Acupuncture may benefit women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a disorder marked by elevated levels of androgens (such as testosterone), ovarian cysts, and irregular menstrual cycles. In a recent study of 20 women with PCOS, researchers discovered that 16 weeks of electro-acupuncture treatments led to more regular menstrual cycles and reduced testosterone levels.

Study results showed that electro-acupuncture also calmed the participants' sympathetic nerve activity. Thought to arise from elevated testosterone levels, abnormally high sympathetic nerve activity may contribute to insulin resistance, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

In electro-acupuncture, acupuncture needles are attached to a device that produces continuous electric impulses. For the study, needles were placed in participants' abdomen and legs (at points said to be associated with the ovaries) and stimulated with a low-frequency electrical charge. Past research suggests that acupuncture may also help relieve other women's health problems, including menstrual cramps and infertility.

The herbal supplement Zyflamend appears to be safe for men at high-risk for developing prostate cancer, according to a new study. Past studies have shown that the supplement may suppress the growth of prostate-cancer cells, possibly due to its anti-inflammatory effects.

For the study, researchers looked at 23 men (ages 40 to 75) with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (lesions that signal an increased risk of developing prostate cancer). Results showed that Zyflamend—when taken three times daily for up to 18-months—produced no serious side effects and was associated with minimal toxicity.

In addition to showing promise in the prevention of prostate cancer development, Zyflamend may help lessen the inflammation associated with arthritis. A blend of inflammation-fighting extracts, Zyflamend contains resveratrol, green tea, ginger, and several other herbs.

For people suffering from age-related macular degeneration (or AMD, a leading cause of blindness among older Americans), filling up on omega-3 fatty acids may help preserve vision. In a recent study, scientists discovered that eating omega-3-rich oily fish (such as mackerel and salmon) twice weekly helped halt the progression of AMD.

Surveying data on nearly 3,000 people with AMD, the study's authors found that progression to advanced AMD was 25 percent less likely among those who followed a diet high in omega-3s. What's more, study members who stuck to foods low on the glycemic index and who took antioxidant supplements seemed to cut their odds of AMD progression by up to 50 percent.

Available in supplement form, omega-3 fatty acids may also prevent or manage conditions like depression, seasonal allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma.

Meditation may help hone your visual memory, suggests a new study. For their research, scientists zeroed in on two types of Buddhist meditation: Deity Yoga (in which participants focus on an image of a deity) and Open Presence (in which participants avoid concentrating on any specific image and attempt to evenly distribute their attention while meditating).

In a series of experiments, both types of meditation practitioners (along with a group of nonmeditators) engaged in tasks that tested their visual memory (e.g., the ability to hold an image in memory and then identify it among other similar images later on). After finishing up their first round of tasks, the meditation practitioners meditated for 20 minutes while the nonmeditators rested. Both groups then completed a second round of tasks.

The study's results showed that all the participants performed similarly on the first round of tests. However, in the second round, practitioners of Deity Yoga had a remarkable improvement in performance. According to the study's authors, these findings hint that meditation may show promise in treatment of memory loss.