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The Salt
12:55 am
Mon February 13, 2012

Is Adding Fiber To Food Really Good For Your Health?

Credit John Rose / NPR
Food products need at least 3 grams of fiber to be labeled as a good source of fiber.

Originally published on Wed February 15, 2012 12:08 pm

I'm standing in the cereal aisle with three items in my basket: a box of sugary kids' cereal, some yogurt and a bottle of apple juice. According to their labels, all three of these foods are good sources of fiber, which, if you think about it, may say as much about us (the shoppers) as it does about the food we buy.

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All Tech Considered
10:01 pm
Sun February 12, 2012

Apps For Apnea? New Gadgets Promise To Improve Sleep

Credit Franck Prevel / Getty Images
Jealous? If you have trouble sleeping, several new apps and devices promise to help you figure out why. In this photo from January, Huan Huan, a female giant panda, sleeps in a zoo in Beauval, France.

Originally published on Mon February 13, 2012 6:00 am

Technology is sometimes blamed for keeping us awake at night. The thinking is that devices like laptops, smartphones and tablets may have made entertainment TOO portable, putting games, videos and the Internet close at hand in the bedroom. But a batch of new apps and gadgets tries to push the pendulum the other way, by helping you improve the quality of your sleep.

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Health
10:01 pm
Sun February 12, 2012

Scientists Take Cautious Tack On Bird Flu Research

Credit AFP/Getty Images
A government veterinarian worker sprays anti-bird flu disinfectant over birds and fowls at Medan city market in North Sumatra province. Indonesia reported its second human death from bird flu this year in late January.

Last month, scientists around the world agreed to temporarily halt certain genetic experiments with bird flu viruses. More than three weeks of that 60-day moratorium have already passed. And the scientific community is in the midst of a fierce debate about what needs to happen next.

The suspension of the research came in response to fears that researchers had created dangerous new germs that could cause a devastating pandemic in people if they ever escaped the lab or fell into the wrong hands.

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Asia
10:01 pm
Sun February 12, 2012

Hopes, Fears Surround China's Transition Of Power

First of three parts

China's leader-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, is due to arrive in the U.S. shortly, providing the first glimpse of the next generation to lead the world's second-largest economy. This once-in-a-decade transition of power, which begins this fall, is rife with unpredictability, particularly as an unfolding political scandal grips China.

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Shots - Health Blog
10:01 pm
Sun February 12, 2012

Health Care In Massachusetts: 'Abject Failure' Or Work In Progress?

Voters are hearing a lot about health care this year. Republicans want to make the 2012 elections a referendum on the health care law that President Obama signed two years ago.

That law was largely based on one that then-governor Mitt Romney signed into law nearly six years ago in Massachusetts.

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