Phthalate warning: Medications contain chemicals that feminize unborn baby boys

[Guest guest]

http://www.naturalnews.com/027514_phthalates_feminization.html

In a bombshell finding that has far-reaching implications for society and

culture, scientists at the University of Rochester have found that phthalates --

the chemical found in many vinyl and plastic products -- tends to " feminize "

boys, altering their brains to express more feminine characteristics.. The study

has been published in the Journal of Andrology.

Phthalates are found in vinyl products (including vinyl flooring), PVC shower

curtains, plastic furniture and even in the plastic coating of the insides of

dishwashing machines.

The feminization process happens during pregnancy when phthalate exposure causes

hormone disruptions in the unborn baby. This chemical feminizes males by

disrupting the action of the hormone testosterone.

In this recent study, researchers found a strong correlation between the types

of toys that male children play with and the level of phthalates found in their

mothers when they were pregnant. Researchers discovered that boys exposed to

high levels of phthalates in the womb tend to avoid playing with cars, trains or

toy guns. They also avoided rough play, instead preferring more feminine toys

and activities. (Barbie?)

Phthalates used in pharmaceutical coatingsWhat very few people know about

phthalates is that they are used in the coatings of pharmaceuticals to create

" enteric " coatings. This means that many people taking certain pharmaceuticals

are unknowingly eating phthalates. If expectant mothers take such

pharmaceuticals during pregnancy, they may then feminize their unborn male

babies.

How do we know phthalates are used in pharmaceuticals? This Google Books link

(http://books.google.com/books?id=e7...) shows a page from the Handbook of

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Formulations: Over-the-counter products. In it, a

recipe is given for manufacturing a clear enteric coating. The ingredients are:

Acetone

Purified water

Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose Phthalate

Vanillin

Acetylated Monoglycerides

Alcohol

This combination of highly toxic chemicals is cooked, stirred and then used to

coat pharmaceutical pills that people actually swallow!

Here's a patent that describes the process in more detail:

http://www.wikipatents.com/5723151.html

Phthalates in antidepressant SSRI drugsThese phthalate chemicals are also used

in antidepressant drugs. Here's a patent that describes the process: " Controlled

Release Compositions of an Antidepressant Agent "

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/200...

As the patent explains:

" ...the enteric coating polymer is selected from the group consisting of

cellulose acetate phthalate, polyvinyl acetate phthalate, methacrylicacid

copolymer, cellulose acetate trimellitate, shellac, hydroxypropyl

methylcellulose phthalate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate and

combination thereof. "

Another section says:

" ..the plasticizer is selected from diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, cetyl

alcohol, polyethylene glycol-4000, triethyl citrate, triacetin or propylene

glycol. "

Now here's the real kicker: The drug companies are pushing to have expectant

mothers dosed with antidepressant drugs during pregnancy! This is supposedly to

prevent " post-partum depression " but the real reason is because Big Pharma

simply wants to sell more drugs and pregnant women are the next target on the

list.

But taking these drugs results in toxic phthalate levels in the body that are 50

times greater than a " normal " contamination level. As this study published in

Environmental Health Perspectives explains:

" Select medications might be a source of high exposure to some phthalates, one

of which, DBP, shows adverse developmental and reproductive effects in

laboratory animals. These results raise concern about potential human health

risks, specifically among vulnerable segments of the general population and

particularly pregnant women and children. "

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...)

If expectant mothers are taking more antidepressants coated with phthalates that

cause the feminization of boys, we are going to be looking at the mass

feminization of males in modern society.

Along with this mass feminization, you can expect to see dropping sperm counts

(already happening), increased infertility and the emergence of more feminine

physical characteristics among men.

Many would say this hormonal shift is already underway.

Macho Macho Man! (to quote The Village People)If you look at the transformation

of men in modern society over the last 50 years or so, there appears to be a

measurable trend towards more feminine looks and behavior. NaturalNews doesn't

judge this one way or the other -- it's just an observation of a trend.

We all need to be mindful when discussing this topic due to potential issues

ranging from male " femininity " to homosexuality. There is no indication from

this particular study that phthalate exposure in the womb tends to cause boys to

adhere to any particular sexual orientation, but it's probably a question that

scientists will be asking: Does exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals tend to

alter the behavioral sexual expression of developing babies?

And if so, what's " normal " anyway? Is it normal for boys to grow up playing with

toy guns and fighting all the time? Some might label that an overly-aggressive

expression of testosterone. It is arguably too much testosterone that has landed

our planet in a perpetual state of military conflict, after all. Clearly, this

research brings up some intriguing questions about nutrition, chemical exposure,

sexual orientation and societal norms. It all deserves a tremendous amount of

thoughtful discussion.

In any case, there does seem to be a subtle shift taking place toward the

feminization of men. The full extent of the role of plastics chemicals in this

matter has yet to be understood, but it certainly has an impact.

A recent 326-page report from the State of Denmark, by the way, warns that

today's children are exposed to hundreds of " gender-bender " chemicals found in

products like sunscreen lotions, moisturizing creams, rubber boots and bed

linens (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ea...). The title of the article? " Why

boys are turning into girls... "

Does taking the Pill make feminine men more attractive to women?At the same time

this is going on, there is evidence that women who take birth control pills also

have their hormones unknowingly altered to be more attracted to feminine males.

Here's a fascinating story on this very topic, with lots of example photos of

macho men vs. feminine men:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...

As long as we're on this touchy subject, I might as well mention that PETA

recently ran advertisements claiming that hormones in animal products cause men

to grow " man boobs. " Their campaign slogan is, " Dude looks like a lady.. Lose

the breasts. Go vegetarian. " (http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/...)

These are just a few examples of the complex issues that surface during any

investigation of sexual expression, sexual orientation and the consumption of

chemically-laced foods or medicines. Clearly, what you put in your mouth (or on

your skin) affects your hormone balance, and today's consumers are assaulted

with a bewildering array of toxic chemical substances such as phthalates.

Body care products are another source of phthalatesAs it turns out, foods and

pharmaceuticals may not be the only source of phthalate exposure you need to be

concerned about. Phthalates are also commonly used in personal care products --

especially " baby " products such as baby shampoos, baby lotions and baby powders.

From Wikipedia:

" Body care products containing phthalates are a source of exposure for infants.

The authors of a 2008 study 'observed that reported use of infant lotion, infant

powder, and infant shampoo were associated with increased infant urine

concentrations of [phthalate metabolites], and this association is strongest in

younger infants. These findings suggest that dermal exposures may contribute

significantly to phthalate body burden in this population.' Though they did not

examine health outcomes, they noted that " Young infants are more vulnerable to

the potential adverse effects of phthalates given their increased dosage per

unit body surface area, metabolic capabilities, and developing endocrine and

reproductive systems. "

So even if your baby is born with a macho mustache and leather tool belt already

buckled around his waist, exposure to phthalate chemicals in baby personal care

products might disrupt his hormones and have a feminizing effect.. It's yet

another reason to avoid all conventional personal care products. (Phthalates

aren't the only chemical contaminant found in those toxic products...)

Drink from glass if you want to stay hormonally balancedPhthalates aren't the

only chemicals you need to avoid in plastics -- there's also BPA (Bisphenol-A).

To avoid such gender-bender chemicals, hormonally-aware men like Vitalis

(www.Vitalis.com) drink only from glass containers. They avoid plastics

like the plague. " When you drink bottled water, " Vitalis once told me, " you're

actually drinking a 'plastic tea' beverage. "

And that plastic tea may very well disrupt your hormones, causing strange

biological effects for both men and women. Think about that the next time you

pick up a bottle of water bottled by Coke or Pepsi (Dasani or Aquafina).

If you want to protect your manliness (or your womanhood), stay away from

plastics! Doubly so if you're a soon-to-be mom and you want your child to be

born with unaltered hormone function.

For all the men out there, stay away from pharmaceuticals, since you never know

what sort of bizarre chemical concoctions might be coating those pills..

Swallowing enteric-coated antidepressants may very well lead to the shrinkage of

your precious man junk, causing even more serious depression!

Editor's note: I realize the subjects presented here may create a firestorm of

discussion or debate among NaturalNews readers. For the record, NaturalNews does

not condone the idea that little boys have to play with cars and toy guns to be

considered " normal. " And men don't necessarily have to be macho macho men in

order to be " real " men. There are too many gender stereotypes in society today,

including the idea that little girls have to play with Barbie dolls to be

normal. My personal view is that I honor and respect each individual human being

for who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation, skin color, religious

beliefs, etc. And in terms of gender expression, my own opinion is that parental

messages and societal cues probably have at least as much impact on gender

expression as hormone-disrupting chemicals. Feel free to discuss these topics in

the comment section, below.

Sources for this story include:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalates

Hernández-Díaz S, AA, Kelley KE, Calafat AM, Hauser R (February

2009). " Medications as a potential source of exposure to phthalates in the U.S.

population " . Environ. Health Perspect. 117 (2): 185–9. doi:10.1289/ehp.11766.

PMID 19270786

Love, Gabby. :0)

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