Endocrine Disruptors

A lot of environmental pollutants act as endocrine disruptors (EDs).They are outside agents which interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, activation or elimination of natural hormones in the body, responsible for reproduction.

These substances qualify as EDs: pesticides, heavy metals, plasticizers, organic solvents, drugs, gamma and X-rays.

Exposure to EDs during pregnancy can lead to disrupted development of the baby, in particular the baby’s reproductive system. Exposure to EDs in-utero has been associated with testicular cancer in men and vaginal cancer in women later in life.

Phthalates

Greenwashing – the practice of promoting environmentally friendly programs to deflect attention from an organization’s environmentally unfriendly or less savory activities. Source: www.dictionary.com.

A lot of products we buy today claim to be environmentally friendly and natural. This is especially common in cosmetics, personal hygiene products and household cleaning products. They are the products which have been shown to be the main culprit in toxic endocrine disruptor overexposure – robbing you of your fertility.

Men are more sensitive to heavy metal toxicity than women when it comes to reproductive health and fertility. This article introduces some strategies for boosting male fertility.

Numerous studies completed over the last decade have linked infertility in men to heavy metals and lead exposure in particular, because it’s so widely spread and extremely toxic. The studies have also found that the number of people diagnosed with infertility is constantly increasing as a direct result of environmental pollution.

Another heavy metal linked to infertility due to its strong negative effects on spermatogenesis (formation and maturation of sperm) is cadmium. Cadmium is toxic on cellular and systemic level. Cigarette smoke is an abundant source of cadmium!