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.

Green tea contains compounds that may slow the progression of prostate cancer, a new study finds.

The study included 26 men (ages 41 to 72) who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy (a major surgery that removes the entire prostate gland, as well as some surrounding tissue). For an average of 34.5 days, each of the participants took four capsules of green tea extract daily (the equivalent of drinking about 12 cups of concentrated green tea).

Study results revealed a significant decrease in blood levels of several biomarkers known to signal prostate-cancer progression. What's more, liver function in the participants appeared to remain normal, and few side effects were reported.

Previous research has shown that antioxidants in green tea may reduce prostate-cancer risk in men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, an abnormality thought to precede the development of the most common form of prostate cancer.

Red yeast rice —a traditional Chinese remedy created by fermenting red yeast over rice—may help people with high cholesterol, according to recent research.

For the study, scientists assigned 62 people with high cholesterol to 12 weeks of counseling on nutrition and exercise. Half of the study members also took 1,800 mg of red yeast rice in supplement form daily. Prior to the study, all participants had taken prescription statins (a class of drugs designed to lower cholesterol levels) but found that the medication caused severe muscle pain.

By the study's end, participants taking red yeast rice saw their levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol fall by 27 percent. In comparison, those who didn't receive red yeast rice had only a 6 percent drop in LDL cholesterol.

Past research suggests that red yeast rice helps reduce cholesterol levels by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme crucial to cholesterol production.

Acupuncture may alleviate heartburn in pregnant women, suggests a new study.

Researchers focused on 42 pregnant women with indigestion, a condition that typically worsens as pregnancy progresses. After eight weeks, study members who underwent acupuncture once or twice weekly (in addition to taking antacids and undergoing dietary counseling) saw a 75 percent reduction in their heartburn. In comparison, less than half of women who received only antacids and dietary counseling saw a 50 percent drop in their heartburn.

Women in the acupuncture group also ended taking less medication than study members who didn't receive acupuncture. What's more, acupuncture appeared to help study members improve their eating habits and sleep more soundly.

Extracts of broccoli and cauliflower could help fight melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, a recent study suggests. In tests on animals, scientists discovered that isothiocyanates (a class of compounds found in the cruciferous vegetable family, which also includes red and green cabbage) helped target melanoma tumors and inhibit their growth by 50 to 60 percent.

For the study, researchers combined isothiocyanates with selenium (a trace mineral that's often deficient in people diagnosed with metastatic melanoma). In past studies, selenium has been found to destabilize proteins involved in the development of tumors.

It's too soon to tell whether boosting your intake of cruciferous vegetables and selenium-rich foods could aid in the prevention of skin cancer. To keep your skin healthy this summer and beyond, limit your sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and shield your skin with the help of sunscreen, tightly woven clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat. Drinking green tea may also help stave off skin cancer, according to preliminary research.

Ginkgo biloba extract —long used in traditional Chinese medicine to fight Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, and age-related memory loss—may help ease neuropathic pain, a new study shows. In tests on rats with neuropathic pain, researchers found that pain responses were significantly lower among animals that had been treated with ginkgo. Results revealed that the higher the dose of ginkgo extract, the greater the pain-relieving benefits.

Common among people with diabetes, shingles, and limb injury, neuropathic pain is typically accompanied by tissue damage. Symptoms of this chronic condition include sharp, burning pain and tingling, especially in response to usually harmless stimuli (such as heat and cold). Past research suggests that capsaicin cream (formulated from a chili-pepper extract) may also help alleviate neuropathic pain.

About 70 percent of people undergoing chemotherapy experience severe stomach upset. But taking ginger supplements could help reduce post-chemotherapy nausea, according to a new study.

Researchers instructed 644 cancer patients to take either a placebo or a ginger supplement three days prior to chemotherapy and three days following their treatment. All patients also took standard anti-vomiting medication. After analyzing the patients' post-chemotherapy nausea levels, the study's authors determined that those taking ginger had at least a 40 percent reduction in nausea.

Ginger may help relieve other stomach troubles, including motion sickness and morning sickness. Shown to deliver considerable anti-inflammatory benefits, the herb might also help quell some forms of chronic pain, as well as menstrual cramps.

In the early 1920s, a Canadian public health nurse named Rene Caisse began treating cancer patients with an herbal formula she claimed could help fight their disease. Although medical authorities deemed the treatment ineffective, Essiac has since gained popularity among those aiming to conquer cancer.

Essiac contains four herbs: burdock, slippery elm inner bark, sheep sorrel, and Indian rhubarb root. Proponents claim that the formula can stimulate immunity, alleviate pain, boost energy, curb inflammation, and even shrink tumors and extend survival. However, there's little scientific evidence to support such claims, and one study even shows that Essiac may promote the growth of breast cancer cells.

Although Essiac may not benefit people coping with cancer, preliminary research suggests that burdock could enhance wellness by fighting free radicals, improving liver health, and spurring the growth of probiotics (immune-regulating bacteria naturally present in the human digestive tract).

Taking up tai chi (the gentle Chinese martial art that combines slow, graceful movements with meditation and rhythmic breathing) could help decrease arthritis pain, according to a recent research review.

For the review, researchers analyzed seven studies that used tai chi as the main intervention for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Results showed that tai chi helped lessen pain and disability in arthritis patients, although its effect on other forms of musculoskeletal pain was unclear.

In past studies, tai chi has been shown to increase balance in stroke survivors, improve the control of type-2 diabetes, prevent falls among older adults, lower blood pressure, and boost the immune system.