Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used widely in food and drinks containers to harden plastics, could be a cause of falling male fertility rates, and much else besides.

BPA has been found in the lining of food and drink cans, baby bottles, plastic knives and forks and even CD cases. The chemical, which mimics female sex hormone oestrogen, interferes with the way hormones are processed by the body.

Men with high levels of BPA in their bodies are more likely to have lower fertility and poor concentration, according to a study. It has also been linked to breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, and diabetes. BPA has been detected in more than 90% of people tested.

Canada and three American states have already banned the substance. Denmark became the first EU country to ban it in food and drink containers for children under three.

Professor John Meeker, a researcher at the University of Michigan said, “Much of the focus for BPA is on the exposures in utero or in early life, which is of course extremely important, but this suggests exposure may also be a concern for adults. The results also suggested a 10% increase in sperm DNA damage.”

Elizabeth Salter Green, of the Chemicals, Health And Environment Monitoring Trust, described the study as “another nail in the coffin” for BPA and called for it to be banned. “There are now hundreds of research papers that indicate BPA is not good for our health, linking exposure to fertility problems, cancer, diabetes and obesity.”

However, the toothless British Food Standards Agency insists there is no evidence BPA is harmful.

The Coalition Government in the UK has hinted it will abolish the agency, but recent signals have not been so firm.

Can we really discover a lot about our state of health from examining our fingernails?

In many ways our inner health is arrayed before us within our outer appearance.

Some indicators may be more reliable than others, but we can get a general sense of ourselves with remarkably little knowledge and careful observation.

Charlotte Vohtz nails the subject in her book, Naturally Gorgeous, Essential Health and Beauty Sectrets.

Here are some indicators from the book:

1. White spots or flecks on nails indicate a zinc deficiency, which may have many causes — too much alcohol or even side effects from taking the contraceptive pill.

2. Ridged or brittle nails may highlight a calcium deficiency or lack of vitamin A.

3. Cracked or broken nails — in the absence of any other reason such as heavy manual work — may show up a lack of fluids. Dehydration can cause many conditions including blocked sinuses.

4. Nails which split easily may indicate a lack of fatty acids in the diet.

5. Dryness and very rounded and curved ends could be a lack of vitamin B12, which may be linked to an iron deficiency.

6. For super-healthy nails make half your diet consist of fresh fruit and vegetables, some raw. This will boost your intake of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

7. Add foods rich in sulphur and silicon, like fish, broccoli and onions. Also foods high in biotin, such as soya and whole grains.

8. Foods like wild seaweed (kelp tablets will do), which contain iodine for the thyroid gland, an organ that plays a part in the growth of nails, hair, skin and teeth.

It seems we can discover a lot just by looking at our fingernails.

Researchers from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have shown that extra virgin olive oil prevents breast cancer, and many other types of the disease.

Click on pic for a larger image. Photo by John Evans.

If it is consumed with other aspects of the Mediterranean diet, especially tomato-rich dishes, it seems to be even more effective.

The oil was found to launch attacks on tumours which stunt their growth and even make the cells implode. It also protects against cell DNA damage, a common cause of cancers.

Tests on rodents showed that olive oil disables a gene that controls the growth of breast cancer, while turning off proteins that cancer cells live on. More than 45,000 cases a year of breast cancer are diagnosed in Britain, making it the UK’s most common cancer.

Scientist Dr Eduard Escrich believes that everyone should consume 50ml of best olive oil a day for optimum health. That works out as around five tablespoons, or 500 calories, which may seems excessive to anyone reducing their weight. However, if the oil is substituted for butter and fats in savoury dishes, it simply substitutes other foods on a calorie for calorie basis.

Another study found that olive oil also affects genes that are linked with the hardening of arteries and other heart diseases.

Although Spain does have an interest in promoting olive products, this research backs up much evidence from previous studies worldwide.

If you spend a lot of time on a computer, you will soon notice a problem — apart from brain fatigue in late afternoon — and that’s eye strain.

So how bad is eye strain for those of us who work on screens most of the day? Do we take the health of our eyes for granted? Are we uncomplaining martyrs to eye strain until something even more painful and debilitating turns up, usually out of the blue?

Are there strategies we can adopt to prevent it?

The main cause of computer users’ eye strain seems to be the result of constant close-focusing. When the eyes are looking at a distant object the muscles are relaxed and loose. When focused on something near they are contracted and tense. Over time, too much close work causes eye problems.

One of the simplest ways to counteract this tendency is by “palming visualization”, adapted from an exercise in the Bates Good Sight Without Glasses programme.

Palming is quite simple: when your eyes are strained, or preferably before, place the palms of your hands over your eyes so as to block out all light. Keep them there for a couple of minutes or so and you’ll find your eyes are quite refreshed.

Now, if you also visualize an object in the far distance, say, a tree, or a ship on the horizon, this will cause your eyes to focus into the distance thus unlocking the clenched effect of close viewing. This double exercise, repeated at 15 or 30-minute intervals depending on the severity of the problem, is very beneficial for eye strain.

It’s often said that dark green, leafy vegetables contain a substance, lutein, which prevents macular degeneration, particularly in older eyes. This is a common problem, apparently. So start digging up those cabbages.

Another tip for persisent problems with screen-induced eye strain is to buy a pair of magnifying glasses. These are just prescription-free reading specs with simple magnifying lenses, typically 2.5x. You can often pick them up in libraries, or even in gift shops these days.

There must be a lot of it about.