If you consume soy on a regular basis, then you may want to take a look at this new study coming out of Harvard School of Medical Health and published in Human Reproduction.

According to researchers, men who regularly consume soy foods, soy milk & soy isoflavones are more likely to suffer from a lower sperm count. Obese & overweight men are at the highest risks of decreased sperm concentration, as a result of soy consumption.

Previous studies have confirmed a decreased fertility in animals with a high consumption of soy, but conclusive data for humans is hard to come by. Therefore, researchers studied the diet of 99 men who went to Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between the year 2000 & 2006. They looked at how much soy they consumed within a three month period, while simultaneously taking sperm samples.

They concluded that the men who ate soy foods in abundance, did indeed have a lower sperm concentration, approximately 41 million sperm/ml less when compared to those who did not consume any soy foods.

Continue reading: “Does Soy Affect Your Sperm Count?”

Energy drinks claim to provide people with increased energy levels that will keep them active and alert. Energy drinks are sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, bars, clubs, and in some areas, even schools. Are energy drinks safe to drink? Most natural health professionals say no.

Do You Know What’s In Energy Drinks?

Most energy drinks contain at least as much caffeine as a standard eight-ounce cup of coffee, a 12oz. soda contains 18-48mg of caffeine. In addition to large doses of caffeine, energy drinks contain excessive amounts of sugar and legal herbal stimulants.

Children in school do not need to be consuming any type of beverage that contains stimulants, particularly those combined with sugar. Despite manufacturer claims to the contrary, high school kids, and adults who are under 30 years of age are susceptible to the marketing of energy drinks.

Continue reading: “The Health Dangers of Energy Drinks”

Authors of a new study have concluded that males with a low level of Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, are more likely to suffer a heart attack.

There are a variety of clinical studies showing that the death rates attributed to cardiovascular diseases grow during winter months. Conversely, the opposite was found at lower altitudes. This background pattern was expressed in the author’s article, published in the June 9 edition of the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine.

In conjunction with a team from the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, Edward Giovannucci, M.D., Sc.D., analyzed medical records and blood samples of 454 men, aged 40-75, all of whom have suffered from fatal heart diseases or had previously suffered non-fatal heart attacks.

Continue reading: “Is There A Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency & Heart Attacks?”

Did you know that when you ingest or are injected with prescription drugs, your body doesn’t necessarily use everything? Excess drugs are excreted as waste material.

That’s good news for your body since pharmaceuticals can be very hard on your system, it’s not good news for the ecosystem since these drug residues work their way into our waterways and water processing plants.

Things you need to know about municipal water

Tap water has been unsafe for a very long time. Tap water may contain toxic chemicals, some known carcinogens, added to make it “safe” for drinking. Three of the poisons that can be found in faucet water are chlorine, fluoride, and arsenic, a Category 1 carcinogen (cancer causing agent).

The newest acknowledgment of prescription drugs in waterways is one more toxin added to an already contaminated water supply and prescription medications are not easily filtered.

The drugs are not present in large quantities but they are a contaminant. This means you may be ingesting them continuously over a period of years and we don’t yet know what the long-term effects of such intake will be.

Studies are showing that the effects are already manifesting in fish (male fish producing female egg yolk proteins) and even earthworms and zooplankton. Antibiotics, for example, are less and less effective as treatments for ailments in humans, due to excessive prescribing practices. Bacteria have the ability to adapt to the antibiotics. Antibiotics in open water give bacteria more time to mutate.

Continue reading: “Are There Drugs in Our Water Supply?”

It’s just as concerning as it sounds. Scientists have introduced into plants and animals, new, scientifically manipulated or chosen, genetic material, to advance and suppress traits as they see fit. The products are genetically modified foods.

From as early as the 70’s, scientists have been genetically manipulating crops. Scientists used these soil bugs along with other gene-implantation technologies to develop numerous new types of crops.

These crops are steadily increasing in our and other countries as well. Some countries are not so completely receptive. The genetic materials are selected to promote resistance to pesticides, herbicides and insecticides; higher nutrient levels; larger produce; and tolerance to extreme weather conditions.

Many of the genetically modified foods you can find on your grocers’ shelves, today, because they don’t have to be labeled in the United States. These include: cottonseed oil, soybeans, cocoa beans, canola and corn. Scientists have even created plants that produce plastics and pharmaceutical compounds, not for human consumption. Feed grade corn is approved only for livestock food.

Continue reading: “Genetically Modified Foods: Why You Should Avoid Them”