Sleep, Microbiome & Other Wellness Resources

Microbiome Research

Nov. 29, 2023 - Eating beans improves gut health, regulates immune and inflammatory processes in colorectal cancer survivors - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
”Adding navy beans to diet diversified gut microbiome which could aid in cancer prevention and treatment”

June 14, 2023 - Altered gut bacteria may be early sign of Alzheimer’s disease - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
”Gut microbes of people with pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s differ from those of healthy people.”

Dec. 2, 2022 - Peanuts and herbs and spices may positively impact gut microbiome - Pennsylvania State University
”Two studies show that adding peanuts and herbs and spices to the American Diet can increase the abundance of gut bacteria associated with better health.”

Beyond Statins: Optimizing Cholesterol Through Nutrition - (30 min. video)
UCLA Integrative Medicine Collaborative
Medical Director Elizabeth Ko, MD explores nutrition interventions and supplements
that have been shown to improve cholesterol levels.

Control Your Cholesterol - From NIH Newsletter
Learn which heart-healthy lifestyle changes can help lower your cholesterol

Top 5 lifestyle changes to improve your cholesterol - Mayo Clinic
A shorter overview on how lifestyle changes can help improve your cholesterol levels

Triglycerides: What they are and why they matter - Mayo Clinic
"Triglycerides are an important measure of heart health. Here's why triglycerides matter — and what to do if your triglycerides are too high."

There is more research and discussion these days on how sleep impacts well-being. Below are resources to learn how sleeps plays in important role in your health and also information on topics including insomnia, sleep apnea, and Restless Leg Syndrome.

National Sleep Foundation - thensf.org
"The National Sleep Foundation is dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy."
Sleep Health Topics - “Explore articles on various facets of sleep health, gain useful tips for improving your sleep health, and stay up to date on the latest education around sleep.”

American Academy of Sleep Medicine - SleepEducation.org
Offers sleep resources including Healthy Sleep Habits as well as information on sleep disorders.

How much sleep do you really need? - Univ. of CA Los Angeles
”If you’re ready to make pillow time a priority, here’s what you need to know…”

Better Sleep Habits to Strengthen Immunity - UC Health

5 ways to get better sleep - Mayo Clinic
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, there are steps you can take to help.

Good Sleep for Good Health, Get the Rest You Need - NIH

Tufts University
Sleep: The Third Pillar of Health - "Often dismissed or overlooked, getting adequate quality sleep is actually one of the most important things you can do for your health."
Optimizing Sleep - “If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, there are steps you can take to help.”

Sleep Resources - Johns Hopkins Medicine
Melatonin for Sleep: Does It Work?
A Day That Leads to Your Best Night's Sleep
Sleepless Nights? Try Stress Relief Techniques
Sleep Problems: Look for Health Connections

How to Sleep Better: Tweak Your Tech Habit - American Heart Association

UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center
Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow
Four Surprising Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Body Scan for Sleep (13 minute audio file) - UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
If you have trouble falling asleep, grab your ear buds before bedtime and give this short guided meditation a try from UCLA MARC's Director of Mindfulness Education, Diana Winston

Sleep Research

March 27, 2024 - Getting Too Little Sleep Linked to High Blood Pressure - American College of Cardiology
Sleeping fewer than seven hours is associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure over time,

March 6, 2024 - Too little sleep raises risk of type 2 diabetes - Uppsala University, Sweden
Researchers “… used data from one of the largest population databases in the world, the UK Biobank, in which nearly half a million participants from the UK have been genetically mapped and responded to questions on health and lifestyle. They followed the participants for over ten years and found that a sleep duration of between three and five hours was linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In contrast, healthy eating habits led to a lower risk of developing the disease, but even people who ate healthily but slept less than six hours a day were still at higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

March 1, 2024 - Healthy sleep needs a healthy day: boost exercise to beat your bedtime blues - University of South Australia
”The study examined different components of time use and different aspects of sleep among 1168 children (average age 12 years) and 1360 adults (their parents, average age 44 years, mainly mothers) the study found that children and adults with higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity had less troubled sleep, reduced tiredness, and better sleep quality.”

Oct. 2, 2023 - Losing Sleep? It Might Be Time to Check Your Blood Pressure - Brigham and Women’s Hospital
”Their research unveils that women who struggled with getting enough sleep were at greater risk of developing hypertension, or high blood pressure.”

May 31, 2023 - Junk food may impair our deep sleep - Uppsala University, Sweden
"Healthy participants consumed an unhealthier as well as a healthier diet in a randomised order. After the unhealthier diet, the quality of the participants’ deep sleep had deteriorated, compared with those who had followed the healthier diet."

March 2, 2023 - Poor sleep linked to years of poor cardiovascular health - University of Sydney, Australia
"Poor sleep could lead to between two and seven years worth of heightened heart disease risk and even premature death, according to a new study..." Researchers found "In particular, men with clinical sleep-related breathing disorders lost nearly seven years of cardiovascular disease-free life compared to those without these conditions, and women lost over seven years. Importantly, even general poor sleep, such as insufficient sleep, insomnia complaints, snoring, going to bed late, and daytime sleepiness is associated with a loss of around two years of normal heart health in men and women."

October 19, 2023 - Five hours’ sleep a night linked to higher risk of multiple diseases - University College of London
”Researchers examined the relationship between how long each participant slept for, mortality and whether they had been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases (multimorbidity) – such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes – over the course of 25 years. People who reported getting five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20% more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases over 25 years, compared to people who slept for up to seven hours. Additionally, sleeping for five hours or less at the age of 50, 60, and 70 was linked to a 30% to 40% increased risk of multimorbidity when compared with those who slept for up to seven hours.”

June 29, 2023 - American Heart Association adds sleep to cardiovascular health checklist
"American Heart Association’s checklist to measure cardiovascular health is updated, now called Life’s Essential 8™, adding healthy sleep as essential for optimal cardiovascular health. Other health and lifestyle factors in the checklist, which were part of the previous, 7-item scoring tool, are nicotine exposure, physical activity, diet, weight, blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure. The new sleep metric suggests 7-9 hours of sleep daily for optimal cardiovascular health for adults, and more for children depending on age."

April 28, 2022 - Seven hours of sleep is optimal in middle and old age, say researchers - University of Cambridge, UK
Researchers “… found that both insufficient and excessive sleep duration were associated with impaired cognitive performance, such as processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem-solving skills. Seven hours of sleep per night was the optimal amount of sleep for cognitive performance, but also for good mental health, with people experiencing more symptoms of anxiety and depression and worse overall wellbeing if they reported sleeping for longer or shorter durations.”

Oct. 20, 2021 Hit the sleep ‘sweet spot’ to keep brain sharp -Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
According to researchers, "Our study suggests that there is a middle range, or ‘sweet spot,’ for total sleep time where cognitive performance was stable over time. Short and long sleep times were associated with worse cognitive performance, perhaps due to insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality."

Feb. 11, 2021 - Nightly sleep of five hours, less, may increase risk of dementia, death among older adults - Brigham and Women’s Hospital
”Sleep and health are inextricably connected. New research from investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital explores the connection between sleep disturbances and deficiencies among older adults and risk of dementia and death, finding that risk of dementia was double among participants who reported getting less than five hours of sleep compared to those who reported 7-8 hours of sleep per night.”

Patient Library - National Center for Integrative Primary Healthcare (NCIPH)
The University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine created the NCIPH. Their patient education library includes printable PDF sheets covering a variety of health topics on how to incorporate integrative health options to your wellness plan. A few sample topics included are: Probiotics, Insomnia, Breathing Techniques, headache, Anxiety, and Aromatherapy

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
This site provides a wide range of topics covering complementary health products and practices.
6 Things To Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner
All Health Topics from A-Z - Online Health Library with sample topics including:
Relaxation Techniques: What You Need to Know
Acupuncture: In Depth
Antioxidants
Probiotics: What You Need To Know
Understanding Chiropractic
Yoga: What You Need To Know

Nutrient Depletion Calculator - Mytavin.com 
This database provides information on nutrients that potentially may be depleted while on medications as well as related symptoms.

University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Inflammation and cancer: Why your diet is important 
Which foods can reduce inflammation?
36 foods that may help lower your cancer risk
Can a vegetarian diet lower cancer risk?
Phytochemicals and cancer: What you should know

Mayo Clinic
Plant power: Using diet to lower cancer risk
Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk
Breast cancer prevention: How to reduce your risk

Tufts University
Processed Meats and Cancer: It’s Not Just Nitrates
”High intake of processed meats may increase cancer risk, and products that claim “no added nitrates” are not the solution.”
Diet and Cancer Prevention - "According to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), 20 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are related to poor dietary choices and lack of exercise. So what should we eat, and what should we avoid?"

Dense Breast Tissue & Cancer Risk: What You Should Know - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Physical Activity and Cancer - National Cancer Institute
Discover how physical activity may be linked to a reduced risk for cancer