming 4 or more drinks at one time for women and 5 or more drinks at one time for men led to thinning of the gray matter in young people's brains, especially in the prefrontal lobe

If you've been guilty of popping a pill every once in a while to get a good night's sleep, you are among many Americans who are prescribed sleeping pills to improve their rest. But a new study shows that while sleeping pills can seem a godsend in the wee hours of the morning, they may in fact contribute to an increased risk of death and of getting cancer.

From 2006 to 2010, the sleeping-pill industry expanded by 23% in the United States and generated $2 billion in sales. But the growing use of the hypnotic pills may be creating greater hazards for mortality, cancer, and heart disease.

Free breakfast if you wear pajamas, plus free facials, frugal Halloween craft workshops and dining coupons.

The price-to-rent ratio is a valuable tool when deciding whether the time is right to buy a house, and it works better than a Magic 8-Ball.

A Haiti relief worker who took advantage of T-Mobile's aid offer faces a hefty bill. Proposed FCC rules would target such 'bill shock.'

Automotive reviews say General Motors' new 'all-electric' car is not that different from the Prius.