Aging: All sperm are sacred … | Lost Coast Outpost

… And become more sacred in minutes. This is due to their shortage, and new, generally well-reviewed books predict that they will disappear altogether in the next 24 years (eg). HereOr check for critical reviews this). Thanks to our dependence on certain artificial chemicals, we are on a suicide mission to extinction. It is not the slow extinction of “global warming ocean acidification” or the rapid extinction of “total thermonuclear warfare”. Instead, sperm counts are mercilessly declining at a rate of about 1 percent per year. As a seed, we are on our way out.

(If you’ve seen Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 flicks Male children, You know how this works: no baby was born for 20 years due to global infertility, society is in the process of collapse. Whatever the premise, it’s a great movie. )

The sperm count crisis (“crisis” = state of confusion and uncertainty) began at least in the 1970s, and certainly by 1992, brought about by the Danish meta-analysis “Carlson Study” (after the lead author). It has been known for decades. It has attracted the attention of researchers around the world. Shanna Swan, a reproductive epidemiologist on Mount Sinai in New York, published a major meta-study in 2017, and it took another 25 years to make a headline.She followed up on a scientific treatise in a recently released book (co-authored with science journalist Stacy Colony). countdown. Here are some of Swan’s findings “collected from hundreds of studies”:

• In Western countries, sperm counts fell 59% between 1970 and 2011, from 99 million to 47 million per milliliter. At this rate, it will be zero in 2045.

• Testosterone levels in men have fallen by 1% each year since 1982. A quarter of men experiencing erectile dysfunction are now under 40 years of age.

• At least in part, sperm deformity increased the risk of miscarriage in women by 1% each year between 1990 and 2011.

• Although the average DOR (a measure of the number and health of female eggs that can be fertilized) is declining, cases of endometriosis have increased over the last few decades.

video: Cropedia, Via Wikimedia. Creative commons license..

Researchers disagree on the causes of these dystopian statistics, but the main cause of Swan is an endocrine disruptor (EDC), a toxin that interferes with the glandular hormone-producing network, collectively referred to as the endocrine system. .. These glands regulate the balance of hormones such as estrogen (mainly female) and testosterone (mainly male), especially those that determine fetal sex, the onset of puberty, and so on. sex. When chemicals interfere with their natural functioning, problems like those discovered by swan research are certain. In addition, testosterone-blocking chemicals can reduce fertility and infertility in men, as well as have sub-average feminizing effects such as penis and testicles.

According to Swan, one class of EDC is the cause of most problems.
Phthalic ester It causes both sperm abnormalities and death. First manufactured in the 1920s, phthalates, also known as “plasticizers,” are used to make plastics stronger, more flexible, durable and transparent. They are ubiquitous in plastics, electronics, cosmetics, pesticides, shampoos, hairsprays, nail polishes, shower curtains … (Soda and beer cans are other potential sperm-damaging carcinogens mentioned by Swan. Contains bisphenol A or BPA, which are the backing resins. PFAS in food packaging, and currently banned PCB.)

Unfortunately, because of her credibility, Swan exaggerated her claim, with many “correlation is not causal” complaints, suspicion of cherry picking data, and “dose makes poison”. I invited a dissenting opinion. Therefore, while a sharp drop in sperm count is realistic (at least no one has read these data), her claim is that it focuses on a particular chemical. It weakens. For example, the University of Edinburgh endocologist Richard Sharp (who created the concept of EDC in the 1990s) told science journalist Philip Ball that “diet, lifestyle, medicine, and environmental chemicals all probably play a role in this order. I think. “

But catching the swan at face value, she “does not smoke” (duh), avoids obesity, does not heat food in plastic containers, eats only meat without additional hormones or antibiotics, eats organic matter, etc. I have a lot of suggestions. , And tear the carpet all over your wall. (She seems to be talking to the wealthier among us.) More tips to avoid toxic kitchen chemicals Here..And FWIW, here Survey We found a link between increased fertility in men and a nutritious diet.

Meanwhile, the irony is hard to avoid. Since humans are busy creating the “sixth extinction event,” guilty is the most lost of our actions.