Soy’s estrogenic exposure may also be putting little boys a risk. Infant boys go through a “testosterone tide” during the first six months of their lives, during which they normally have testosterone levels nearly equal to those of mature men. This early surge of male hormones programs the reproductive system, brain and other organs to take on male characteristics at puberty. Researchers are now wondering whether the feeding of estrogen-rich soy formula to infant boys interferes with this process and is the explanation for a syndrome, becoming more and more frequent, in which the male sexual organs do not properly develop at puberty.
The New Zealand Medical Journal found that soy-based infant formula may adversely affect hormonal development in neonatal infants and should not be sold commercially. Since soy is the richest source of phytestrogens, a plant form of the female hormone estrogen, neonatal infants are particularly vulnerable. The NZMJ cautioned that there is insufficient research on the long-term health effects of phytestrogens, therefore warranting a ban on the nonprescription sale of soy formula.
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Measuring is another form of checking and reassurance seeking. Am I the right size? Do I look okay? People who think they’re too short may repeatedly check their height. Maybe I’m not such a midget! Women who think their waist is too large may repeatedly measure it. Muscle girth, breast size, and penis size may be measured over and over again.
One man measured his penis with a tape measure up to 10 times a day, even though a urologist had told him it was normal. When it seemed somewhat larger than usual, he felt better. But, when the measurement confirmed his fear that it was tiny, he felt devastated. When I asked him why he kept measuring it when he was so often disappointed with the results, he responded. “I measure it because I hope it will be bigger this time.” This response echoes that of people who check mirrors, pick their skin, and seek reassurance: this time it might be different.
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Electrically polluted air can be the cause not only of respiratory problems but also of headaches, irritability, digestive problems and depression. Particles in the air around us – called ions – are electrically charged, positive and negative. We breathe in these particles and absorb them through the skin. If the air is overloaded with positively charged particles it can have a powerful effect on the nervous system. The brain overproduces a chemical called serotonin, and this can produce nasal congestion, lethargy, feeling sticky (not the same feelings as being too hot) and swollen. The oppressive feeling before an electrical storm best describes this, a restless feeling – being ‘under the weather’. We can also experience this in cities where stale air is trapped between tall buildings or in workplaces where the air is filled with positive ions from VDUs. At home this effect can be felt if we sit in badly ventilated rooms surrounded by plastic and electrical equipment, wearing clothes made from synthetic fibres.
Geological location and climate are also factors which affect the air. Warm winds – like the Mistral in the Mediterranean and the Santa Anna in California – are loaded with positive ions, and are dreaded by many people because they make them feel enervated and depressed.
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