CAN ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS CAUSE INFERTILITY?

Numerous reasons can explain the climbing prevalence of INFERTILITY, which is generally defined as the inability to conceive following a year of regular unprotected intercourse or donor insemination. Here we discuss: CAN ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS CAUSE INFERTILITY?

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, including PESTICIDES and HEAVY METALS can cause infertility. These TOXINS are a serious, often overlooked factor in this global phenomenon which is not only affecting women, but is also causing men to experience decreasing sperm count and function.

 ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS (including PESTICIDES and HEAVY METALS) are everywhere in our environment. These TOXINS pervade our air, water, food, household and personal products, impairing health and increasing the incidence of all disease. This includes NEGATIVELY AFFECTING FERTILITY in many ways.

 The good news is that the problem of TOXIN-INDUCED INFERTILITY can be solved if you know what cutting-edge laboratory tests are useful and the special substances proven to REMOVE these POISONS from the human body.

So, let’s examine this form of TOXICITY and how a safe, natural and science-based approach to detecting and correcting these TOXINS can restore ALL aspects of your reproductive health from a REAL, often ignored problem that many doctors miss.

 

THE EFFECTS OF UNREGULATED CHEMICALS

Human fertility is declining worldwide.

While much of the 50% decrease in the number of children born per woman over the past 50 years is due to the choice to NOT have children, an increasing number of couples—now 1 in 7 to 10 in North America, for example—have serious difficulty conceiving.

A significant cause of this loss of fertility is the increasing TOXIC LOAD of environmental toxins in both men and women.

More than 80,000 chemicals are registered in the U.S. and nearly 2.000 new chemicals are introduced each year. Many scientists believe that the SAFETY TESTING for health is not adequate and that the rapid introduction of these chemicals poses SIGNIFICANT, LONG-TERM RISKS to human health.

Specifically, scientists have known for years that environmental toxic exposure can alter HORMONAL BALANCE and throw off FERTILITY.

 

What Environmental Chemicals or Toxins Affect Fertility?

The PRIMARY way that Environmental toxins cause infertility is…

ENDOCRINE (HORMONE) DISRUPTION

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are TOXINS associated with INFERTILITY. These are chemicals from the outside that can affect both female and male infertility.

Endocrine-disrupting compounds and the infertility problems they cause are taking a significant toll on human health, both physically AND emotionally.

EDCs occur naturally in the environment and in the food we eat.

However, since the Second World War, rapid industrialization has seen the creation of thousands of NEW compounds, only a small fraction of which have been tested.

Some of the most common EDC’s include plant-derived phytoestrogens (such as SOY products), industrial chemicals (such as flame retardants, PESTICIDES, and lubricants), household items (such as bisphenol A [BPA], phthalates and tea), and pharmaceuticals including certain birth control products.

These are also among some of the worst endocrine fertility disrupters.

EDCs disrupt the human endocrine system by either increasing or decreasing the production of NATURAL hormones. They bind to the hormone receptors for estrogens, progestins, androgens, and thyroid hormones, interfering with normal cellular activity.

Early exposure predisposes individuals to various diseases such as rare cancers, obesity, and endocrine disorders such as diabetes.

 

In terms of fertility, EDCs have been linked with reproductive development disorders, ovarian dysfunction, subfertility, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in women.

 Other EDCs have also been associated with ovarian dysfunction and infertility as well. Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), used in electrical equipment, for example.

Beyond reproductive organs, EDCs also INDIRECTLY affect other aspects of the endocrine system that impact fertility, such as the THYROID, resulting in an increased rate of HYPOTHYROIDISM.

This damage to the delicate hormonal balance not only decreases NATURAL FERTILITY but also makes in vitro fertilization (IVF) much less likely to succeed.

For example, increased exposure to PHTHALATES, commonly found in plastics, has been demonstrated to be associated with problems in patients undergoing IVF.

 

BLOOD SUGAR -The huge role of environmental toxins in causing diabetes

The key endocrine disruption impairing fertility is loss of blood-sugar control manifesting clinically directly as metabolic syndrome and diabetes and indirectly as abdominal obesity, especially in men, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

In men with type 2 diabetes, a remarkable 33% suffer hypogonadism.

Women with PCOS have substantially lower fertility and if they become pregnant have substantially INCREASED RISK FOR GESTATIONAL DIABETES, pregnancy-induced HYPERTENSION, pre-eclampsia preterm birth and even death.

 

Can Heavy Metals Cause Male and Female Infertility?

HEAVY METAL exposure has also been implicated in infertility.

Heavy metals that have been found to affect reproductive activity include LEAD, MERCURY, CADMIUM and ARSENIC.

These metals are quickly absorbed and stored deeply away in tissues such as the brain, liver, kidneys and bones to prevent immediate harm as they are not easily broken down or excreted by the body.

This is the problem, as they tend TO ACCUMULATE causing metabolic disruptions which can lead to INFERTILITY, POOR SPERM and MISCARRIAGES.

LEAD exposure comes from a variety of sources, including lead paints, water from lead pipes, cosmetics, construction sites and herbal supplements.

MERCURY exposure usually comes from diet, primarily from FISH, which are poisoned as the metal enters the body of water via industrial waste sources and accumulates in their bodies.

CADMIUM exposure can stem from rechargeable BATTERIES and certain paints and plastics. It can enter the food supply through resorption in the soil, resulting in exposure in various foods, including RICE, wheat, leafy vegetables, and shellfish

ARSENIC exposure usually comes from certain groundwater sources, though it can also stem from PESTICIDES. Arsenic is primarily associated with otherwise unexplained male factor infertility.

Smoking 

Cigarette smoking is an important environmental toxin to consider, as nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States smoke. Smoking negatively influences fertility. 

It is believed that the accumulation of CADMIUM and NICOTINE compromises egg quality, resulting in infertility.

Even when a woman is a nonsmoker but lives with a smoker, NICOTINE levels are still elevated.

In smoking men, there is evidence of reduced sperm concentration and MOTILITY.

 

What you can do Treatment and Prevention

It’s impossible to avoid EDCs completely.

But the good news is that you can take some simply steps to REDUCE EXPOSURE.

Education about exposure can make a difference.

There’s MANY things you can do!

You can:

• WASH fruit and vegetables to remove pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and other chemicals
• EAT LEASS process, canned, pre-packaged foods to avoid EDC chemicals from plastic wrappings or the plastic linings inside cans
• LIMIT the number of oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines) you eat as pesticides, heavy metals and chemicals can accumulate
• DRINK FROM GLASS rather than soft plastic bottles as EDC chemicals make plastics flexible
• HEAT FOOD in a China or glass bowl and cover it with paper towel or a plate
• AVOID smoke, strong chemicals, heavily perfumed and products
• OPEN WINDOWS to bring fresh air
• AVOID PESTICIDES. Instead, use non-toxic agents for pests and weeks
• AVOID DETERGENTS, hand sanitizers, cleaners, carpet solutions or strong chemicals like glues, paints and varnishes. Replace with ‘green products’.
• READ THE LABELS on cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners, hair colorings and body washes and choose products WITHOUT PARABENS.
• BEWARE OF MARKETING MANIPULATION. For example, some products advertised as ‘BPA free’ have chemicals such as BPS which can be just as harmful.

 

Simple changes like these can make a big difference in decreasing your daily exposure to EDCs. This is the first step toward improving your health and your chances of having a baby.

In certain cases, toxicity can be DIRECTLY addressed. (See OPTIMIZING DETOXIFICATION PROTOCOL information below)

 

Testing for TOXICITY in the Body

 Without testing it is difficult to know with certainty that your body has accumulated these poisons. It’s also difficult to diagnose since conventional medicine does not prioritize the FACT that they are a problem.

Fortunately, while most doctors IGNORE the role of these TOXIC METALS, Functional Medicine providers do consider ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS that affect health and have ADVANCED TESTING that can uncover these HIDDEN factors of poor health.

If you would like to KNOW if you have ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS and/or HEAVY METAL TOXICITY, an advanced yet simple test is a Urine Test. Excreting an elevated level of these HEAVY METALS is a sure sign of toxicity.

The best, most advanced lab that offers HEAVY METAL testing is Vibrant America.

  

Why Are MEN BECOMING LESS FERTILE?

(Do environmental toxins affect male fertility?)

Infertility is defined as a couple’s inability to get pregnant for one year despite regular intercourse. When this is the case, doctors evaluate both partners to determine why. Evidence confirms that ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS affect male fertility in similar ways to females.

For men, the cornerstone of the fertility evaluation is semen analysis, and there are a number of ways to assess sperm. Sperm count and sperm concentration are common measures, but they aren’t the best predictor of fertility.  A more accurate measure looks at SPERM MOTILITY COUNT, which evaluates the fraction of sperm that are able to swim and move.

The science is consistent: Men today produce fewer sperm than in the past, and the sperm are less healthy. The question, then, is what could be causing this decline in fertility?

EDCs have also been associated with male infertility. Some have been shown to reduce sperm concentration, shape and motility. Similarly, BPA exposure has been shown to negatively affect sperm quality as well.

 

Ultimate KEY to REMOVING ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, PESTICIDES AND HEAVY METALS – Optimize DETOXIFICATION

 Normally, your immune system defends against the daily assault of all ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, including PESTICIDES and HEAVY METAL TOXICITY, but ONLY WHEN it is working correctly and NOT being OVERWHELMED by the extremely high TOXIC BURDEN all around us.

Failure of your body’s natural ability to detoxify itself from toxins results in health issues, including INFERTILITY.

Supporting the body’s ability to bind to and eliminate toxins is a key part of healing from this TOXIC exposure.

So, you MUST support your body’s natural detoxification and drainage systems.

New, emerging technology, designed to help remove TOXINS and SUPPORTING DRAINAGE systems (your body’s NATURAL ability to eliminate poisons from itself) are necessary to successfully recover from this kind of toxicity.

Let’s examine this more closely…

How do I get rid of these toxins in my body?

Special agents that BIND toxins in the gut and in other tissues so they can be more easily excreted are required for this.

An excellent, natural REMEDY for BINDING environmental toxins is called CARBON TECHNOLOGY

Made of specially-selected and precisely-formulated extracts of fulvic and humic acids, Carbon Technology uses these natural substances to tightly BIND toxins to help remove them from your body via stools.

The fulvic and humic acids in Carbon Technology have advantages to binders like activated charcoal and bentonite clay, two common binders.

One big advantage is that Carbon Technology can travel beyond the gut.

Also, fulvic and humic acid extracts are a good source of nutrition, including amino acids, phytochemicals and minerals.  This is good since cells damaged by pesticides and environmental chemicals NEED TO SELF-REPAIR.

Clear out OTHER PATHOGENS

Because ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, including PESTICIDES and HEAVY METALS can weaken your immune system, OTHER CHRONIC INFECTIONS — such as PARASITES AND VIRUSES — may more easily take hold in your body.

It becomes a vicious cycle because then these PARASITES make the body more vulnerable to CHEMICAL toxicity.

Either way, removing unwanted PARASITES from the body helps reduce the STRESS on the WHOLE BODY, including the REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM.

There Is Hope

In conclusion, ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDCs) are difficult to avoid completely and impact many disorders, including heart disease, obesity, autoimmune, brain AND INFERTILITY.

So, if you’ve ever asked “What is my doctor missing?” and suspect that TOXICITY may be a part of YOUR persistent, FERTILITY challenges, do NOT give up.

 This is where ADVANCED SUPPLEMENTATION can be helpful.

It’s important to work with an experienced practitioner who can recommend the right supplements designed to remove these toxins directly.

The good news is that there are doctors with specialized knowledge who are ready with a science-backed action plan to DETECT AND CORRECT TOXICITY.

Addressing these allow you to get back to looking, feeling and functioning at your best, and greatly IMPROVE your FERTILITY CHANCES.