Our minds may be affected by winter’s long nights or spring flowers, but what about our bodies? A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel reveals that our hormones also follow a seasonal pattern.

By analyzing the data on several kinds of hormone from millions of blood tests, the researchers discovered that some hormones peak in winter or spring, and others in summer. This research, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), USA, provides a broad, dynamic picture of hormone production – covering those connected, for example, to fertility, but also hormones such as cortisol, which are mostly short-lived and not thought to be seasonal.

Alon Bar led the study together with Avichai Tendler; both are research students in Prof. Uri Alon’s group at the Institute’s Molecular Cell Biology Department.

Alon and his group have developed mathematical tools for uncovering patterns in big biological data, so when a study they had undertaken that focused on a single hormone – cortisol – started to reveal a surprising seasonal pattern, the research team decided to see whether other hormones might also fluctuate seasonally.

They turned to Prof. Amos Tanay of the Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Department, who has access to a database maintained by the Clalit health maintenance organization. Clalit is the largest HMO in Israel and a leader in creating a database that enables researchers to conduct large-scale biomedical studies while fully preserving the subjects’ anonymity. This is the same kind of data that was accessed to understand the impact of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine on immunisation rates.

The team analyzed the hormone levels in males and females between the ages of 20 and 50, in millions of blood tests sorted according to the months of the year. The team estimated that they had ultimately analyzed 46 million person-years; the results for each hormone were averaged from up to six million different blood tests. The researchers tracked 11 different hormones, including cortisol (a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands), a thyroid hormone, reproduction and sex-based hormones and a growth hormone produced in the liver.

Hormones bring babies, not spring flowers

On average, all of these hormones exhibited peaks and dips over the year with a seasonal variation of around 5 percent, but the surprise was the ways in which certain ones peaked at different times. For example, the hormones testosterone and estradiol – one more prevalent in men, the other in women – were mirror images of one another.

That is, in men testosterone peaked in January and again, a bit lower, in August; and in women, estradiol followed the same pattern. In contrast, testosterone in women and estradiol in men peaked closer to April and dipped in the summer.

So the fact that more children are conceived in certain seasons may have more to do with hormone balances than the blooming of flowers in the fields, says Bar.

The difference between hormones that peak in winter-spring and those that wait for summer was more confusing, especially as the ones that peak later in the year – in summer – tend to be the hormones that control the first kind. These hormones are produced in the pituitary, at the base of the brain, and they send messages to the reproductive organs, adrenal glands and others organs that then affect or control bodily functions or reactions.

The researchers call these second hormones effector hormones – that is, the hormones that act directly on the body – and they devised a mathematical model to explain why these two kinds of hormones, which are directly related, should have different high and low seasons. Effector hormones such as cortisol and the pituitary hormones, explains Bar, affect not just the body’s metabolism and functions, but the masses of the organs themselves that secrete the hormones.

That is, the pituitary hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands to produce cortisol also cause these glands to grow. But the cortisol produced in the adrenals causes the pituitary to shrink, thus eventually reducing the amount of stimulation to the adrenals, which shrink back down, and so on in a continual loop.

The dynamic growth and shrinkage of such glands is a known phenomenon, and the researchers were able to link studies measuring the glands to the hormone fluctuations they had observed. Because the entire process takes place gradually over weeks and months, it creates a time lag from winter to summer and back again, and this explains the differences in peaks between the two groups of hormones.

While the exact cause of this cycle was not the subject of the study, the team believes that melatonin – a hormone made in the brain that is triggered by light and dark – is most likely the “hand” that sets this year-long clock in motion.

And assuming that this is the case, they would expect the patterns they found in the Israeli population to be six months earlier (or later) in the Southern Hemisphere, and that stronger peaks and valleys would be found in the population living farther North, where day length between seasons, and thus melatonin production, differs by much more than in Israel. “If we saw a 5 percent difference in Israel, that could be over 15 percent in Northern Europe,” says Bar, and the team did, indeed, find some evidence in the literature on cortisol from the UK, Sweden and Australia to support this idea.

“It is not so surprising that our hormones have seasonal cycles,” adds Alon. “Many animals living in temperate climates have strong cycles, for example, all giving birth in the same season. We think that our hormonal systems have ‘set points’ that produce peaks, for example, in stress or reproductive hormones, and these may be adaptations that evolved to help us cope with seasonal changes in our surrounding environment.”

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Having a hard time sleeping during Covid? Or maybe you are sleeping better because you have less stressors from the commute? Or maybe you are self-medicating with CBD? During good, deep sleep, we rarely respond to external stimuli such as sounds, unless they are strong enough, like an alarm clock, or meaningful, like a baby’s cry, which wake us up.

Being able to sleep continuously in the face of sounds is critical for our health and well-being. But we differ in how easily we wake up: Light sleepers wake up from every faint sound, while deep sleepers can sleep through just about anything. We all can have dramatic changes in our sleep quality during periods of stress. Turns out sleep is regulated by a chemical in our brain called noradrenaline.

A new study by the lab of Prof. Yuval Nir from Tel Aviv University explores the reasons why, during sleep, we rarely respond to external stimuli such as sounds even though our brains remain highly active. The team’s discovery is that a tiny region in the brainstem called the locus coeruleus, which secretes the chemical noradrenaline throughout the brain, is a key factor that determines how deeply we sleep.

The study, which was published in the journal Science Advances, finds that noradrenaline, which is secreted in response to stress, lies at the heart of our ability to “shut off” our sensory responses and sleep soundly. The higher the activity is in this brain system, the more likely we are to wake up from a sound. The normal healthy situation is for noradrenaline activity to be silent/minimal during sleep, but when noradrenaline activity is high, we wake up more frequently, even from low-volume sounds. This discovery can explain the changes in sleep quality between different people.

For the purpose of the research, the scientists used rat models to determine the level of locus coeruleus activity during sleep and which sounds, if any, would be responsible for waking up the rodents.

They found that the rats’ varying levels of locus coeruleus activity accurately predict if the animals would awaken in response to sounds. The team then silenced the locus coeruleus activity through optogenetics, which harnesses light to control neuronal activity, and found that the rats did not readily awaken in response to sound.

Why grandma is sleeping well?

“When we increased the noradrenaline activity of the locus coeruleus while a sound played in the background, the rats woke up more frequently in response, but when we decreased the activity of the locus coeruleus and played the same sound in the background, the rats rarely woke up,” says Hayat. “So, we can say that we identified a powerful ‘dial’ that controls the depth of sleep despite external stimuli.”

“Sleep disturbances are a major health issue and are frequent in aging, as well as in neurological and psychiatric disorders,” concludes Prof Nir. “It is important to test if our findings on varying noradrenaline levels can explain hyperarousal that characterizes condition such as anxiety disorders and PTSD, and if so, to build on these findings to develop novel methods to improve sleep quality.”

The research was conducted in collaboration with Bristol University, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of Montpellier.

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Contraception for those under age 18 is a controversial topic that challenges the conservative morays in the Middle East and, apparently the United States government. In the case of a new ruling by the Obama Administration, health care and human rights advocates appear pitted against those who form public policy. Lost in the fray are under-aged and sexually active individuals who may not get access to medically approved pregnancy prevention pills.

Case in point: condoms are okay to sell on the shelves in the United States, but the morning after pill is not. In a surprise decision and against the advice of the Food and Drug Administration, the contraception in question, Plan B, is being kept locked up behind the pharmacy counter even though it has been approved for sale without a prescription to those over the age of 17. The reason?

“Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled scientists at the Food and Drug Administration who were preparing to let Plan B sell without a prescription to people of any age.” According to the same report, President Obama backed Sebelius’ decision.

Plan-B is manufactured and distributed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, the international pharmaceutical giant headquartered in Israel. It contains a higher dose of Progestin to prevent ovulation and fertilization, and 1.5 mg of levonorgestrel, an ingredient that “has been used in many birth control pills for several decades.”

It does not terminate a pregnancy but prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine lining. It works best when taken with 24 hours of unprotected sex, but can be used up to three days (72 hours).

Plan B, when used correctly, prevents pregnancy up to 89% of the time.

Read more on the effects of hormones, our health and the environment.

Sexual health advocates are displeased with the decision. Dr. Robert Block of the American Academy of Pediatrics said Sebelius’ decision was “medically inexplicable.”

Other medical professionals who support the availability of Plan B to all ages assert that few sexually active adolescents will be readily able to pay for the pill, which retails for approximately $50.00. Putting the morning after pill next to condoms and spermicides will increase access to contraception for those who are sexually active of all ages, they have contended.

One source reported on a Teva-funded study that tracked 11-17 year olds seeking emergency contraception:

“Nearly 90 percent of them used Plan B safely and correctly without professional guidance, said Teva Vice President Amy Niemann. But Teva wouldn’t say how many of the youngest girls were part of the study,” Yahoo! Health News stated.

Is the pill the most environmentally way to prevent pregnancy?

In an article relating reproductive rights news, it’s important to address the bigger environmental picture. Hormone use to prevent pregnancy revolutionized sexual health, though more recent concerns about the impact on our waterways – prococious puberty and feminized fish are two commonly discussed possible consequences to excess hormone waste – has led to environmentalists advocating for other, greener contraception, a topic we discuss in How Do Treehumpers Prevent Pregnancy?

Read More Ecosexual Health News:
The Ins and Outs of Eco-Friendly Vaginal Lubrication

GM Foods Shrinking Reproductive Health in Womb Near You

Ecosexual Condom ‘Company Love Begins with L’ Empowering Third World Sexual Health

Kinsey Report Finds the Pill isn’t Making Her Feel Sexy

The post Teva Pharmacueticals’ Morning-After Pill Kept Locked Up by US Ruling appeared first on Green Prophet.

The idea is commendable – get contraception into the hands of those who want to prevent unwanted pregnancy but cannot afford or don’t have access to it. With all things environmental, however, the devil is in the details, and in the case of a newly launched website that intends to be conscious about contraception, a sweeping case of greenwashing may be putting chemicals into chemistry, instead of the other way around. Fortunately, as front runners for ecosex, we recommend better contraception options.

The company, Conscious Contraception calls itself a, “globally conscious organization delivering contraceptives directly to the consumer through the convenient and discreet online store.” They partner with US and international companies to promote sex education, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies.

They state that a portion of every purchase will be donated to purchase contraception for under-served communities in the United States and abroad. You can read their full mission statement here.

No specific mention is made of the Middle East region, though Greenprophet.com reported recently on a condom company that is focused on Africa, including MENA nations.

Whether or not they are able to “transform customers into benefactors” by setting up their site, some very real problems persist, less with the model, and more with the products sold.

For example, many makers of personal lubrication massage oils and body creams that are sold use ingredients in their products that can irritate the skin, particularly the delicate genital area.  In addition to irritation, petrobased chemicals in personal use products are associated with rash, fatigue, cutaneous skin lesions, internal lesions, nerve degeneration, thrush and candida infections, inflammation, and myalgia.  Some forms of glycerin can lead to yeast infections in women: vegetable-based glycerin is thought by some to be a better option.

Case in point: both Astroglide and KY Jelly brands manufacture and sell lubricants that contain petrochemicals including, but not exclusively or limited to Polyquaternium 15, methylparaben, and propylparaben, propylene glycol.

The Organic Consumers Organization lists ten synthetic chemicals to avoid in personal use, with explanations for why these are potentially harmful, noxious or toxic. Greenprophet.com has also reported on toxic products to avoid in The Ins and Outs of Eco-Friendly Vaginal Lubrication.

In that article, we wrote:

Compounds to avoid include, but are not limited to the following: Any benzene derivatives such as sodium benzoate, methyl, ethyl and propylparaben, and benzoate of soda. Boric acid, salicylates and cinnamic aldehyde (an ingredient used in ‘hot’ lubricants) are also problematic. For a more complete list, click here and here. These are often used as solvents or preservatives.

Other concerns include the types of condoms sold. While condoms are known to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (a good thing), it’s important to view their use through environmental lenses if we want to fully evaluate their ecosexual impact. What are they made of? Natural rubber latex that is naturally and sustainably harvested is a better choice than those made of artificial materials known to irritate vaginal tissue (unless someone has an allergy to latex).  Companies such as LoveBeginsWithL.com are working to provide better condoms, prophylactics that are manufactured to higher standards that do less to compromise the health of the planet and lovers alike.

Our bottom line ecosexual green assessment: No matter how many free products or educational resources they may provide, any website that calls itself conscious but sells products containing potentially harmful ingredients is potentially misleading consumers and the disadvantaged to think that the options are environmentally optimal.

In my opinion, there is nothing ecosexually more discouraging than companies who use environmental slogans to sell us products that do not help us make love more organically. A green collar economy requires businesses to consider all facets of the products and services sold. In the case of contraception, better options would be to at a minimum include products that are environmentally safe, sustainably harvested and prevent pregnancy without compromising health or sexual pleasure. Educational programs that provide information regarding the ecological impact of the products offered would be an additional value-added service.

For those who are interested in learning more about contraception from an eco-conscious point of view, we recommend reading How do Treehumpers Prevent Pregnancy? and Ecosex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable (2010), by Stefanie Iris Weiss.

Read More Ecosexual Health News:
The Ins and Outs of Eco-Friendly Vaginal Lubrication
GM Foods Shrinking Reproductive Health in Womb Near You
Ecosexual Condom ‘Company Love Begins with L’ Empowering Third World Sexual Health

Tinamarie is a regular contributor to Greenprophet.com. Follow her @ModernLoveMuse. She blogs at www.tinamariebernard.com. Photo via: dno1967b

The post Is Conscious Contraception Site Selling a Bag of Toxic Tricks? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Islam’s Zabiha method of slaughter came in the line of fire this year when Holland banned ritual slaughter. When one hears counter arguments from animal rights activists and even Muslims who live vegetarian lifestyles, the idea of killing another creature can seem unnecessary, cruel and inorganic, especially in a religious context. Yet, the Islamic faith recognises these concerns and answers them. Traditionally, Muslims carry out a meat Qurbaan (sacrifice) every year for the Eid-ul-Adha festival and slaughter animals for food using the zabiha method any other time.

What can Muslims eat? Why is pork prohibited? And what makes meat zabiha? In Islam’s holy scripture, the Quran, God tells people,

“Forbidden to you (for food) are dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah [God], that which has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death, that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal, unless you are able to slaughter it (in due form).” (Quran, 5:3)

A Muslim’s Meat Is Always Zabiha
For Muslims, animal slaughter is a straight forward concept. Known in Islamic law as zabiha (ذبيحة‎), the word literally means ‘slaughter’ and goes hand-in-hand with animal welfare and moral purification.

Does Islam promote Animal rights?
Prophet Muhammad of Islam was a big advocator of animal rights. Popular narrations demonstrate how providing water to a thirsty dog, feeding a stray cat and guarding a bird’s nest of eggs are actions of merit. Like his predecessors, Prophets Moses and Jesus, Prophet Muhammad was a shepherd – of sheep – and thus trained in a preserving awareness to ‘guide’ his flock towards health and conservation.

When being asked about the importance of quenching the dog’s thirst, Prophet Muhammad told people, “every kind act to the animal is rewarded”.

He also told people,

“Do not overload them (animals), do not treat them badly, do not tie them and shoot them (tying with intent to kill)”. *Hadith mentioned in Imam Muslim.

Animal welfare in Islam is extended to the slaughter process. A sharp knife is required for a single, efficient cut and so the animal “does not feel pain”. Muslims believe animals are ‘alive’ like plants but they do not have a soul like humans. Animals are acutely aware of what’s going on around them. Thus, Prophet Muhammad showed a concern for emotional stability saying “do not kill one animal in front of the other, and do not kill the animal twice.” *Hadith mentioned in Imam Muslim, read more on Wikipedia.

How Muslims Slaughter Animals
When an animal is slaughtered following the zabiha method, only the windpipe and 4 blood vessels are cut with a single slice. For one school of thought in Islam, the gullet (oesophagus) must also be cut. The knife must reach the back of the throat and the head must remain intact. No other harm to the animal’s body is allowed, which was an animal concern by Princess Ali of Jordan in the run before Eid.

Animals chosen for Islamic Qurbaan, the Eid-ul-Adha sacrifice ending the Hajj pilgrimage, need extra checks. If an animal is blind, lame, deaf, disfigured through mutilation or unhealthy, it cannot be used for the sacrifice. The idea behind this is to follow the Abrahamic footsteps by giving up the best, strongest and healthiest meat to distribute amongst the poor.

The spinal cord is not cut and should not be damaged, otherwise the nerves leading to the heart may get severed causing the animal to go under cardiac arrest.

As the spinal cord remains intact, the heart is still beating, preventing stagnation and allowing a constant flow of blood from the body until death. Since blood is forbidden for consumption in Islam, it’s important to see that the blood is completely drained.

Ask any medical student and they will tell you blood is the carrier of germs and bacteria. Slitting an animal’s throat precisely and sharply emits most of the bacteria from the flow. This keeps the meat healthier and fresher for longer.

4 Ethical Zabiha Principles You Need To Know

1) Animal freedom and organic living

The animal that is going to be sacrificed should be raised to graze freely, treated well, given food and water on the day of slaughter. When brought forward, the animal needs to be kept calmed. Its eyes are covered and it is laid down on the ground. Typically, no other instruments or pressure is involved, and the event is not shown to other animals. Organic Muslim butchers from America, Mercy Halal, have filmed Islam’s zabiha method quite stunningly on their farm. The second video showing the actual slaughter is graphic.

2) Animals allowed in Islamic law

Muslims only eat animals that are herbivores, leading a vegetarian life. Animals shot, killed by accident, birds of prey, pork and porcine substances and roadkill are not halal. Pork in particular is forbidden for major health reasons; while the animal itself is seen as a creature of God, it will eat practically anything put in front of it including excrement and is a carrier of many diseases. Amongst the animals Islam permits for slaughter are: cattle – cows, buffalo, poultry – chicken, pigeons, duck and others, deer, goats, sheep, rabbits. Fish are halal by default.

3) Sanitised sharp tools

The knife intended for the slaughter needs to be sterile and for no irritation, sharpened, but not in front of the animal. Gloves are recommended, as well as a clean workspace with access to water.

4) A Muslim prayer before slaughter

Before slaughtering the animal, Islam asks for the person performing it to be a mature Muslim, and to read a prayer in God’s name, saying “Bismillah” (in the name of God) and “Allahu akbar” (God is Greater). Without the “bismillah”, the animal is not halal for eating.

Do Animals Feel Pain?
One of the major reasons for vegetarianism from the eco-Rabbi and arguments heard from animal rights campaigners is the view that animals feel pain, and as another species, should not be killed without need. Islam holds the view that while animals do feel pain and need loving treatment, the zabiha method does not tolerate any unecessary pain or fear.

For correct slaughter, it is the blood vessels in the animals’ throat that are cut, along with the nerves responsible for pain. Due to a gush of blood, the animal’s muscles contract and relax. When done properly, there is no pain involved in zabiha slaughter. The animal is not writhing in pain, it is simply dying a painless death.

Zabiha Meat – But It Is Halal?
In a nutshell, ‘zabiha’ is the name given to the method of slaughtering an animal by a believer reading a prayer in God’s name. But halal (حلال‎) is the description for products that are permissible by God and which include people’s welfare. Therefore, halal products are also healthy, sustainable and good for you.

A table format breaks down the zabiha method on Green Zabiha, organic and halal meat farmers in America.

In many areas of the less developed world where Muslims are the dominant population, one will find animals being injected with an infamous hormone to fatten them up. DES, Diacecerol Beseserol, is used by farmers to quicken the muscle growth and get more sales for the zabiha flesh. This meat is haram.

Additional preservatives and electrical stunning affect the nervous system of the animal, which Halal Monitoring Committee explains, would also not be considered halal. Figures suggest as high as 80% of worldwide meat is injected with hormones and according to European Union’s Scientific Committee, artificial growth hormones in meat pose a potential risk to human’s health and reproductive system, Sustainable Table reports.

All carginogenic hormones injected into animals – even if slaughtered by the zabiha method, make the animal haram.

The animal is zabiha, but it’s not halal.

What a Muslim Vegetarian Looks Like
Islam does not compel its followers to eat meat. A Muslim can be a great believer and remain a pure vegetarian. But God has given Muslims permission to eat non-vegan food (meat, dairy products, fish, poultry). In the Quran it says, “…Lawful for you are the animals of grazing livestock except for that which is recited to you [in this Qur’an]…” (Chapter 5, verse 1). The Quran also says there are “numerous benefits” to eating meat, which is why most Muslims browse the worldwide restaurant guide Zabiha.com to enjoy a good burger, halal hot-dog and lamb kebab.

Indian Muslim scholar and public speaker Dr Zakir Naik, writes in his book, Non-Vegetarian Food, Permitted or Prohibited for Human Beings?, about the health benefits to the Islamic method of slaughter,

“If the Islamic guidelines are followed and slaughter is done through the Islamic method of Zabiha, blood is removed, hormones are not given, the food is cooked well, hygienic conditions are developed and pork is avoided; most of the (carried) diseases can be prevented.” – Dr Zakir Naik.

More on green halal lifestyles:
10 Easy Ways To Eat More Halal
ARC To Revive Faith In Food
7 Tips for a Sustainable Eid-ul-Adha Festival
Interview With Green Hajj Expert Dr Husna Ahmed

The post If It’s Not Organic, It’s Not Halal (4 Ethical Zabiha Principles) appeared first on Green Prophet.

New animal research is significant: Chronic estrogen exposure leads to a build up of a compound in the brain that causes blood pressure to rise.

For years, women were told that the estrogen they consumed in the form of contraception or hormone replacement therapy had heart-protective benefits. Recent research suggested otherwise: long-term exposure to estrogen was linked to higher blood pressure in women, but the connection wasn’t fully understood. Now the link is becoming clearer, thanks to research at Michigan State University (MSU).

What should women in the Middle East know about hormones and their health? It’s a complicated answer, but of this, we are sure: Ecosexuality advocates are moving away from their use, opting for natural means to regulate our reproductive health, fertility and wellbeing.

The researchers at MSU found that long-term estrogen exposure generates excessive levels of a compound, superoxide, which causes stress in the body. The build-up of this compound occurs in an area of the brain called the rostral ventrolateral medulla, a region in the brain stem involved with the maintenance of blood pressure and associated with hypertension and heart failure. Their findings suggest that chronic estrogen induces a build up of superoxide that in turn causes blood pressure to increase. The study also found that the anti-oxidant resveratrol reverses the increase in both superoxide and blood pressure.

The study, Chronic Estradiol-17β Exposure Increases Superoxide Production in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla (RVLM) and Causes Hypertension: Reversal by Resveratrol,” appeared in the American Journal of Physiology — Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, published by the American Physiological Society. The two-phase study in rats found that chronic exposure to estrogen caused a significant increase of superoxide in this brain region, and increased blood pressure as a result.

According to ScienceDaily.com:

In an interview, lead study author Dr. P.S. MohanKumar said, “This is an important study on at least two levels. First, it continues to confirm the negative effect that long-term estrogen exposure has for females. Second, it provides a new rationale for how and why this relationship occurs.”

Dr. MohanKumar continued, “Because so many women use estrogen-only HRT to combat the effects of menopause, it is imperative that we better understand the risks that chronic exposure has for females and why these effects occur. In studies such as this we come one step closer to clarifying the relationship and have established a launch pad for identifying how the process might be interrupted in the future.”

In a previous column, we discussed why eco-savvy author and researcher, Stefanie Iris Weiss suggests alternatives to hormones for birth control (something she covers more thoroughly in her 2010 book, Eco-Sex). In addition to health concerns such as those shown above, the increased use of hormones by women and agribusiness are linked to precocious puberty in young girls, the feminization of males in certain species, and the contamination of our water sources.

What should women inclined to family planning do? There are other more eco-friendly options, which we cover in the blog, How do Tree-Humpers Prevent Pregnancy? Bottom line: Access to adequate family planning and safe contraception are central to the philosophy of ecosexuality, and the decision about what is best rests upon an informed citizenry.

:: Image credit

Read more on eco-sexuality issues:

The Ins and Outs of Personal Vaginal Lubrication

How Do Tree-Humpers Prevent Pregnancy?

Natural Herbs for Breast Health and Enhancement

New Rx For Growing the Brain: S.E.X.

You can follow Tinamarie on @ModernLoveMuse and facebook. She blogs at www.tinamariebernard.com.

The post Estrogen Exposure Raises Blood Pressure Via the Brain appeared first on Green Prophet.

Britain’s Daily Mail reports that women in England have larger breasts than even a generation ago. Women (and men) are getting fatter, but obesity alone does not account for most of the increase: Women are exhibiting a greater cup size in relation to the rest of their bodies.One theory suggests that they have simply begun wearing a properly sized bra. Women tend to choose bras with a larger band, when they really need a larger cup. Bravissimo, a bra manufacturer, recently began producing their largest cup size ever, “L”. But the increase in size can’t be attributed to poor fit alone. In the 50’s, the average woman wore a size B cup. Now she’s gone up to a C.

Dr Marilyn Glenville, a nutritionist ­specialising in women’s health and hormones, says: “It’s clear that we’re not just talking about fat, but increased levels of breast ­tissue, too.

“So we have to look at what stimulates breast tissue growth — and that’s estrogen, the female sex hormone. ­Estrogen is what changes our body shape during puberty.”

Glenville explains how it’s nearly impossible for a woman to avoid exposure to different forms of estrogen in the environment that affect sexual development:

• This generation of women was born to the first group of moms who took the pill for long periods. We don’t yet know how this increased amount of estrogen in a mother’s system affects the fetus.
• Putting off pregnancy, and shortened periods of breastfeeding, lead to more menstrual cycles and thus more estrogen. We know that women who take estrogen after menopause as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) see a breast increase of one or two cup sizes.
• The presence of xenoestrogens, a synthetic type of super-estrogen, has been found in British rivers. These hormones, which most likely come from urine of women using estrogen for birth control and HRT, have led to a decrease in male sperm count. These hormones may affect women as well, including increased breast size. The xenoestrogens have been found in Israeli waters as well.
• Bisphenol A (or BPA) is widely used in the ­manufacture of tinned food, drinks cans, plastic bottles, glass jars, ­electronic equipment and till receipts — to name but a few items. They are also present in deodorants, cosmetics, make-up and moisturizers.
• Modern farming methods mean that much of the milk we drink comes from pregnant cows, which produce more estrogen.
• A sedentary lifestyle means that modern women may metabolize hormones less quickly.

How about the Middle East? It’s hard to find statistics, but Israeli women appear concerned about small breast size, with a 700 percent increase in the number of breast enhancement surgeries since 2007. The number of breast reductions, which is  mainly performed to reduce back pain, has remained stable during the same period. Breast enhancement is popular in Saudi Arabia, too, where a recent Islamic ruling allows it.

::Daily Mail

More green posts on hormones and the environment:

What is Causing Breast Growth in Chinese Toddlers?

Environmental Toxin Dioxin Affects Milk Production in Mice – What Does This Mean For Us Humans?

Image via glenpooh

The post Are Hormones in the Environment Making Women’s Breasts Larger? appeared first on Green Prophet.

When was the last time you checked the ingredients in your baby’s formula?

A mystery is unfolding in the central area of Wuhan and the capital of Beijing in China, where 4 formula-fed babies and toddlers began growing breasts. Tests showed abnormally high levels of estradiol and prolactin in the baby’s blood. Could it happen in the Middle East, where formulas have been retracted before?

Israel saw infant deaths in 2003 when a run of Remedia brand soy formula lacked Vitamin B1. And in February of this year, dangerous bacteria led to a recall of batches of formula manufactured in Turkey and marketed in Middle Eastern countries.

Tainted milk led to the deaths of six infants in China in 2008. 300,000 babies developed kidney stones from the addition of melamine, a cheap substance that mimicked milk protein in quality tests.

It’s assumed that the breast development in China is related to infant formula, although analysis of the formula did not uncover excess hormones. AOL reports that contrary to early claims, not all of the affected children drank the same type of formula. Still, the manufacturers may have bought raw ingredients from the same source.

Hormones fed to cows could be the cause of the problem (although estrogen would inhibit milk production), as could foods that the mothers ingested during pregnancy. Other environmental problems may also contribute to the cause.

Hormones, pesticides and antibiotics in our food supply can cause health problems that are not easy to track and formula-fed infants who eat the same manufactured food every day are most vulnerable to problems.

Sometimes the effects are obvious, such as when a vitamin is missing. At other times, well-designed studies are needed to uncover risks of formula feeding that include higher chance of developing diabetes, ear infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses.

While pesticides consumed by humans also find their way into breastmilk, breastfeeding continues to be the best way of ensuring quality control for the smallest members of the planet.

Image source: Time

Information source: Time and AOL

Related Green Posts by Hannah Katsman:

Breastfeeding and Keeping Up with Supply and Demand

Breastfeed Your Baby in a Hijab: Public Breastfeeding in the Middle East

Ten Kid-Friendly Foods Using Leftovers

The post What is Causing Breast Growth in Chinese Toddlers? appeared first on Green Prophet.