Five Seasons Women’s Wellness: Health and Wellness Blog

New research shows that wearing high heels may change how you walk, on and off heels.

NY Times Article: A Scientific Look at the Dangers of High Heels

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academics released a report this week evaluating various environmental and lifestyle factors that may impact a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer.

The report, entitled Breast Cancer and the Environment: A Life Course Approach, is based on a consensus review of the evidence, and evaluates a number of supposed risk factors including alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise and various environmental factors.

The highlights to reduce your risk: avoid inappropriate medical radiation exposure, avoid hormone replacement therapy, avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, limit or eliminate alcohol consumption, stay active, maintain a healthy body weight and limit exposure to chemicals.

Q & A Booklet

Read the full article

Consumer Reports recently tested 88 juice samples- mostly apple- of popular brands and found that 10 percent of the samples contained high levels of arsenic, and one-quarter contained high levels of lead.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is collecting additional data, and has said it will consider setting a standard for how much arsenic should be permitted in apple juice.

Doctors and pediatricians warn against drinking too much juice, as it is high in sugar and has been linked to obesity, gout, gastrointestinal problems and other health concerns.

Read the Consumer Reports Results

Read the NPR article

Four Finish studies conducted from 1998 to 2007 found that chewing xylitol gum may help reduce the frequency of ear infections in children prone to them.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of many plants.  It has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar and is frequently added to chewing gum for its dental benefiting properties.

Read the full NPR article: Chew On This: Some Gum May Ward Off Ear Infections

Read the full article: Using acupuncture to relieve cancer-related fatigue

Read the full story: Acupuncture Cures A Skeptic’s Back Pain

Read the full article: Acupuncture Treats Autism, New Research

According to a recent study published in the October 2011 issue of the Journal of Fertility and Sterility, electro acupuncture may increase the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by nearly 100%.

Researchers from the Peking University Health Science Center randomized a total of 309 women undergoing IVF into three study groups.  The placebo group received mock electro acupuncture, the single treatment group received one electro acupuncture treatment 30 minutes after embryo transfer, and the double treatment group received electro acupuncture both before and after embryo transfer.

The live birth rate jumped from 21.2% in the placebo group, to 37.3% in the single treatment group, to 42.0% in the double treatment group.

Previous studies have suggested that acupuncture is a beneficial adjunct treatment to IVF, and that it may help by increasing blood flow to the uterus, relaxing the cervix in preparation for embryo transfer, reducing cramping and reducing overall stress levels.

Read the abstract: Increase of success rate for women undergoing embryo transfer by transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled study

Read the full article: Caffeinated Women May Be Fighting Depression With Every Cup