Don’t eat off the coffee table in a single man’s home… and never, ever sit on the plush seats of San Francisco’s BART train system.

Those two items might not seem related, but they have something in common: New studies find they’re both crawling with nasty germs.

In one study, researchers visited 30 single men and 30 single women at home and did swab tests on four surfaces: remote controls, coffee tables, nightstands and doorknobs.

I’m sure most people could guess that men would turn out to have the most germs… after all, we’re made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails even after we grow up.

But get this: Men had 15 times the bacteria in their homes as women, including fecal coliforms–poop bacteria–on 70 percent of their coffee tables.

Yuck… but that’s why mom always said to keep your feet off the table.

The researchers also found fecal coliforms on 62 percent of nightstands, 30 percent of TV remotes and 13 percent of doorknobs in male homes.

The only consistent bacteria hotspot for women, on the other hand, was the doorknob: The researchers found coliforms on 33 percent of them.

One caveat: The study was sponsored by Clorox, and you just know they’d love the kind of headlines that get more people to buy disinfectant wipes.

Mission accomplished, guys.

Talk therapy has proven time and again to be every bit as effective as drugs for conditions like depression–without the nasty side effects.

So why don’t more people use it?

Some can’t be bothered… but plenty of others can’t get it even if they want it– and a new report shows why: Many psychiatrists no longer offer it.

Thank your friendly neighborhood insurance company for that–because they’ve stacked the system in favor of meds.

A shrink can earn a $90 reimbursement for a 45-minute talk therapy session… or he can earn $150 for three 15-minute visits in which he gives meds to his patients, according to a recent report in the New York Times.

That difference adds up fast.

The Times doesn’t mention why insurers like it this way, but it’s not too hard to figure out: It’s cheaper.

Once a shrink has you on meds, the insurance companies are only on the hook for a generic drug prescription and a 15-minute visit every few months to renew it.

Talk therapy, on the other hand, requires regular and frequent visits–several times a week for more serious problems, such as severe depression.

But since talk therapy works, insurers can’t justify refusing it.

So they did the next best thing: When they slashed the reimbursement rate, they knew docs would start refusing it on their own.

Everyone wins, except the patient.

One shrink told the Times he used to see 50 or 60 patients for 45-minute sessions once or twice a week. He knew his patients, and he knew their problems.

Now, he no longer offers talk therapy at all. He has 1,200 patients who he sees for just 15 minutes at a time–and if one wants to talk about some of life’s problems, he reminds the patient that he’s only there to adjust their meds.

Then it’s quickly on to the next patient. He says it’s like being a Volkswagen mechanic.

The worst part of all? Many of his patients seem to like it that way–they don’t want the chitchat.

They just want their drugs.

Don’t fall into that trap… if you’re seeking help from a psychiatrist and he’s only interested in giving you meds, you’re in the wrong office.

A skilled naturopathic physician can detect and treat the types of nutritional and hormonal deficiencies that are often behind psychological disorders such as depression.

And if you want talk therapy, you can still get it–just not from a psychiatrist. Try a psychologist, social worker or therapist instead.

The only question now is… will you make the time to work with one–or just opt for the quick convenience of a 15-minute visit to renew your prescription?

The commercials promise instant, soothing and almost magical relief from a condition that can literally ruin your life.

No wonder millions of people take heartburn meds.

But here’s a reality you’ll never see in a TV ad: These drugs can offer you some pretty permanent relief… from everything.

The FDA is warning that people who use some of the most popular stomach acid meds–proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs–face a higher risk of a frightening magnesium deficiency called hypomagnesemia.

The condition’s warning signs include muscle spasms, seizures, and heart problems that range from an irregular heartbeat right up to death itself.

And there’s one sign of hypomagnesemia that’s even worse than all that: Nothing at all.

Some people have no symptoms–until it’s too late.

One day, you’re happily taking your PPI… the next… well, stop taking that PPI now and hopefully you won’t find out.

Of course, you won’t hear that advice from the feds–even as they add this new warning to PPI labels, they won’t urge anyone to stop taking them.

Sadly, that’s not even surprising.

But here’s something that’s even more outrageous: The FDA won’t even urge a PPI user who develops hypomagnesemia to quit–only that they “may” have to stop taking the drugs if a magnesium supplement doesn’t correct the deficiency.

You can read the full warning–and get the full list of drugs affected–here. Take a good look, because odds are someone you know is taking one of these meds.

And that’s not the only bad news about PPIs.

These drugs can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium, putting you at risk for a bone break later in life. And they can alter the balance of your stomach’s chemistry, putting you at risk for a battle with bacteria.

Some of these side effects are so bad you could end up wishing for the “good old days” when all you had to worry about was a stomach acid problem.

Yet somehow, these are among the best-selling drugs in the world.

I just don’t get it–because there’s a better way.

Dr. Jonathan V. Wright literally wrote the book on how to deal with heartburn, reflux, GERD and many of the other problems that most people (even doctors) blame on too much stomach acid.

It’s called “Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You,” and if you read it you’ll see why the mainstream has it backwards: The problem usually isn’t too much stomach acid… it’s too little.

Learn more by reading the book, which is available in major bookstores and online, or visiting his Web site.

What’s keeping you up at night?

If you’re like most people–kids and adults alike–it’s almost certainly some kind of screen, from the big one in the living room to the little one that’s never far from your hand.

Now, a new study finds that more than a third of all Americans get less than seven hours of sleep a night–and at the same time, a new survey finds that up to 95 percent of us are in front of those glowing screens within an hour of bedtime.

Are the two related? Almost certainly, and here’s why:

First, you get “sucked in.” Once you turn on the tube, start playing a game or begin surfing the Web, it’s easy to lose track of time.

Next thing you know, it’s well past midnight… and you’re not even tired.

And that’s because–second–all those glowing lights can actually disrupt the production of the sleep hormone melatonin… making it harder to get the rest you need, even after you shut of all the lights, big and small.

And that can lead to huge problems during the daytime.

In another new study, researchers found that a quarter of all people who get less than seven hours of sleep a night have trouble concentrating.

Another 18 percent said they had memory problems… while 8.6 percent said they were so tired all day they didn’t do their jobs very well, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If only offices had nap rooms!

Actually, that’s not such a bad idea.

In fact, it’s a win-win: Studies have found that daytime naps can enhance productivity, boost memory and learning, and lower the risk of burnout.

That’s the win for your boss.

But there’s also a win here for you–because in addition to catching up on sleep, you might also lower your blood pressure: A new study finds a significant drop among people who take a 45-minute nap during the day.

Maybe office cubicles should come with pillows, blankets, and inflatable mattresses along with computers, phones and spinning chairs.