Tea comes in all colours and varieties, from black and green to white and oolong to red and herbal. So which one offers the most health benefits?

Drinking tea has been regarded in China and India as a healthy tradition for thousands of years. Western research studies tea for the prevention and treatment of different health concerns. Tea contains high levels of antioxidants, some of which are called polyphenols, flavonoids, and catechins. Antioxicants fight the free radicals in our body and protect healthy cells.

Even though researchers can’t quite agree on the exact benefits of tea, numerous studies support a broad spectrum of health promoting qualities in tea.

Studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. According to the Archives of Internal Medicine tea drinkers have lower blood pressure.

More people are turning to herbal medicines in their search for more natural and gentle health care. Herbal remedies are cost-effective and offer relief from an abundance of ailments.

However, self-medication is cautioned, as herbal remedies can have short-term or long-term effects.

Most spices are not consumed in large amounts so the average person will not notice their effect. Large or long-term doses of any spice or herb to achieve a desired health benefit should not be taken without consulting a physician.

As every human has individual needs, the health benefits of all herbs and spices may vary from person to person. Also potencies vary among the many different preparation methods and brands.

Always follow label directions, unless otherwise prescribed by a herbologist, traditional Chinese doctor, Ayurvedic doctor, naturopathic or homeopathic doctor or other certified natural health care provider.

Herbs have been used to promote health and wellness and to prevent and treat ailments for several thousand years. It is believed that herbal remedies were already used by the Neanderthals 60 000 years ago.

As much as 80% of the world's population use herbs in one way or another. In fact, herbal remedies are the main form of medicine for three-fourths of the entire world. There are more than 80,000 various plants used in the world today.

In India, herbs are used as part of Ayurvedic medicine for more than 5,000 years. In China, traditional Chinese medicine has been used as a primary form of medicine for over 2,500 years.

For most of the 20th century, American physicians have primarily prescribed synthetic chemicals and drugs. The pharmaceutical industry grosses more than $100 billion annually n the U.S. alone.

A recent US study suggests that antibiotics are overused in people with advanced dementia. During the study 214 residents with advanced dementia in Boston nursing homes were followed for 18 months or until their deaths. During the study period, 99 people died. Of those, 42 percent received antibiotic medication during the last two weeks of their lives.

The study raises concerns about the end-of-life care of patients dying with advanced dementia. The report recommends administering antibiotics more carefully because of the growing problem of drug-resistant bacteria.

About 70 percent of the 5 million Americans with dementia will live in a nursing home at the final stage of their disease. Repeated infections and fevers are common at the end of life, and nursing home residents with advanced dementia are at elevated risk to receive antibiotics. Nursing homes often harbour drug-resistant bacteria, and residents can spread dangerous infections when they are admitted to hospitals. Drug resistant bacteria are also associated with higher mortality rates and prolonged hospitalization. Nursing home residents with dementia are a growing population.

It may be surprising to learn that playing video games can improve your memory and even prevent dementia. Several manufacturers have produced games such as, Posit's Brain Fitness Program, Mindweavers MindFit, and Nintendo's Brain Age. Ryuta Kawashima, a professor of neuroscience at Tohoku University, claims to have seen, "Marked improvements in people with dementia who are set simple mental tasks that require them to use the prefrontal cortex to restore brain function."

Ethics of stem cell research has been surrounded by deep controversy, despite the promise of medical advancements which can benefit as a result of using stem cells.

Specially grown human embryos has been the source for extracting stem cells. This has been cause for concern by some groups, raising ethical issues, as embryos are destroyed in the process.

At this time of year, many are willing to pack on an extra few pounds and loosen their belts just to enjoy those tasty holiday treats. Again and again and again. Holiday gluttony added to lack of excercise and for some, it can be a recipe for disaster.

In an article, experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center say it's a particulary dangerous time for those who are already overweight or obese. That's because diabetes is a metabolic disorder linked to obesity and it's described as the 'silent killer' which means symptoms aren't sudden but build up over time.

"The obesity epidemic is surging and people don’t realize they’re setting themselves up to develop diabetes. They’re like ticking time bombs,” said Dr. Manisha Chandalia, an endocrinologist at UT Southwestern. She says “Without treatment, high levels of blood sugars in the body can damage blood vessels and nerves over time, leading to high cholesterol, hypertension, stroke, kidney disease and amputations.”

The Journal of Immunology, a reputable source, has published an article in their Dec edition which links dietary fat consumption with inflammation. Reporting on these findings Medical News Today points out how healthy bodies may fight disease thereby affecting the immune system. Fat intake in our diets has increased substantially over the last thirty years. Inflammatory diseases such as asthma, autoimmune diseases and atherosclerosis have also increased. Obesity which is linked to many of these illnesses, is becoming an epidemic.

Dragonflies may hold the key to causes of obesity and type-2 diabetes. James Marden, professor of biology and an insect physiologist at Penn State, and Ruud Schilder PhD at the University of Nebraska have been the first to show metabolic disease links to a supposedly harmless parasite living in the dragonfly's gut.

Obesity occurs in the dragonflies, when the parasites found, cause inflammation resulting in metabolic changes which include the inability to metabolize fat. Dragonflies with parasites present oxidized only carbohydrates instead of a carbohydrate-lipid mix. Poor lipid oxidization is a characteristic of human metabolic disease. Unused lipids accumulated in the dragonflies' thorax, much like the fat around the skeletal-muscle tissue which develops in humans with metabolic disease.

New hope for diabetes suffers, arrives in rapid-acting, dry powder human insulin, administered via inhaled medicine. This is considered to be a breakthrough in diabetes treatment. Believed to be effective in both type one and type two diabetes, the new drug, Exubera is the first non-injectable from of insulin. In a report published by the Wessex Drug and information Centre at South Hampton University, where eighty-nine patients took part in a four year trial. Pfizer began marketing the drug in August of 2006, after winning FDA approval.

Patients reported satisfaction in the new remedy, although Exubera is not recommended for patients with asthma, chronic lung disease, or smokers who have smoked within six months of treatment with this new drug. Many drug interactions which have been known to occur are numerous, reducing the scope of those who may benefit from its treatment.

Despite the drawbacks of this new treatment, the existing medications available are still not delivering satisfactory results in maintaining patient's blood sugar levels. Exubera is reported to better control the blood sugar levels, alone, or sometimes in combination with other existing medications. Patients who are not comfortable with using needles, may find this new method of administering insulin beneficial. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is reported to cost the health care system $132 Billion annually.