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Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors

nytimes.com

411–420 of 640 posts

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

#411

As someone who has had to do IVF for our child and go through the challenge of figuring our what to do to try and improve sperm quality, I can tell you once you start looking into it, basically everything about modern life is bad for sperm. Heat, radiation, plastic, micro plastics, soya, tap water, Teflon, antibacterial soap, underpants, western diet. It’s a perfect storm. If you’re going though it though I offer a r…

We had to use donor sperm, and even then we had 8 miscarriages and 8 rounds of ivf. Every time it was at 5 weeks and 5 days. Doctor finally figured out Wife had an autoimmune disorder (presumed) and 10 mg of prednisone during first trimester solved it, for the next 2 out of 3 ivf cycles to get our 2 little boys. She had cancer cells though so had to have a full hysterectomy so we're likely done unless we adopt now...…

Similar for us - trouble conceiving and a miscarriage. Months spent improving sperm. All conventional checks on mother came back as fine - "keep trying!" they kept telling us, while writing "unexplained infertility" on our medical records.

Still nothing happening. IVF was on the horizon, but a private consultant identified some trouble with "natural killer" cells in mother. No other issues with mother (no cancer like parent post)

Prednisolone (IIRC) and some lipid infusions and baby was conceived and delivered naturally. Drugs cost maybe £80 a month (although all the diagnostic checks and stuff was much more - start to finish (including like 12 ultrasound checks and multiple sessions with the consultants) we spent perhaps about £8-10K) - conceived on second month of trying, after years of nothing apart from a miscarriage and intense sadness.

Happy customer - no other relation: http://crpclinic.co.uk

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

#412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds plausible that anything with the ability to disturb hormone production could also indirectly affect things like sexuality and one's gender identity. A quick googling suggests it has been suggested before, and that it's a highly controversial topic as it indicates that something is inherently wrong with being transgender. At best, it's something that needs much more research before any conclusions can be dra…

As somebody with a friend who has gender stuff going on, I can tell you the friend just wants an honest answer out of science and couldn't care less about indirect implications.

It doesn't affect me at all either, but I'd still be cautious before making any claims hinting that being trans is a medical condition -- if it does indeed turn out to be related, then it could turn a lot of people's lives upside down.

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

#413
post #188
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NPR recently collected some history lots of plastics got some recycling symbols even though most plastics are not recycled for economic reasons: plastics have to be unmixed for true recycling. Most food packaging is landfill. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-...

The symbol with three arrows in a triangle and a code does not mean an item is recyclable. The official name is a Resin Identification Code. It lets you identify what material an item is made of, but it does not say whether it can be recycled or not, as that varies depending on local facilities. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code

TIL resin identification code.

Edit: the original stated purpose, according to the linked wikipedia page, was: facilitate recycling...

And if it actually will be recycled depends not only on the facility but also on the cost of doing what needs to be done (for separation and transport), and the possibility of what can be done (laminates). However these constraints are not communicated clearly.

I'm 52 years old, I live in Germany, where we "recycle" for ages, about 30 years now, and we tell our kids and grannies and everybody in between to separate the trash because "recycling", and we see benches and other sturdy plastics items "made from trash" and still, only 17% of the collected packaging trash is reliably recycled, while the recycling of other plastics (toys, vehicle parts, any plastics that are not packaging) is also intransparent.

https://bmbf-plastik.de/en/publication/plastic-atlas-2019-fa...

https://www.tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/kurzerklaert/kurzerkl...

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

#414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdote: same here, but did not avoid anything on that list.

You seem to be kind of shadowban (not sure what the proper term is), you might want to write an email to the hn moderation to clear that up

If you can reply to them they aren't shadowbanned.

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

#415

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We tried for several months but after starting and following a workout regimen for a few weeks... it just happened! It's amazing what a little exercise can do for your body!

> following a workout regimen for a few weeks. This got a chuckle out of me sir. I imagine the sperm sent you a memorandum of protest about your unhealthy lifestyle. Sure it was an illegal strike but it worked.

[deleted]

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

#416
post #254
post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oils are dietary fats though?

Refined seed oils are synthetic chemicals that just happen to use seeds as a feedstock in a relatively novel chemical reaction. Yes one can quibble that cooking is a chemical reaction, but it’s one that is both simple and that we’re long since evolved to tolerate. I stick to mechanically produced vegetable oils and animal fats. It’s not only healthier but it tastes better too. However, a healthy diet depends a great…

Maybe I'm being pedantic, but most of the stuff done to refined oils are physical processes, not chemical

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

#417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Overeating makes you fat, not a specific carb. Eating sugar creates a cascade of hormonal knock-on effects that can make you fat. I beg of you (especially if you're struggling with your weight!) to consider the alternatives to Calories-In/Calories-Out eating. My dad is a doctor, he's _convinced_ it's all CICO (which is what was taught to physicians in the 70s, and today), he struggles with his weight, constantly, a…

I'm well aware of Gary Taube. His over emphasis of the effects of simple carbs is not entirely supported by science. There is an effect but it's not as strong as he presents it. If you find avoiding sugar helps you maintain a healthy diet than great, go for it. Do whatever works for you. But if your overall diet is a healthy balance then having a biscuit with tea is not going to negatively impact your health.

You are technically correct, but also missing the point.

It's like saying an alcoholic can still responsibly drink by stopping at one.

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

#418
post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weight loss and proper exercise will probably deliver 99% of the improvements for 99% of the people. Stressing about heat, radiation, micro plastics, or other random stuff seems like extra stress for not that much benefit. Most people in Western world are either out of shape, or straight up obese. It makes sense that, that will have huge negative effects on fertility.

In some communities, weight gain is a down-stream effect of "metabolic syndrome", and the "solution" isn't to count calories or exercise more - it's to simply eat _differently_. Sugar is a particularly odious contributor to problems. Like OP, my wife and I also struggled with infertility for a few years (two miscarriages, years of doing everything "right", and not getting pregnant.) We're finally pregnant, and out of…

Allopathic medicine is a disaster, the overwhelming majority of the modern medical establishment refuses to acknowledge that diet has anything to do with health, where in reality diet is easily the largest contributor.

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

#419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GMO isn’t that new is it? At this point the field is over half a century old? Right thaolidomide was really bad and we stopped using right away. GMOs enable us to support 7 billion people, without improved yields the world would probably starve. It’s good to question, but Questioning is different than fear mongering, there are very few wormholes

Did you mean half a century? The effects of nutrition on a population cannot be very well established in less than a decade...

I did, thank you! Very true 5 years wouldn’t be very long at all.

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

#420

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s interesting they call out vinyl shower curtains but not vinyl and polyester clothing, which we wear on our bodies all day. Even most cotton shirts and jeans tend to be a blend with synthetic plastic fibers because it stretches and breaths better.

I'm not sure you should specifically be worried about vinyl shower curtains, but vinyl is a specific concern, because to get the form of vinyl that's soft and pliable, the vinyl is mixed about 50/50 with phthalates that are known endocrine disruptors. That said, phthalates are used in tons of stuff, and it's not fully clear to me which sources are the most important. I've replaced my soap/shampoo/shaving creams with…

If it’s in plastic tubing, would that include all homes with pex piping? Water dispensers in refrigerators? Seems impossible to get away from.
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