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http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_503000/503781.stm
Soya beans linked to developmental damage
Soya beans may affect foetal development
BBC News Online - Health
Wednesday, November 3, 1999
Pregnant women who eat a diet high in soya beans may
increase the risk of long-term developmental damage in
their children, researchers have found.
Soya beans contain compounds called phytoestrogens or
isoflavones, that have been found to mimic the effects of
the female sex hormone oestrogen.
These effects may help to prevent a range of conditions
including the unpleasant symptoms of the menopause.
But scientists at the Third International Symposium on the
Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease in
Washington DC were told the impact on foetuses and children
could be negative.
A team from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center presented data from
two studies - one on animals and one on humans - to the
conference.
Organising tissue development
Dr Claude Hughes, director of the Center for Women's Health
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said sex hormones appeared
to play an important role in organising the development of
tissues early in life.
He said: "These hormones influence the way the brain is
organised, the way the reproductive organs and cells
develop, even the way immune function develops.
"Therefore, if mom is eating something or has in her body
fat something that can act like sex hormones, it is logical
to wonder if that could change the baby's development."
The researchers analysed amniotic fluid samples of 54
pregnant women from the Los Angeles area.
They found that about 80% of the foetuses were exposed to
phytoestrogens at levels up to 180 times the norm.
The amniotic fluid samples were taken during routine
amniocentesis between 16 and 20 weeks of gestation - after
a baby's organs have formed but during a critical stage of
development.
The researchers tested the impact of exposure to
phytoestrogen by feeding them to pregnant rats at a similar
stage of their pregnancy.
'Masculinising' effect
The phytoestrogen had a "masculinising" effect on both the
male and female rat foetuses.
Male rat pups also experienced early onset of puberty.
Dr Hughes said the rat experiment was likely to give some
indication of the effect of phytoestrogens on human
foetuses.
He said: "There is no reason to assume that there will be
gross malformations of foetuses but there may be subtle
changes, such as neurobehavioral attributes, immune
function, and sex hormone levels."
"There are many long-term health questions that come about
when the little clocks in our heads are changed. There may
be subtle things occurring and we don't know it.
"Or it could be that humans are much more resistant to
these effects than are other animals, and this is not an
issue. We will not know until we get the data."
~~~~~~~
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_613000/613396.stm
Sex drive warning to vegetarians and elderly
BBC News Online - Health
Friday, 21 January, 2000
The decrease in bioavailable testosterone can then
result in declines in sexual function and red cell
mass, and contribute to the loss of bone density
--Dr Christopher Longcope
Elderly and vegetarian men are being warned about the effect
of low protein diets on their sex lives in later years.
Researchers say people who do not eat enough protein are at
risk of low testosterone levels which can cause a decline in
sexual function as well as muscle loss, reduced red blood
cells and damage to bones.
People who do not eat meat are particularly at risk, because
animal products are good sources of high biological value
proteins.
As well as vegetarians and vegans who choose not to eat
animal products, the elderly are known to eat less meat
because of loss of appetite in later years and difficulty
with chewing.
Dr Christopher Longcope, of the University of Massachusetts
medical school, says his latest findings mean the elderly in
particular should be counselled about the importance of
eating enough protein.
He found that low protein diets lead to increases in sex
hormone-binding globulin in older men, which reduces the
availability of testosterone.
Sex hormone levels
Dr Longcope and colleagues looked at globulin levels in 1,552
men aged between 40 and 70. Protein and fibre intake levels
were significant contributors to sex hormone levels, as were
age and body mass, they said in The Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and Metabolism.
He said: "The decrease in bioavailable testosterone can then
result in declines in sexual function and red cell mass, and
contribute to the loss of bone density."
And high protein diets could increase the available
testosterone, though further research into this areas was
needed, he said.
Denise Parish, a dietician at the University Hospital of
Wales in Cardiff, said it was known that low protein diets
caused muscle loss, but the link with testosterone had not
previously been made.
She added: "In the elderly population, people tend to have
lower protein intake because of poor denticulation, which
means they can't eat as much meat, and poorer appetite. The
same is the case for vegetarians and vegans."
She said foods such as textured vegetable proteins, soya,
pulses and rice and bread were good providers of protein for
these groups of people.
A spokeswoman for the Vegan Society said there was not
usually a problem of low protein intake for vegans, who do
not eat meat or dairy products.
"It is just sensible to eat a varied diet," she said. "As
long as you are doing that, you will be fine."
Internet links:
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
http://www.scherago.com/endo_journals/jcem.html
~~~~~~~
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_286000/286265.stm
Vegetarian diet linked to genital defects
A vegetarian diet may put babies at risk
by BBC Bristol health correspondent Matthew Hill
BBC News Online - Health
Thursday, February 25, 1999
A vegetarian diet could be responsible for genital
defects in baby boys, according to BBC-funded research
carried out by scientists in Bristol.
Researchers found that boys born to vegetarian mums are
five times more likely to suffer from hypospadias, a
condition that effects the male urethra. The urethra is
the tube that carries the urine from the bladder to an
external opening.
In males, the urethra should open at the tip of the
penis. If the urethra opens below the tip of the penis,
this is called hypospadias.
There are various grades of hypospadias depending on how
far down the shaft of the penis the urethral opening is
located.
The only way to correct this is with surgery, which is
usually performed at one to two years of age.
Children with hypospadias should never be circumsized as
the foreskin may be used to repair the hypospadias.
Hypospadias is very painful, often combined with
undescended testicles and could lead to testicular
cancer.
The number of cases of hypospadias has doubled in the
past 30 years.
The increase mirrors an increase in other problems with
the male reproductive system such as low sperm count,
undescended testicles and testicular cancer.
The research was carried out by Bristol University's
"Children of the 90s" Project which is investigating the
health of 14,000 children born at the start of this
decade.
The researchers found 51 boys suffering from
hypospadias.
Pesticides implicated
They believe that a vegetarian diet alone is unlikely to
cause hypospadias.
But they think vegetarians are probably eating more of
something that is to blame -- soya is a suspect.
According to the researchers, the defect may be caused
by crop pesticides or naturally occurring chemicals
called phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens are generally thought to be behind
hormonal imbalances leading to defects.
The researchers say that more investigations are needed
before the link can be properly established.
Project leader Professor Jean Golding says: "We know
that vegetables are good for all sorts of reasons and we
are certainly not advocating that people stop eating
vegetables.
"We think, however, that such studies may help us find
answers to this distressing condition.
"It is potentially disastrous for the human race, and it
is important that it is addressed early."
Professor Golding said the majority of mothers of
affected boys were meat-eaters, but proportionately
vegetarian mothers were at greater risk of producing a
boy with the condition.
Kym Godier, 32, of Wells, Somerset, began a parents'
national support group after her son Thomas was born
with the hypospadias defect.
Thomas, now three, had corrective surgery and is "fine",
says his mother.
She said: "I was shocked and confused when I heard of
this condition as there seemed no-one to turn to for
explanation.
"I was surprised to hear that vegetarians were more at
risk as you generally think of them leading a healthier
lifestyle."
.
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