Dr. Turek's Blog

Infertility: Window into Men’s Minds

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Recently, sitting face to face with an infertile patient, I asked him what the first thing was that came to his mind after being told that he had no sperm count. After a short silence in which his eyes gazed downward and then back again toward me, he stated, quietly “I thought it might be the […]

No Men. Just Sperm.

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

We saw it coming. We created stem cells from testis tissue and published it earlier this year and I mentioned previously that it should be possible to do the opposite and create spermfrom stem cells. Well, as announced yesterday from a research group in Britain, that possibility is closer to becoming a reality. Sperm created […]

Breakfast: The Best Fuel For the Engine

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Most Americans wake up, rub the sleep out of their eyes, clean up and rush out the door. Breakfast is an afterthought. But soon after that, stomachs start to growl for some food energy. But by now it’s gotten a bit too late, and no oatmeal or egg will suffice. It’s time for doughnuts, or […]

Pop Quiz on Men’s Sexual Health

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Ok, you have been reading about men’s health on this blog for months. Now it’s time for a little quiz. Number two pencil’s out? 1. True or False: Real men don’t cry or express emotion. False. Ever see Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire, yelling Stella’s name in the streets? Too bad that men who […]

Testosterone: What it Does & Doesn’t Do

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Testosterone is a misunderstood molecule. It holds such great sway over the human body that it has gained a reputation, and perhaps even a mystique. Society associates testosterone with Arnold Schwarzenegger (circa 1980s), with strength, virility, aggression, violence, square jaws, and six-pack abs. We also tend to blame testosterone for certain male tendencies and traits […]

You Are The Pill That You Eat

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

At some point as we evolved, well after the Neolithic period, we started thinking that there must be a better way to get nutrients, something faster and more efficient, than through the food we have eaten for tens of thousands of years. Our fantasy of the future was encapsulated with TV shows like The Jetsons […]

The Prostate: All You Ever Wanted to Know

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

As a man ages, he is more likely to look at travel experiences as a series of restroom stops. He might begin navigating his way to the grocery store, the gas station or to a friend’s house for poker based on whether or not there’s a restroom conveniently located nearby. This may sound like the […]

Stem Cell Research with Dr. Turek

How Are Stem Cells Like Wine Grapes?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Silicon Valley started in a small garage across the way from Stanford University by one man named Hewlett and another named Packard. There is a historic plaque on that garage now, and a worldwide industry surrounds it. Stem cell research has just as much potential. Last week, I mentioned that I was a believer because […]

Stem Cells, Snake Oil and You

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

We’re way past bottled snake venom now. The new miracle medical cure lies deep within us, in our stem cells, if we can only figure out how to tap into them. 100 days into President Obama’s term, and it seems that the scientific community here in the U.S. might just be getting the fuel it […]

Ramirez: A Lesson in Steroid Biology

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

When a record-breaking athlete gets caught for doping, it’s not news anymore. It shouldn’t be. People have been taking drugs to increase physical prowess since ancient times. We’ve recently seen it with Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and now LA Dodger’s star Manny Ramirez, whose urine tested positive for a medication on MLB’s banned substance list. […]