HSS 4102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Endocrine Disruptor, Testicular Cancer, Phytoestrogens
Document Summary
More than 160 lipids from 100 plants have estrogenic activity. Phytoestrogens are found in soybeans, chickpeas, barley, flaxseeds and broccoli. The rhizobium attracting flavonoids are phytoestrogens can be disrupted by pollutants such as ddt, pentachlorophenol and bpa. Affect number of nodules that are formed and delays their growth. Phytoestrogens can also bind to mammalian estrogen receptors, especially erb and can change reproduction, fertility, and behaviour (ex. Doses are important and different species react to different phytoestrogens. Genistein in soybeans binds to the era and erb. Can have both beneficial or detrimental effects: protects against cancer good, decreases hcg and progesterone bad. Too much genistein affects male sperm counts. Phthalates, used in plastic, binds to estrogen receptors. They have been linked to thyroid abnormalities and changes in male fertility. May have anti-androgenic effects decrease ano-genital distance in boys. Over the last two decades there is an increase in testicular cancer and a decrease in sperm counts in industrialized world 2%/year.