Women think
men have lost their masculinity. They may not realize that female
hormones may
be responsible.
Edith
Breburda DVM, PhD
The male
hormone is testosterone. In a misguided quest for elevated levels of virility,
some men even consider dosing themselves with added testosterone. Yet even the
most manly man should hesitate to do so in light of the male body’s ability to
convert testosterone into estrogen, thus unleashing the anabolic effect.
Therefore the
claim that Eve was created from Adam appears justified on a hormonal level.
Nevertheless,
too much estrogen poses health risks, especially to newborns and fetuses.
Chemicals mimic hormones, which are very similar to estrogen. It is becoming
more and more evident that Xenohormones disrupt the endocrine system. Some
enter the water supply when human contraceptives pass through the sewage system
and water treatment plants.
The most
powerful phytoestrogen plants are hop or soybeans. The endocrine disrupting
properties of Xenohormones don’t only affect animals. In humans too they can
lead to reproductive disorders, increasing infertility, breast cancer, low
sperm counts, and early menstruation. Moreover, heart disease, obesity, memory
loss, and diabetes are linked to them. These estrogen-like molecules, which
create an imbalance with the body's hormones, are also present in environmental
compounds.
Bisphenol A,
a polycarbonate plastic monomer is a xenoestrogenic substance. It is widely
used in industry, dentistry, food cans, pesticides, beauty- and personal care
products. It also causes changes to the brain and has high rates of feminizing
men.
Most recently
scientists discovered masses of floating plastic particles in the Great Lakes.
Beforehand they where only seen in the world's oceans. Some particles are so
small that they are only visible through a microscope. It is unclear whether
fish are eating the particles, scientists say.
It is not
uncommon to hear reports of how animals suffer from our pollution. "The
Guardian" reported on March 8, 2013, that a sperm whale stranded on the
southern coast of Spain had ingested 17 Kg of plastic waste. Free roaming
cattle in India swallow plastic bags, causing congestion in the rumen
(stomach). Up to 65 kg of plastic waste has been found in cows during
surgeries, to remove the load[i].
Small plastic residues may even enter the human food chain. Studies in U.K.
report that one-third of fish have ingested plastic[ii].
Consequently we may be eating plastic with our fish fry's
Yet plastic
products release Xenoestrogenes in the form of BPA. In 2003 male smallmouth
bass in the Potomac watershed near Washington were transformed into intersex
fish. In more recent times scientist discovered that 80 percent of fish develop
egg cells. Male frogs, salamanders and other amphibians transform under the
influence of BPA and possess female organs. The estrogenic potency of BPA has
altered tadpoles to become females and thus influenced their sexual
development. The observed effects in the animal kingdom are expected in humans
as well, since the basic endocrine mechanism is observed across all classes of
vertebrates[iii].
Endocrine disruptors also affect humans. "They are present
everywhere", says Nicholas D. Kristof, in a May 2, 2012, New York Times
column, "How Chemicals Affect Us". These chemicals are in thermal
receipts that come out of gas pumps and A.T.M's, in canned food, microwave
popcorn bags and carpet-cleaning solutions. They are found in the urine, human
breast milk and in cord blood of newborn babies.
Pregnant women
who have higher levels of BPA are three times more likely to have obese
daughters, says Kristof. The Food and Drug Administration believes low levels
of BPA exposure are safe. But it may affect fetal brain development. Joe Braun,
from the Harvard School of Public Health, observed pregnant women with high BPA
levels in their urine. Their daughters showed anxiety and depression. "The
effect was more striking in girls than in boys, which hints at differences in
the hormonal factors that may regulate development of executive and behavioral
activities of the brain", said Braun[iv].
Dr. Theo
Colborn explains in her book "Our Stolen Future" that some chemicals
are impeding normal brain development, with grater impact on males. She
mentioned attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder as two to four times more prevalent in boys. She attributes to BPA
that fact that currently women account for 65% of enrolled college students.
Dr. vom Saal,
a University of Missouri Professor proposed that BPA inhibits testosterone
production that may cause irregular genital and brain development. "Too
much estrogen and too little testosterone and thyroid hormone is making a mess
of sexual development in males," he writes, drawing attention to geographic
locations and health issues in males, like low sperm counts.
In December
2008, Canada's national newspaper the Globe referred to a study conducted from
1983 to 2005, indicating that 54 percent of Canadian males, ages 20-44
developed testicular cancer. In the past two decades, the levels of
testosterone in US males have declined 20 percent, accompanied by lower
fertility and virility, which includes the shrinking size of male gonads.
Scientists believe
that something is going on in men and boys. It was observed that fewer boys are
being born. Dr. Devra Davis of the University of Pittsburgh said, "The
combined figures for U.S. and Japan is a staggering tally of 262,000 'missing
boys' from 1970 to about 2000." Especially areas surrounded by petrochemical
plants show a low male birthrate. Moreover, 60 percent of these boys have a
disfiguring urinary defect, called hypospadiasis[v].
Scientists are concerned for the male population. BPA remains to act as a
female hormone and will continue to feminize the male species.
Excerpt taken from the soon to be published
book "Globale Chemisierung" (Global influence of chemical pollution) by
Edith Breburda
Other books from the
Author
are: "Promises of New Biotechnologies, Preface: William E. May.
[i] Karuna
Society for Animals and Nature. Karuna takes a lead in anti-plastic bag
campaign for the animals.
[ii]
Smithers, R.: One-third of fish caught in English Channel have plastic
contamination. The Guardian, Saturday, January 26, 2013
[iii]
Kavlock RJ, Daston GP, DeRosa C, Fenner-Crisp P, Gray LE, Kaattari S, et al.
1996.
Research needs for the risk assessment
of health and environmental effects of endocrine disruptors: a U.S.
EPA-sponsored workshop. Environ
Health Perspect (
suppl 104715–740.740).
[iv] Park
A.: BPA Exposure in pregnant woman may affect daughters' behavior. Time,
Environmental Health, Oct. 24, 2011
[v] Morrone S.:
Humanity at Risk: Are the males going first? Canada's National
Newspaper. September
20, 2008
