Understanding Sperm Quality and Its Impact on 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.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Dr. Shanna Swan

00:02:58 Sponsors: LMNT, ROKA & BetterHelp

00:06:49 Environmental Chemicals, Fertility, Hormones, Phthalates

00:13:30 Phthalate Syndrome, Animal Data, Male Offspring

00:19:11 Phthalate Syndrome in Humans, Pregnancy & Babies

00:27:30 Hyenas; Phthalate Syndrome in Males

00:32:49 Sponsor: AG1

00:34:22 Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Mothers & Female Offspring

00:39:03 Anogenital Distance & Sperm Count

00:45:03 Sperm Count & Fertility

00:49:24 Sponsor: Function

00:51:11 Sperm Count Decline

00:58:19 Sperm Quality & Pesticides

01:04:12 Atrazine, Amphibians, Sexual Dimorphism, Behavior

01:09:00 Preschoolers, Phthalate Exposure, Sexually Dimorphic Behaviors

01:14:08 Tools: Lowering Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors, Fertility

01:24:52 Tools: BPA, BPS, BPF & Can Linings; Drinkware; Plastics & Microwave

01:30:07 Tools: Buying Organic; Skin Products, Fragrance; Sunscreens, Consumer Guides

01:32:58 Funding

01:34:31 Tools: Distilling Water, Shoes, Clothing, Food Sourcing; Building Materials

01:40:12 Europe vs. US Chemical Safety, REACH Program

01:46:20 Tool: Pregnancy & Fetal Health

01:49:23 Plastics & Environmental Concern; Fertility

01:55:26 Sperm Quality, Fertility, Cell Phone, Temperature

01:58:04 Other Animals & Fertility Decline, Ecosystems

02:01:58 Advancing Technologies, Fertility, Offspring & Adverse Effects

02:06:02 Tool: Consumer Guides, Personal & Household Products

02:09:39 Tool: Receipts; Thyroid System; Non-Stick Pans

02:15:18 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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