Earlier this week, we learned that giving babies acetaminophen can potentially up their risk for having asthma -- and now it looks like there's something else in infancy that may contribute to asthma problems as well.

Researchers have found a link between when babies eat fish and their chance of developing asthma-like symptoms down the road. Babies who were given fish after the age of 6 months and before they turned 1 had a lower asthma risk than infants who were fed fish before they turned 6 months -- or after they turned a year old. (Huh?)

Any woman who's ... well, any woman who's ever been a woman knows that our wonderful menstrual cycle affects a lot more than most people (men) realize. For example, a recent study found that asthma symptoms get worse around the time of ovulation. (Which, if you have asthma, is probably something you've known for a long time.)

The usual period-related suspects (cramps, bloating, moodiness, breakouts) are bad enough, but those havoc-wreaking hormones are to blame for a slew of other very unpleasant symptoms. The good news? Once you know what those crazy ch-ch-ch-changes are actually doing to your body, you can figure out a way to cope. (Leaders of the asthma study suggest adjusting women's medication during ovulation.) Here are some more ways your menstrual cycle messes with you (and helpful tips to try):

Most moms don't hesitate to give our babies a little acetaminophen when they are under the weather and miserable, because we all pretty much follow the same notion: "How bad can a little pain and fever reducer be?"

Well, as it turns out, giving babies acetaminophen may put them at risk for developing asthma once they enter their preschool years. (Isn't that just great?)

Is there such a thing as too sexy? (I mean, besides that one song.) Apparently the answer is yes -- at least if you're talking about a breast cancer public service announcement. Like the one from Chile that's currently getting people all hot and bothered, which is basically a video montage of buxom ladies from the neck down with the tagline: "If we like them so much, we should take care of them. Make a woman get a breast exam."

Okay, I get the concept here -- from a man's perspective, anyway. Hey, look, boobies! We like those! We don't want boobies to go away!! I'll give this one a C+ for effort, but that's all. Not because I think it's too sexy, but because it misses the point.

Summer brings joy to so many of us in the form of backyard barbecues, block parties, lying in the sun, and ... exercising?

I live in the Midwest, which means that winters are hard -- and even harder as I get older. Translation: exercising outside is fraught with peril. Between the below-zero weather and the ice that seems to begin November 1 and hang on until well into the spring, it's hard to want to get out of the house to work out.

But despite temperatures often soaring near 100 with 98 percent humidity, summer brings with it sunshine, the ability to go outside without being bundled up, and plenty of awesome opportunities to work out in the fresh air!

There are some things you need to consider while exercising in the summer. Read on for common summer exercise mistakes you DON'T want to make!

Mmm, the smell of hot buttered popcorn. Doesn't it just make you want to pop some ... Alzheimer's meds?! Might not be a bad idea: According to the latest research, "chronic" exposure to the artificial butter flavoring found in microwave and movie popcorn can worsen the effects of brain proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease. Yum, yum. Give me some?

The culprit here is diacetyl, an ingredient commonly used to give a "buttery taste and aroma" to (in addition to popcorn) margarines, candy, chips, and more, and the risk is greatest for people who work in places like microwave popcorn factories. (Phew! Guess it's a good thing I didn't get that job after all!) But the fact that there's any risk at all (and, by the way, diacetyl has been linked to asthma, too) begs the question: Why is this stuff still on the market?!

Health is the one thing we all think of when we think of Olympic Athletes (the other is, of course, SEXY), which is why it's shocking to learn that so many Olympic athletes suffer from a particularly common ailment: asthma.

Asthma is a medical disorder that causes the airways of our lungs to swell and narrow, which can cause difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, coughing, and wheezing.

But how does this happen to nearly 8 percent of Olympic athletes? And how can they function above and beyond in their sports?

Not breaking news: People who own dogs live longer, happier lives. That's why they call dogs "man's best friend," right? Breaking news: People who own dogs don't merely have a better quality of life overall, they're actually less likely to develop specific, serious medical problems like asthma and heart disease. Ironic breaking news: The things about your dog that drive you the craziest just happen to be the things that could end up saving your life.

Doggone it! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) But it really is true. So the next time you find yourself grumbling about dog hair on the sofa or being dragged around the block in the rain by a dog in desperate need of a walk, keep these health facts in mind: