Fertility Rates Around the World Continue to Decline
In the UK, fertility rates have reached their lowest point in decades, and a big contributor to this problem is our growing dependence on plastics.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Fertility rates are declining dramatically in Western countries, with the U.K. hitting its lowest rate since 1938 at 1.44 children per woman in 2023, significantly below replacement level
Microplastics, particularly those containing phthalates and other xenoestrogens, significantly contribute to fertility decline by disrupting the neuroendocrine system and damaging reproductive organs
To reduce microplastic exposure, use glass containers, filter your water, avoid products sold in plastic packaging, choose natural fibers for your clothing and never microwave food in plastic containers
Maintaining the right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats is essential for fertility. To support reproductive health, include omega-3-rich cold-water fish in your diet, and limit omega-6 fat intake to less than 5 grams per day
Additional fertility-boosting strategies include minimizing exposure to toxins, eating organic foods, reducing EMF exposure and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits like exercising regularly
In America, couples who are trying to conceive children are currently struggling. According to the National Institutes of Health, 9% of men and 11% of Americans are experiencing fertility problems.1 And it's not just America experiencing this public health issue. In the U.K., fertility rates have dropped to their lowest point in decades.
Fertility Rates in the UK Are Declining
In a study2 published in BMJ, freelance researcher Matthew Limb laid out the current population problems in a paper succinctly titled, "Fertility Rate in England and Wales Fell to a Record Low in 2023." Limb noted that the current fertility rate is at its lowest since 1938 in the U.K.
Using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the findings show that 591,072 children were born in 2023. This figure is the lowest births recorded since 1977. Placed into another context, the average total fertility rate (TFR) for 2023 was 1.44 children per woman. In 2022, the TFR was 1.49, down from 1.55 in 2021.3
Those numbers are not the only concerning findings. The average age of new parents has also increased — 33.8 years for fathers and 30.9 for mothers, respectively. The largest childbearing age-group in decline was adults in their 20s.
As summarized by Greg Ceely, head of population health monitoring at the ONS, "Looking in more detail at fertility rates among women of different ages, the decline in fertility rates has been the most dramatic in the 20 to 24 and 25 to 29 age groups."4
Current Population Replacement Rate Will Be Unsustainable
What does this mean for the U.K., as well as other countries that have low birth rates? Eventually, their economies will suffer. Take, for example, the population decline currently happening in Japan. In 2008, their population peaked at 128 million, but by 2022, it declined to 125 million. If this trend continues, they will only have 63 million people by 2100.
From an economical perspective, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) will decline as the number of working-age citizens decrease. Small and medium businesses have already started closing because there are no successors. Social and public industries such as education and medicine have also started experiencing shortages in workers.5
The only way to return the population growth to a growing scale is to encourage couples to have children, preferably two or more. As noted by the ONS:6
"In the long-term, for countries with low mortality to maintain or grow their population without positive net migration, the total fertility rate needs to be around the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman or higher."
While having more children may seem like a simple solution, the barriers to growing a family are complex and deeply rooted in socioeconomic challenges. These include financial instability, skyrocketing housing costs, and the high price of childcare.
For those actively trying to conceive but facing difficulties, additional factors come into play. One significant, yet often overlooked, issue is the widespread use of plastics, which contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Over time, these materials also degrade into microplastics that accumulate in the body and disrupt the reproductive system, further complicating the path to parenthood.
Microplastics Are a Big Factor of Infertility
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters long. They come from various sources, such as plastic bottles and bags, synthetic clothing and even in personal care products.7 And according to a study8 published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, one big contributor to the world's declining infertility problems is the rise of plastic usage:
"It is noteworthy that an exponential rise in global plastic production coincides with a well-documented, population-wide decline in human sperm production which appears to be accelerating since 2000."9
Reports indicate that microplastics end up everywhere in your body. For example, a group of University of New Mexico researchers noted that microplastics have been found in organs such the kidneys, liver and brain via the intestinal barrier.10 Expectedly, microplastics are now in reproductive organs, too. In a study published in Science of the Total Environment, researchers noted that microplastics embedded into both men's and women's organs produce problems:
"In the reproductive system, microplastics interfere with the blood-testis barrier, impairing spermatogenesis in males, and causing placental dysfunction, ovarian atrophy, endometrial hyperplasia, and fibrosis in females. Moreover, microplastics potentially affect offspring's lipid metabolism and reproductive functions."
Based on these findings, the researchers believe that the chemicals that comprise microplastics are the reason for affecting fertility, noting that "microplastics disrupt the neuroendocrine system."11 That's because the majority of microplastics contain phthalates that leach out of the material,12 leading to the endocrine-disrupting problems. Other chemicals in microplastics include pesticides, forever chemicals and bisphenol A.13
Much of the reason why microplastics affect fertility is because they are xenoestrogens, that mimic the effects of estrogen in your body. For example, phthalates belong to this category, and they've been linked to an increase in various diseases. As noted in a study14 published in Healthcare:
"Human epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between phthalates exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in both women and men, for instance, Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, allergy and asthma."
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Microplastics
Based on the presented evidence, it's clear that minimizing your exposure to plastics will help protect your fertility. There are many strategies available that will easily fit into your lifestyle:
Filter your tap water and avoid water bottled in plastic — If you need to buy bottled water, opt for glass bottles. Also, make sure the filter you use to purify your tap water can filter out microplastics.
Boil hard tap water — If you have hard tap water, boil it before using it for cooking or drinking, as hard water traps more microplastics. Research15 shows boiling hard tap water for five minutes removes up to 90% of the microplastics in the water.
Avoid plastic packaging — Opt for products packaged in glass, metal or paper. This significantly reduces the amount of plastic that touch your food. At home, use wax paper, parchment paper or paper bags to store food rather than plastic wrap.
Use reusable containers — Replace single-use plastic bottles, cups and containers with reusable alternatives made from safer materials like stainless steel or glass.
Never microwave plastics — Heat causes plastics to leach chemicals into food. Use glass or ceramic containers for microwaving.
Avoid plastic cutting boards — Use a wooden or glass cutting board instead.
Opt for natural fibers — Whenever possible, choose clothing and other textile products made from natural fibers like organic cotton, wool and linen. Synthetic fabrics such as polyester shed microfibers and leach xenoestrogens.
Wash synthetic clothes less frequently — When washing synthetic textiles, use a microfiber filter in your washing machine to trap synthetic fibers and prevent them from entering the water system.
Opt for food-grade cosmetics and personal care products — Some cosmetics, toothpastes and personal care products contain microbeads or other plastic particles. Look for products free of these materials. Ideally, opt for all-natural, food grade products.
Pay Attention to Your Omega-6 and Omega-3 Intake
Studies show that omega-3 fats help boost fertility. In one meta-analysis that reviewed 11 studies,16 researchers noted that "omega-3 intake significantly improves women's pregnancy and fertilization rates." In another example,17 omega-3 supplementation had a beneficial effect on male fertility:
"Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid results in improvement of sperm concentration and total motile sperm count in infertile men with oligozoospermia."18
For optimal results, focus on increasing your omega-3 intake while reducing omega-6 fats, particularly from vegetable oils. As I've noted before, excessive consumption of linoleic acid (a type of omega-6 polyunsaturated fat, or PUFA) can harm cellular health and impair energy production.
To improve your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, aim to keep linoleic acid intake below 5 grams per day — and ideally below 2 grams. Meanwhile, include omega-3-rich foods like cold-water fish in your diet. Excellent options include wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and herring. Be sure to choose fish from clean, sustainable sources for the best health benefits.
More Strategies to Boost Fertility Naturally
Many internal and external factors influence male and female fertility, but I believe following these basic common-sense strategies and healthy lifestyle habits will help address the root of infertility. Here's a summary of my recommendations:
Minimize your exposure to toxic chemicals — These include heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides and herbicides, formaldehyde, organic solvents, dry-cleaning chemicals and paint fumes. Again, remember to avoid plastics as much as possible as well.
Avoid all vaccines, particularly mRNA shots — If you've already had one or more COVID-19 shots, there are steps you can take to repair from the assault on your system. The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) also has a treatment protocol for post-jab injuries. It's called I-RECOVER, and you can download it at Covid19CriticalCare.com.19
Avoid drinking unfiltered tap water — Our waterways are constantly being polluted by industrial waste and byproducts.
Eat an optimal fertility diet — An optimal fertility diet is about what to avoid as much as it is about what to include. Eat REAL food, ideally organic, to avoid pesticide residues, and locally grown. Avoid factory-farmed animal products, ultraprocessed food and meals cooked in vegetable oil. Include soy products in this list as well, as soybeans contain phytoestrogens that act on hormones.
It's also wise for men to add more sperm-enhancing foods20 to their diet, such as organic pastured eggs, bananas, asparagus, broccoli, pomegranates, garlic and all zinc-rich foods (zinc plays a key role in sperm development21).
Avoid common allergens — An overactive immune system attacks its own body cells, and the link between food intolerances and anti-sperm antibodies is well established, such as those with celiac disease.22
Minimize electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure — Avoid carrying your cellphone on your body while it is on and avoid using laptops and tablets on your lap. Turn off your Wi-Fi off at night and make your bedroom an EMF-free zone. For additional tips to reduce your EMF exposure, read my article "Study: Phone Radiation Kills Cheek Cells."
Get checked for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — Some STDs, like chlamydia, are asymptomatic. In men, chlamydia can lead to sperm abnormalities including sperm antibodies. In women, it can lead to scarring, blocked tubes and miscarriage.
Avoid coffee, smoking and alcohol — While organic coffee has several health benefits, fertility does not appear to be one of them. On the contrary, studies suggest it decreases fertility.23 Alcohol, smoking and recreational drugs also adversely affect fertility, reducing the size of your testes and lowering your sperm count.
Get regular exercise — According to research,24 exercising helps boost men's sperm count.
Normalize your weight — Obesity contributes to infertility in both men and women. Normalizing weight helps improve sperm quality and quantity in men and augment a woman's chances of getting pregnant,25 in part by normalizing menstrual cycles.26
Reduce stress — Get enough sleep, as it's an important factor in combating stress. Incorporate a tool like the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), yoga or meditation to address stress.
Clean up your home environment — Use natural cleaning products or make your own.
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Great post! 100% toxins are destroying both men's and women's fertility!