>Sometime ago I received a query regarding whether chemical
contaminants can cause early puberty in children.
Bear with me two summary paragraphs before sharply-agriculture-relevant
comment.
The thyroid-hormonal health of the mother, and premature birth can also be
factors, indicating that the problems created by endocrine disruption can
have a complex history and be long lived. A girl with early puberty is more
likely to have her thymus weakened (down-regulating thyroid) by high
estrogen levels, with potential for next generation consequences again.
I think part of the problem in pinning down the guilt of the so-called
endocrine disrupting chemicals is that they are not alone in guilt. Some
commonplace conventionally wise diet items, notably the unsaturated oils,
contribute to endocrine disruption, in my view.
This kind of potential cause of a problem has an impact on thinking about
healthy agriculture. We may strive as we might to produce an organic oil
seed crop, but this will not alter the fact that the product is better as a
paint thinner or food for creatures with different stomachs than as human
food.
These thoughts can be supported by citations, on request.
Dennis Argall
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