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DURING the winter, most  of us experience  tingling  fingers and toes and numbness as a result of the drop in temperature. For some people  however,  exposure  to the cold brings on severe symptoms, such as loss of feeling in the fingers and numbness that seems to take forever to resolve. Their fingers may turn very pale or even blue and then  turn red, and tingle profusely  as circulation returns.  If this sounds familiar to you, you could be one of the increasing  number of people  suffering with Raynaud’s Syndrome, a condition in which the small arteries of the fingers go into  spasm and contract.

Brain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, acetylcholine, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and serotonin are associated with sexual and reproductive function.   The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is the key neuroendocrine pathway linking the brain and nervous system with the reproductive system.  At a time where we are in an ‘obesity epidemic’ it is interesting to note that excess adipose tissue results in increased conversion of testosterone to estradiol, which may lead to secondary hypogonadism (decrease in sperm or testosterone production) through reproductive axis suppression. Moreover, oxidative stress at the level of the testicular micro-environment may result in decreased spermatogenesis and sperm damage.

It may seem that we take our reproductive health somewhat for granted. In fact, a survey found that 25% of Britons experience reproductive health issues and the current prevalence of infertility lasting for at least 12 months is estimated to be around 9% worldwide for women aged 20-44. The encouraging news is that according to extensive studies, dietary and lifestyle interventions can have significant impact to help keep our sexual health in shape. This article highlights some interesting areas in this complex field of research.