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A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health has shown that men, who regularly eat Soya, have significantly fewer sperm than men who regularly eat meat.

The study was conducted over a period of three months and that was found that men who ate the equivalent of half a Soya burger each day recorded a 40% less sperm count than those who were on a meat diet.

The theory behind the reduction is that isoflavones from the Soya interfere with the hormones that control sperm production. Further testing will have to be done to see if a high Soya diet could lead to infertility, but meanwhile if you eat Soya, don’t get overconfident and relax your other contraception methods.

On the other hand if you are trying for a family don’t eat Soya.

Tags: soya, contraception, contraceptive, soya diet

Are your nails soft, curve upwards, and spoon shaped? Discoloured? Pitted? Have horizontal ridges? White spots?

Do you wonder what causes this?

Most nail problems stem from three sources, abuse or injury, nutritional deficiency, or a medical problem.

The normal growth rate for nails are about 3mm a month, but this growth rate can be slowed down through illness, cold weather, or even the age. Nails continue to grow after death. Nails are composed of the same protein that forms the skin and hair, a protein called keratin.

The part of your nails that you see called the nail plate, is mostly dead cells. The only part that is living is the white half moon shaped area called the lunula. Believe it or not your nails can be an indicator of your health, (that is why a doctor often asks to see your nails).

If your nails are soft, curve upwards, and spoon shaped, this shows a lack of iron. If your nails are discoloured you may be suffering from a fungal infection. If your nails are rounded or club shaped, you may have impaired circulation or a lung disorder. Psoriasis can be the cause of pitted nails, and horizontal ridges across your nails may indicate an infection or a debilitating illness. So if you have a heavy cold or flu or some viral infection, don’t be surprised to see ridges across your nails some time afterwards.

Try to avoid the overuse of nail polish removers and glues and other harmful chemicals, as if the lunula is damaged even slightly, this can lead to white marks or spots on your nails.

Healthy nails appear smooth with a pinkish cast, and just like your hair they need moisture to remain flexible. Should your nails lack moisture they become brittle and take on a yellowish tinge. Nails require a steady supply of oxygen and other nutrients to remain healthy. As your nails are not essential organs, in the event of a problem, the oxygen and nutrients can be diverted elsewhere, and this is another reason why your nails can be an indicator of your health.

For example a patient who may be developing cancer may have poor nail health, as cancer starts with a lack of oxygen to the cells, forcing the cells to turn to and non-oxygen process to continue to make energy. Please read additional posts about cancer in this blog.

As brittle and splitting nails are often caused by lack of moisture possibly through exposure to detergents and other chemicals, one of the best ways to help protect your nails is by soaking your fingers in water, and then applying a moisturising hand cream or a special nail conditioner.

If you’re going to use a nail hardener as a short-term solution, then choose one which contains nylon and not formaldehyde, as formaldehyde can cause a reaction in some people.

Watch out for calcium, gelatine, or zinc supplements that promote nail health. None of these substances aid your nails. Nails have little calcium or zinc. The White spots that develop on your nails are often believed to be caused by a lack of zinc.

This is a myth and taking zinc will not help get rid of them. The white spots are caused by injury to the lunula, and it doesn’t take much to cause the spots to appear. Picking at the cuticle, or rubbing the cuticle with your thumb nail may be enough to cause the damage. You may not even realise you are doing it. It could be a nervous habit.

If you do have poor nail health it is not a bad idea to consult a doctor, (just in case). If your nail problems are due to anaemia, it is possible that the anaemia may be due to nutritional deficiencies, or at worst case, hidden bleeding.

Pay attention to your nails, they are your early warning system.
Tags: nails, health problem, cancer, nail problems

By Terry Ross

Many people who have previously discounted teeth whitening processes, due to the perceived discomfort and the number of sessions it takes, have had renewed interest in tooth whitening as a result of laser teeth whitening techniques.

Laser light teeth whitening under brand names such as Zoom Teeth whitening, Rembrandt or BriteSmile have bought a new perspective to the teeth whitening industry with the claim that tooth whitening takes just 1 hour.

Some sceptics argue that the speed at which the laser teeth whitening products work is as a result of the bleaching agent and not attributable to the laser light but whatever the answer results have proved that laser teeth whitening does work (either as a result of the laser or the whitening gel) and eliminates the need for the number of sessions required seen other teeth whitening products such as tray based tooth whitening.

The Rembrandt teeth whitening is one of the main players in the laser teeth whitening market with the teeth whitening gel being activated by a plasma arc light. Rembrandt laser whitening has been seen to deliver powerful results with teeth being brightened by 8 – 10 shades.

Another of the big players in the laser teeth whitening market is BriteSmile who have developed a laser teeth whitening system than produces exceptional results. As with other laser teeth whitening systems Britesmile office based laser whitening can whiten your teeth by 8-10 shades in one sitting.

Zoom laser teeth whitening is perhaps one of the most well known brands for laser teeth whitening having been more widely publicised than some of the other laser options. And, as with the other laser brands, Zoom also offer a home ‘tray based’ option which lightens your teeth after regular use over a period of days.

Despite the sceptics laser teeth whitening is proving increasingly popular even though the cost of the laser whitening can prove to be quite meaty with a starting cost of around $500 but ranging to well over $1000. Given that tooth whitening is by no means a permanent solution, with further sessions being required every 2 – 3 years (depending on what you eat and drink and your level of dental care), the lifetime cost of this cosmetic dentistry procedure can easily mount up.