Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics, a new study has found. The effect, which can be produced even by soaking a cinnamon stick your tea, could also benefit millions of non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but are unaware of it. NewScientist.com

A nutrition advocacy group warned on Thursday that the popular Atkins diet may cause heart disease and could have killed a teen-age dieter. Reuters

Early signs of heart disease have been found in US children. About one in seven US schoolchildren has three or more risk factors of "metabolic syndrome" - a precursor to heart disease and diabetes. Girls were particularly at risk, being 50 per cent more likely to have three risk factors. And over half of the children participating in the new study had at least one of the risk factors predisposing them to deadly cardiovascular conditions. NewScientist

Stress you didn't even know you had could kill you, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. They found people whose blood pressure rose during "mental stress" were six times more likely to have a heart attack or other severe heart event within six years than people who handled the stress more calmly. And it was not stress that people knew they were feeling -- pulse was not affected and their volunteers usually had no idea their blood pressure was spiking, the researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando. Reuters

Exercise fanatics may be right -- getting out and moving increases blood flow in the brain, U.S. researchers said on Saturday. Reuters

Eating certain foods can help protect you from heart disease, some types of cancers and other illnesses. But can your diet also help protect your brain if you should suffer a stroke or accidental head injury? Or keep your thinking and memory skills strong as you age? Some scientists believe it might. Society for Neuroscience

There's sweet news about hot cocoa: Researchers at Cornell University have shown that the popular winter beverage contains more antioxidants per cup than a similar serving of red wine or tea and may be a healthier choice. The study adds to growing evidence of the health benefits of cocoa and points to a tasty alternative in the quest to maintain a diet rich in healthy antioxidants, chemicals that have been shown to fight cancer, heart disease and aging, the researchers say. ScienceDaily

Hoping to address a nationwide epidemic of obesity, the Food and Drug Administration is considering a proposal to require restaurants to label menus with nutrition information. The Kansas City Star