Gender Benders, Sperm Discount and Chemical Toxicity

I have heard a number of women mention that the younger men of today seem more feminine.  Is this perception, culture or environment?  The variables are too numerous to quantify. There is documentation that chemical toxicity mimics estrogen causing hormone havoc with gender bending effects. 

 The book, "Hormone Deception" by Lindsey Berskson, outlines an array of hormone disruptors that include wildlife/environmental gender problems.  Birds that bring pesticide contaminated food to their chicks created masculinized females that sing male mating songs.  Weird. 

In 1980 the Tower Chemical Company had a spill of DDT in Lake Apopka, Florida.  DDT is an insecticide in the biphenyl compound group that mimics estrogen.  Bisphenyls also include BPA and PCBs.  The result in alligator egg hatch was a change from 90 percent survival to 18 percent.  Male alligators were demasculinized with problems in reproduction including the absence of a phallus.  Remember most cities fogged the streets with DDT in the fifties and sixties. 

Another infamous biphenyl is Dethylstilbesterol (DES) that was given to pregnant women in the 1950's and 1960's.   The drug "designed" to increase the health of a baby caused miscarriages.  The result was devastating for some daughters that developed cancer.  There was also a study that found that forty two percent of DES exposed women had bisexual orientation verses 18 percent of their untreated DES sisters.

DES also caused men to experience low sperm count and problems with reproduction.  Other problems may include problems with the urinary tract, prostate, testicles, and enlargement of the breast.  There have also been some psychological effects including depression.   

It is interesting that during development, men require testosterone to develop their masculinity.  This testosterone converts to estrogen in the brain as an important part of their development.  So while men need testosterone, they also have a small amount of estrogen.

Biphenyl compounds are stored in fat cells and mimic estrogen creating a gender bending effect.  This is especially true if exposure takes place in the first trimester of pregnancy.  There is the possibility of hormone changes that happen during development.  Since these types of toxins are stored in fat, there is speculation that this problem has been passed down to subsequent generations.  This means that the baby boomers exposure to DDT and DES could produce gender problems for future generations.

Andropause

The 55-year-old man enjoyed physical work on his farm.  He particularly enjoyed working his nephews and other high school students in the hay field.  This was hot, physical work.  Physical labor can be satisfying, at least for some.  The other enjoyment was that he could out work any of the young men.  Well, until one day while unloading at the barn in need of a break,  he though, “I must be losing my edge.”  At that moment one of the boys said, “Can we take a break?”  While giving quiet thanks, the older man said, “Sure, if you have to.”

As men age, sometimes our self-image does not match reality.  We can be overweight and bald and still think of ourselves in our youth.  What a wake up call when we discover that we cannot keep up.  The drive diminishes and we may become content to hold the remote in front of the boob tube. 

Is it time for a tune up?  Men can experience a decline in testosterone as they age.  The book,  "The Youth Effect", by Ronald Brown, MD, is written for women about hormone replacement.  Chapter 9 is for men in “andropause”.  There is the case of Harold, an 88-year-old that was not ready to lose his spark. 

Hormone replacement for men is not as popular as for women, but there are strong arguments for testosterone replacement therapy.  Testosterone replacement for men can contribute to male health including muscle mass, sex drive, mental function, motivation and a general sense of well being. 

Stay Well

Bio-identical Hormones

There is a lot of interest in hormones.  It started in 1942 when Premarin was marketed by Wyeth Labs.  “Forever Feminine” a 1966 best selling book by Dr. Robert Wilson supported a fear that menopause begins a rapid decline in beauty, sexuality, and health.  And, all women have to do to maintain their youth is take estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) found in Premarin®.  Unfortunately, this horse estrogen product increased endometrial cell growth and caused endometrial cancer and hysterectomies. 

A woman’s normal cycle of 28 days can be divided as before and after ovulation which usually occurs at day 14.  The first day is when the period starts and is mostly estrogen dominant.  After ovulation, progesterone rises.  If the egg is fertilized, progesterone stays elevated; and if not, progesterone levels start to drop about day 26 triggering the period.

So the solution to the cancer problem was to add Provera® (a progestin) that is non-human progesterone.  This prevented future endometrial cancers. 

Hormone replacement has been the most studied drug therapy and yet still has a lot of controversy and confusion surrounding it.  Most of the confusion has to do with viewing the patented non-human progestin drug products and progesterone (the hormone the body makes) as being the same.  The best example of the difference…progesterone maintains normal pregnancy, and non-human progestins are known to cause abortion of the fetus.

Hormones are chemical messengers and each different hormone has a different message.  Chemically, testosterone and estrogen are very close and yet they could be described as being the difference in male and female.  So, if we actually have these hormones, why would we use anything else?  For years, we used insulin from beef and pork sources.  Science was able to make human insulin, which is what we have now.

Suzanne Somers has popularized the concept of “bio-identical” hormone replacement.  These are the same hormones that the body makes.  They are “human” hormones!  So if we are to replace hormones, it just makes sense to use human hormones.

Are they natural?  The only place you can find human hormones in nature is in humans!  These hormones are produced from soy or yam and “synthesized” or chemically manipulated to the exact chemical structure of the hormones your body synthesizes.  So synthesize is not a bad word.  Your body synthesized your hormones from the “bad” LDL cholesterol.  So it does not matter what the hormone is made from…it matters what it is!

Stay Well!