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Fertility
Started
by B.
on November 26, 2009
Hi Annie,
I am going vegan for health, ethical and fertility reasons as well. I have read similar research concerning artificial and real hormones as someone who researches water as a sociologist. The hormonal issues are real and found in water as well as meat. As a semi expert in the water arena (I really focus on the privatization of H2O and access) I would reccommend getting a heavy duty tap filter if you live in a high risk area (cities or along waterways). A lot of our water is treated with chlorine and is flouridated. Some areas use light radiation to treat water, but no water source is really "pure" these days and those that are have been bought up by bottling companies. Oh, I could go on a rant here, but in my experience it gets me in to trouble, so try for a filter on your tap. I live in a rural area with a town system so I use a Brita which works in a house I don't own.
I wonder if your prof is including the advancing age of women for reproduction in developed nations or is he talking about developing nations? Because in a Global North versus South situation it differs.
Sorry for going on and on about this, but I hope it helps.
I see what you are saying.....he was talking about fertility specifically for the developed world. He said that men are becoming increasingly infertile due to the presence of female birth control in the water system, and women are becoming increasingly infertile due to chemicals like viagra in the drinking water. I guess those chemicals, once they enter back into the water supply after consumption, signal to women's bodies to stop producing estrogen, and signal to men's bodies to stop producing testosterone. I'm not sure I explained that correctly. I guess my main concern is that since hormones are non-polar molecules, how can they be filtered out at the same time as heavy-metals which are polar molecules?
I thought he was speaking about developed nations more than developing although water sanitation and purity is a concern for us all, right? The microbiologial sort of question you are asking is tough for me as a sociologist. But, some of the sources I've read suggested a diet like this one, TKD, to lessen the impact of these free floating estrogens and hormonal imbalances many women are now experiencing. I have come across no known filter specifically that screens out these hormones, but if in your search, you find one, I would love to know about it. I feel as though the culmination of modernity and factory farming practices (like higher antibiotic uses and other hormonal drugs given to animals) have impacted developed nations' population and reproduction efforts. Do you see what I 'm saying? It might be conjecture, but it could have some teeth theoretically, Sorry I don't know exactly the answer you're looking for, but someone out here might. :)
I commonly treat infertility with acupuncture, the local reproductive endocrinologist practice refers their patients directly. I recommend a plant-based whole foods diet. Many of my patients find their cycles normalized and they obtain and carry a normal pregnancy as a result of changing their diet. It works more profoundly than acupuncture. The superhero approach is the best I've seen in the relevant literature.
The explanation as to why we are suffering from a crisis of infertility in the Western world is complicated but not believed to be based on exposure to pollutants. Epidemiology reveals that women in third world countries living in terribly polluted conditions are not experiencing the rates of infertility seen in the West.
A whole foods, plant-based diet provides the appropriate fuel and nutrition for the human body without stimulating excessive production of sex hormones. Concentrated fat and protein consumption cause some women to experience menstrual dysfunction that can result in infertility or worse.
Try the superhero approach.
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