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For years, it was thought that heavy lifting was a cause of a painful condition called lymphedema in women who had undergone a mastectomy. But as recent research is showing, lifting weights might actually be the cure. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that expert-guided weight lifting may actually reduce the symptoms of lymphedema, which include swelling of the arm, leathery skin and pain.

Individuals participating in the study who lifted weights twice a week over the course of a year reported less swelling and fewer exacerbations of other symptoms than those who didn't. Study author Kathryn Schmitz hopes the findings will encourage gentle exercise in mastectomy patients and, at the very least, stop doctors from cautioning them to avoid any weight at all -- a practice that she described to ABC News as a "crazy, backward situation that further stresses the survivors."

However, if you've had a mastectomy, hold off on buying that expensive home gym for now. The National Cancer Institute says that it's still too early to recommend a regular upper-body weight lifting routine to patients, adding that "an acute injury from overexertion could cause some cases of lymphedema." If you're determined to work out regardless, make sure you consult your doctor first, and be sure to get proper training from a qualified fitness professional.

You know, research says eating a nutritious diet is a wise cancer-prevention move, but sometimes health food isn't as healthy as we think it is. Check out AOL Health's Top Health Food Shockers.

Olympians Kerri Strug and Brandi Chastain obviously know how to train for and commit to a sport -- Kerri took home a very memorable gold medal in gymnastics, while Brandi is a gold medalist in soccer. This year, the two partnered up to serve as ambassadors for ING's Run for Something Better program, which encourages kids to live healthier and more active lives.

This cause is something both really believe in, with Chastain saying, "I learned the value of physical fitness early on in life. I also know that being healthy as a child can lead to good habits as an adult." She hopes her participation will "encourage thousands of children ... to embrace physical activity and create their own personal fitness goals."

Still, going from playing a team sport to spending hours training alone has been a big adjustment for the soccer star. By the time the training period was over, though, she learned to love it and finds peace in those long runs.

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While incense is often linked to meditation and tranquility, it's now being linked to something much, much different -- cancer of the upper respiratory tract.

To clarify, only use over long periods of time appears to increase the risk, and it does not increase the overall risk of lung cancer. A study found that "Incense burning almost doubled the risk of developing squamous cell upper respiratory tract carcinomas including nasal/sinus, tongue, mouth and laryngeal. There was an increased risk both in smokers and in nonsmokers, pointing to an independent effect of incense smoke."

As scary as this sounds, as long as you're not filling your room with incense every day, year after year, you're probably in the clear. However, it's good to be aware that burning incense or candles introduces environmental pollutants into your home, which isn't the best thing in the world for your health. If you yearn to burn, do your homework first!

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Finally, autopsy results are in for University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher, who died during spring drills in March -- see previous post here. The cause of death: A pre-existing medical condition worsened by physical stress.

The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office said Plancher, 19, had a sickle cell trait that caused problems with his red blood cells during physical exertion. Apparently, Plancher's heart began beating abnormally, and blood flow to the wide receiver's muscles and organs slowed or stopped. There was no evidence of trauma or illegal drugs or toxins in Plancher's body.

UCF school official says the health of students is top priority. And they may need to do a little investigating -- about a month after Plancher's death, the Orlando Sentinel reported that a group of anonymous students indicated the football player was struggling during practice, that perhaps the coach was singling out Plancher for not trying hard enough. The coach and the school say the newspaper's report is false.

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Serious headaches can come from any angle. Whether you're used to them or not, targeting the cause isn't always easy. Here's a no-frills article about seven of the most common triggers that you can blame migraines on. Even though these might not apply to everyone, the solution may be simpler than you think!

For example, one of the causes points to a person's diet. Most foods out there are highly processed and include a host of added chemicals. But natural foods can trigger migraines too. The article recalls a patient who suffered a headache each morning, having no idea why it happened. It turns out he had a glass of milk each night before going to bed -- once he stopped, so did the migraines.

The weather can also have something to do with it. Dr. Lawrence Newman, who is director of the Headache Institute in New York, says that 70 percent of people who experience migraines do so under climate changes. That can include moving from a humid environment to a dry one. Ever experience a headache right before a big rain? Air pressure is the culprit as well. These are just a couple triggers, so check out the full article to learn more.

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Irritable bowel syndrome can leave a person checking for the bathroom whenever going through a new environment. It's not a very convenient condition, but one that a lot of people have learned to live with. But a new study is shedding light on IBS, specifically regarding women and pain.

They've run tests which measure how women react to pain, and the anticipation of it. Using a functional MRI, scientists checked brain activity while trying to elicit a response. What they found was that women with IBS can't switch off a brain trigger which tells her body there's pain.

This explains why they are so sensitive to abdominal discomfort. The MRI showed active brain areas when the women anticipated pain. However, those with IBS couldn't reduce these areas of the brain. It's worth noting that both sets of women reacted to pain when it was actually present, to no surprise. You can read more about here if you're interested.

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I've always wondered how in the world certain politicians and socialites seem to remember familiar faces so easily. Some people have an amazing ability to recall this sort of information at the drop of a hat. Like so many other things, your good memory (or lack thereof) is strongly affected by your genes.

The study was conducted with a set of fraternal and identical twins, the latter having the exact same genetic makeup. During testing, the twin's brains were scanned using a functional MRI. Not surprisingly, brain patterns were more similar for the identical pair when they tried recalling faces and places. This is opposed to their ability to recall objects (like chairs) and made-up words easier.

So next time you see a politico in action, you won't have to wonder how they do it -- it's in their genes!

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According to a recent Swedish study, higher intakes of the vitamin B folate can decrease the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. Folate may also lower the risk of cancers of the colon, pancreas, esophagus, stomach, and cervix. But there's a catch.

Folate can promote cancer development too. Excess amounts of folate can encourage the aggressive growth of cancer cells once a small tumor or polyp has already been formed.

And so it seems too much of a good thing really can be detrimental. The bottom line, though, is that eating a healthy plant-based diet will not put you at risk for excess folate. Just be mindful of supplements, certain nutrition bars, and cereals that provide 50 percent or more of the daily value for folate. Stick with natural food sources offering other beneficial vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The combination of all these goodies will help protect you from cancer.

To reference a dietary fact sheet about folate, click here.

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Halitosis, the technical term for bad breath (aka oral malodour, apparently), can be an embarrassing and touchy subject. Let's face it, nobody wants to repel people with their breath. There are a range of potential causes for bad breath, some of which are medical and may be helped by a simple visit to the doctor. Others though, have more to do with what you eat and various habits.

If you know you suffer from halitosis and want to try to remedy the situation, it might be worthwhile to take some (or all) of the advice suggested here. Avoiding food like garlic and onions might help, but apparently not eating at all may cause bad breath, so make sure eat a regular, healthy diet. Other tips include staying hydrated as dry mouth can cause foul breath, giving up cigarettes and looking after your mouth and teeth by brushing, flossing and gargling with mouthwash.

As mentioned, if none of these things seem to work, it's probably a good idea to make an appointment to discuss the situation with your doctor.

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I recently covered a study with results which showed that obesity may be socially contagious. So I was interested to see that another study reported on here points to a virus as a possible reason why some people become obese. A bug called AD - 36 is supposedly to blame, as it causes the fat cells in those who catch it go grow larger and multiply faster, resulting in excessive weight gain. While it is unethical to give purposely give the virus to humans, the bug has caused nearly all animals infected with it to put on weight. In addition, in one study 30% of obese participants whose blood was tested showed antibodies to the pathogen.

Personally, I think there are a variety of reasons why someone may become very overweight. It could be a social thing for some, while for others it could be the result of emotional eating or simply a high junk food diet mixed with a sedentary lifestyle. I find the virus explanation a little hard to believe though, because it doesn't explain why obesity rates have skyrocketed over the past coupe of decades. What do you think? Is obesity the result of a virus, or perhaps a gene? Is it a social disease or is it completely lifestyle related?

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Of all the threats we face in the world today (disease, accidents, terrorism, and the list goes on) who would have thought something perfectly preventable like medical errors would earn 5th place on the list of leading causes of death in this country? Transcription errors, adverse drug reactions, and incomplete patient records account for as many as 98,000 deaths in the U.S. every year. The strained health care system is dealing regularly with too many patients for too little staff, which is obviously a dangerous combination, but thankfully there are some moves being made to help reduce this problem. CIS (clinical information systems) are being utilized by more and more hospitals to hopefully reduce errors by providing an easy and reliable resource, but I'm afraid that mistakes will continue to be a problem as long as medical facilities are chronically understaffed and patient loads soar higher and higher.

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