There’s a fine line between being informed about the dangers in the environment and being paranoid about every move you make. An imbalance in this perspective could lead one not to exercise because there’s pollution in the air, avoid fruits and vegetables because they contain pesticide residues and even to become a recluse for fear of germs spread through casual contact with other human beings. Clearly, a balance needs to be struck. Read more »

I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

A friend of the site recently posed an interesting question. She wondered whether drinking coffee adversely affects sex hormone levels in women. In particular she inquired about supposed estrogenic elements in coffee which may lead to an excess of estrogen or “estrogen dominance” in women. Ultimately, her concern was that regular coffee consumption could confer similar side effects as hormone replacement therapy.
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I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

While searching through an upcoming edition of the esteemed journal Nutrition, I came across a rather curious study from Spain. The research assessed the impact of different types of alcohol on bone density in a group of middle-aged women. About half of the female participants were premenopausal, while most of the others were postmenopausal. The scientists conducting this population study examined questionnaires provided by the women and attempted to find patterns between alcohol consumption and the results of bone ultrasound tests. No correlation was found between wine drinking and bone density. However, the researchers did note stronger bones in women who drank beer regularly. Read more »