Western spermcounts in freefall; descent continues

JupiterKid wrote: »

Male fertility rates have been plummeting in the West for several decades now - this is not news. I strongly suspect that it has to do with all the female hormone mimicking pesticide residues in our food and environment.

In parts of the USA there has been a huge increase in hermaphrodite frogs at the expense of new males - this has been postulated to be caused by the same environmental toxins as those causeng falling human male fertility.

Diets rich in processed and fatty food and a sedentary lifestyle probably play a part too.

+1. And that sorta thing has been seen here. A few years back on an Irish river there was an unexpected number of very large trout caught by fishermen. Very large trout get that way because they are hard to catch, so fewer are caught. In any event the upshot was after a couple were tested was that they were all genetically male fish, but something in their environment had essentially castrated them and the reproductive energy had gone into growth(in humans castrated males like eunuchs tended towards obesity). IIRc it was traced or at least the finger was pointed towards a water treatment plant on the river.

For me no way would I touch any soy products. As a man anyway. For a start it is a novel protein in the western diet. It's in Ireland maybe for 20 odd years? Asians have been consuming it for more like two thousand years so would have adapted to it. They also consume smaller amounts on average. Even so in many Asian cultures the women don't suffer to the same degree through menopause and that has been linked to the quasi natural hormone replacement of soy in the diet. There's also the older Japanese advice for wives who find their husbands too amorous, feed them more soy. Eh no.

Testosterone in men is also falling. The medical average range for men has been revised downward in the last few years.

JupiterKid wrote: »

Prostate and testicular cancers have seen a big rise in the West in the same period sperm counts have been falling. Perhaps there is a common cause - toxic pesticide residues in our environment/food?

Ireland might indicate some causes. Because of the whole catholic thing we didn't experience the advent of the contraceptive pill the way our neighbour the UK did and our upswing in testicular cancers had more than a decade gap after theirs. So maybe that getting back into the water supply had the impact. Though dubious enough as the concentrations would be very low.

Prostate cancer's rise is more likely down to men living slightly longer and being tested for it more. Even in long lived men in the past most would have had the cancer, but in many cases where it's very slow growing it's more a cancer you die with than from.

It might be hormonal too mind you. Though testosterone makes existing tumours grow like wildfire, men with higher test levels throughout life had lower risks of the disease.

Wanderer78 wrote: »

What products contain soy?

Other than obvious soy products, takeaways, ready made sauces and the like, processed food basically W.

seamus wrote: »

Ah yes, the old, "White people will die out and those inferior darkies will take over the world" thread

Actually the decline in sperm and testosterone levels is across all populations in the West. Just like the rise in allergies. The "darkies" are firing more blanks too.