Dr. Shanna Swan: How to Safeguard Your Hormone Health & Fertility

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Shanna Swan, Ph.D., professor of environmental medicine and reproductive health at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Swan is the world’s leading expert on the harmful impact of chemicals in our food, water, cosmetics, and various household and consumer products on our hormones, and the consequences for fertility and overall reproductive health. She explains how exposure to phthalates and other endocrine disruptors adversely impacts fetal development, puberty, and the adult brain and body. We discuss the global decline in human fertility due to disruptive environmental toxins, such as pesticides, and certain foods and beverages we consume.

We discuss practical strategies to minimize exposure to harmful chemicals, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), BPS, and PFAS. This includes reducing disposable plastic use, making healthier food preparation, consumption, and storage choices, and selecting personal and household products that don’t contain harmful toxins. This episode allows you to assess your risk of exposure to endocrine disruptors accurately and empowers you to take control of your hormone health and fertility.

Articles

• NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (CASRN 117-81-7) Administered in Feed to Sprague Dawley (Hsd:Sprague Dawley® SD®) Rats (National Toxicology Program)
• Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure (Environmental Health Perspectives)
• First trimester phthalate exposure and anogenital distance in newborns (Human Reproduction)
• Prenatal exposure to phthalates is associated with decreased anogenital distance and penile size in male newborns (Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease)
• Anogenital Distance in Newborn Daughters of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Indicates Fetal Testosterone Exposure (Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease)
• Shorter Anogenital Distance Predicts Poorer Semen Quality in Young Men in Rochester, New York (Environmental Health Perspectives)
• The Relationship between Anogenital Distance, Fatherhood, and Fertility in Adult Men (PLoS ONE)
• Relation between semen quality and fertility: a population-based study of 430 first-pregnancy planners (The Lancet)
• Evidence for decreasing quality of semen during past 50 years. (British Medical Journal)
• Semen quality in fertile US men in relation to geographical area and pesticide exposure (International Journal of Andrology)
• Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis (Human Reproduction Update)
• Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of samples collected globally in the 20th and 21st centuries (Human Reproduction Update)
• Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
• Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and sex-typed play behavior in preschool age boys and girls (Environmental Research)
• Does Smoking During Pregnancy Affect Sons’ Sperm Counts? (Epidemiology)
• Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules (Science)
• Serum vaccine antibody concentrations in adults exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A birth cohort in the Faroe Islands (Journal of Immunotoxicology)
• Effect of Radiation Emitted by Wireless Devices on Male Reproductive Hormones: A Systematic Review (Frontiers in Physiology)

Other Resources

• The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES)
• Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI)
• Million Marker
• Million Marker Approved Products
• Environmental Working Group Consumer Guides
• Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
• Shanna Swan's Resources
• B. Braun
• Fertility Rate (World Bank)

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• The Effects of Microplastics on Your Health & How to Reduce Them
• Dr. Michael Eisenberg: Improving Male Sexual Health, Function & Fertility
• Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will
• Dr. David Anderson: The Biology of Aggression, Mating & Arousal
• How to Optimize Fertility in Males & Females
• Dr. Natalie Crawford: Female Hormone Health, Fertility & Vitality

People Mentioned

• John Brock: Professor of Analytical Chemistry & Toxicology, University of North Carolina Asheville
• Stephen Glickman: Professor Emeritus Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley
• Brian Prendergast: Professor of Psychology, University of Chicago
• Leon Earl Gray Jr: Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research
• Frank Beach: Professor of Psychology, University of California Berkeley
• Jenna Hua: Founder of Million Marker