Why Puberty Is Occurring In Seven and Eight Year Old Girls

Written by Sarah Cain Wednesday, 11 August 2010 12:33

The New York Times reported on a study which shows that puberty is occurring in much younger girls than previous generations.  In fact, girls are more likely to be growing breasts by the age of 7 or 8.  This trend has been continuing for a long time, and researchers have been puzzled by it.  The researchers in a recent study came closer to pinning down a cause, but never specifically mentioned a single factor that would cause this development.

"It's certainly throwing up a warning flag... I think we need to think about the stuff we're exposing our bodies to and the bodies of our kids.  This is a wake-up call, and I think we need to pay attention to it."

— Dr Frank Biro, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Chemicals which alter hormones are everywhere.  They are in our foods, and the toys that our children play with.  Bisphenol-A (BPA) has become very controversial in recent years, because it is known to disrupt the hormones, thus leading to earlier puberty onset, and problems during pregnancy.  It has also been implicated for causing brain damage, cancer, diabetes, and heart problems.  This chemical has been found in the urine of 90% of Americans.  It is in drinking bottles, clear plastic containers, aluminum cans and aluminum drinking containers (they have a BPA-lining).  BPA is an ingredient that is never labeled.

However, that is only the beginning.  Milk that contains growth hormones can also effect the development, particularly in areas that are hormone-related.  Avoiding growth hormones can be difficult, and it is not as easy as just buying rBGH-free milk.  After all, milk is present in butter, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, and more.  Most of those products are not easily available with "rBGH-free" labeling, which is currently the only way for shoppers to be certain of its absence.  It is likewise important for people to buy organic meats, to avoid these hormones.  Organic meats taste better, are less fatty, and are far healthier.  It is worth noting that r-BGH has been banned throughout the majority of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan.  Here in America, Monsanto owns the regulators.

Air fresheners and other fragrances have also been shown to cause hormone disruption, particularly when they contain phthalates.  Phthalates are hormone disruptor's which are known to cause birth defects, infertility, and reduced sperm production.  They are sometimes even incredibly found in air fresheners that are labeled, "All Natural" and "Unscented".  It is best to avoid perfumes and air fresheners completely, particularly if you have children, because we have repeatedly verified that the manufacturers cannot be trusted to honestly disclose ingredients.  In addition, it is health wyze to purchase laundry detergents which are specifically labeled "Phthalate-free".

Like B.P.A., pesticides have long been implicated as endocrine disruptors, which means that they mimic hormones of the body, leading to long-term health problems.  DDT was first shown to have this effect, but with each study, modern pesticides are revealing the same traits.  That could be due to the fact that a lot of pesticides currently used are derived from DDT.  Therefore, buying organic is vitally important, in order to protect your family.

Soy is present in almost all processed foods, despite its dangers.  It contains estrogen-like compounds which compete with the body's own hormones, causing problems with reproduction and growth.  All soy is poisonous in its natural state.  It is genetically modified and industrially processed into being less-toxic, but the health effects are still unconscionable.  It stimulates cancers, as well as hormonal disorders like endometriosis.  We shall not list all of the dangers of soy in this article, so we strongly recommend that everyone read, Toxic Cooking Oils Redux: Lies and Deceptions Of Cooking Oils and Their Labeling.  Note that it is vitally important that you make your own bread, if you are to avoid soy.

Until labeling becomes mandatory for all of these chemicals, children will continue to be exposed to them, without the consent of their parents.  It is no mystery why puberty is happening earlier, infertility is common, and breast cancer is on the rise.  Worse is the fact that a lack of labeling on products containing these chemicals makes studying their effects difficult for researchers.  It is difficult to examine the long-term effects of these chemicals on children when there is no record of their exposure.

Meanwhile, the chemical industry will continue to contest meaningful labeling regulations, so it is the responsibility of citizens to demand labeling on BPA, phthalates, rBGH, GMOs, and irradiated foods.  Without labeling, we are unwilling guinea pigs in governmentally-approved experiments for Monsanto.

 

Related Articles

B.P.A. Is In Metal Food Containers Too, Because It Was Intentionally Put There -- To Make Them "Safe"

The C.D.C.'s 2009 National Reports on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Poisons)

Your Metal Drinking Bottle Is Probably A Toxic Plastic Bottle In Disguise

Poisonous Plastic Containers

Basic Tips For Being Healthy

How Air Fresheners Are Killing You

How Monsanto Prevents Companies From Being Honest About r-BGH Milk

Toxic Cooking Oils Redux: Lies and Deceptions Of Cooking Oils and Their Labeling

Why We Bought A Bread Maker, and Why You Definitely Should Too