The number of ancient genome samples from the vicinity of Finland has grown commendably in recent years. In my last writings, I have dealt with the genetic history of Finland's neighboring regions. For Finland, the situation is difficult; our acidic soil destroys the material effectively, and material over 1000 years old can only be found in exceptional cases, when the burial site is located in a place more favorable to the environment. According to rumors, some samples older than this would have been successfully sequenced, e.g. From southwestern Finland and northern Ostrobothnia. However, I cannot confirm this. While waiting for the publication of new Finnish ancient genetic studies, I try to keep my blog active with other considerations.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Men's testosterone levels declining
According to statistics, testosterone levels in men have decreased by 15% in the last 20 years. If it is tue, I think this is alarming. Undoubtedly, this could have adverse effects for the human species. Simultaneously with the decrease in testosterone level, sperm production in men has also decreased. An obvious connection, but what do the researchers say? Three reasons have been proposed for the phenomenon:
- environmental toxins, plant protection agents and microplastics
- unhealthy food that lacks many important trace elements, such as zinc and magnesium
- feminization of society. Feminization would affect the way of life practiced by men and decrease the amount of testosterone level through lack of physical exercise and mental change, or in the longer term through pairing.
It would be interesting to know if the decrease in testosterone is reflected in our genes. Are we poisoned by environmental chemistry and our food, or is the change also reflected in our inheritance? How should this decrease in testosterone be treated? Does it have negative or even positive effects on the future of our life? Environmental toxins are without a doubt something to be avoided, but it is difficult for an individual to avoid their intake. In the case of unhealthy food, the responsibility lies more with the individual himself, but the influence of society is also big. The feminization of society (which you can either recognize or not) would be seen, for example, in the changed upbringing of children, or its effects would be seen with a delay through mate selection in posterity. As living conditions improve and security increases, women might give priority to less masculine men. The change that took place through this would be visible in the inheritance of offspring, and it may be possible to ascertain it through research. All in all, the decline in men's testosterone is related to complex phenomena and finding out the reasons would be a challenging task, but it would be good to find out why and the effects
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKIM169763/