Coffee, Caffeine Lower Diabetes Risk

For the first time experiments on lab animals have confirmed that consuming coffee and caffeine can lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes significantly. This is a serious disease that affects millions of people around the world and especially in the United States, where it has become one of the biggest health threats as people's body weights increase.

According to research done on laboratory mice, coffee consumption helped to prevent high-blood sugar levels while also improving insulin sensitivity, both of which greatly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Coffee also appeared to cause several other beneficial changes in the inflammatory adipocytokines and fatty liver of the mice, which further decreased diabetes risk.

Experts believe that the caffeine found in coffee is the main anti-diabetic chemical that's responsible for the health benefits. So, if you're worried about diabetes, you may want to increase your intake of coffee and/or caffeine!

Learn some mo': New evidence that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of diabetes

Cheap 2 Terabyte Hard Drives Are Here, 3TB Drives on the Way

Cheap 2 terabyte hard drives have arrived. In fact, they can now be had for as little as $100 dollars, down from about $250 just a year and a half ago! Online retailer NewEgg is offering the Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS -- a 2TB 5900-rpm internal SATA drive -- for $99.99 to customers on its "deals" mailing list.

Even the high-performance 2 TB 7200-rpm drives with 6Gb/s transfer rates are much cheaper than before, in about the $200-$300 range. Some experts believe that the low prices are being offered in anticipation of the 3TB hard drives that are expected to arrive around the end of 2010.

This is very good news for people who need more memory storage capacity and those who put together low-cost and discount computers!

Learn some mo': Two-Terabyte Drives Are Almost Cheap

US Economy Finally Picking Up Everywhere

The entire United States economy appears to be picking up for the first time since the start of the Great Recession in 2008, according to the Federal Reserve. They say that modest and fragile economic growth is taking place in just about every corner of the country.

The Fed's yearly survey that measures national economic activity showed that things are improving in every part of the country for the first time since 2007. Manufacturing is up as well as retail sales, both important factors in terms of getting the US back on track financially.

Experts till warn that the pace of the growth in most of the country is still extremely slow. Worse, companies won't begin hiring because of the modest growth, meaning that the lack of jobs will continue for the foreseeable future.

Learn some mo': Fed sees economy picking up all across U.S.

Back Pain Treatments Often Not Need (and Don't Work Anyway)

Americans are estimated to spend about $86 billion per year trying to treat their back pain, including MRIs, pain-killers, spinal injections, acupuncture, natural "cures," and a variety of machines and back pain-relief gadgets. Complicated and expensive back operations are becoming more and more common, even though only a small percentage of people with back problems are good candidates for surgery.

Yet the evidence is becoming clear: most pack pain treatments are not necessary... and don't even work anyway. The vast majority of back problems heal by themselves within just a few weeks. In fact, time alone may be the best back pain treatment of all!

Certain types of exercise can also help significantly, according to some neck and back pain experts. Rehabilitation exercise programs attempt to strengthen the muscles that support the spine and often work very, very well.

Other treatments that involve stretching the spine, such as inversion therapy, may also be effective in some cases.

Learn some mo': Pain in the back widely over-treated

Is Online Gambling Coming to New Jersey?

Here's some good news for Americans who miss legal online gambling: New Jersey may soon legalize online casinos within the state borders. A group of senators has released a bill that would allow Atlantic City casinos to build and operate online "portal" sites for poker, blackjack, craps, and several other popular casino games.

According to the bill, only players/customers within New Jersey's borders will have access to the intra-state gambling network. If the bill passes, it would establish NJ as the first US state to allow full internet gaming within its jurisdiction, something that obviously pleases Internet-gambling proponents and fans.

US federal laws make it illegal to allow gambling without a casino license. New Jersey is one of the few states that issue these licenses, all of which are given to Atlantic City casinos in the southern part of the state.

Some experts believe that the new bill could boost gross gaming revenue in the state by as much as $250 million dollars per year. More revenue and jobs could be created if NJ can attract Internet gaming companies to the state. The combination of a well-established casino industry and closeness to Wall Street give New Jersey an advantage over most other states such as California and Florida, both of which may pass similar bills in the future.

Learn some mo': Senate committee approves in-New Jersey online gambling through Atlantic City casinos