EVERWELL

  Introduction: The Doubling Problem Over the last several decades, two global health trends have moved in concerning parallel. The first is the dramatic rise in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which now account for over half the calories consumed in countries like the US, UK, and Canada. The second is a documented and steep decline in male reproductive health, with global sperm counts falling by approximately 60% since the 1970s. This has led researchers to a critical question: Are the negative health effects of UPFs simply a matter of people eating more calories and gaining weight, or are calories from ultra-processed foods fundamentally different in how they impact our bodies, leading to harm that calorie-counting alone cannot explain? A groundbreaking new clinical trial, published in the high-impact scientific journal  Cell Metabolism , was designed to finally answer this question. This article will break down the study's clever design, explain what the re...

  Male infertility isn’t a fringe issue, it’s a growing public health concern that affects millions of couples worldwide. Roughly half of all infertility cases involve male factors, which makes lifestyle choices like exercise, stress management, and especially diet, key areas of interest for researchers. Among all the dietary patterns out there, the Mediterranean Diet has attracted the most attention. It has been praised for its heart protective and anti inflammatory benefits, but does it really make a difference when it comes to fertility? That is the question a major 2024 systematic review and meta analysis set out to answer, and the results give us both reasons for optimism and reasons for caution. First, it is worth clarifying what the Mediterranean Diet actually is. It is not just a trendy buzzword, it is a dietary pattern that researchers define in consistent ways. At its core, the Mediterranean Diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats...