Eating a fatty diet may reduce sperm count - the study mentioned in this article does not show a definitive correlation, but a probable one. However, of more interest to me is the fact that saturated fats are, once again, being vilified. Saturated fat in excess is indeed not a healthy choice. However, it is required for, among other things, hormone production, so curbing saturated fat intake to excess is also not healthy. Of only minor mention in the article but, I believe, more significance, is the impact that obesity has on sperm health. Male obesity has risen dramatically over the past three decades and has been accompanied by an increase in male infertility. This is an issue that needs to be more directly addressed for those who wish to have children.
Artificial colors in medications can trigger hyperactivity - When I work with clients I encourage them to remove artificial colors from their diets. These petrochemical-based substances do not belong in our diet or our bodies. There are many studies which support this. One major challenge, however, is that while you can choose foods, toothpaste, and personal care products which do not have color in them, you cannot control medications as easily. And any artificial color that goes into the body can have an effect. As I wrote about over a year ago in this article on color-free supplements, it is healthier to have color-free choices. My hope is that eventually manufacturers will either choose plant-based color options, offer color-free options, or find a different way to identify medications that does not rely on petrochemicals.
Vitamin K the supplement of 2013? - I get really upset when the news claims a particular food, superfood, or supplement is the "it" item of the year. Unfortunately in this country we have a habit of thinking that if a little bit is good a lot must be better. Witness what happened with soy...it was noted that Asians, who eat more soy, have less incidence of certain illnesses. So Americans added soy to their diet in huge measure. Soy milk, soy cheese, soy meat, soy ice cream, the list goes on. The problem is that we eat more unfermented soy than the Asians do, we eat genetically modified soy, and we're not responsible about how we add this highly phyto-estrogenic, goitrogenic substance to our diet. Adding vitamin K through food is not a bad thing, it can help to ensure that we have enough in our diet. Found in dark leafy greens it's a good thing to add to the diet. But to start supplementing without knowing whether you need it or not is not a good choice While it is not known to be toxic, consuming too much has been reported to cause tingling or numbness in the hands and feet. So by all means add dark leafy greens to your diet. However if you are considering supplementing because it's the big thing of the year, consider testing your micronutrient status first to see if you really need it.
India's Packaged Food To Have GM Label - I'm so happy to see labeling of GMOs. I hope that it will grow beyond just packaged foods and eventually include fresh foods as well as meat, dairy, and eggs. After all, if the animals are fed GMOs the products we get from them are also GMO.
This video about food waste from the BBC
highlights just how much food is wasted in developed countries. Some of it is due to confusion about labeling but some is due to carelessness. Given the high number of people who don't have enough to eat in these countries, let alone the rest of the world, this is a major issue. If we continue to think there's not enough food we continue to pave the way for GMO foods which, as is becoming increasingly clear, does not provide an appropriate answer.
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