Banana peel can combat depression and protect the retina, according to a new survey, taken by news agency ANI. Researchers from the Chung Shan University in Taiwan have discovered, after two years of testing, the shell yellow banana is rich in serotonin, substance responsible for regulating mood. It is assumed that a low level of serotonin in the brain may cause depression, even if until now scientists have not found a clear link between this substance and depression.

Each year, more than two million people visit a doctor for dizziness, and one of those was Olympic figure skater Scott Davis. In Davis' case, he was diagnosed with benign positional vertigo, an abnormal sense of motion that commonly results in dizziness.

There are presently millions of "baby boomers" in the United States. Baby boomers...that's the term we give to individuals in this country born between 1946 and 1964...a time in our culture when having babies was all the rage...very much in vogue. The boomers already make up a significant portion of the American population. As we age as a nation, and extend our longevity, too, the boomers will become more and more of a factor in the American healthcare delivery system.

Patient education as important as drug therapy The latest and most effective way to treat arthritis, to-date, is through an individualized approach combining drug therapy, diet, exercise, patient education, and as a last resort surgery, according to Lee S. Simon, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass., and the Education Council Chairman of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Simon spoke at a recent AMA media briefing on arthritis. Treatment Dilemma leads to New Advances

Disease devastates the lives of the young and old, men and women "One day you can tie your shoes, the next day you can't bend over." It is probably no surprise to hear those words come from someone with arthritis. What may be unexpected is that they come from Suzanne Redding, a 28-year-old woman who has waged a daily battle with the painful disease since being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 10.

Injuries and deaths of children associated with child safety seats and passenger-side air bags have been reported. Parents, therefore, should be reminded that the safest place for any infant or small child when riding in a car is buckled into a safety seat or seat belt in the back seat. This is true whether or not the car is equipped with a passenger-side air bag.

In the good old days, nothing came between physicians and their patients. Today, however, telephone-based nurse counseling, a relatively unknown yet booming service, is being positioned as a major point-of-entry to the health care system, according to a report in the American Medical News.

How much do you know about breast cancer? The answer is probably, "not enough." Because 182,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States, it's a subject worth learning about. Your health, your life, or the life of a woman close to you may depend on knowing a few simple facts:

Arthritis -- a chronic inflammation of the joints -- affects more than 37 million Americans and comes in more than 100 varieties. The most common type of arthritis is degenerative arthritis (also called osteoarthritis). It has no cure and tends to get worse over time. However, arthritis sufferers can do many things to stay active.

You don't need high-priced dietary supplements or fancy breakfast cereals to put more fiber in your diet. Many foods contain dietary fiber which, according to medical studies, may help lower cholesterol, as well as prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. To get the right amount of fiber, adults should do the following:

Life span is decreased without surgery for high-grade prostate cancer patients. Men aged 65-75, treated conservatively for low-grade localized prostate cancer, probably will not die any sooner than similar members of the general population; however, men diagnosed with high-grade tumors often have a 6-8 year loss of life expectancy when treated with conservative therapy, according to an article in a recent issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

COLORADO RESOURCES: Mental Health Association of Colorado 6795 E. Tennessee Avenue, Suite 425 Denver, CO 80224 Phone: (303) 377-3040 FAX: (303) 377-4920 The Colorado Psychological Association 1660 S. Albion Street, Suite 712 Denver, CO 80222 (303) 692-9303, administrative offices (303) 759-6124, referral line Colorado Chapter of The National Association of Social Workers (N.A.S.W.) 6000 E. Evans, Suite 1-121 Denver, Colorado 80222 USA (303) 753-8890 Colorado Psychiatric Society 4596 E. Iliff Avenue, Suite B Denver, CO 80222 (303) 759-6045

The techniques you use (or don't use) to unwind can have a tremendous impact on your mental health. Here are a few tips on learning to unwind: Relax by trying something new and different. If you think you'll enjoy an activity -- whether it's needlepoint or mountain biking -- don't be afraid to try something just because it's new. Take a night course at a community college. Learn to dance. Swim, jog, play golf. Be a gourmet cook. Shoot some hoops. Go for walks. Try yoga. Learn to play the piano. Take a bubble bath.

A complete testicular self-exam takes just three minutes or less, and it could save your life. You should do it monthly. After a warm bath or shower, hold your scrotum, and gently roll each testicle between your thumb and your first two fingers. Feel for any firm, hard, or fixed lumps, nodules, or irregularities inside the testicle itself. Most abnormalities are found at the front side of the testicle. Also, request that your primary care physician check your testicles regularly.

(AP) - The largest study ever done on treating depression has found that patients were not healing with the first medicine that I tried had a good chance of success the second time. A third of those who added or changed medication were healing from illness mill which is in first place in the American mental health problems, researchers said.

What We Know At any given time 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men are trying to lose weight. More than $33 billion per year is spent on weight control products and services, according to the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 52 percent of women consider themselves to be overweight, and 50 percent are trying to lose weight. The National Institute of Mental Health says more than 5 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. Over 1,000 women die each year from eating disorders.

Every one of us has experienced the loss of a loved one. Sometimes death occurs suddenly, as the result of an accident. While other times it takes place over a long period of time due to chronic illness or aging. Either way, there are few things more emotionally painful than losing a loved one.

During the past few decades, increasing numbers of women of all ages have been participating in sports, at both recreational and competitive levels. Most girls and women derive significant health benefits from regular physical activity. They can achieve the same training effects as do men, such as decreased blood pressure, lowered heart rate, and improved aerobic capacity, as well as decreased percent body fat. These changes help protect against atherosclerosis and heart disease. In addition, weight-bearing exercise promotes strong and healthy bones.

Slang - Smack, Horse, Mud, Brown Sugar, Junk, Black Tar, Big H, Dope, Skag Get the Facts… Heroin affects your brain. Heroin enters the brain quickly. It slows down the way you think, slows down reaction time, and slows down memory. This affects the way you act and make decisions.

-Relax.° -Take a vacation.° -Stop trying so hard.° -Adopt.° These are among the well-intended suggestions from family and friends heard often by infertile couples. Frequently, infertility causes couples to struggle with feelings of inadequacy and failure. To suggest that they are to blame for their infertility because of an attitude or difficulty coping with the stress of the process causes couples undue pain and guilt.