Health and Diet

Men: Your Sperm Count is Plummeting

January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 MariaC DHA, lycopene, selenium, testicular cancer, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc

A paper published in November 2022 describes data from 223 international studies that reveal that sperm count across the globe has decreased by more than half over the last fifty years. According to the team of scientists who made this discovery, humanity faces a “fertility crisis.”
You might take the view that — what with eight billion of us already on the planet — the situation is more of a solution than a problem. However, as well as being highly distressing for couples struggling to conceive, low sperm count is associated with a number of male health issues, including testicular cancer, and all-cause mortality.

General health

How Vegetable Cooking Oils Destroy Your Health

November 28, 2022November 28, 2022 MariaC aldehydes, anti-foaming agent, CLA, conjugated linoleic acid, cooking oils, seed oils, trans fatty acids

I recently came across these empty cooking oil containers that had been deposited behind a restaurant near my home. It’s not an unusual sight in areas with catering establishments. Less visible is the damage that these commonplace oils do to human health.

General health

How to Know if You are Iron Deficient

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022 MariaC anemia, cognitive development, fatigue, hair loss, Iron deficiency, palpitations, phytates

Without sufficient iron, you’re likely to feel very, very tired. But that’s just the start of it. And if you think you’re immune because you already eat plenty of iron, think again. What you eat and what you absorb are two very different matters.

General health

Three Reasons To Always Cook Your Food

July 19, 2022September 1, 2022 MariaC amenorrhea, hindgut fermenter, lycopene, raw foodist, ruminant, Wrangham

A raw food diet sounds like the perfect antidote to these polluted, toxic times: clean and detoxifying, even a touch spiritual. You can atone for past dietary transgressions with uncooked vegetables.

There’s more than a whiff of the puritanicals at work here, but little evidence to substantiate the many health claims made in favour of this departure from the usual human diet. That’s probably because a raw food diet is both unnatural and unhealthy. Here are three reasons why you should carry on cooking.

General health

Why You Need More Protein, the Older You Get

February 10, 2022September 1, 2022 MariaC DIAAS, Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score, leucine, osteoporosis, sarcopenia

Protein builds muscle and bone. The reason why you need more, the older you get, is that your ability to digest and absorb amino acids — the “building blocks” of protein structures, reduces over time. You need more, just to stay at the same level.

There are two musculoskeletal conditions that can arise from insufficient protein: sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss and function. Osteoporosis is loss of bone density.

General health

Cancer: The Carbohydrate Connection

February 7, 2022September 1, 2022 MariaC aerobic glycolysis, calorie restriction, Fasting, ketogenic diet

In 1924, German medical doctor and scientist Otto Heinrich Warburg made a discovery that was to potentially revolutionise our understanding of cancer. His astonishing breakthrough, that was to later earn him a Nobel Prize in physiology, could have — should have — changed the course of cancer prevention and treatment. But it didn’t. It wasn’t about drugs.

General health

To Live a Long Life, Keep Your Cholesterol High

December 23, 2021September 1, 2022 MariaC atrial fibrilation, cholesterol paradox, heart failure, longevity, stroke

Cholesterol is a word that strikes fear into the heart. But does it also strike disease? Because here’s the curious thing: having a high cholesterol level is associated with living a longer life, especially if you have heart disease. Confused? Of course you are! Welcome to the cholesterol paradox.

Feed Your Brain General health

How to Calm Your Overanxious Mind

November 23, 2021September 1, 2022 MariaC amygdala hijack, enteric nervous system, GABA, microbiome, PTSD, serotonin, vagal nerve stimulation

You know when you’ve been triggered. Once you’ve had time to reflect, you also know that your anxiety or fear was probably an overreaction to a relatively trivial event. It’s easy enough to reason with yourself on a conscious level, but subconsciously it’s difficult to control your emotions.
That’s because you’ve been hijacked.

General health

Should Fluoride Be Added to Drinking Water?

October 18, 2021September 1, 2022 MariaC Fluoride Action Network, Fluorosilicic acid, fluorosis

Fluoride is a natural element that’s good for teeth. So what’s the problem? he fluoridation of water is regarded as

General health

Olives: The Acceptable Face of Snacking

October 8, 2021September 1, 2022 MariaC lye-curing, monounsaturated fat, oleuropein, polyphenols

A plump green or wrinkly black olive is the perfect amuse-bouche for pre-dinner loafing, especially when entertaining. Olives also make an ideal emergency snack food, not just because of their suggestion of sophistication but because of their high fat, fibre, and vitamin E content. Furthermore, despite being a fruit, the olive contains virtually no carbohydrate. Perfect for all you low-carb weight-watchers.