Your Health: Surprise! High heels aren't that bad for you

The safest shoe?Would you believe running shoes are harder on your joints than high heels? So say researchers in PMR, the journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.They put 68 healthy young adult runners on treadmills and used a motion analysis system to examine stress on ankles, knees and hips.They concluded that running while wearing running shoes put more stress on those joints than running barefoot - and even more than walking in high heels.Running shoes' elevated heels and arch supports are to blame, theorize researchers, who say running shoes probably are good for the feet, just not for the joints in the legs.Hyper-hygieneResearchers already have theorized that sanitized childhoods raise the incidence of asthma and allergies. But Northwestern University researchers say our extreme hygiene could make people more susceptible to diabetes, stroke and heart diseases, as well.Tom McDade and colleagues examined health studies of 1,534 children in Cebu City, the Philippines. They found that the more pathogens encountered by age 2 - measured by episodes of diarrhea and time spent in a place with animal feces, for instance - the lower the level of inflammation at age 20, indicated by the blood marker C-reactive protein. High levels of CRP are linked to chronic disease.McDade hopes babies someday can be safely exposed to the protective elements of germs. Meanwhile, he says, "If my 2-year-old drops food on the floor, I just let him pick it up and eat it."Stop at oneDrink one glass of wine and relax. But drink two, and you tense up, reports Psychology Today.Having a drink lowers blood pressure and stimulates the relaxation response. But helping yourself to a second glass erases the effects, driving blood pressure and stress above where they were in the first place.Mom was rightEating veggies really can make you see better, researchers say. But while carrots are good, spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, zucchini and romaine are better.They contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which researchers found help the eyes by reducing the discomfort from glare, improving contrast, improving the ability to see distant objects and protecting the retina and lens. She knew it all along.False592591Drink one glass of wine and relax. But drink two, and you tense up, reports Psychology Today. False