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Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

nytimes.com

601–610 of 640 posts

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not the parent poster, but here's my take: Heat - Live somewhere North. There's very little of it. Radiation - No wi-fi at home, put phone in breast pocket. Plastic, micro plastics - Never buy anything plastic, if possible. Buy food whole in paper bags from local market; prefer glass and carboard containers. Buy cotton/silk/etc clothing, never anything made of poly-anything. Tap water - Live where it's clean. Tef…

> Radiation - No wi-fi at home, put phone in breast pocket. This is pseudoscience. Unless you're storing wifi devices next to your testicles they won't do anything, and in that case it's due to heating.

I used to keep my phone in my pocket, really quite close to my little guys.

This was actually one of the most annoying things to change, but since radiation diminishes by inverse square, even a small distance change (if originally very close) could make a difference.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#602
post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have your units mixed up? Wikipedia seems to have a different range: >While PTFE is stable and nontoxic at lower temperatures, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 260 °C (500 °F), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene

who the heck is getting their pans to 260C? ? ? Frying eggs... it only needs to get so hot?

A lot of people just don't treat their eggs well.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#603

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, Teflon will always be scratched. Yes, in theory you could "use it correctly", but nobody ever does. So it's better to simply not have them.

Whats a good alternative? The ceramic ones?

Ceramic are OK, but nowhere near the non-stickiness of teflon. Some pans are the first couple of times you use them but lose it real quick.

Carbon steal is my daily pan now (lighter than iron skillet - it's what chefs usually use). Once you get a good coating of fat built up it's pretty decent non-stickiness, but you have to take a lot more care of it.

I wish teflon was more healthy because it's damn good for cooking with, especially scrambled eggs.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#604
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh, all my trousers were coated in teflon when I was growing up. It was a prominent selling feature.

So are pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags

And the same stuff is in waterproof coatings and easy clean carpet coatings and other such things.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#605

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get what you’re saying but I don’t think that’s what’s happening here at all. His main statement is that there’s an biological explanation which is perfectly comprehensible. Backing it with a link instead of stating the explanation himself may be preferable but that doesn’t mean he did it to shut anyone down or that it should have that affect.

I understand that and I really really want to believe them. But this biological explanation could be obvious (to a biologist) or could be heavily controversial (among biologists). A reputable source would be helpful for us the non-biologist to know that this is either common knowledge or this is the SOTA, recent breakthrough, or simply disputed theory. That's what I was trying to say. Cheers.

I found your tone entitled than the one you were responding to. No one here is under any obligation to spoon feed another. Comments are there, take it or leave it. In the era of search engines, if you care enough, you can do your own follow up.

I personally find this entitlement culture annoying. If one really wants more information and leads one can ask for that without a lecture about doublespeak

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#606

I went to glass containers for food storage and transfer food out of plastic packaging as soon as possible. Precocious puberty: I had a mental health hit (near collapse) from something that happened in my mid 20's. I started dating the stepdaughter of a neighbor (upper-middle class area) who said she was 19, and she definitely seemed it by being smart, chill, age-mature, sensible, and fully-developed (Tanner V). Lo a…

If they look under 30 ask for ID. ID could be fake so get to know family friends and story too. I think a few good questions about life could spot a 12 year old from a 19 too.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#607
post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good to have a counter point to the ‘I drink a pint of whisky at night and smoke crack every morning and I got my wife pregnant no problem’ argument!

It's not a counterpoint because no one says crack and whiskyt are required for pregnancy. It's a supporting point that sperm can develop without any particular specialized diet.

I was exaggerating for effect, but this is actually the kind of 'advice' you get from people when having trouble conceiving.

"We just got really drunk and stopped worrying an HEY, we made a baby! You Should try that!"

OR

"My best mate smokes a spliff every morning and they had a baby no problem, you shouldn't bother giving up caffeine"

The 'advice' is almost as painful as the not conceiving.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#608

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not that esoteric... spend the same amount of time you did on watching that Youtube video on reading about the topic. Alternatively, search for questions on Youtube and you will have a similar explanation read out to you from a selection of 40,000 different bodybuilders.

That video (which has nothing to do with biology, and is related to discussion and arguments, the thing we are doing now) is 16 minutes long. Are you seriously suggesting that with 16 minutes of reading biology I will know: * What is aromatase and what is the relationship between an overexpressed aromatase and excess body fat * What is estradiol and what is the possible reasons for converting testosterone to estradio…

Before asking for material to read you launched into a moral and self righteous lecture on doublespeak. I doubt whether that is the most effective or even a pleasant way to ask for information

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#609
post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not completely obviously! Micro plastics was hard since you kinda have to choose between bottled water or tap water! We got a water filter for this one. Heat meant loose underpants and no warm baths ever. Teflon- easy. Replace with a carbon steel pan. Improve your chef skills AND sperm! Western diet is basically high sugar and refined carbs. Just didn’t eat anything with refined sugar on the label in any amount whats…

Would love to hear more about the mind of brands/foods you ate with no sugar. I’ve attempted this before and it’s extremely hard to find products with 0 sugar! Guessing you avoided the local Tesco?

Yeah it's crazy how so much stuff in a supermarket is then totally off limits to you.

I just ate a lot of vegetables and meat. Old school diet!

Plus like the comment below, just making things from scratch. Often they taste just as good - the sugar was just in there because they used cheap / unripe ingredients that don't taste of anything.

Re: Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

#610
post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not OP but I do this by avoiding processed foods, making everything "from scratch". Examples: - Pizza sauce from crushed tomatoes, tomato puré and spices. - Marinade for marinating meat from spices and olive oil and either balsamic vinegar or lime. - Pick my own blueberries that I freeze and put in plain yoghurt.

Word of caution: most food cans are lined with BPA. Try to avoid canned food products and make the puree yourself if possible.

This is the kind of thing I was getting at about everything about modern life being bad. It's like someone declared war on sperm a few decades ago and is just slowly modifying everything they can think of to kill them all off.
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