A recent study, studied the impact of everyday chemicals on fertility. Researchers spent four years tracking 500 couples as they tried to have children. The findings concluded that while both men and women are exposed to toxic chemicals, men were more likely to suffer fertility problems as a result. The gender gap was especially wide when it came to a specific chemical known as phthalates. This compound is used to make plastics more flexible as well as cosmetic lotions slide on more smoothly. They found that women who wore cosmetics often had a higher level of phthalates in their bodies measured by a urinalysis. However, it was only in their male partners that phthalate levels correlated with infertility. Phthalates belong to a group of industrial compounds which are known as endocrine disruptors because they interfere with the endocrine system. The endocrine system is what is responsible for governing the production and distribution of hormones in the body. The chemicals have also been known to cause other health problems such as birth defects, cancers as well as diabetes.
It was shocking to me to find that one chemical found in products that people use everyday could do so much harm to the body. If this chemical does so much harm to the body then why are they still being used in products today. This compound known as phthalates are used in plastic as well as cosmetics. It has been found that it can interfere with masculinization of young animals and result in weird physical changes to male reproductive tracts. They simply interfere with how testosterone is made. Anything that is testosterone-dependent is more than likely to be affected. Even though phthalates is metabolized with a few hours, the consistent exposure is what is really harming us.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/a-threat-to-male-fertility/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=health&_r=0
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