Health Research:Chemicals in e-cigarette flavors linked to respiratory disease ♦ Sleep disturbance in epilepsy: Causes and consequences ♦ Alcohol aromatherapy eases nausea in the ER

Alcohol aromatherapy eases nausea in the ER Nauseated patients in the emergency department who sniffed pads saturated with isopropyl alcohol were twice as likely to obtain relief from their symptoms as nauseated patients who sniffed pads saturated with saline solution.

Chemicals in e-cigarette flavors linked to respiratory disease Diacetyl, a flavoring chemical linked to cases of severe respiratory disease, was found in more than 75 percent of flavored electronic cigarettes and refill liquids tested by researchers. Two other potentially harmful related compounds were also found in many of the tested flavors, which included varieties with potential appeal to young people such as Cotton Candy, Fruit Squirts, and Cupcake.

Increase in alcohol tax appears to have decreased gonorrhea rates in Maryland Increasing state alcohol taxes could help prevent sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea, according to US researchers, who found that gonorrhea rates decreased by 24 percent in Maryland after the state increased its sales tax on alcohol in 2011.

Sleep disturbance in epilepsy: Causes and consequences Researchers are only beginning to understand the implications of disrupted sleep in people with epilepsy. Recent findings suggest that seizure-interrupted sleep could impede memory formation, impair cognitive performance and influence a myriad of other aspects of daily life. Scientists have now unveil previously unappreciated links between sleep disturbances and seizure control, and help clarify the causes and consequences of these issues in people with epilepsy.

Food Research: Nuts, peanuts, but not peanut butter, may protect against death from cancer ♦ High salt prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat die ♦ Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells

Nuts, peanuts, but not peanut butter, may protect against death from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, and other major causes A study confirms a link between peanut and nut intake and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don't consume nuts or peanuts.

Regular soda, please: Hormone that differentiates sugar, diet sweeteners could exist in humans We've all been there: We eat an entire sleeve of fat-free, low-calorie cookies and we're stuffing ourselves with more food 15 minutes later. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that artificial sweeteners don't contain the calories or energy that evolution has trained the brain to expect from sweet-tasting foods, so they don't fool the brain into satisfying hunger. However, until now, nobody understood how organisms distinguish between real sugar and artificial sweetener.

High salt prevents weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet In a study that seems to defy conventional dietary wisdom, scientists have found that adding high salt to a high-fat diet actually prevents weight gain in mice. The findings highlight the profound effect non-caloric dietary nutrients can have on energy balance and weight gain, and suggest that public health efforts to continue lowering sodium intake may have unexpected and unintended consequences.

Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells Stem cells are especially sensitive to oxygen radicals and antioxidants shows new research.