Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information or to customize your cookie preferences.

Accept Deny

GoGreenNation news

Popular Myth Debunked: New Study Clears Dark Chocolate of Health Risks

News Feed
Monday, June 10, 2024

A Tulane University study has found that dark chocolate poses no adverse health risks for adults and contains beneficial levels of essential minerals. Testing 155 chocolate samples for 16 metals, researchers discovered that only a few chocolates had concerning cadmium or lead levels, primarily impacting children. Despite some high lead levels in specific chocolates, none posed significant risks. Dark chocolate’s nutritional benefits, including high levels of copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, may even reduce toxic metal absorption. Geographic analysis revealed that South American chocolates had higher cadmium and lead levels than those from Asia and West Africa.Tulane University’s study confirms that consuming dark chocolate daily is safe for adults, posing minimal health risks and offering significant nutritional benefits.Chocolate enthusiasts might have been concerned by a 2023 Consumer Reports discovery that certain dark chocolate brands may contain dangerous amounts of lead and cadmium.However, a new study by Tulane University published in Food Research International has found that dark chocolate poses no adverse risk for adults and contains nutritionally beneficial levels of essential minerals. The study sampled 155 dark and milk chocolates from various global brands sold in the United States and tested for the presence of 16 heavy metals ranging from the toxic (lead and cadmium) to the essential (copper, iron, zinc). The study then modeled the risk of eating one ounce of the chocolates per day which is equivalent to consuming more than two whole chocolate bars a week.Heavy Metals in ChocolatesThe research found that only one brand of dark chocolate exceeded the international limit for cadmium in bars containing more than 50% cacao (800 micrograms per kilogram) and only four dark chocolate bars had cadmium levels that could pose a risk to children weighing 33 pounds or less, the average weight of a 3-year-old in the U.S.“For adults, there is no adverse health risk from eating dark chocolate, and although there is a slight risk for children in four of the 155 chocolate bars sampled, it is not common to see a 3-year-old regularly consume more than two bars of chocolate per week,” said lead author Tewodros Godebo, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “What we’ve found is that it’s quite safe to consume dark chocolate and milk chocolates.”When tested for lead, two chocolate bars contained levels above California’s interim standards for dark chocolates, but neither was determined to pose adverse risks to children or adults.While two previous studies in the U.S. examined the presence of lead and cadmium in chocolate, this study employed the largest sample size, expanded the scope of testing to 16 metals, and included a risk assessment of toxic metals that accounted for the nutritional contribution of essential minerals.Essential Minerals in Dark ChocolateThe dark chocolates were found to contain high levels of nutrients such as copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, and several of the chocolates sampled provided more than 50% of the daily requirement for children and adults, Godebo said.“Not only is it packed with these essential minerals, but they can potentially reduce the absorption of toxic metals in the intestine since these metals compete for the same site,” Godebo said.The study found that much of the lead in chocolate comes from the post-harvest processing whereas cadmium comes from the soil and passes through the plant and into the cacao bean.The researchers also sorted the chocolates geographically and found that dark chocolates from South America had higher levels of cadmium and lead than chocolates from Asia and West Africa, the latter of which is a primary source of dark chocolate for the United States.“But even for chocolates from South America, we found there is no adverse risk in eating an ounce per day,” Godebo said.Reference: “Occurrence of heavy metals coupled with elevated levels of essential elements in chocolates: Health risk assessment” by Tewodros Rango Godebo, Hannah Stoner, Pornpimol Kodsup, Benjamin Bases, Sophia Marzoni, Jenna Weil, Matt Frey, Preston Daley, Alexa Earnhart, Gabe Ellias, Talia Friedman, Satwik Rajan, Ned Murphy and Sydney Miller, 20 April 2024, Food Research International.DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114360

Tulane University’s study confirms that consuming dark chocolate daily is safe for adults, posing minimal health risks and offering significant nutritional benefits. Chocolate enthusiasts might...

Woman Eating Chocolate

A Tulane University study has found that dark chocolate poses no adverse health risks for adults and contains beneficial levels of essential minerals. Testing 155 chocolate samples for 16 metals, researchers discovered that only a few chocolates had concerning cadmium or lead levels, primarily impacting children. Despite some high lead levels in specific chocolates, none posed significant risks. Dark chocolate’s nutritional benefits, including high levels of copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, may even reduce toxic metal absorption. Geographic analysis revealed that South American chocolates had higher cadmium and lead levels than those from Asia and West Africa.

Tulane University’s study confirms that consuming dark chocolate daily is safe for adults, posing minimal health risks and offering significant nutritional benefits.

Chocolate enthusiasts might have been concerned by a 2023 Consumer Reports discovery that certain dark chocolate brands may contain dangerous amounts of lead and cadmium.

However, a new study by Tulane University published in Food Research International has found that dark chocolate poses no adverse risk for adults and contains nutritionally beneficial levels of essential minerals.

The study sampled 155 dark and milk chocolates from various global brands sold in the United States and tested for the presence of 16 heavy metals ranging from the toxic (lead and cadmium) to the essential (copper, iron, zinc). The study then modeled the risk of eating one ounce of the chocolates per day which is equivalent to consuming more than two whole chocolate bars a week.

Heavy Metals in Chocolates

The research found that only one brand of dark chocolate exceeded the international limit for cadmium in bars containing more than 50% cacao (800 micrograms per kilogram) and only four dark chocolate bars had cadmium levels that could pose a risk to children weighing 33 pounds or less, the average weight of a 3-year-old in the U.S.

“For adults, there is no adverse health risk from eating dark chocolate, and although there is a slight risk for children in four of the 155 chocolate bars sampled, it is not common to see a 3-year-old regularly consume more than two bars of chocolate per week,” said lead author Tewodros Godebo, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “What we’ve found is that it’s quite safe to consume dark chocolate and milk chocolates.”

When tested for lead, two chocolate bars contained levels above California’s interim standards for dark chocolates, but neither was determined to pose adverse risks to children or adults.

While two previous studies in the U.S. examined the presence of lead and cadmium in chocolate, this study employed the largest sample size, expanded the scope of testing to 16 metals, and included a risk assessment of toxic metals that accounted for the nutritional contribution of essential minerals.

Essential Minerals in Dark Chocolate

The dark chocolates were found to contain high levels of nutrients such as copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, and several of the chocolates sampled provided more than 50% of the daily requirement for children and adults, Godebo said.

“Not only is it packed with these essential minerals, but they can potentially reduce the absorption of toxic metals in the intestine since these metals compete for the same site,” Godebo said.

The study found that much of the lead in chocolate comes from the post-harvest processing whereas cadmium comes from the soil and passes through the plant and into the cacao bean.

The researchers also sorted the chocolates geographically and found that dark chocolates from South America had higher levels of cadmium and lead than chocolates from Asia and West Africa, the latter of which is a primary source of dark chocolate for the United States.

“But even for chocolates from South America, we found there is no adverse risk in eating an ounce per day,” Godebo said.

Reference: “Occurrence of heavy metals coupled with elevated levels of essential elements in chocolates: Health risk assessment” by Tewodros Rango Godebo, Hannah Stoner, Pornpimol Kodsup, Benjamin Bases, Sophia Marzoni, Jenna Weil, Matt Frey, Preston Daley, Alexa Earnhart, Gabe Ellias, Talia Friedman, Satwik Rajan, Ned Murphy and Sydney Miller, 20 April 2024, Food Research International.
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114360

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

Related News

America's Well-To-Do Have Less Heart Disease Risk

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Well-to-do and better-educated Americans have far lower rates of...

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Well-to-do and better-educated Americans have far lower rates of heart disease than the rest of the population, a new study says.The top 20% of high-income, college-educated Americans have less heart disease risk than others, and this gap has widened over the past two decades, researchers say.“The accumulation of economic and educational advantages appears to drive better health outcomes, rather than any single factor alone,” lead researcher Salma Abdalla, an assistant professor of public health at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a news release.“Wealth and education cluster among a small, advantaged group, while the majority of Americans face an increased risk of heart disease,” she added.Compared to wealthier, college-educated people, low-income folks who didn’t graduate from college have a:6.3 times higher risk of heart failure due to clogged arteries. 3.2 times increased risk of a stroke. 2.3 times increased risk of a heart attack. 2.1 times higher risk of angina. These disparities persisted even after adjusting for heart health factors like blood pressure, cholesterol and Body Mass Index (BMI, an estimate of body fat based on height and weight).High income and advanced education consistently correlated with better heart health.Even though the U.S. spends more on health care per person than any other high-income country, overall outcomes continue to lag behind, researchers said.Life expectancy for the richest 1% of Americans is now 10 years higher than for the poorest 1%, researchers said in background notes.For this study, researchers analyzed 20 years of data gathered from nearly 50,000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018.Researchers cited a number of reasons why more well-to-do people have an advantage when it comes to heart health.Poorer folks might suffer from more stress due to their economic insecurity, while higher-income or better-educated people might have more access to healthy behaviors and activities throughout their lives, researchers said.The well-to-do also might be better at taking prescribed medicines, have less exposure to environmental toxins and might benefit from stronger support systems, Abdalla said.Policies to promote broad access to economic opportunity and education are just as important as increased access to health care when it comes to protecting heart health, said senior researcher Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of public health at Washington University.“The continued widening of health disparities in the U.S. underscores the need for action,” he said in a news release. “If we want to improve public health outcomes, we must address the root causes — economic opportunity, education and access to resources that support long-term health.”SOURCE: Washington University in St. Louis, news release, March 6, 2025Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Health
Education

Only seven countries worldwide meet WHO dirty air guidelines, study shows

Annual survey by IQAir based on toxic PM2.5 particles reveals some progress in pollution levels in India and ChinaNearly every country on Earth has dirtier air than doctors recommend breathing, a report has found.Only seven countries met the World Health Organization’s guidelines for tiny toxic particles known as PM2.5 last year, according to analysis from the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Continue reading...

Nearly every country on Earth has dirtier air than doctors recommend breathing, a report has found.Only seven countries met the World Health Organization’s guidelines for tiny toxic particles known as PM2.5 last year, according to analysis from the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.Australia, New Zealand and Estonia were among the handful of countries with a yearly average of no more than 5µg of PM2.5 per cubic metre, along with Greenland and some small island states.The most polluted countries were Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India. PM2.5 levels in all five countries were at least 10 times higher than guideline limits in 2024, the report found, stretching as much as 18 times higher than recommended levels in Chad.Doctors say there are no safe levels of PM2.5, which is small enough to slip into the bloodstream and damage organs throughout the body, but have estimated millions of lives could be saved each year by following their guidelines. Dirty air is the second-biggest risk factor for dying after high blood pressure.“Air pollution doesn’t kill us immediately – it takes maybe two to three decades before we see the impacts on health, unless it’s very extreme,” said Frank Hammes, CEO of IQAir. “[Avoiding it] is one of those preventative things people don’t think about till too late in their lives.”The annual report, which is in its seventh year, highlighted some areas of progress. It found the share of cities meeting the PM2.5 standards rose from 9% in 2023 to 17% in 2024.Air pollution in India, which is home to six of the 10 dirtiest cities in the world, fell by 7% between 2023 and 2024. China’s air quality also improved, part of a long-running trend that saw the country’s extreme PM2.5 pollution fall by almost half between 2013 and 2020.The air quality in Beijing is now almost the same as in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The latter was the most polluted city in Europe for the second year running, the report found.Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Copenhagen, who was not involved in the report, said the results highlighted some chilling facts about air pollution.“Huge disparities are seen even within one of the cleanest continents,” she said. “Citizens of eastern European and non-EU Balkan countries breathe the most polluted air in Europe, and there is a 20-fold difference in PM2.5 levels between the most and least polluted cities.”skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionGovernments could clean their air with policies such as funding renewable energy projects and public transport; building infrastructure to encourage walking and cycling; and banning people from burning farm waste.To create the ranking, the researchers averaged real-time data on air pollution, measured at ground level, over the course of the calendar year. About one-third of the units were run by governments and two-thirds by non-profits, schools and universities, and private citizens with sensors.Air quality monitoring is worse in parts of Africa and west Asia, where several countries were excluded from the analysis. Poor countries tend to have dirtier air than rich ones but often lack measuring stations to inform their citizens or spur policy changes.Roel Vermeulen, an environmental epidemiologist at Utrecht University, who was not involved in the report, said biases were most likely in data-poor areas with few regulated monitoring stations – particularly as satellite measurements were not used for the analysis – but that the values presented for Europe were in line with previous research.“Virtually everyone globally is breathing bad air,” he said. “What brings it home is that there are such large disparities in the levels of exposure.”

Health
Pollution
Technology

Could Your Cup of Tea Help Remove Lead From Drinking Water?

By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, March 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Your daily cup of tea might do more than help you relax -- it could also...

FRIDAY, March 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Your daily cup of tea might do more than help you relax -- it could also help remove harmful heavy metals from your drinking water, new research suggests.A Northwestern University study found that tea leaves can naturally pull lead and other dangerous metals out of water as tea steeps.About 5 billion cups of tea are consumed each day worldwide, according to one estimate.“You can see the implications,” said Vinayak Dravid, a materials scientist at Northwestern and an author of the study. “How often do we touch billions of people?”Heavy metal contamination -- especially lead -- is a growing concern, especially in areas with aging pipes.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 9 million U.S. homes get their water through pipes that contain lead, The New York Times reported. Those pipes can allow the toxic metal to leach into drinking water.Even small amounts of lead exposure can be dangerous, especially for children, potentially leading to developmental delays and behavioral problems.In the study, David and his team tested a variety of teas -- including black, white, oolong, green, rooibos, herbal, loose leaf and plain Lipton -- to see how well they absorbed lead from water during various steeping times.The researchers found that black tea was the most effective at pulling lead from water.“Green tea and black tea had fairly equivalent amounts of metal absorbed,” co-author Benjamin Shindel told The Times. He worked on the study as a doctoral candidate at Northwestern.This is because compounds called catechins act like “little Velcro” hooks to which lead molecules latch, Michelle Francl, a chemist at Bryn Mawr College, explained.Francl added that tea leaves also have a rough surface with "ridges and valleys," which provides more space for metals to attach to them.White tea, which is more gently processed and has smoother leaves, absorbed far less lead.Herbal teas like chamomile, which aren’t made from actual tea leaves, were also less effective.Steeping black tea for five minutes removed about 15% of the lead from the water. And while any reduction is helpful, the EPA warns that no amount of lead exposure is safe.“With lead and other contaminants, any decrease is meaningful to some extent, especially if you have a lack of resources or infrastructure that would already remediate some of these problem materials,” said Caroline Harms, who worked on the study as an undergraduate student of Dravid's at Northwestern.While longer steeping times did pull out more lead, they also made the tea more bitter.“It’s not really drinkable after 10 minutes of steeping tea, and no amount of salt is going to help that,” Francl told The Times.Some samples steeped for 24 hours removed the most metals, but they would be impossible to drink.Researchers estimated that in countries where tea drinking is common, people could be ingesting about 3% less lead from their water compared to their counterparts in countries that don’t drink tea.“Given that clean water is such a global issue,” Francl concluded, “if there was a way to take this proof of concept and tweak it to produce potable water at the end, that would be pretty good.”SOURCE: The New York Times, Feb. 28, 2025Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Health
Water

SMART researchers pioneer nanosensor for real-time iron detection in plants

The innovation enables nondestructive iron tracking within plant tissues, helping to optimize plant nutrient management, reduce fertilizer waste, and improve crop health.

Researchers from the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) and MIT, have developed a groundbreaking near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanosensor capable of simultaneously detecting and differentiating between iron forms — Fe(II) and Fe(III) — in living plants. Iron is crucial for plant health, supporting photosynthesis, respiration, and enzyme function. It primarily exists in two forms: Fe(II), which is readily available for plants to absorb and use, and Fe(III), which must first be converted into Fe(II) before plants can utilize it effectively. Traditional methods only measure total iron, missing the distinction between these forms — a key factor in plant nutrition. Distinguishing between Fe(II) and Fe(III) provides insights into iron uptake efficiency, helps diagnose deficiencies or toxicities, and enables precise fertilization strategies in agriculture, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving crop productivity.The first-of-its-kind nanosensor developed by SMART researchers enables real-time, nondestructive monitoring of iron uptake, transport, and changes between its different forms — providing precise and detailed observations of iron dynamics. Its high spatial resolution allows precise localization of iron in plant tissues or subcellular compartments, enabling the measurement of even minute changes in iron levels within plants — changes that can inform how a plant handles stress and uses nutrients. Traditional detection methods are destructive, or limited to a single form of iron. This new technology enables the diagnosis of deficiencies and optimization of fertilization strategies. By identifying insufficient or excessive iron intake, adjustments can be made to enhance plant health, reduce waste, and support more sustainable agriculture. While the nanosensor was tested on spinach and bok choy, it is species-agnostic, allowing it to be applied across a diverse range of plant species without genetic modification. This capability enhances our understanding of iron dynamics in various ecological settings, providing comprehensive insights into plant health and nutrient management. As a result, it serves as a valuable tool for both fundamental plant research and agricultural applications, supporting precision nutrient management, reducing fertilizer waste, and improving crop health.“Iron is essential for plant growth and development, but monitoring its levels in plants has been a challenge. This breakthrough sensor is the first of its kind to detect both Fe(II) and Fe(III) in living plants with real-time, high-resolution imaging. With this technology, we can ensure plants receive the right amount of iron, improving crop health and agricultural sustainability,” says Duc Thinh Khong, DiSTAP research scientist and co-lead author of the paper.“In enabling non-destructive real-time tracking of iron speciation in plants, this sensor opens new avenues for understanding plant iron metabolism and the implications of different iron variations for plants. Such knowledge will help guide the development of tailored management approaches to improve crop yield and more cost-effective soil fertilization strategies,” says Grace Tan, TLL research scientist and co-lead author of the paper.The research, recently published in Nano Letters and titled, “Nanosensor for Fe(II) and Fe(III) Allowing Spatiotemporal Sensing in Planta,” builds upon SMART DiSTAP’s established expertise in plant nanobionics, leveraging the Corona Phase Molecular Recognition (CoPhMoRe) platform pioneered by the Strano Lab at SMART DiSTAP and MIT. The new nanosensor features single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) wrapped in a negatively charged fluorescent polymer, forming a helical corona phase structure that interacts differently with Fe(II) and Fe(III). Upon introduction into plant tissues and interaction with iron, the sensor emits distinct NIR fluorescence signals based on the iron type, enabling real-time tracking of iron movement and chemical changes.The CoPhMoRe technique was used to develop highly selective fluorescent responses, allowing precise detection of iron oxidation states. The NIR fluorescence of SWNTs offers superior sensitivity, selectivity, and tissue transparency while minimizing interference, making it more effective than conventional fluorescent sensors. This capability allows researchers to track iron movement and chemical changes in real time using NIR imaging. “This sensor provides a powerful tool to study plant metabolism, nutrient transport, and stress responses. It supports optimized fertilizer use, reduces costs and environmental impact, and contributes to more nutritious crops, better food security, and sustainable farming practices,” says Professor Daisuke Urano, TLL senior principal investigator, DiSTAP principal investigator, National University of Singapore adjunct assistant professor, and co-corresponding author of the paper.“This set of sensors gives us access to an important type of signalling in plants, and a critical nutrient necessary for plants to make chlorophyll. This new tool will not just help farmers to detect nutrient deficiency, but also give access to certain messages within the plant. It expands our ability to understand the plant response to its growth environment,” says Professor Michael Strano, DiSTAP co-lead principal investigator, Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, and co-corresponding author of the paper.Beyond agriculture, this nanosensor holds promise for environmental monitoring, food safety, and health sciences, particularly in studying iron metabolism, iron deficiency, and iron-related diseases in humans and animals. Future research will focus on leveraging this nanosensor to advance fundamental plant studies on iron homeostasis, nutrient signaling, and redox dynamics. Efforts are also underway to integrate the nanosensor into automated nutrient management systems for hydroponic and soil-based farming and expand its functionality to detect other essential micronutrients. These advancements aim to enhance sustainability, precision, and efficiency in agriculture.The research is carried out by SMART, and supported by the National Research Foundation under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise program.

Health
Waste
Animals

Men With Stronger Sperm May Live Longer, Study Finds

By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Men with strong, fast-swimming sperm may not only have better...

WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Men with strong, fast-swimming sperm may not only have better fertility but also longer lives, a new study suggests.Researchers tracked more than 78,000 men over 50 years and found that those with higher sperm motility -- the ability of sperm to swim -- lived nearly three years longer than men with poor sperm movement.“In absolute terms, men with a total motile count of more than 120 million (per milliliter of semen) lived 2.7 years longer than men with a total motile count of between 0 and 5 million,” lead author Lærke Priskorn, a doctoral candidate at Copenhagen University Hospital -- Rigshospitalet in Denmark, said in a statement.That translates to a life expectancy of 80.3 years for men with high sperm motility compared to 77.6 years for men with very low motility, according to findings published March 4 in the journal Human Reproduction.Sperm motility is the ability of sperm to move through the female reproductive tract to reach and fertilize an egg.The World Health Organization (WHO) considers sperm motility normal if at least 42% of sperm in a sample can swim effectively.A motility count lower than 5 million per milliliter of semen is linked to male infertility, the researchers said.Dr. Michael Eisenberg, professor of urology and director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, reviewed the findings.“The fact that there is an association between semen quality and longevity is an important finding,” he told CNN via email, adding that prior studies have suggested this link between reproductive health and overall health.Semen quality could also help identify future health problems, especially at younger ages, according to John Aitken, a reproductive health expert and professor emeritus at the University of Newcastle in Australia, who wrote an an editorial published with the study.“In men, it appears to be their semen profile that is providing the most significant information concerning their future health and wellbeing,” he wrote.Experts agree that one possible link between sperm quality and life expectancy could be oxidative stress.Oxidative stress happens when unstable molecules called free radicals build up in the body and cause damage to cells and DNA -- including sperm.“Any factor (genetic, immunological, metabolic, environmental or lifestyle) that enhances overall levels of oxidative stress, could reasonably be expected to drive changes in the semen profile and subsequent patterns of mortality,” Aitken wrote.Oxidative stress can be triggered by smoking, heavy alcohol use, pesticides, industrial chemicals and even air pollution, according to the National Cancer Institute.The body can fight back with antioxidants, found in foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, according to the Cleveland Clinic.While antioxidant supplements haven’t been proven to help with oxidative stress, a diet rich in whole foods -- citrus fruit, spinach, peppers, sunflower seeds, almonds, salmon, tuna, carrots, mangos and kale, to name a few --  offers a natural way to support sperm health and overall wellness.SOURCES: CNN, March 4, 2025; Human Reproduction, March 4, 2025Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Health
Chemicals
Pollution

Suggested Viewing

The Connection Between Bats and Coronavirus: Wildlife is not to blame

What exactly is the connection between bats and coronavirus? And how has sheltering-in-place disrupted field research in California and beyond? State and local governments have set restrictions on bat research and rescue in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Winifred Frick, chief scientist of Bat Conservation International, describes how the new restrictions have affected conservation efforts.

Animals
Science
Health

Sprayed

An exploration of what happens when whole communities get exposed to toxins: Naled sprayed on Miami residents to fight Zika virus, Agent Orange sprayed on the Vietcong, and release of GMO mosquitoes in Brazil with pyriproxyfen added to drinking water to fight dengue. What are the results for nature and humanity? We meet Agent Orange survivors at Vietnamese detoxification and rehabilitation centers, parents of babies born with microcephaly from Zika virus, and Florida residents dealing with efforts to kill mosquitoes carrying Zika virus. Perspectives of doctors, scientists, and politicians are balanced with voices of ordinary citizens and victims to explore concerns about the potential impact on current and future generations.

Chemicals
Health
Science

Allergy Alert: Paranoia in Our Immune System

From peanuts and pollen to cats and dust mites, allergy rates are soaring dramatically all over the globe, with inoffensive substances triggering life-threatening physical responses. Experts are predicting that by 2050, one in two will suffer from an allergy. Why are our immune systems overreacting in this way? To stem the tide of the epidemic, scientists are investigating the interface between genetics, environmental factors and our modern lifestyle, and developing revolutionary new approaches to prevention and treatment.

Science
Crisis
Health

Unacceptable Risk: Dr. Margaret Kripke on Cancer and the Environment

Unacceptable Risk tells the story of a prominent cancer researcher who rethinks her assumptions about the causes of cancer and the true burden of environmentally-induced cancers.

Chemicals
Science
Health

Living with the Coronavirus

In next years we must learn to live together with mr. Coronavirus, as the experts say. Are we ready?

Health
Student
Youth

Join us to forge
a sustainable future

Our team is always growing.
Become a partner, volunteer, sponsor, or intern today.
Let us know how you would like to get involved!

CONTACT US

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Subscribers receive a free day pass for streaming Cinema Verde.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.