If you are having trouble getting all of the vitamins you need, you might consider taking daily vitamin supplements. Though there are a few studies against having people take multivitamins, in 2002, an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and written by members of the Harvard School of Medicine,  concludes that “it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements.” Daily supplements, however, are not a “one-size-fits-all” kind of solution. There are many different types of multi-vitamins available. They are tailored specifically towards a specific gender and age group. You will find them clearly marked so you know which one to take. However, your doctor might suggest a different type depending on the deficiency you are experiencing.

Women’s vitamins typically come with higher iron and calcium than a “general formula” multi-vitamin. That’s because women naturally do not absorb as much iron as men and also lose iron through menstruation. Women also typically eat less red meat, which is full of iron. Women who have gone through menopause, however, usually do not need a supplement that has extra iron. The elderly have different needs than middle-aged adults and should look for vitamins that specifically address this. (Some are labeled “50+.”) Pregnant women also have very different needs and should consult a doctor about taking supplements during their pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins often contain higher levels of folic acid and iron than the typical one.

If a bottle is labeled “high potency,” what does this mean? The FDA allows a company to label their multivitamin as having high potency if at least two-thirds of the included vitamins supply 100% of the recommended daily value. It usually means that the multivitamin provides a substantially high amount of both vitamin B and vitamin C.

It is important to remember that the best way to obtain vitamins is by eating vitamin-rich foods, not by taking supplements. Also, if your diet is rich in a certain vitamin, you should avoid taking supplements that cause you to have too much of that vitamin. Too much of anything can be more detrimental than helpful.

If you enjoy sex (I know that there is a big chance that you do), you’ll surely enjoy engaging in it more often after you read the soon-to-be-published article in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. The article, which surveys decades of studies on health and sex, spells out the health benefits one can gain from having sex more often. Dr. Irwin Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of the journal says that the article will make you see how important sexual activity is. He also said that “human beings were really meant to do it.” In the article researcher Stuart Brody states that penile-vaginal intercourse gives the most health benefits as compared to other types of sexual activities.

What is in sex then that makes it good for your health? Here are some of the known health benefits that sexual activity can bring you:

You will live longer if you make love more often. A study done in Britain showed that men who had sex at least two times a week lived longer than men who had sex less than once a month. A similar study also was conducted in the US, and it showed the same results–men who have sex more often live longer. The British study also revealed that men who have sex more often have healthier hearts and are less likely to have heart attacks. Another study, which was published in the Biological Psychology journal, reveals frequent sexual activity lowers diastolic blood pressure.

A French study also showed that women who do not have sexual intercourse often are more likely to have breast cancer than those who do regularly. In men, frequent sexual activity was found to be a good way to prevent prostate cancer, this was found out in a study conducted in Minnesota.

Every time you have sex, you burn around 50 calories. Imagine how much calories you’d be burning if you have sex at least three times a week. This is probably why those who have frequent sexual intercourse tend to be sexier than those who do less often.

If you want to live longer, start making love to your partner more often, it will bring the two of you a lot of benefits.

A study that was published in 2008 in the journal Human Reproduction, suggests that a diet of even modest amounts of soy based food or even just food containing soy may halve sperm concentrations.

One of the researchers behind this study is Jorge Chavarro at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. In his study he and his colleagues sampled 100 couples who were seeking treatment for infertility.They had the men provide semen samples and then answer survey questions that pertained to the amount of soy products (including food such as “powerbars” and tofu) that they had consumed over the past three months. In Chavarro’s study the men were divided into four groups. These groups were based on the amount of soy that the men had consumed. After comparing all of the groups, Chavarro noticed a significant difference between the men who did not eat too much soy based food and the men who ate a fair amount of soy food.

His study found that while the “normal” sperm concentration for a man is between 80 and 120 million per millilitre, the average sperm concentration for those who had about a portion of soy based food every other day was about was 41 million less than the typical count.

More studies have been done, especially by companies that use soy for their products, that show that this research may be false. The most scientific answer that Chavarro has to explain how soy affects sperm count is that soy foods usually contain higher amounts of isoflavones. Isoflavones are compounds that mimic the effects of estrogen.

Some people choose to agree with Chavarro’s findings because the studies have shown a drastic difference between the men who ate soy and the men who did not. However, other people do not think it is true. For instance, some people do not believe this finding because of the fact that most men in Asia eat a lot of soy based products, and they do not seem to have any fertility problems.

It will be interesting to see the results of further studies.

No, it is not a study about a new drug that improves on what Viagra can do, it is something even better than that. Researchers from North Carolina’s Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine successfully have completed a study that may help male patients who are suffering from inborn abnormalities of the reproductive organ, penile cancer, erectile dysfunction, and those who are sexually impaired as a result of accident. The researchers have grown erectile tissue in the laboratory and  have used it successfully in restoring the sexual function in rabbits. The scientists started by collecting smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells from the erectile tissue of rabbits. The cells were then grown in test tubes in the laboratory. After the cells matured and formed a sponge-like tissue, the process of surgically implanting the new erectile tissue in the rabbits followed. After a month, the implanted tissue began to reconstitute itself and formed the blood vessels necessary for erection. In time, the rabbits’ sexual functions were fully restored. The study was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We were able to show the tissue was able to integrate and function in the long term, which means we can start planning clinical applications in humans. Our hope is to be able to treat patients with many conditions, including congenital abnormalities of the penis, traumatic injuries, penile cancer and severe cases of erectile dysfunction that don’t benefit from drug treatments,” the director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and senior author of the study, Dr. Anthony Atala said.

The study is really promising, but it is still in the early stage. This gives a lot of men hope because the researchers have shown that it is possible to grow erectile tissue in the laboratory. More than 30% of men do not respond to drugs for erectile dysfunction, and this study aims at addressing their problem.

The “maleness” of a man is not always measured by his sexual prowess because there are many factors that can make a man a real man. Impotency should not be seen as something that can make one a lesser man. But, of course, impotency can erode a man’s self confidence and cause him to be depressed.

The causes of impotency or erectile dysfunction are varied. It can be brought about by a disease like diabetes or atherosclerosis, or it can also be caused by hormonal imbalances (when a man’s testosterone level is low he may experience impotency).  Alcohol and drugs also can cause impotency. Men who do not exercise and men who are obese are also in danger of developing impotency. Vitamin A deficiency also is known to cause impotency. The state of one’s emotions can cause erectile dysfunction; depression and anxiety are known to cause impotency.

Is there a cure for impotency? The answer is yes. There are medications for impotency, but it is best to try to cure it the natural way because drugs may have unwanted side effects. One of the natural ways to prevent or help cure impotency is in eating only foods that are low in cholesterol. Cholesterol clogs the arteries and impede the smooth flow of blood to parts of the body. Processed foods and foods that are high in fat also should be avoided. Eat foods that are high in fiber like fruits and vegetables; fiber helps clean your system. Caffeine may help because it is a stimulant. If you consume a moderate amount of coffee everyday your chances of becoming impotent will be lessened. Avoid alcohol consumption, studies show that it contributes to erectile dysfunction.

Make exercise a part of your daily life. Exercise can help regulate the flow of blood in your veins and arteries; it also help build endurance. If you do not have time to go to the gym every day, you can try some alternative method of exercising like walking.

Every smoker is unique physically and mentally, so there is no exact effective method of quitting smoking. Smoking is an addiction, and every addicted individual reacts to the withdrawal symptoms differently.  If one method does not work for you, just try another. Here are some of the tested and proven ways of quitting smoking that may help those who are struggling to end their smoking habit:

Set your mind to quit smoking. This is probably the most difficult  of all that is listed here. It is easy to fool one’s self that one’s mind is set on quitting, but deep inside it’s not really the case. But once one’s mind is really set on quitting, it will be less difficult to follow other steps that may help you to quit.

Cut it slowly. You can start by smoking one less cigarette each day until you reach the point where you smoke your last. For some people this is quite effective, it is actually a way of conditioning one’s mind to the inevitability of the end of the habit.

Avoid fellow smokers. If you are on the process of slowly lessening the number of cigarettes you smoke each day, it is easier to keep yourself from lighting up when you don’t see someone who is smoking. Many smokers have wasted weeks of progress because they have seen someone smoke in front of them and their resolve melted.

Use some substitute for cigarettes. Of course, if you are a hard smoker, it may seem that nothing can substitute cigarettes, but it is better to use something like mint candies or chewing gum than just using your will to control your habit.

Exercise. As you slowly progress through cutting the number of cigarettes you consume, put some more exercise into your daily routine. Exercise can help a lot in warding off some of the withdrawal symptoms.

Avoid social gatherings, like parties, where alcohol and cigarettes are abundant when you are still in the process of quitting. It is very easy to throw away a month’s worth of progress in quitting smoking when you are under the influence of alcohol.

Get someone to quit smoking too. It is easier to quit when you have someone, a fellow smoker, who is also trying to quit. You will have more resolve to quit than when you are alone in your endeavor.

Most of the time people think of women when they think of plastic surgery, but men have about 10% of the plastic surgery done in the U.S.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the top 5 plastic surgeries for men:

1. Nose Reshaping
2. Eyelid Surgery
3. Liposuction
4. Male Breast Reduction
5. Hair Transplants

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) is a drug that is used to treat erectile dysfunction, or impotence, just like generic Cialis. Since its introduction in 1998, Viagra has proven a huge moneymaker for Pfizer; according to that pharmaceutical company, 9 tablets of Viagra are dispensed every minute. Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the penis, though not helping with penis enlargement. Viagra’s effects can be felt within 30 minutes of taking a pill, the effects can last up to 4 hours, and Viagra can be taken as much as once per day.

Viagra has become a part of popular culture, with endorsers ranging from baseball star Rafael Palmeiro to former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole. Wall Street legend Ace Greenberg of Bear Stearns was such a fan that he set up a multi-million dollar charity to buy Viagra for poor men who couldn’t afford it. The dark side of Viagra’s popularity is the endless flow of Viagra span that afflicts email users. Still, its users probably think that a small price to pay. Though Viagra does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases, so make to have an std test.