'Gender bending' chemical in food tins may cut male fertility

Submitted by Stinger503 on Sat, 2010-08-07 04:38

Story here. Excerpt:

'A ‘gender bending’ chemical in food and drinks containers could be behind rising male infertility, scientists say.

Men with high levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) in their bodies are more likely to have low sperm counts, according to a study.

BPA is widely used to harden plastics and is found in baby bottles, CD cases, plastic knives and forks and the lining of food and drink cans.

The chemical mimics the female sex hormone oestrogen and interferes with the way hormones are processed by the body.

Although some animal studies have shown it is safe, others have linked it to breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and fertility problems.'

Like0 Dislike0

Comments

There's a wider array of gender bending chemicals, adding to the toxicity of BPA, there are the Phtalates:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens#Health_risks_and_benefits<---- long list of health adverse effects.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenoestrogens are novel, industrially made compounds, that have estrogenic effects and differ chemically from ancient, naturally occurring estrogenic substances produced by living organisms. Their potential ecological and human health impact is under study.[1]

As a heterogeneous group of chemicals that are hormonally active agents, xenoestrogens are similar to other estrogens , such as phytoestrogens (estrogenic substances from plants) and mycoestrogens (estrogenic substances from fungi, which can be considered as one type of mycotoxin). Xenoestrogens include pharmacological estrogens (estrogenic action is an intended effect, as in the drug ethinyl estradiol used in contraceptive pill), but other chemicals may also have estrogenic effects. Xenoestrogens have been introduced into the environment by industrial, agricultural and chemical companies and consumers only in the last 70 years or so, but archiestrogens have been a ubiquitous part of the environment even before the existence of the human race.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenoestrogen

---------------------------------------------------

Health risks and benefits

In human beings, phytoestrogens are readily absorbed, circulate in plasma and are excreted in the urine. Metabolic influence is different from that of grazing animals due to the differences between ruminant versus monogastric digestive systems.[11]

In the last few years, there has been a great deal of research into the possible beneficial effects of phytoestrogens in both diabetes and coronary heart disease.
[edit] Males

The use of phytoestrogens (as soy protein) in fast food meals and other processed foods as a low-cost substitute for meat products may lead to excessive consumption of isoflavonoids by fast food eaters. A research team at the Queen's University in Belfast, in a review article, speculate that such intake may lead to a slight decrease in male fertility, including a decrease in reproductive capability if isoflavones are taken in excess during childhood.[21]

In theory, exposure to high levels of phytoestrogens in males could alter their hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, studies have shown that such a hormonal effect is minor.[22] Isoflavones supplementation has no effect on sperm concentration, count or motility, and show no changes in testicular or ejaculate volume.[23][24]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens#Health_risks_and_benefits
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by otomo on Sun, 2010-08-08 19:30