GMO foods could make it worse.
Testosterone deficiency is a serious health issue. It can lead to loss of stamina and lean muscle mass, reduced libido in both men and women, anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. Growing research also suggests low testosterone levels might be linked to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.
Many of the herbicides and pesticides used in conventional farming are “environmental estrogens.” This means that their molecules mimic the activity of the human hormone estrogen, too much of which is not good for men or women; it also affects testosterone levels. Now GMO crops have likely exacerbated this problem. According to a recent animal study published in the journal Toxicology in Vitro, glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup, Monsanto’s widely used pesticide) often leaves a residue on Roundup Ready crops—and this can affect testosterone levels and men’s sperm counts. It is actually toxic to testicle cells, and significantly lowers testosterone synthesis.
In addition, GMOs themselves may cause infertility. In a brand new Russian study on hamsters, scientists observed that consumption of GM soybeans tended to slow their sexual maturation process and completely eliminated their ability to reproduce within just a few generations. An Austrian study uncovered similar infertility in third-generation mice that consumed GM corn.
Most people think of testosterone as being a men’s issue, but women also need it in lower levels. Too low levels have been linked to osteoporosis, muscle loss, and a weakened sex drive. For women, too much or too little testosterone can inhibit fertility and complicate pregnancy as well as reduce interest in sex.
Men’s sperm counts are falling dramatically in modern society. In 1940, sperm counts were typically well above 100 million sperm cells per milliliter. According to a Danish study, they have dropped to an average of 60 million per ml. Other studies find that between 15 and 20% of young men have sperm counts of less than 20 million per ml.
Despite all this, the biotech industry is fighting tooth and nail to keep these toxic, genetically engineered foods on your dinner plate. They are desperate to keep you from knowing what you’re eating—that’s why they, together with Big Food companies , are spending shocking amounts of money to keep GMO foods from being labeled as such.
Labeling GMOs is especially important now that we are seeing so many other health problems from GMO foods. In a ten-year long study on rats, mice, pigs, and salmon, scientists in Norway found that genetically engineered soy and corn causes obesity. It also causes significant changes in the digestive system and major organs, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and genitals. Rat and hamster studies have also found that the animals become sterile by the third generation.
Animals fed genetically modified soy and corn—specifically, soy and corn containing toxic proteins from the bacteria Bacillus thuriengensis, which kills insects that damage corn, soy, cotton, canola and other crops—were seen to be less able to digest proteins due to alterations in the micro-structure of their intestines. They also suffered immune system alterations.
On top of that, glyphosphate (the herbicide used on genetically modified soybeans) may be causing birth defects in animal fetuses. Roundup-Ready GMO soy is Argentina’s main crop, and Monsanto’s Roundup weed-killer is used in great quantities. Now scientists are seeing brain, intestinal, and heart defects in amphibian embryos. The scientists say the results “are completely comparable to what would happen in the development of a human embryo.”
Labeling GMO is a must. Please take action now to stop the Big Food companies that are selling so-called natural products from spending millions of dollars to deprive you of your right to know what foods contain GMO. Please take action now.
Monsanto is EVIL !!!
There is another factor to consider in decreasing sperm counts.. hormones in the water. Women who take birth control pills excrete hormones in urine into the sewer system. The water that flows through the system is then put through a thorough purifying process, and the water is put back into the water system. Unfortunately it apparently cannot remove all the hormones. The consequence,according to wildlife experts, is that we now have less vigorous male fish. Some of them even have developed female characteristics. If this happens to fish it seem reasonable that it will also affect human beings that drink water from the lakes and rivers. It certainly wouldn’t be politic to suggest that birth control pills could harm our male population, but since so much is at stake perhaps it should be considered.
In an overpopulated world that requires chemical farming to feed itself and where at least a third of pregnancies are unintended even in the U.S., it is absurd to label reduced fertility as an absolute evil.
Virtually all of the environmental estrogen mimics are persistent compounds that were never intended to be in the food chain and that are recycled without significant degradation. No change to our farming methods will affect the concentration of PCBs in tuna.
Herbicides and pesticides are a minute fraction of the total exposure but they have at least been tested for acute toxicity to humans and their food species. The same is not true for the millions of organic compounds naturally present in our crops.
Most of the phytoestrogens come from legumes such as non-GMO soy. Vegetarians have consumed comparatively massive hormone equivalents in their tofu, beans and alfalfa sprouts while berating pork and beef producers for the barely measurable residue in meat or milk. “Natural” vitamin E and “natural” lecithin comes from the “still bottoms” left over when soybean oil is refined. I have not found a single manufacturer of those “natural” products whose literature or web pages document phytoestrogen removal.
It is tiresome to see every environmental issue used to justify a tirade against GMO crops. Our readers should ask themselves if they would support genetic modification of soy to reduce or eliminate those natural phytoestrogens. The rational response is “yes” and the ideological or religious response is “no”.
Whether testosterone levels were reduced by pollutants or (much more commonly) by age, those who desired higher testosterone levels could supplement their endogenous production. Supplementation further reduces fertility, a generally desirable outcome.
I say “could” in past tense because the herbal supplement industry convinced Senator Hatch to sponsor a bill criminalizing mere possession of testosterone supplements for personal use.
That industry can continue to offer expensive but ineffective herbal remedies for “loss of stamina and lean muscle mass, reduced libido in both men and women, anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes” without fear of effective competition.
Do you really think scientist know what they are doing when they do these genetic modifications? Do you believe it is the precise and methodical process they want us to believe? Do you really think they actually know all the possible consequences (intended and unintended,) from this completely unnatural process? Who do you trust, God or man?
Yes,
It seems that in looking closer at this phytoestrogen issue in Asia, eating a lot of unfermented soy products is linked to earlier (occurring at a much younger age) cases of arthritis.
Somehow Americans got duped into believing it to be a Health Food?
More wonderscience??
The good news about GMO’s is the effect on TESTOSTERONE. Men and their virility is crucial to them and if an item is diminishing their virility, they will do something about it, such as taking action.
It is my hope that men read this article so they can get on the band-wagon and vote for prop 37 to label GMO products in our food. We all need an opportunity to make choices.
Dr. Sally
It boggles the mind that our government will willingly allow GMO food to be sold without being labeled as such. Consumers must be allowed to choose when they buy food to feed themselves and their families. They cannot do so when information is withheld. It is very apparent that the companies that manufacture the GMO seeds do not want consumers to know what they are buying for fear that the GMO foods will be eschewed. If those companies are truly convinced that their products are safe, then let them convince the public using their own funds to do so. But, the foods MUST be labeled GMO so that the public can make an informed choice. From what I have read so far, I do not feel that I can eat GMO food without risk to my long-term health. I fear that GMO ingredients are currently in a lot of food currently being sold and I want to know which products contain GMO so that I can avoid them. Proper labeling revealing GMO will allow me to that,
We must stop the use if GMOs NOW. Enough damage has already been done. How much more will it take before average consumers are made aware of how detrimental these “products” are to our society?
It’s called population control writ large. I
Interesting artic.e A few days ago I read and passed along information from Seattle, reporting similar findings in Israel.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2018947430_spermbank19.html
Beats me why people insist on eating processed foods when it is as obvious as can be that they do serious damage to the human body.
Will science ever stop assuming that the mind is of much greater consequence than the physical? They just keep looking for the tiniest chemical this or chemical that to blame. It begins within our feelings. Low testosterone is caused by feminism.
Caused by feminism, huh? You Neanderthal! Having lots of trouble with the women in your life? Is it any wonder?! Your misogynistic beliefs have no basis in science. Only in hate.
monsato has to lie because they would not sell any of their products if they didn’t when will we take back our gov’t from the nasty chemical company’s
Actually this could be really good evolution at work. Perhaps the population will decline to a manageable amount for the earth. The best part is that perhaps the only ones that will be able to reproduce will be those that understand good, clean food. Frankly, this article gives me more hope that I have had in a long, long time.
so it makes you joyful to contemplate the death of potential millions? Thats pretty sad lady
No, it doesn’t give hope that millions will perish… You “dis”interpret.. It means billions will not need to be born in the first place with open, begging mouths for the rest of us to feed
It’s not just those who understand good and clean food who will reproduce… it is more like only those who can AFFORD TO BUY good and clean food can reproduce. >_> This isn’t best. It is self serving and undemocratic. It means only the elite will reproduce… it’s back to old feudal social system that separate people once again. Which is also self destructive because the people who make and harvest the food we all need to live are the poor. >_>
I have to leave another comment…..the lack of knowledge about reproduction is terrifying to me. Fertility has nothing at all to do with virility or testosterone. A man can be capable of having sex anywhere, anytime and still be infertile. Please, learn about your own bodies.
Monsanto is a monster. The tests they have done on GE soy proved that the third generation hamsters had hair growing in their mouths and they were sterile. Soy is in severything including dog food. Monsanto has strong armed the farmers into growing their seed and only their seed. They remind me of the Food Mafia, only we don’t know what it is going to do to us in the future. One thing I do know is they are becoming too powerful in politics and the people need to fight back… VOTE against corporate control. Get back to We the People
A variety of disorders ranging from hormonal disturbances to physical problems, to psychological problems can cause male infertility. Although many treatment options are now available, in many cases treatment will not work. In many instances, male infertility is caused by testicular damage resulting in an inability of the testicle to produce sperm. Besides testicular damage, the main causes of male infertility are low sperm production and poor sperm quality.
Perhaps it would be wise to create huge sperm banks in which massive amounts of donated sperms will be frozen and kept for the future when male infertility has become widespread and threatens the survival of our species.
get up get out and exercise regularly