New study suggests link between environmental toxins and early onset puberty in

[Guest guest]

Public release date: 6-Feb-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/ehs-nss020608.php

Contact: Brigid Huey

journal.pediatrics@...

513-636-7140

Elsevier Health Sciences

New study suggests link between environmental toxins and early onset

puberty in girls

Cincinnati, February 6, 2008 – Although scientists have speculated

over the negative effects of environmental toxins for years, new

data suggest that certain environmental toxins may disrupt the

normal growth and hormonal development of girls. Some of these

toxins, such as the mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEA) produced by the

Fusarium fungus species, can be found naturally in the environment,

have properties similar to the female reproductive hormone estrogen,

and are also structurally similar to anabolic growth agents used in

animal breeding. A new study scheduled for publication in The

Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain mycoestrogens may be

directly linked to the early onset of sexual development in young

girls.

Dr. Francesco Massart and colleagues from the University of Pisa in

Italy studied a group of girls affected by the early onset of

puberty, or central precocious puberty (CPP), from the North-West

region of Tuscany. They undertook the study to explain why this area

has a much higher than average incidence of CPP. The authors tested

the girls for mycoestrogens to see if environmental toxins were a

factor in the girls' premature sexual development.

Six of the 17 girls with CPP were found to have elevated levels of

ZEA. According to Dr. Massart, " Although this finding might be

incidental, ZEA may be related to CPP occurrence in girls exposed to

mycoestrogens. However, the presence of ZEA pollution could not

explain the epidemic of CPP in the region, suggesting that other

environmental factors such as herbicides and pesticides may be

involved. "

The authors also noted that because of its chemical resemblance to

some anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding, ZEA may promote

accelerated growth in exposed children. Though the researchers were

unable to identify a definitive cause of the high rates of CPP in

this region of Tuscany, the study identifies the need for more

research into the possible negative effects of environmental

pollutants on children.

###

The study is reported in " High Growth Rate of Girls with Precocious

Puberty Exposed to Estrogenic Mycotoxins " by Francesco Massart, MD,

PhD, Valentina Meucci, VD, PhD, Giuseppe Saggese, MD, and Giulio

Soldani, MD. The article appears in The Journal of Pediatrics, DOI:

10.1016/j.peds.2007.10.020, published by Elsevier.

[Guest guest]

This kind of thing is also caused by many other toxins. Part of it is

hormonal, some mycotoxins mimic estrogen, but I can't help

but wonder if part of it may be natural in the sense that the body,

aware that one's lifetime is going to be shortened by a hostile

environment, accelerates sexual maturity in the hope that the species

would still survive in that hostile environment until a brighter,

safer future arrives for future generations.

On Feb 6, 2008 7:24 PM, tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

>

> Public release date: 6-Feb-2008

>

> http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/ehs-nss020608.php

>

> Contact: Brigid Huey

> journal.pediatrics@...

> 513-636-7140

> Elsevier Health Sciences

>

> New study suggests link between environmental toxins and early onset

> puberty in girls

>