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Tips To Make The Most Of A Distillery Visit

Nothing says fall then a drive though the country and visiting shops, seeing pumpkin patches and maybe even visiting a distillery. With hundreds of bourbon and whiskey distilleries now operating in the United States, there’s a good chance you’ll have the opportunity to visit at least one of them.

According to the Kentucky Distillers Association 95 per cent of all bourbon whiskey is produced in Kentucky, The important to remember though, is that all 50 U.S. states have at least one whiskey distillery.

A visit can be fun, informative and tasty, so here are so tips to make the most of a distillery visit.

whiskey
Photo by Flickr user Raphaël Chekroun
  • Do your research and make a plan. Before you head out, check out what distilleries are in the area, when they’re open, and what kinds of experiences they offer. Some distilleries in major tourist centers are open seven days per week, while rural farm distilleries might only be open for business on the weekends. Distilleries’ websites are a good place to start, but social media accounts might have more up-to-date information about special events or offers.These days, most distilleries can serve at least tiny samples of their products, but all states are different. If you’re in the mood for a martini, you might be disappointed by local laws that prohibit distilleries from serving cocktails. Food, too, can be hit-or-miss, so check out restaurants on your route or see if any of your visits might have a food truck parked outside.

RELATED: Great Fall Whiskeys

  • Dress for success. If you’re doing a behind-the-scenes or “hardhat” tour, skip the stillettos or flip flops. Distilleries are factories, complete with slick or sticky surfaces, loud noises, and grated elevated walkways that look like the set from a John Claude Van Damme film. Closed-toed shoes and comfy clothes are a good idea.
  • Tackle transportation. Spirits samples add up fast. If you’re in a city, plan to take public transit, Lyft, or Uber. If you’re in the countryside, pick a designated driver or hire a car for the day—it’s way more fun than stressing out over your samples or abstaining from that single barrel super pour at the end of your tasting.
  • Be on timeespecially if you’ve made an appointment. Distillers are busy, and tasting room staff are often scheduled around existing appointments. Respect their time and stick to your schedule—or, if you know your plans are going to be fluid, choose distilleries with open tasting room hours and just pop in.

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  • Introduce yourself. All kinds of people come through the doors of that tasting room, from teetotaler neighbors who are just curious about what’s going on inside, to international whiskey collectors. If you already know a lot about the distillery and you’re a big fan of its products, tell them so! Distillers love to meet their fans—and, if you’re lucky, slip them special samples. If this is your very first time tasting rye whiskey, tell them that, too. Knowing customers’ experience level can help tasting room staff tailor their conversation to you.
  • Ask questions. There is no question too silly, too basic, or too nerdy to ask on a distillery tour. Usually, tour guides know an amazing amount about their products. And, if you do manage to land a stumper, well, there’s something satisfying about that, too.
  • If you like something, buy something, especially if it’s a smaller operation. Sometimes—although not always—distilleries make a better profit margin on the bottles they sell from the tasting room than those you buy at retail through a distributor.
  • Tip your tasting room staff. If you tip servers who spend five minutes taking your order, delivering your food, and clearing your plates, you can tip the guide who just spent an hour taking you on a tour and then served you a flight of mini-cocktails.
  • Get social. If you had a wonderful time, post pictures of your visit on social media. Distillers love seeing their business through their customers’ eyes, and it’s a great way to say thanks by encouraging your friends and family to visit.
  • Hangovers are the worst. Drinking plenty of water won’t undo overindulgence, but it’s still the best way to stave off the crud the next day.

Happy distillery visiting!

5 Essential Marijuana Products For The Modern Bathroom

Weed-laced lotions and beauty potions are infiltrating medicine cabinets and bathroom vanities everywhere. Here are some products worth adding to your collection.

Those who use marijuana skin care claim that the hydrating, anti-inflammatory properties save their skin and lips, while beauty experts suggest that cannabis-infused products may help treat skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and dry scalp without any psychoactive effects.

While most of the information available on the effects of marijuana skin-care products is anecdotal, some clinical research by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and the National Center for Biotechnology Information exists showing that cannabinoids from cannabis have anti-aging and antioxidant properties. The cannabinoid molecules interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a network of cell receptors that stretching throughout the entire human body to control all kinds of vital functions.

These studies also confirm that cannabinoids, especially CBD, are responsible for lipid production and, therefore, help regulate conditions such as dry skin or acne when applied topically. It’s also an excellent treatment for psoriasis, eczema, and muscle cramps.

Sensimilla Soaps and Soaks

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Photo by Sarah Pflug via Burst

Cannabis seed oil is anti-inflammatory that helps decrease the activity of oil glands, which may explain a benefit in acne. Back pain, sore muscles and joints can all benefit from a scrub with a cannabinoid-rich soap. Sensimilla, a type of marijuana with high THC, will give you a genuine body buzz. Plus, topical application of cannabis is non-psychoactive and is safe enough for the whole family. Your choice of soap may contain CBD, THC or both but it should also be made of ingredients that are gentle on skin.

RELATED: CBD Bath Bombs Sound Relaxing, But Do They Work?

Marijuana-filled bath bombs are also being gobbled up by fans of the canna-beauty trend. Warm bath water helps to open pores and allow cannabinoids full penetration for all-over relief. Fair warning to females: medicated bath soaks can cause a slight high due to vaginal exposure.

Lifted Lip Care

Marijuana lip balm soothes chapped lips and takes the idea of illegality and stigma out of using marijuana. The popular, and highly-clandestine pot product that sheds the “stoner” association while still giving the user all the benefits of being high. Whether or not the balm contains THC, the important thing is that it has CBD oil and other agents that will allow lips rebuild their natural oil barrier. Before you buy, here are 4 Things Dermatologist Want You To Know About CBD Lip Balm.

Hemp Hand Protection

Cannabis Topicals
Photo by rawpixel.com

RELATED: You Just Bought CBD Lotion — Now What?

The Body Shop has been making hemp hand protector for years, before it was cool. And now that beauty editors across the country are hooked on the craze, the product has become the store’s best seller. Cannabis topicals and creams can treat skin problems from dry skin to rheumatoid arthritic flare-ups and sunburns.  

Cannabis Flower Fragrances

Apply cannabis accord anywhere you like to wear fragrance for an earthy and delicate scent that smells less like a dispensary and more like a chic eastern European boutique.

Anti-aging Potions Medicated with Marijuana

Here's What You Should Know About CBD Topicals
Photo by vadimguzhva/Getty Images

Look for full-spectrum hemp oil face moisturizers that use cannabis sativa oil to correct skin while actively protecting it throughout the day. Cannabis seed oil stimulates the skin’s natural oil production to keep skin firm.

Does Habitual Marijuana Use Make You Anti-Social

Exposure to THC led to decreased social interactions for up to 24 hours in mice, new research found.

“Humans and their brains and minds are shaped, and normally function, in continuous interaction with other people. Needing each other is not limited to our inner circles, our families, and our close friends. We need each other on so many levels.

Studies have shown that marijuana can help patients feel less lonely and depressed, but that doesn’t equate to cannabis making you a social butterfly. In fact, a new study found the opposite — habitual marijuana use could cause users to become less sociable than others.

The research, published in Nature, was led by Giovanni Marsicano at NeuroCentre Magendie in Bordeaux, France. His team wanted to better understand how cannabinoid receptors works and how they interact with marijuana compounds. Previous studies established that cannabinoid receptors are primarily localized in the cell membrane.

RELATED: How Introverts Can Use Cannabis To Cope With Social Anxiety

But Marsicano and his team discovered in 2012 that some receptors exist in mitochondria, which are known as the powerhouses of the cell and provide much of the energy cells need. Along the mitochondria membrane lie little star-shaped cells called astrocytes. These astrocytes “take up glucose from the bloodstream to provide energy to the brain, thereby allowing neuronal activity and behavioral responses,” wrote the study’s authors.

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Mariscano and his team had an idea: If these astrocytes contained cannabinoid receptors, how exactly did they interact with marijuana?

“Given the importance of astrocytes and energy use for brain function, we wanted to understand the role of these specific cannabinoid receptors and the consequences for the brain and behavior when exposed to cannabis,” Marsicano said.

RELATED: The Difference Between Marijuana, Hemp And Cannabis

When researchers gave mice THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, it caused a cascade of molecular processes. That included dysfunction of glucose metabolism in astrocytes, which reduced the cell’s ability to transform glucose into food. Without the added energy, scientist found the animals had decreased social interactions up to 24 hours after introducing THC into their systems.

“Our study is the first to show that the decline in sociability sometimes associated with cannabis use is the result of altered glucose metabolism in the brain,” said Marsicano. “It also opens up new avenues of research to find therapeutic solutions to alleviate some of the behavioral problems resulting from exposure to cannabis. In addition, it reveals the direct impact of astrocyte energy metabolism on behavior.”

Why Does Cannabis Make Some People Freak Out

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Marijuana is not completely understood, which is why some people have adverse reactions to the drug and others don’t.

People tend to have two reactions when it comes to using marijuana: they either find it very relaxing or they don’t. Those who belong to the latter group accuse the plant of causing them tons of paranoia and anxiety, making them feel like they are too “in their heads.”

Bad highs are almost like meltdowns, where your body’s reactions become stressful and scary. These episodes are temporary, but they still feel terrible and the only relief is either waiting them out or trying to sleep off the effects. Bad highs are a big reason why some people choose to avoid marijuana altogether.

These anecdotes leave cannabis in an interesting spot. The same plant can produce exact opposite effects in different people, all because of genetics, experience and predisposition to the drug.

RELATED: Does Habitual Marijuana Use Make You Anti-Social?

Marijuana produces effects by interacting with the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, located in different areas, like our brain and skin. Cannabinoids, such as THC, bind to the receptors in the brain, causing either relaxing or stressful effects. Some of these receptors are located in spots governed by the amygdala, a section of tissue that’s responsible for managing emotions like fear, stress and paranoia.

THC is also known for increasing heart rates and producing an influx of thoughts — both behaviors that can cause anxiety for people that are naturally anxious or who haven’t experienced these feelings before.

RELATED: Marijuana Makes You Paranoid? Study Suggests Your Genes Are To Blame

Studies show that the positive and therapeutic effects of cannabis are due to the influence of cannabinoids on our endocannabinoid systems. These positive results appear even more markedly on patients that have experienced trauma and PTSD, who usually have low levels of chemicals like anandamide.

5 crazy things that turn people on
Photo via Pixabay

The most clear link between freak outs and cannabis occurs when people are new to the plant or they’ve had a negative experience with it — both of which create a predisposition towards certain behaviors. What people can do in order to prevent these reactions is to stick to low and manageable doses (avoiding oils and edibles since they’re harder to manage) and smoke somewhere that’s comfortable and private, surrounded by people they trust.

RELATED: What You Need To Know Before Trying Cannabis For The First Time

For newbies and people who’ve had bad experiences with weed but are willing to give it another shot, the type of weed you smoke, your location and companions are pivotal factors. Ask your budtender for a relaxing strain, something that’s focused on the body and not the brain. By trying to manage these factors you can try to curb freak outs and reintroduce yourself to fun experiences with cannabis.

Which Ethnic Groups Are Driving The Marijuana Consumer Boom

 

Marijuana has gone mainstream and the 90% of people feel it should be legal in some way. Currently 40 states have medical marijuana and major medical research facilities are working on unlocking the potential benefits of cannabis.

A YouGov poll discovered about 52% of Americans have tried marijuana. Among those who have tried, 43% have used it in the past year, and among those, 72% have used it in the past month.  And there is an increase among those aged 60 for not only medical use but also recreational use.

In the fall of 2022, the cannabis industry developed an economic slump due to overpricing of flower, government regulations, a still thriving black market and some bad players going under.  Coupled with lack of follow through on the Biden administration’s part to legalize marijuana, things looked bleak.  EXCEPT for consumers, who have only grown in numbers and spending. In fact, Gen Z is turning away from alcohol and using lower doses of marijuana more often and on the go.

RELATED: California or New York, Which Has The Biggest Marijuana Mess

While marijuana is used by everyone, here is some interesting data regarding ethnic groups and their purchases.

women's in red and white floral long-sleeved dress standing in front of stage

The data categories include Native America, Caucasian, Hispanics, Asians and Black/ African American. The base line is a gumbo of everyone’s purchases, but there are standouts when you look at ethnic groups just as in age categories.

In data from BDSA for spring 2023, Hispanics were the highest spend the highest per month. Hispanics spend 20% more per month and 7% more per trip than the aggregate of consumers in the most recent survey.

When looking at spend per trip, respondents who identified as Black or African American outspent Hispanics by over $2.  Per trip, Black or African American consumers spend the most. Those who identified as Black or African American reported spending 9% more per month and 9% more per trip than the aggregate of consumers in the most recent Spring 2023 survey

Asians and Native Americans spend well below the average monthly on each dispensary visit.

RELATED: Guess What Is Gumming Up The Marijuana World?

Another way to look at data is Gen Z and Millineials are moving toward vapes and edibles and away from traditional flower.  This is having an impact on the industry but is also a sign of the mainstreaming and “on the go” use as there are products which can be used in public places with the the telltalel scent.

Can You Life-Hack Your Way To Love

There’s never been a shortage of dating advice from family, friends and self-help authors. Yet in the digital age, people are also turning to nerdy hacker-types as guides.

At first, they might seem like an odd source of romantic advice, but think again: Computer programmers created the systems of quizzes, swipes and algorithms that millions rely on for matchmaking. Who better to explain how to make the most of these digital tools?

This new approach to dating takes advantage of the power of data. “Quantitative futurist” Amy Webb, for instance, created a handful of fake accounts depicting the types of men she wanted to marry and learned what her highly-rated competitors’ profiles looked like. After applying these insights to her own profile, she became the most popular woman on JDate, an online dating site for Jewish people. Mathematician Christopher McKinlay similarly hacked his profile on OkCupid and crawled thousands of profiles to identify the clusters of women he most wanted to target.

With hundreds of candidates in hand, both had to then filter the field: Webb created a sophisticated spreadsheet, and McKinlay went on 88 dates. In the end, each found a spouse.

All of this is part of a new approach to life, as a thing to be hacked and optimized by way of a quantified self.

RELATED: OkCupid Says That People Are Prioritizing Politics Over Sex

People track what they eat, the hours they work, the items they own and countless other details, hoping to experience better health, improved productivity and greater contentment. However, in my forthcoming book, “Hacking Life: Systematized Living and its Discontents,” I reveal how the quest for the optimum path can lead you astray. In the case of dating, trying to optimize can be foolishly naive and misunderstand the nature of the task.

Counting on love

Consider the case of former software engineer Valerie Aurora, who in 2015 returned to the dispiriting task of online dating. This time, she hoped she might make the experience palatable, fun even, by hacking datingInspired by Webb, Aurora developed a spreadsheet for ranking candidates with positive and negative attributes, including flaws that were so bad they were “dealbreakers.”

Photo courtesy LilKar/Shutterstock.com

However, with experience, Aurora realized that she had been too inflexible about dealbreakers. She wrote, “I am now in a happy relationship with someone who had six of what I labeled ‘dealbreakers’ when we met. And if he hadn’t been interested in working those issues out with me, we would not be dating today. But he was, and working together we managed to resolve all six of them to our mutual satisfaction.”

It is a mistake to believe that an ideal match is somewhere out there, just waiting to be rated and ranked. Instead, people invest and grow in their relationship. A good match can be found, but psychology research suggests a good relationship is made.

Searching far and wide

Taking a data-centric approach can also lead to a never-ending search. Technology entrepreneur Sebastian Stadil went on 150 dates in four months – more than one a day! At the end, he wrote, “I still believe technology can hack love, though that belief is likely irrational.” He confessed that “having more matches increased my odds of finding someone interesting, but it also became an addiction. The possibility of meeting that many people made me want to meet every one of them, to make sure I wouldn’t miss the One.”

RELATED: Chinese Companies Are Offering Some Of Their Single Female Employees ‘Dating Leave’

It’s a paradox of choice in the digital age: A better match could be just one more date – and data-point – away. Hackers who know their computer science recognize this as the puzzle of “optimal stopping,” which seeks to determine how long someone should hold out for a better option.

There is no perfect solution, but there is a reasonable formula: Figure out your parameters, like how soon you want to be in a relationship and how many dates you want to go on in search of the right person. Say you’ve given yourself a year and 100 dates – two a week. The math says you should go on dates with 37 percent of them without committing, and then – after the 37th person and about four and a half months – pursue the first person who’s better than all the others you’ve met.

Of course, this still assumes that the problem of starting a relationship is a matter of quantity, measurement and optimization. Aurora’s experience suggests that making a match is as much about interpersonal negotiation as it is about data and analysis.

Joseph Reagle is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University.

Study Shows Women Who Use Marijuana Have Better….

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A  new study reveals that cannabis use has a positive impact on their sex lives.

Marijuana and sex, particularly when it comes to women, tend to have a positive relationship. Plenty of studies have shown that for some people, the drug can help them have better orgasms, feel more relaxed and more connected to their partners.

A study published in the journal Sexual Medicine compiled data from over 400 women who consumed marijuana on a regular basis and found that frequent cannabis use was linked with higher arousal, better orgasms and more sexual satisfaction overall.

“Our results demonstrate that increasing frequency of cannabis use is associated with improved sexual function and is associated with increased satisfaction, orgasm, and sexual desire,” said the authors of the study.

RELATED: Here’s What You Should Know Before Mixing Sex And Cannabis

women
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

Researchers contacted women who’d responded to an invitation from cannabis retail stores, asking them to fill out a Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), a survey designed to assess sexual activity throughout their previous 4 weeks. The test implies that the higher the score, the higher the sexual function, with low scores relating to low sexual function. In order to draw results, researchers compared the level of cannabis use of each participant with their FSFI score.

Women who consumed cannabis more frequently reported better sexual function in different aspects of their sex lives, from better orgasms to higher levels of arousal. A subset of these women also reported experiencing less pain during sex, something that has been echoed in other studies conducted on cannabis use and sexuality.

RELATED: 4 Ways Quarantine Has Affected Our Sex Lives

While there have been some negative links between sex and male arousal, when it comes to women, it appears the drug makes them feel less anxious and more relaxed, which translates into a more positive sexual experience. Researchers haven’t yet pinpointed the relationship that exists between cannabis and sex, but more and more evidence suggests that there’s something there and that it’s worth investigating.

What To Know About Mixing CBD And Alcohol

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Before you wash down that eye dropper of CBD oil with a glass of wine, read this.

If you’re an adult, you already know that mixing substances is a mixed bag. Sometimes you get the results you want, and other times you’re laying in the fetal position wondering how much longer you have to endure your own self-inflicted struggle. The same goes for CBD and alcohol.

The combination of cannabis and alcohol is well documented. Some people enjoy the mellow effects, while others experience a dreadful crossfaded high, which is often harder to manage than a simple drunken episode.

When it comes to CBD and alcohol, there’s not much data out there, even if there are some manufacturers who are making packaged alcohol drinks infused with CBD. Out of the few studies that have been conducted, some experts theorize that alcohol and CBD could maximize each other’s effects, for better or worse.

While some might assume that people would become less inhibited and more relaxed, since those are some of the most common positive side effects of both CBD and alcohol, a 1979 study published in the journal Psychopharmacology found that the combination of CBD and alcohol can cause significant changes in mood and behavior. Researchers discovered that mixing these substances resulted in impairment in motor performance and caused participants to lose track of time. On the other hand, it also showed that those who consumed CBD capsules had lower levels of alcohol in their blood.

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(NOTE: It’s important to highlight that this information comes from a study that’s dated, since it used a much higher dosage of CBD than a study would use now.)

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A more recent study, published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology in 2019 concluded that “there are too few human studies to draw any inferences about CBD and alcohol interactions.”

RELATED: What To Expect When Combining Alcohol And Cannabis

For now, there’s not enough information to get an accurate picture and no way of giving people an estimate of the results they’d get when combining alcohol and CBD.

It’s important to note that CBD could have an effect in helping people recover from alcohol addiction and in coping with some side effects of hangovers. Consistent use of the compound could protect people’s livers from alcohol damage, reduce symptoms of withdrawal and the odds of relapsing. When it comes to treating more basic symptoms of hangovers, CBD is capable of treating nausea and headaches.

CBD Reduces Anxiety And Tremors In Parkinson’s Patients

New research suggests that CBD may be an alternative treatment for patients with Parkinson’s and anxiety.

If you or a loved one suffers from Parkinson’s disease, you might be encouraged by a new study out of Brazil, which found that CBD can calm nerves in anxiety-inducing situations — specifically symptoms surrounding this debilitating disorder.

Previously, the Brazilian researchers had discovered that CBD increased the emotional wellbeing and quality of life for Parkinson’s patients. This time, the team wanted to better understand how CBD could affect anxiety associated with Parkinson’s.

RELATED: Anxious About Seeing A Therapist? CBD Could Help

For the study, which was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers recruited 24 Parkinson’s patients. Half were given 300 milligrams of CBD, while the other half received a placebo. While monitoring blood pressure, heart rates, and tremor frequencies, scientists administered a Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPST) 90 minutes after the CBD dose. (This model has been used for several decades in testing anxiety symptoms in subjects.) Those patients who received CBD had significant reductions in anxiety and tremors.

Here's What Doctors Know About CBD
Photo by Tinnakorn Jorruang/Getty Images

“These observations suggest that CBD may be an alternative treatment for patients with [Parkinson’s] and anxiety,” the researchers wrote. “Thus, the chronic administration of CBD could be tested in future studies.”

The study represents the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that focuses on how CBD affects anxiety in Parkinson’s patients. Johns Hopkins University reports that up to 40% of Parkinson’s patients have anxiety. As researchers wrote in the study, many patients are given pharmaceutical medication to treat anxiety symptoms, which can have various side effects, including tremors and impaired cognition.

RELATED: A Look At Cannabis And Depression In Men

However, the researchers wrote, it is “not possible to conclude whether CBD had a direct effect on the amplitude of the tremors or whether the reduction in anxiety levels led to the differences observed.” This study will likely inspire more research into how CBD affects Parkinson’s patients. In addition, it’s a positive development for patients looking for a  more natural replacement to pharmaceuticals in the future.

Study Claims Marijuana Consumers Have Higher Sperm Counts

As it tends to be the case with medical marijuana, new studies keep popping up and contradicting our previous beliefs.

Despite the fact that marijuana has been linked and associated with low sperm counts, a study published on the journal Human Reproduction found higher sperm counts on current and former marijuana users than on men who’d never smoked marijuana.

Researchers worked with 662 men in the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, gathering over a thousand samples of sperm between the years 2000 and 2017. The men complemented the study with questionnaires that reported on their marijuana usage.

RELATED: Does Marijuana Affect Sperm Count In Healthy Males?

Jorge Chavarro, lead author of the study and researcher of Harvard university, spoke with the Daily Beast and explained his team’s findings. He warned that the results are preliminary, and that men shouldn’t turn to marijuana if they were looking for a higher sperm count.

“The most important message of this study is highlighting how little we know about how marijuana use impacts the health in general,” he says.

Chavarro hypothesized that moderate amounts of marijuana could help men enhance their quality of sperm, explaining that the active compounds in marijuana could bind themselves to the cannabinoid receptors in men’s bodies and support their sperm production. Other researchers were less hopeful, claiming that with our current knowledge of the drug, it’s really hard to know whether or not marijuana has a definitive impact on men’s sperm.

RELATED: How Marijuana Affects Men And Women Differently

Marijuana remains mysterious but it’s good that new studies contradict previous findings on the drug and remove some of the mysticism that surrounds it. Maybe marijuana is not the answer to male infertility but hopefully these studies will help researchers stumble upon something that could.

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