Aspartame is an endocrine disrupting agent, it stimulates Prolactin,
changes the menses and causes infertility. Dr. H. J. Roberts describes
this in detail in "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic" - www.amazon.com
I have discussed this for years because so many women who wanted children
have gone through life never realizing that aspartame destroyed their
ability to get pregnant. http://www.ourgom.com/is-your-diet-soda-and-chewing-gum-causing-your-fertility-problems/
Dangers of Aspartame - Male Sexual Dysfunction?
Dr James Bowen, MD states: "Aspartame damages the hypothalamus. The
hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH). The GRH
goes down the stalk between the hypothalamus and pituitary and causes
the pituitary then to produce gonadotropins. The ganglia goes to the
testicles and causes them to produce testosterone. When you're causing
hypothalmic destruction with neuroexcitotoxins like NutraSweet you're
suppressing the formation of male hormone without which there is no
sexual drive or pleasure for either. In original studies aspartame triggered
atrophied testes and testicular tumors." (Source: James Bowen, MD, 'Male
Sexual Dysfunction Triggered By Aspartame' at http://rense.com/health3/nutralimp.htm)
Dr. James Bowen's article, "Aspartame Murders Infants" really explains
the whole issue of fertility: http://www.rense.com/general/asp.htm
FDA has received complaints for more than 30 years.
Our blind and deaf FDA ignores all complaints and finally confesses
in 2009 they are broken describing the corruption. https://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/02p0317/02P-0317_emc-000423.txt
https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-09-20-extinction-warning-chemicals-in-food-and-personal-care-products-making-humanity-infertile-may-lead-to-population-wipeout.html
This article on infertility came out today by Mike Adams, an excellent
technical writer. He talks about chemicals in food and wiping
out humanity.
In this article by Dr. James Bowen on "Aspartame and Sperm Damages"
he quotes: " The human race survives only thru it’s genes. Destroy
the genes and our race dies? For 20 years scientists have watched sperm
counts drop but now “up to 85% of sperm produced by healthy males is
DNA-damaged”, said John Aiken, head of biological sciences at Australia’s
University of Newcastle." This is a very indepth article and explains
so much.
http://www.drbuttar.com/aspartame-and-sperm-damage/ Remember that the
Trocho Study by Dr. M. Alemany showed that the formaldehyde converted
from the free methyl alcohol embalms living tissue and damages DNA.
When you damage DNA you can destroy humanity as many of these articles
discuss.
Dr. Bowen who has Lou Gehrigs from aspartame is not only a physician
but also a biochemist. Unfortunately he used aspartame before
he saw the formula but told me if he had he would never have touched
the poison. He said aspartame destroyed his health,
his practice and his life. He said he was imprisoned because he
wouldn't stop warning the public and you would find no charges because
there was no crime. He got himself out of prison. His entire
letter to the FDA years ago telling them aspartame is mass poisoning
is included in full in this article on aspartame being known as a poison
worldwide: http://www.rense.com/general96/brazexperts.html The
FDA visited Dr. Bowen after the letter very upset because he wrote and
was reluctant to receiving 29 more cases of aspartame disease.
Shows you the lack of concern for the public by the FDA who knew aspartame
is a poison and tried to have the manufacturer indicted for fraud.
Unfortunately both US prosecutors, Sam SKinner and William Conlon, went
to work for the defense team rather than do their job. The statute
of limitations expired.
Another hero is Dr. Woodrow Monte who has taken the issue of aspartame
triggered seizures and blindness all the way to the Supreme Court.
Let's just say the aspartame industry with bottomless checkbooks have
continually prevented anything being done about this mass poisoning.
Dr. Monte tried to get teratology (birth defect) studies from
the FDA without results., Then when Jerome Bressler , compliance
officer at the time of the aspartame investigation, retired I called
to thank him for exposing the fraud. He asked me to find two studies
that had been sealed from his report. He said aspartame is a poison
and the worst information was what was sealed, and pregnant women were
using it. I first called Doctors H. J. Roberts and Russell Blaylock,
MD., neurosurgeon, because I didn't want to be the only one who knew
about the deception. Dr. Roberts even wrote his Senator Bill Nelson,.
Jane Kirby for Melinda Plaisier wrote back saying ... "some documents
are considered confidential under FDA's FOI regulations and in some
instances the Agency cannot acknowledge the existence of such documents,"
Think about that for a moment. The FDA had removed teratology
studies and their own remarks about aspartame causing birth defects
like neural tube defects, spina bifida and cleft palate, and then reporting
in some instances cannot even acknowledge the existence of such documents.
Case in point, the damning studies on aspartame and birth defects.
These industry studies exposing birth defects were considered
too confidential to allow pregnant women to know that if they used this
chemical poison their children could be born with the same birth defects
as original studies exposed. Reminds me of a conversation with
a lady who has one ADD child and one autistic. I thought she had
used aspartame but she informed me that her Emory physician told her
that since she quit using it before getting pregnant the aspartame had
built up in her system! Consider how many of our young folks are using
diet drinks and chewing gum with aspartame in schools.,
It took 8 years to find the sealed documents and add them back to the
Bressler Report: http://www.mpwhi.com/complete_bressler_report.pdf
Lane Shore, Mission Possible Chicago hand delivered them to Jerome Bressler
who at that time was in a nursing home. It was his suggestion
that the Chicago Tribune do an investigative report and then give the
"real facts" of what went on like the effort to indict and revoking
the petition for approval, instead of what industry would like
you to believe. Monica Eng from the Tribune spent two hours with
Jerome but the Tribune broke their promise on publishing.
One day Lane got a call from the Tribune and a man said "you don't even
know Jerome Bressler". Monica told us no one was even suppose
to know about the interview. Shows you the power of industry to know
exactly what is going on. In reality Lane and Jerome became
very good friends, as they lived near each other and Lane would take
time to stop in and see him from time to time.
Aspartame influences every part of the fertility issue. Here is
one study on aspartame lowered sperm count: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28446800
The methanol converts to formaldehyde which has a devastating
effect on fertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3203331/
This is an excellent article on the Reproductive and Developmental
Toxicity of Formaldehyde. So we know aspartame not only
causes infertility but also is an abortifacient, and a teratogen causing
birth defects and mental retardation, If that's not bad enough,
according to Dr. Morando Soffritti who did the famous Ramazzini
Studies proving aspartame is a multipotential carcinogen, if a pregnant
woman using aspartame gives birth the child can grow up to cancer,
Aspartame lowers testosterone: http://www.peaktestosterone.com/Artificial_Sweeteners.aspx
Aspartame can destroy a marriage. Consider that it triggers male
sexual dysfunction and ruins female response.
Below is the excellent article on fertility. Most articles end
up saying they just don't know why sperm counts keep lowering.
It's very obvious aspartame has a lot to do with most of it. How
serious is it? Jon Barron says in the conclusion:
"When all is said and done, the consequences for humanity, if not yet
apocalyptic, are certainly very, very disturbing. Quite simply, this
study implies that a growing number of men have sperm counts that are
already below the thresholds for either reduced fertility or full-fledged
infertility. And this is not theoretical. As Dr. Levine said, "Eventually
we may have a problem, and with reproduction in general," he told the
BBC. "And it may be the extinction of the human species."
Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum, Founder
Mission Possible World Health Intl
www.mpwhi.com
More info on aspartame on www.wnho.net, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame
and www.aspartamekills.com
Fertility: the Canary in the Coal Mine
By Jon Barron
Sperm counts have been trending downwards for decades. Women are becoming
less fertile. And a new study now suggests that we might be approaching
the threshold of mass infertility in men and the possible extinction
of the human race. Well, there's no way to sugar coat it; it's all true.
Well, maybe not the mass extinction part. But don't despair. Although
you can't do anything about how things are trending, you can take steps
to move yourself off the trendline and maintain your fertility as others
all around are losing theirs. But first let's look at the study that
was recently released, producing a wave of dire headlines in the mainstream
media.
"Men's sperm count drops dramatic 52 percent." The Washington Times.
1
"Worldwide Sperm Counts Are Dropping at an Alarming Rate." big think.
2
"DOES A DECLINING SPERM COUNT SPELL THE END OF HUMANITY?" Newsweek.
3
"Huge Drop in Sperm Count Could Be Next Cause of Human Extinction."
The Christian Post. 4
Over the last 40 years, sperm counts have declined 59.3%--and
are continuing to decline even as you read this
Temporal Trends in Sperm Count: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression
Analysis
The first thing to understand is that this is not a new, double-blind
study, but rather a retrospective analysis of 185 previously conducted
academic studies (whittled down from an initial pool of 7,518 relevant
publications) that collected data from men around the world over a 40-year
period. And according to the analysis, sperm counts around the world
have been declining steadily over the last four decades--to the point
that current sperm counts are less than half of what they were 40 years
ago. 5 Specifically, between 1973 and 2011, sperm counts have declined
59.3%. And if that's not bad enough, there is "no evidence" that this
decline has leveled off in recent years. All evidence points to the
fact that sperm counts have continued to decline since 2011--and are
continuing to decline even as you read this.
Things get even more interesting when you dig deeper and realize that
declines are signiï¬ cant only in studies from North America, Europe,
Australia (and New Zealand), where they are most pronounced among men
unselected by fertility. In this latter group, sperm concentration (SC)
declined 52.4% (−1.4% per year) and total sperm count (TSC) 59.3%
(−1.6% per year) over the study period. These slopes remained substantially
unchanged after controlling for multiple variables such as age, abstinence
time, method of semen collection, method of counting sperm, selection
of population and study exclusion criteria, number of samples per man,
and completeness of data--and in multiple sensitivity analyses. To translate:
these data provide a robust indication for a decline in Sperm Concentration
and Total Sperm Count in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
over the last 4 decades. And once again, there is no sign of the decline
⤘leveling off,' even when analyses are restricted to sample collection
in the last five years of the analysis. As the researchers pointed out,
"Declining mean sperm count implies that an increasing proportion of
men have sperm counts below any given threshold for sub-fertility or
infertility. The high proportion of men from western countries with
concentration below 40 million/ml is particularly concerning given the
evidence that sperm count below this threshold is associated with a
decreased monthly probability of conception. 6
Dr. Hagai Levine, the lead researcher on the study, said the findings
left him feeling "very worried." He pointed to environmental factors
such as the exposure to pesticides and chemicals (both xenoestrogens),
lifestyle habits like smoking and poor diet, and psychological factors
such as stress as potential causes for the steep decline in sperm count.
And keep in mind that declines in sperm count have implications beyond
fertility and reproduction. The decline reported in this analysis is
consistent with reported trends in other male reproductive health indicators,
such as testicular germ cell tumors, cryptorchidism (undescended testicles),
onset of male puberty, and total testosterone levels. 7 And beyond that,
recent studies have shown that poor sperm count is associated with overall
morbidity and mortality. 8, 9, 10, 11 While the current study was not
designed to provide direct information on the causes of the observed
declines, sperm count has been plausibly associated with multiple environmental
and lifestyle influences, both prenatally and in adult life. In particular,
endocrine disruption from chemical exposures or maternal smoking during
critical windows of male reproductive development may play a role in
prenatal life (however, with smoking rates going down in most Western
countries, that would indicate that chemical exposure was more likely
to be culpable in the ongoing increases). And lifestyle changes and
exposure to xenoestrogens in the form of pesticides and phthalates also
probably play a role in adult life. And as the report concluded, "Thus,
a decline in sperm count might be considered as a ⤘canary in the coal
mine' for male health across the lifespan. Our report of a continuing
and robust decline should, therefore, trigger research into its causes,
aiming for prevention."
When all is said and done, the consequences for humanity, if not yet
apocalyptic, are certainly very, very disturbing. Quite simply, this
study implies that a growing number of men have sperm counts that are
already below the thresholds for either reduced fertility or full-fledged
infertility. And this is not theoretical. As Dr. Levine said, "Eventually
we may have a problem, and with reproduction in general," he told the
BBC. "And it may be the extinction of the human species."
Fertility Rates in the US and Around the World
Now, before we begin to panic, we would need to see evidence of related
problems in other aspects related to the reproductive chain--fertility
rates being an obvious one. If sperm counts are indeed already dancing
on the edge of viability, then we should see cracks beginning to appear
in fertility data.
The general fertility rate gives an idea of how many children are being
born into the population during a specific period. These numbers can
be monitored to assess levels of reproduction within a population over
time. When it comes to births, it tells us about future members of society
that will go on to replace the current workforce and will be generating
tax revenues, supporting the older generations, and so on.
Well, according to a report just released by the CDC's National Center
for Health Statistics on August 8, 2017, the US fertility rate has dropped
to the lowest level ever seen since fertility records started being
kept more than a century ago. 12 And it's not just noticeable as a long-term
trend, which it is. But the report makes clear that even just the shift
from last year to this year, taken by itself, is significant.
Not to worry, though. According to Brady Hamilton, a statistician-demographer
with the center and one of the report's authors, it is important to
remember that although the country is at record lows in fertility, there
is also a large influx of immigrants to offset the decline in fertility.
Then again, upcoming political decisions about immigration levels could
render Hamilton's comment moot. The bottom line is that fewer young
people means fewer workers to support a growing cohort of retirees,
adding strains to pension and health care systems. In other words, before
we worry about the mass extinction of humanity, we may have to deal
with the collapse of social contract as we know it.
Likewise, in Europe, fertility levels have dropped precipitously over
the last half century, although they have shown signs of stabilizing
over the last 10 years--albeit at unsustainable levels. 13 Again, as
with the US, they will require an influx of immigrants to sustain their
productivity and tax base--but only if those immigrants integrate into
the workforce and tax base. If they don't, it merely exacerbates the
problem.
And in Japan, things are several degrees worse. Deaths have outpaced
births for several years. After Japan's population hit a peak of 128
million at the start of the current decade, it shrank by close to 1
million in the five years through 2015, according to census data. By
itself, that might not sound too dire, but demographers expect it to
plunge by an astonishing one-third by 2060, to as few as 80 million
people -- a net loss of 1 million a year, on average. Last year, in
fact, according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
the number of births in Japan dropped below one million for the first
time. 14 The shrinking of the country's population is already affecting
job and housing markets, consumer spending, and long-term investment
plans at businesses. Again, with fewer young people to maintain the
economy and provide for senior citizens, it could ultimately mean the
end of Japanese society as we know it.
Now, to be sure, much of this drop in fertility rates represents a conscious
choice by citizens in wealthy countries to have fewer children. But
not all of it. And more importantly, at some point in the future, if
the population in a given country decides that they want more kids,
but if sperm counts and female fertility have dropped into full-fledged
infertility, having a choice at that point may be moot.
But as with declining sperm counts, there are too many unknowns related
to fertility rates to draw any clear conclusions. We need more, and
we may have that in the incidence of cryptorchidism that we mentioned
earlier.
Cryptorchidism
Cryptorchidism is the failure of one or both testes to descend into
the scrotum prenatally. It currently occurs in 2.4%--5% of newborns.
15 Many of these testes will descend spontaneously shortly after birth,
but ~23% will remain undescended unless surgery is performed. Men born
with both testicles undescended have a six times greater risk of being
infertile when compared with unilaterally cryptorchid men and the general
male population. Approximately 10% of infertile men have a history of
cryptorchidism and orchidopexy (the surgical procedure used to correct
it). The main reasons for infertility in men with a history of cryptorchidism
treated by surgery are maldevelopment of the testes and an improper
environment for the normal development of the testes, hyperthermia (don't
wear tighty whities, by the way), and anti-sperm antibodies.
Now, here's the key point when it comes to cryptorchidism. Although
only a few reliable studies have been performed to evaluate trends in
cryptorchidism incidence, and it is also difficult to compare data derived
from different countries because of the lack of precise methodology,
the bottom line is that the great majority of published data all point
to an increase in the incidence of cryptorchidism over recent decades
in North America and Europe. 16
The incidence of cryptorchidism is indeed increasing. And yes, some
studies have indicated that some of this increase may be due to advances
in screening resulting in the detection of potential cases that might
have been missed in the past. 17 But these same studies acknowledge
that other male reproductive problems, such as subfertility, hypospadias
(an incorrectly located urethra), and testicular cancer appear to also
be on the increase--and that can't be explained away by improved observation.
In fact, according to most researchers, this trend suggests the possible
in utero impact of hormonally active environmental factors, such as
pesticides with estrogenic or testosterone blocking effect. Not surprisingly,
then, it is consistent with the increased risk of cryptorchidism observed
in the sons of mothers exposed to diethylstilbestrol (a synthetic estrogen
once used during pregnancy--with disastrous effect--to prevent miscarriages).
The bottom line is that environmental factors are likely to be a potential
cause of the increased incidence of cryptorchidism recently. This is
further supported by the finding that the increased incidence of cryptorchidism
has been mainly noticed in industrial countries where exposure to harmful
environmental materials is expected to be more.
The case is now starting to build. Reduced sperm count, lowered fertility,
and cryptorchidism all share one thing in common: exposure to synthetic
estrogens. We may not have a smoking gun yet, but things certainly are
starting to get warm. But is there more?
Puberty in Girls
In girls, puberty is commonly defined as breast development, growth
of pubic hair and menarche, the beginning of the menstrual cycle. At
the turn of the 20th century, the average age for an American girl to
get her period was 16 to 17. Today, that number has plummeted to as
young as 8 or 9. More astonishing, at age three, 3% of African-American
girls and 1% of Caucasian girls show breast and/or pubic hair development.
18, 19
Among the toxins causing this trend, the biggest offenders are plastic
compounds, in particular, phthalates, 20 man-made xenoestrogens found
all over the place: in plastic food and beverage containers, carpeting,
shampoos, insect repellents, vinyl flooring, shower curtains, plastic
toys, and in the steering wheels and dashboards of most cars. Our bodies
cannot metabolize phthalates, which directly interfere with the endocrine
system--the body's system of glands and hormones--and harm fat cells.
Indirectly, phthalates may cause weight gain, which can by itself speed
up the timing of puberty.
To be sure, the phytoestrogens in soy formula and soy milk consumed
to excess are likely to play a role, but, once again, we find xenoestrogens
as a common thread in yet another reproductive crisis. So, what exactly
are xenoestrogens?
Xenoestrogens
Xeno is ancient Greek for "stranger or foreign," so xenoestrogens can
be translated as "foreign estrogens"--that is, coming from outside the
human body. Xenoestrogens can mimic our body's estrogen hormones, attaching
to estrogen receptor sites in our bodies. They interfere with
our natural estrogens; disrupt hormone balance and menstrual cycles,
affect prostate health, contribute to problems with fibroids, endometriosis,
uterine cysts, and polycystic ovary syndrome, and can damage ova and
sperm. Many xenoestrogens activate the CYP-lBl enzyme, which converts
our body's naturally occurring estrogens to 4 catechols, a toxic estrogen
that can damage the body's DNA and increase the risk of developing cancer,
including breast cancer.
The problem we face today is that industry has dumped untold numbers
of untested endocrine disruptors into our environment. They are everywhere,
and they are inescapable. And even if we immediately halted the release
of all disruptors into the environment from this moment forward (something
not even close to happening), it would take several generations--several
lifetimes, if you will--for them to clear the planet. The bottom line
is that we are going to have to live with them and their consequences
far into the future.
So, what exactly are these endocrine disruptors?
Xenoestrogens are mostly--but not exclusively--petroleum-based synthetic
estrogens that are close enough in molecular structure to natural estrogen
that they can bind to estrogen receptor sites with potentially hazardous
outcomes. They are now present in massive amounts in our food chain,
water supply, and environment. Xenoestrogen contamination has been identified
as a major source of deficient sperm quality. In fact, xenoestrogens
effect damage at both the hypothalamo-pituitary level and on testicular
spermatogenesis. Even worse, not only are xenoestrogens omnipresent,
they are considerably more potent than estrogen made by the ovaries--some
are even potent in amounts as small as a billionth of a gram. Sources
of xenoestrogens include plastics, pesticides, chemicals, and water
systems.
As many anthropogenic agents (pollution deriving from human activity)
are xenoestrogens, environmental health research has focused on estrogen
receptor level disturbances and on aromatase abnormalities in the genetic
code. Cancer types that have been well documented in literature to be
related with environmental exposure include the reproductive system,
breast, lung, kidney, pancreas, and brain. Research has shown both a
significant correlation between exposure to xenoestrogens and increased,
gender-related, cancer risk. It would make sense, then, to re-evaluate
agents so far defined as endocrine disruptors, as they are also key
molecules in carcinogenesis. 21
Now that we understand what they are, let's look at some of the specific
xenoestrogens that are adversely affecting us--in terms of everything
from flagging sperm counts to early puberty in girls to multiple forms
of cancer.
BPA
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting environmental contaminant
used in a wide variety of products. In 2011, an estimated 10 billion
pounds of BPA were produced for manufacturing polycarbonate plastic,
making it one of the highest volume chemicals produced in the world.
22 Its metabolites are found in almost everyone's urine, suggesting
widespread exposure from multiple sources. Regulatory agencies estimate
that virtually all BPA exposure is from food and beverage packaging,
but that's not entirely honest. It's also applied to the outer layer
of thermal receipt paper at high levels--as a print developer--which
means it gets all over your hands. Combine that with the use of hand
sanitizers and skincare products that contain skin penetration agents,
and you can increase absorption of BPA through the skin a hundredfold.
And as we've discussed in previous newsletters, it's so-called "safer"
replacements BPS and BPF are not any safer and might be even worse.
Phthalates
Phthalates are any of various salts or esters of phthalic acid. They
are used in personal care products and used to soften and increase the
flexibility of plastics and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Like BPA, phthalates
are considered stealth chemicals unsuspectingly found in so many things
we use every day including plastic food containers, beverage containers,
plastic wrap, cosmetics, air fresheners, insecticides, building materials,
cars, clothing, toys, electronics, medical devices, and even plastic
jewelry--especially children's jewelry. Studies have linked phthalates
to hormone changes, lower sperm count, less mobile sperm, birth defects
in the male reproductive system, obesity, diabetes and thyroid irregularities.
And if that's not enough, studies have shown that they can cause testicular
cell death.
PCBs (products made with polychlorinated biphenyl)
Because of PCBs environmental toxicity, its classification as a persistent
organic pollutant, and being a known carcinogen, its production was
banned by the United States Congress in 1979 and by the Stockholm Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001. Unfortunately, prior to the
ban in 1979, PCBs entered the air, water, and soil during manufacture
and use. Wastes from the manufacturing process that contained PCBs were
often placed in dump sites or landfills. Occasionally, accidental spills
and leaks from these facilities or transformer fires could result in
PCBs entering the environment. So, even though its use has been banned
for almost 40 years, it's still omnipresent. Many rivers and buildings
including schools, parks, and other sites are contaminated with PCBs,
and there have been contaminations of food supplies with the toxins.
Dioxins
Dioxins are a class of several hundred toxic compounds that share certain
chemical structures and biological characteristics. There are essentially
three groups of dioxins.
Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs),
Chlorinated dibenzofurans (CDFs) and
Certain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
CDDs and CDFs are not created intentionally, but are produced as a result
of human activities like industrial bleaching and the backyard burning
of trash. Natural processes like forest fires also produce CDDs and
CDFs. PCBs, as we just discussed above, are manufactured products, but
they are no longer produced in the United States. Nevertheless, they
are still present in the environment. Again, dioxin is not produced
or used commercially in the United States. It is a contaminant formed
in the production of some chlorinated organic compounds, including a
few herbicides. Most of the current exposures to dioxins in the US is
due to releases that occurred decades ago. More than 90% of human exposure
is through food, mainly meat and dairy products, fish, and shellfish.
Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental
problems, damage to the immune system, and can interfere with hormones.
Specifically, dioxins can disrupt both male and female sex hormone signaling
in the body. Recent research has shown that exposure to low levels of
dioxin in the womb and early in life can both permanently affect sperm
quality and lower the sperm count in men during their prime reproductive
years 23 as well as impact female fertility for several generations.
24 But that's not all! Dioxins are very long-lived, build up over decades
in both the water supply and food chain--thus, ultimately in the body.
Atrazine
Atrazine is an organic compound widely used as an herbicide. Its use
is controversial due to widespread contamination in drinking water and
its association with birth defects and menstrual problems when consumed
by humans at concentrations below government standards. Although it
has been banned in the European Union, it is still one of the most widely
used herbicides in the world. Atrazine is suspected of causing demasculinization
in male northern leopard frogs even at low concentrations and of being
an estrogen disruptor. 25 A 2010 study found that exposure to atrazine
caused complete feminization and chemical castration in male African
clawed frogs. 26 It has also been linked to breast tumors, delayed puberty
and prostate inflammation in animals, and some research has linked it
to prostate cancer in humans.
Atrazine is the main weapon against weeds in the growing of sweet corn,
with few alternatives. 27 As a result, it's a pervasive drinking water
contaminant.
Organophosphate pesticides
Organophosphates (OP) are among the most commonly used of all pesticides.
The research by American companies that led to the development of these
pesticides was based on original research done by the Nazis in WWII
to create nerve gases such as Sarin, Tabun, and Soman. Now, organophosphates
form the basis for many pesticides and herbicides, and they're also
used as solvents and plasticizers. They work by irreversibly inactivating
an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which is essential to nerve function
in humans, insects, and animals. While organophosphates replaced an
earlier class of compounds called organochlorides (including DDT) because
they degrade more quickly, OPs have a far higher level of toxicity.
Although they are most cited for their effects on brain development,
studies have shown that they do affect fertility as well. In one study,
31 men who were exposed to OP pesticides were examined just one day
after exposure. Semen analysis revealed a significant reduction of semen
volume and an increase in semen pH in men with OP metabolites. 28 In
addition, multiple regression analysis showed that both occupational
exposure to pesticides and the time of exposure to pesticides were more
closely related to alterations in semen quality parameters than the
single measurement of OP metabolites in urine.
Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs)
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are everywhere. These man-made
chemicals are used in a plethora of household items, including our clothing,
food packaging, non-stick cookware, and carpeting, to name just a few.
They may make life a little easier, since they are designed to prevent
stains and sticking, but now research is finding that this convenience
may come at a high price.
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), one of the more common PFCs, persists
indefinitely in the environment. It is a toxicant and carcinogen in
animals. PFOA has been detected in the blood of more than 98% of the
general US population, with higher levels in chemical plant employees
and surrounding subpopulations. Exposure has been associated with increased
cholesterol and uric acid levels, and recently higher serum levels of
PFOA were found to be associated with increased risk of chronic kidney
disease in the general United States population, consistent with earlier
animal studies. And yes, PFOA has been associated with compromised semen
quality and reproductive hormone levels in men 29 as well as reduced
female fertility. 30
Glycol Ethers
Glycol ethers are solvents found in pharmaceuticals, sunscreens, cosmetics,
inks, dyes and water based paints, as well as degreasers, cleaners,
aerosol paints and adhesives. Although generally considered "non-toxic,"
they have been associated with low motile sperm counts 31, 32 and shrunken
testicles. 33Non-toxic indeed!
Other Endocrine Disruptors
There are certainly other endocrine disruptors including fire retardants,
perchlorates, and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. But
their effect tends to be on organs outside of the reproductive system,
such as the thyroid and brain. So, although they are important, a discussion
of their toxicity lies outside of the parameters of today's discussion.
Conclusion
So, are we at reproductive Armageddon yet? No, of course not. The facts
on the ground tell us that people are still having babies. Much of the
drop in fertility rates is by choice--as couples get married later in
life and women choose careers over family. Or married couples, for that
matter, just choose to have fewer children. But!! What is choice now
may not be a choice in the not so distant future. As Dr. Levine said,
"Eventually we may have a problem, and with reproduction in general.
And it may be the extinction of the human species."
Now, to be sure, that's likely to prove overly dramatic. Even if sperm
counts drop below the viability threshold, in vitro fertilization could
make up the difference--at least for a while. However, we may face a
"momentum" problem. Things may have been set in motion that may very
well continue in an unfavorable direction, even if we instantly stopped
dumping any more endocrine disruptors into the environment. Remember,
some of those disruptors never degrade and will continue to leach into
the environment for decades to come--steadily increasing their concentration
in our food supply and drinking water--and thus, ultimately, our bodies.
In other words, ever higher exposure and the risk of ever higher concentrations
in the body may very well be inevitable no matter what actions we take
as a society today--in the unlikely event we decided to act today. And
as we know from the Toxic Nation study, even if you live hundreds of
miles away from the sources of pollution and live a pure organic lifestyle,
you're still going to accumulate toxins at an alarming rate.
Even if you live an organic lifestyle far from pollution, you⤙re
still going to accumulate toxins at an alarming rate.
At first glance, that's a grim prognosis. Is there anything we can
do? And the answer is: yes! Although you may not be able to stop the
pollution going forward or the toxins entering your body, there are
things you can do to slow things down, even clean out toxins once they've
entered your body, or counter the ones that remain.
Use a water filter. It will at least remove the endocrine disruptors
from your drinking water. You still, of course, must deal with those
disruptors in your food supply and those entering your body through
your skin, but eliminating one source is better than nothing.
Eat organic. It doesn't guarantee that your food is xenoestrogen free,
but it certainly improves the odds that it contains less.
Lose weight. Most endocrine disruptors love to hide in your fat cells.
The heavier you are, the more xenoestrogens you store.
Fast regularly. Autolysis guarantees that the cells your body eliminates
when you fast are the ones that contain the most toxins.
Detox regularly--every three months so that you cycle through two full-body
detoxes ( intestinal, heavy metal, kidney, liver/gallbladder, and blood)
a year. Detoxing can remove a major chunk of the endocrine disruptors.
Incorporate foods that contain weak phytoestrogens to block estrogen
receptor sites so they are unavailable to xenoestrogens. This includes
foods such as soybeans and soy products (in moderation), flaxseeds,
oats, barley, lentils, sesame seeds, yams, alfalfa, and apples.
And finally, use a progesterone crème (either a women's or men's formula)
regularly. Progesterone actively counters xenoestrogens--blocking receptor
sites throughout the body so they can't access them.
If things keep moving in the same direction, then Dr. Levine's concerns
about the extinction of the human race may become reality. But until
that time several generations in the future, anyone alive today who
follows the seven steps outlined above should avoid that fate and produce
all the children they want.
1.Renee Garfinkel. "Men's sperm count drops dramatic
52 percent." The Washington Times. August 7, 2017. (Accessed 15 Aug
2017.) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/7/male-sperm-count-drops-dramatically-west/
2.ROBBY BERMAN. "Worldwide Sperm Counts Are Dropping at an Alarming
Rate." big think. August 8, 2017. (Accessed 15 Aug 2017.) http://bigthink.com/robby-berman/worldwide-sperm-counts-are-dropping-at-an-alarming-rate
3.RONALD BAILEY. "DOES A DECLINING SPERM COUNT SPELL THE END OF HUMANITY?"
Newsweek. 8/6/17. (Accessed 15 Aug 2017.) http://www.newsweek.com/does-declining-sperm-count-spell-end-humanity-646640
4.Felix N. Codilla III. "Huge Drop in Sperm Count Could Be Next Cause
of Human Extinction." The Christian Post. Aug 4, 2017. (Accessed 15
Aug 2017.) http://www.christianpost.com/news/huge-drop-in-sperm-count-could-be-next-cause-of-human-extinction-194200/
5.Hagai Levine, Niels Jørgensen, Anderson Martino-Andrade, et al. "Temporal
trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis."
Human Reproduction Update, pp. 1--14, 2017. https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/doi/10.1093/humupd/dmx022/4035689/Temporal-trends-in-sperm-count-a-systematic-review
6.Bonde JP, Ernst E, Jensen TK, et al. "Relation between semen quality
and fertility: a population-based study of 430 first-pregnancy planners."
Lancet 1998;352: 1172--1177. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(97)10514-1/abstract
7.Skakkebaek NE, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Buck Louis GM, et al. "Male reproductive
disorders and fertility trends: influences of environment and genetic
susceptibility." Physiol Rev 2016;96:55--97. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4698396/
8.Jensen TK, Jacobsen R, Christensen K, Nielsen NC, Bostofte E. "Good
semen quality and life expectancy: a cohort study of 43,277 men." Am
J Epidemiol 2009;170: 559--565. https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/170/5/559/102217/Good-Semen-Quality-and-Life-Expectancy-A-Cohort
9.Eisenberg ML, Li S, Behr B, Cullen MR, et al. "Semen quality, infertility
and mortality in the USA." Hum Reprod. 2014 Jul; 29(7): 1567--1574.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059337/
10.Eisenberg ML, Li S, Cullen MR, Baker LC. "Increased risk of incident
chronic medical conditions in infertile men: analysis of United States
claims data." Fertil Steril 2016; 105:629--636. http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(15)02087-7/fulltext
11.Latif T, Kold Jensen T, Mehlsen J, et al. "Semen quality is a predictor
of subsequent morbidity. A Danish cohort study of 4,712 men with long-term
follow-up." Am J Epidemiol 11.05.2017. https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aje/kwx067/3814531/Semen-Quality-as-a-Predictor-of-Subsequent
12.Rossen LM, Osterman MJK, Hamilton BE, Martin JA. "Quarterly provisional
estimates for selected birth indicators, 2015-Quarter 1, 2017." National
Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Vital
Statistics Rapid Release Program. August 8, 2017. (Accessed 12 Aug 2017.)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/vsrr/natality-dashboard.htm#
13."Fertility Statistics." Eurostat. March 2017. (Accessed 12 Aug 2017.)
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Fertility_statistics
14.Jonathan Sobel. "Japan, Short on Babies, Reaches a Worrisome Milestone."
New York Times. June 2, 2017. (Accessed 12 Aug 2017.) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/business/japan-population-births.html
15.Fatma Fawzy,1 Amr Hussein,2 Mostafa Mahmoud Eid, et al. "Cryptorchidism
and Fertility." Clin Med Insights Reprod Health. 2015; 9: 39--43. Clin
Med Insights Reprod Health. 2015; 9: 39--43. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4689328/
16.Thonneau, Patrick F., Candia, Peggy, Mieusset, Roger. "Cryptorchidism:
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Potential Role of Environment; An Update."
Journal of Andrology Volume 24, Issue 2. March-April 2003. Pages 155--162.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1939-4640.2003.tb02654.x/full
17.Brucker-Davis F, Pointis G, Chevallier D, Fenichel P. "Update on
cryptorchidism: endocrine, environmental and therapeutic aspects." J
Endocrinol Invest. 2003;26(6):575--587. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12952375
18.Kaplowitz, P.B., S.E. Oberfield, and the Drug and Therapeutics and
Executive Committees of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society.
"Reexamination of the Age Limit for Defining When Puberty is Precocious
in Girls in the United States: Implications for Evaluation and Treatment."
Pediatrics 104:4 (October 1999): 936--941. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/104/4/936
19.Herman-Giddens, M.E., E.J. Slora, R.C. Wasserman, et al. "Secondary
Sexual Characteristics and Menses in Young Girls Seen in Office Practice:
A Study from the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network." Pediatrics
99:4 (1997): 505--512. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/14123686_Secondary_Sexual_Characteristics_and_Menses_in_Young_Girls_Seen_in_Office_Practice_A_Study_from_the_Pediatric_Research_in_Office_Settings_Network
20.ColÃn I1, Caro D, Bourdony CJ, Rosario O. "Identification of phthalate
esters in the serum of young Puerto Rican girls with premature breast
development." Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Sep;108(9):895-900. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556932/pdf/ehp0108-000895.pdf
21.Aleksandra Fucic, Marija Gamulin,Zeljko Ferencic, et al. "Environmental
exposure to xenoestrogens and oestrogen related cancers: reproductive
system, breast, lung, kidney, pancreas, and brain." Environ Health.
2012; 11(Suppl 1): S8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3388472/
22.vom Saal FS, Nagel SC, Benjamin L, et al. "The estrogenic endocrine
disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and obesity". Molecular and Cellular
Endocrinology. Environment, Epigenetics and Reproduction 354 (1--2):
74--84. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306519/
23.Gray LE Jr, Kelce WR, Monosson E, Ostby JS, Birnbaum LS. "Exposure
to TCDD during development permanently alters reproductive function
in male Long Evans rats and hamsters: reduced ejaculated and epididymal
sperm numbers and sex accessory gland weights in offspring with normal
androgenic status." Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1995 Mar;131(1):108-18.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7878665
24.Kaylon L.Bruner-Tran, Kevin G.Osteen. "Developmental exposure to
TCDD reduces fertility and negatively affects pregnancy outcomes across
multiple generations?." Reproductive Toxicology Volume 31, Issue 3,
April 2011, Pages 344-350. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089062381000314X
25.Tyrone Hayes, Kelly Haston, Mable Tsui, et al. "Atrazine-Induced
Hermaphroditism at 0.1 ppb in American Leopard Frogs" Environmental
Health Perspectives. 111 (4): 568--75. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241446/
26.Hayes TB, Khoury V, Narayan A, et al. "Atrazine induces complete
feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus
laevis)." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Mar 9;107(10):4612-7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2842049/
27.University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences. "Atrazine is the main weapon against weeds in sweet corn,
with few alternatives." ScienceDaily. 5 May 2010. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100505102609.htm
28.Yucra, Sandra, Gasco, Manuel, Rubio, Julio. et al. "Semen quality
in Peruvian pesticide applicators: association between urinary organophosphate
metabolites and semen parameters." Environmental Health 2008 7:59. https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-7-59
29.Vested A, Ramlau-Hansen CH, Olsen SF, et al. "Associations of in
utero exposure to perfluorinated alkyl acids with human semen quality
and reproductive hormones in adult men." Environ Health Perspect. 2013
Apr;121(4):453-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3620740/
30.Fei C, McLaughlin JK, Lipworth L, Olsen J. "Maternal levels of perfluorinated
chemicals and subfecundity." Hum Reprod. 2009 May;24(5):1200-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19176540
31.Nicola Cherry, Harry Moore, Roseanne McNamee,et al. "Occupation and
male infertility: glycol ethers and other exposures". Occup. Environ.
Med. 65 (10): 708--714. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18417551
32.Welch LS, Schrader SM, Turner TW, Cullen MR. "Effects of exposure
to ethylene glycol ethers on shipyard painters: II. Male reproduction."
Am J Ind Med. 1988;14(5):509-26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3228067
33.Nagano K, Nakayama E, Koyano M, et al. "Testicular atrophy of mice
induced by ethylene glycol mono alkyl ethers (author's transl)." Sangyo
Igaku. 1979 Jan;21(1):29-35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/470211
