How to Safeguard Your Hormone Health & Fertility | Dr. Shanna Swan

This section of the episode develops the topic through the following source points: Andrew Huberman: Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Shanna Swan. Dr. Shanna Swan is a professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She is a world expert in how exposure to various toxins and compounds in the food and environment impact our reproductive health. She focuses on how these compounds in our air, in our food supply, in our water supply, in cosmetics, even in household items, impact the developing fetus, children, and adults at the level of their reproductive biology, so things like testosterone and estrogen and the pathways within the brain and body that are impacted by testosterone and estrogen, but also how all of those things in our environment and that we put into our body impact our health on a daily basis and our long-term health. So during today's discussion, you will learn why fertility rates are indeed dramatically dropping from year to year and have been for quite some time now. You'll also learn why testosterone levels are dropping, why sperm counts are dropping, why things like polycystic ovarian syndrome are increasing in women, and what we can do about it. In fact, during much of today's discussion, Dr. Swan emphasizes the things that you can do every single day and that, in fact, turn out to be very simple. They involve certain things to do and certain things to avoid in order to limit your exposure to these environmental toxins and their impact. So by the end of today's episode, you will be highly informed by the world expert on endocrine disruptors and environmental toxins, and you will also be highly informed in terms of how you can have agency, how you can take control of your health in relation to these various compounds. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is LMNT. LMNT is an electrolyte drink that has everything you need and nothing you don't. That means the electrolytes, sodium, magnesium, and potassium in the correct ratios, but no sugar. We should all know that proper hydration is critical for optimal brain and body function. In fact, even a slight degree of dehydration can diminish your cognitive and physical performance to a considerable degree. It's also important that you're not just hydrated, but that you get adequate amounts of electrolytes in the right ratios. Drinking a packet of LMNT dissolved in water makes it very easy to ensure that you're getting adequate amounts of hydration and electrolytes.