https://www.testosterone.me/common-chemicals-found-in-plastic-may-lower-testosterone-levels
It is a commonly known fact that men begin to lose testosterone as they age.
Most medical professionals agree that the rate of loss is approximately 10% per decade, and the results are not pleasant: weaker muscles and loss of muscle tone, weight gain, breast enlargement, increased fatigue, brain fog, depression, accumulated aches, and joint pains that just keep getting worse.
Also, there are other problems: increased risk of heart attack, prostate problems, sleep difficulties, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction or urination problems, and a host of other maladies too numerous to mention.
In an attempt to ward off the debilitating symptoms of this affliction, many men have undergone testosterone replacement therapy.
This therapy is done by injections of testosterone, under the care of a physician. These treatments have produced excellent results.
Other men have resorted to more natural methods of replenishing their testosterone supply: exercise, nutrition, over-the-counter supplements, proper hydration, increased sleep, and stress-reduction techniques.
This approach has also benefited countless men who have tried any or all of these methods.
However, there is another insidious testosterone thief that men encounter on a daily basis, and most disruptors are unaware of this manhood-robbing bandit...
Beware of Plastic
That's right...plastic! That seemingly harmless substance that is so convenient for delivering many of our household goods and our food is the culprit, according to a recent study by the University of Michigan.
For the study, researchers examined exposure to chemicals called phthalates and testosterone levels in more than 2,200 people who took part in the 2011-12 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Phthalates are common in most flexible PVC plastics and many personal care products, according to the study published online, Aug. 14th, in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
"We found evidence of reduced levels of circulating testosterone were associated with increased phthalate exposure in several key populations, including boys ages 6-12, and men and women ages 40-60," study author John Meeker, of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, said in a journal news release.
Study authors measured their phthalate exposure and testosterone levels.
They also analyzed urine samples to measure concentrations of 13 substances left after the body metabolizes phthalates. Each participant's testosterone level was measured using a blood sample.
Researchers noted that among boys aged between 6 and 12 years, increased concentrations of metabolites of a phthalate called di-(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate resulted in a 24 to 34.1 percent drop in testosterone levels.
For women aged between 40 to 60 years, the drop was between 10.8 and 24 percent. The numbers were alarming, to say the least.
Why are women involved in this study?
Testosterone, while primarily a male hormone, also plays a lesser but still vital role in the health of women as well as men.
Testosterone factors into brain function, bone density, physical growth, strength, and heart health.
