According to a Japanese mice study, natural vinegar - acetic acid - is a natural fat fighter and will therefore prevent weight gain.

Animals fed a high-fat diet and supplemented with acetic acid developed about 10 per cent less body fat than mice just eating the diet, according to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

If the results can be repeated in further studies, particularly in human studies, it could see vinegar establish itself in the burgeoning weight management category, estimated to be worth about US$0.93bn (€0.73bn) in Europe in 2005 and $3.93bn in the US, indicating that call to slim down or face the health consequences is being heeded by a slice of the overweight population at least, according to Euromonitor International.

Supplementation of acetic acid?? I can't imagine how that is going to work. What if you are hyperacidic?

Well I guess if you have to much sour (or acid), then you lose your appetite for food. Maybe that how you lose weight?

According to clinical trial results reported at the June 2 Online First issue of The Lancet suggested that the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may be effective in women aged 24 to 45 years who are not infected with the relevant HPV types at enrollment in the said clinical trial.

From MedScape:

"Although the peak incidence of...HPV infection occurs in most populations within 5-10 years of first sexual experience, all women remain at risk for acquisition of HPV infections," write Nubia Muñoz, MD, from the National Institute of Cancer in Bogotá, Colombia, and colleagues. "We tested the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the quadrivalent HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18) L1 virus-like-particle vaccine in women aged 24-45 years."

The main efficacy outcome measures were 6 months' or more duration of infection and cervical and external genital disease caused by HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 (first coprimary endpoint) and caused by HPV 16 and 18 alone (second coprimary endpoint).

Efficacy against the first coprimary endpoint in the per-protocol population was 90.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73.7 - 97.5; 4/1615 cases in the vaccine group vs 41/1607 in the placebo group). Against the second coprimary endpoint, efficacy was 83.1% (95% CI, 50.6 - 95.8; 4/1601 cases vs 23/1579 cases).

Currently available HPV Vaccine are for women aged 11 to 26. Also in women aged 13 through 26 who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. Read more from CDC.

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American scientists have validated in their studies that increased intake of antioxidant vitamins protect women against cancer.

• for every 1,000 microgram increase per 1,000 kcal of diet of beta-carotene was associated with a 12 per cent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer.


• for every 50 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin C the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 15 per cent


• for every 5 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin E the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 9 per cent.

However, the researchers cautioned:

"Although the current case-control data suggest an inverse relationship of endometrial cancer risk with dietary intakes of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E from food sources, additional studies are needed, particularly cohort studies, to confirm an association."

The protective effects of antioxidant vitamins is brought about by limiting oxidative damage to DNA.

The fetal fibronectin test is a a noninvasive test that can identify a woman's risk for premature birth: a negative test result reveals with 99 percent certainty that a woman will not deliver her baby within the next 14 days.

The fetal fibronectin test enables physicians to determine who is most appropriate for medical intervention while sparing many women from unnecessary treatment including powerful steroid drugs and hospitalization.

Yes. Premature birth can be detected. There is an FDA-approved, noninvasive test that provides physicians with valuable information about the likelihood that premature birth will occur. FullTerm™, The Fetal Fibronectin Test is the single strongest independent predictor of preterm birth at less than 32 weeks.

Collection can be performed in a doctor's office (similar to a Pap smear test) and the test measures the amount of fetal fibronectin-the "glue" that holds the baby in the womb-in the vagina. During weeks 22 to 35 of a pregnancy, fetal fibronectin should be almost undetectable.

As prematurity is the number one cause of death among newborns in the United States, this noninvasive test is the closest thing to a magic ball when it comes to predicting which pregnant women may have complications resulting in babies who might have problems once delivered.

According to Adecco Group (the largest staffing agency in the world) North America's latest American Workplace Insights Survey in honor of Mother's Day, more than three quarters of women are working because they have to, not because they want to. Additionally, almost half (48%) of working moms are more stressed due to the current economic climate and the majority (65%) are cutting their family budget.

Some further evidence that the economy is taking a toll on working mothers is that almost half (48%) of working moms wish they could spend more time with their kids with nearly one in five (16%) reporting that their work hours have increased in this economy. Also, nearly one in five (19%) of working moms are overcompensating by purchasing material goods for their children.

Other interesting stats include:

• Re-entering the work force -13% of working moms went back to working full-time in this economy


• Feeling overwhelmed -Nearly 1/3 (30%) or working moms feel overwhelmed with responsibilities at home


• Being a role model -Working mothers are nearly 20% more likely to think their kids find them to be a role model than non-working moms


• Children of working moms are better behaved and better in school -74% of working moms think their children do well in school while 60% of nonworking moms feel this way. 72% of working moms think their children are well behaved compared to 65% of non-working moms

Well I think it isn't just the economy that has been pushing women to work. I guess it is just that some women would like to pursue their careers as well. Unless your husband is filthy rich, you'd also would like to work in order to help with the family expenses. However, I honestly believe that women should find the right balance. If what they're earning is just enough to put your kids in day care or pay a nanny, then you might as well stay at home and take care of your kids especially when they are young. By the time your kids are in regular school, then I guess it wouldn't hurt if the mother is working.

Flavonoid apigenin - found in celery, parsley and tomato sauce - may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 20 per cent, according to a new study from Harvard.

The increased intake of the said flavonoid, that is.

Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancer in women. Thus women are advised to have more antioxidants from fruits and vegetables early on in life, so as to lower the risk of certain cancer types. Apigenin from celery, parsley and tomtao sauce adds to the long list of agents with anti-cancer benefits.

I'm not such a fan of celery though...

Here's an online health tracking tool that helps empower women to take control of their health by better understanding it — TheCarrot.com.

TheCarrot.com is a free online and iPhone application that helps women adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. TheCarrot.com's free trackers enable users to monitor and correlate multiple health and lifestyle categories such as blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, medications, glucose levels, sleeping habits, mood, exercise and daily food intake to identify patterns.

This new technology goes beyond the basic journaling functionality of most other online tools; it can run personalized, easy-to-read reports based on a patient's tracking data that clearly show trends and cause-and-effect relationships among the areas she is tracking. By sharing these reports with her doctor, a woman can help her physician provide the best care possible, enhancing the value of her time with her physician.

The newest trackers-a suite of Women's Health trackers for Ovulation, Menstrual Cycle, Pregnancy and Menopause-were just released last week.

Check it all out at TheCarrot.com.

Hello Ladies! You must be all wondering whatever happened to The Atkins Diet. Well...Atkins is back and better than ever! The Atkins Diet has recently evolved into a healthier and more lifestyle-friendly approach, advocating lean protein, good carbohydrates and good fats from vegetables.

• Atkins Advantage® bars and shakes contain only one gram of sugar, in addition to high levels of protein, fiber and good fats. With minimal net carbs, these are great for those who need a guilt-free pick-me-up in their busy schedule.


• Atkins Endulge(TM) bars taste just like your favorite candy bars but only have one gram of sugar and 2 grams of net carbs per serving.


• Start your day off right with the delicious taste of Atkins Day Break(TM) bars. Made with an optimal blend of protein, fiber and calcium, they're perfect for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack.

You may visit www.atkins.com for more information.

Pregnant women are normally given folic acid during the first trimester to prevent conditions in the baby such as spina fibida.

Now, according to a new study from The Netherlands, pre-conception folic acid can boost the baby's birth weight by over 60 grams.

Starting folic acid supplementation before falling pregnant was also associated with a 57 per cent reduction in the risk of low birth weight, and a 60 per cent reduction in the risk of a baby that was small for gestational age (SGA).

The above findings recommend a daily dose of 400 micrograms of folic acid for women of childbearing age, starting before conception.

Not bad, huh? Folic acid indeed makes wonders to us women.

An active sex life is important to most women. However, after menopause, some women find sex painful - also called dyspareunia. This condition can result from vaginal changes, which can occur when a woman's estrogen level decreases during menopause and her vaginal walls become thinner and less lubricated.

Don't fret, this condition can now be treated with the recently FDA-approved low-dose regimen of PREMARIN® (conjugated estrogens) Vaginal Cream. This is the first vaginal estrogen therapy approved by the FDA for this use, PREMARIN Vaginal Cream doesn't mask symptoms but if used as prescribed, it can restore tissues in the vaginal wall and relieve dryness and painful intercourse.

Isn't that swell??! I think it is. For more information visit www.premarinvaginalcream.com.