The toxic blacklist wannabe dads should avoid

Are you planning on being a father? Well unknown to you, there are secret forces working against you, thwarting your attempts. Contained in everything from milk to soap, everyday chemicals known as endocrine disruptors are lowering sperm cell count, damaging sperm DNA and/or decreasing male fertility overall. Dr Graham Simpson, chief medical officer at Eternity Medicine Institute elaborates: "Even more alarming is that according to a 1992 paper by Carlson and collaborators which looked back at 61 research papers published since 1938, the average sperm count had dropped by 42 per cent!" It's about time you met the culprits.Here's the list of things you should tryto avoid. PHTHALATES Found in: Plastic bottles, tin cans, detergents, flame retardants, compact discs, food, toys, cosmetics, pesticides, dental sealants, shampoos, soaps, perfumes, hair spray, vinyl flooring, PVC and plastic wallpaper. Associated damage: Phthalates easily leach into substances they are in contact with including food, skin, and air. "Phthalates have an effect on sperm production, sperm count and sperm with damaged DNA," notes Dr Simpson. Exposure during pregnancy, notes Dr Ajaz Yasmeen, Specialist of Internal Medicine at Belhoul Speciality Hospital is linked to developmental defects in male children such as hypospadias (a birth defect of the penis), decreased sperm count and an increased risk of testicular cancers. How to limit exposure: Avoid heating food in flexible plastic containers which contain phthalates and instead use glass containers. Avoid "antibacterial" products with triclosan which has a chemical structure similar to oestrogen. DEHP Found in: In many products made of polyvinyl chloride or PVC as well in building products, car products, clothing, food packaging, children's products and medical IV bags and tubing. Associated damage: Studies conducted by US Department of Health have shown DEHP can have adverse effects causing genetic damage in eggs and sperm, says Dr Simpson. "It's also found that potentially high exposures of fetuses and infants to DEHP may lead to adverse effects on the developing male reproductive tract." How to limit exposure: PVC-free and DEHP-free alternatives exist for almost every use of PVC including medical devices, office supplies, building materials and furnishings. Alternative plastics include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyesters, various polyolefins, elastomers and certain polyurethanes. (www.noharm.org) BISPHENOL-A (BPA) Found in: Baby bottles, plastic wrap for food storage (cling-film), hard plastic drinking bottles, metal food container linings, dental sealants, and cash register receipts. Associated damage: "Experiments have shown that when food is wrapped in plastic, the chemicals in the wrap are absorbed by the food which may cause lowered sperm count in men," says Dr Yasmeen. Also high levels of workplace exposure to BPA may increase the risk of reduced sexual function in men, according to a Kaiser Permanente study in the journal Human Reproduction. "The study found that the workers in the BPA facilities had quadrupled the risk of erectile dysfunction and seven times more risk of ejaculation difficulty," notes Dr Simpson. How to limit exposure: Avoid using plastic wrap in the microwave. Look out for BPA free plastics. If you use plastic containers to store food, wait until your food has cooled completely before putting it in the container. BOVINE SOMATOTROPHIN (BST) Found in: BST and it's artificial version recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) is found in milk and beef products. When it's injected into dairy cows, milk production is increased by 10 to 15 percent. Associated damage: In 1999, the EU commission found that residues in meat that had been injected with these hormones cause an increase in colon/prostate cancer. "There is also evidence corroborated by research that excess growth hormones including bovine growth hormone have an effect on fertility levels and around 40 percent of the beef used to make beef burgers come from ‘old dairy cows' which have been injected by growth hormones," he says. Also women who routinely ate beef during pregnancy were far more likely to give birth to boys who grow up to have lower-than-normal sperm counts. Milk from rBST-treated cows has much higher levels of IGF-1, a hormone considered to be a high risk factor for prostate and colon cancer; studies suggest that men are four times more likely to develop prostate cancer. Milk from cows injected with rBST also has lowered nutritional value, increased antibiotics and more pus from infected udders. How to limit exposure: Avoid fast food beef burgers wherever possible. Also purchase labelled organic milk and beef. SOY Found in: Soy contains isoflavones which are plant oestrogens. More than 60 percent of all processed food contains soy, from ice-cream, margarines, breakfast cereals, cereal bars, biscuits, cheeses, cakes, gravies, noodles, soups, and sandwich spreads. On labels it can appear as: hydrolysed vegetable protein, soy protein isolate, protein concentrate, textured vegetable protein, vegetable oil or lecithin. Associated damage: In a Harvard study of 99 men published in Human Reproduction (November 2008), those who consumed the most soy products had the lowest sperm count; 41 million sperm per milliliter fewer than men who didn't consume soy. Other concerns are excess consumption of soy might cause abnormalities in sexual differentiation and feminization in males exposed in-utero or during infancy. How to limit exposure: Avoid packaged and processed foods and instead cook fresh meals at home using simple ingredients. Pesticides Found in: Fruits, vegetables and the environment; herbicides control weeds, insecticides control insects and fungicides help reduce damage from plant diseases. Associated damage: "Cancer first made an impact during the industrial era in chimney sweepers who got cancer in their scrotum," says Dr Simpson. "Also it's interesting that in 1900 only 1 in 33 individuals got cancer in the USA compared with 1 in 3 today." Besides cancer, Dr Yasmeen indicates there's also an increasing rate of hypospadias (abnormal opening of the urethra) and cryptorchidism (failure of one or both testicles to descend) which may be attributed by pesticides DDE and DDT. How to limit exposure: If your home is sprayed by a commercial applicator, don't stay in the house during application; return after two to four hours. Also buy organic fruits and vegetables. Natural alternatives to chemicals *    Try avoid using PVC and vinyl products in your home, for example by using a nonvinyl shower curtain and wearing non-vinyl rainwear. *    Choose organic food where possible because it doesn’t contain herbicides and pesticides. Be sure it’s labelled accordingly. *    PVC-free construction and furnishing products are widely available, for example , PVC-free mattress covers and shower curtains. *    Instead of using vegetable oil, which often contains soy oil, use olive, safflower or coconut oil. Also use real butter instead of margarine, butter substitutes or shortening, all of which contain soybean oil. *    The fragrances in many products contain phthalates, so whenever possible use products that are unscented or scented only with essential oils. *    Choose cleaning products with plant-derived surfactants and make use of the natural cleaning powers of vinegar, baking soda and borax. *    Check your water bottles to make sure that they are BPA free. Even though you might not heat these, harsh detergents and prolonged use can also cause BPA to be released. Drinking from polycarbonate bottles almost doubles the BPA urine level from 1.2 micrograms to 2 micrograms per gram (Wikipedia).