Swiss researchers warn of ‘infertility epidemic’: Pesticides in food reduce sperm production

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Switzerland is experiencing a sperm crisis. However, sperm concentration and number in men have been decreasing since 1973, not only in this country but worldwide. The result: falling birth rates. A study conducted in Switzerland got to the bottom of this “infertility epidemic” and found clues but no clear answers.

Now there are new findings: Pesticides reduce sperm production, according to a study published in the journal “Environmental Health Perspectives.” For men who come into daily contact with chemicals, the connection is clear.

The 9 dirtiest foods

“Pesticides pose a public health threat, especially to people exposed to them through consumption of contaminated food and water,” warns Lauren Ellis of Northeastern University. Agricultural workers, as well as the average consumer, are particularly at risk.

Within the scope of the research, scientists evaluated 25 studies from a 50-year period. Data from approximately 1,700 men were taken into account.

It has long been known that many foods we eat every day may contain pesticide residues. In a research article, Ecologists in Action examined official data from the Spanish Agency for Consumer Protection, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) on pesticide contamination in food. This resulted in the following ranking of the most contaminated foods:

1. Pear and strawberry
2. Apples
3. tomatoes
4. table grapes
5. Orange
6. cucumbers
7. peaches
8. spinach
9. carrots

Organic as a solution

Experts are therefore calling for urgent political measures to protect public health. “Our recommendation is to recognize that exposure to pesticides is a public health problem. “We need to look for policy solutions to prevent the health threat,” says Melissa J. Perry of George Mason University and lead author of the study.

“These chemicals are designed to kill things, and they affect the human hormonal system,” Perry says. This is how pesticides disrupt normal sperm production, the scientist warns.

Solution: organic products. If you want to avoid pesticides, you should buy organic. Because no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used in organic agriculture. Comparative tests have repeatedly shown that organic products contain little or no pesticide residues. (gs)

Source : Blick