Wellnews by Scott LaFee

Lots of things apparently spring forward this time of year. An Israeli study has found that human sperm are generally healthiest in winter and early spring, making autumn the likeliest season for a baby bumper crop.

The researchers examined more than 6,000 men treated for infertility issues between the years 2006 to 2009, and they found that their sperm tended to appear in greater numbers and faster speeds, with fewer semen abnormalities, during the winter and early spring months. After that, said the scientists, numbers and quality declined.

Other studies using animal models have produced similar findings, but scientists remain stumped about the reasons why.

"The hard part of this is really sorting out what factor is accounting for this," said Edmund Sabanegh, a urologist at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the study.

Maybe it's the weather (too hot?).

Maybe it's baseball season (games run long).

It might be TV.

In that last case, published research earlier this year concluded that men who watch a lot of TV have lower sperm counts than their more active counterparts.

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

The growth rate of hair is genetically determined and varies by individual. However, assorted studies suggest that hair overall tends to grow faster during summer months, possibly due to hormones released more abundantly in warmer temperatures. On the negative side, hair also tends to be shed more frequently and in greater numbers when it gets hot.

GET ME THAT. STAT!

Alzheimer's disease has climbed to the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

One out of three seniors now dies from AD or another form of dementia. Deaths from AD increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2010.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

A Morningstar veggie corn dog (71 grams) contains 170 calories, 54 from fat. It has 6 grams of total fat or 9 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains zero milligrams of cholesterol, 530 mg of sodium (22 percent), 22 grams of total carbohydrates (7 percent), 3 grams of dietary fiber (12 percent), 5 g sugar and 8 g of protein.

COUNTS

69 — Percentage of Americans who said they talked on their cell phones while driving at least once in the previous month

40 — Percentage of French and German drivers who said the same thing

21 — Percentage of British drivers

3,331 — Number of Americans killed in automobile accidents involving a distracted driver in 2011 —Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Transportation

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Phagophobia — Fear of swallowing

NEVER SAY DIET

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for pepperoni slices with cheese is 252 (2.25 pounds) in six minutes, held by Patrick Bertoletti. Warning: Most of these records are held by professional eaters; the rest by people who really should find something better to do.

OBSERVATION

"To be stupid, selfish and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost." —French writer Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

LAST WORDS

"Here am I, dying of a hundred good symptoms." —English poet and writer Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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