Author: Stephen Johnson / Source: Big Think
- American girls have been hitting puberty at earlier ages compared to past decades.
- Chemicals found in common cosmetic products could be responsible for the changes, according to the results of a nearly 20-year study, which found that boys didn’t seem to be affected by the same chemicals.
- It’s still unclear whether these chemicals cause early puberty, but it might be worth avoiding products containing them until the research is conclusive.
It’s still something of a mystery why American girls have been hitting puberty at earlier ages compared to past decades. Finding the answer is important, considering early puberty is associated with health risks including depression, obesity, eating disorders and increased risk of breast cancer later in life. And though research suggests obesity and toxic stress likely affect the onset of puberty, those don’t seem to fully explain the phenomenon.
Now, a new study published in Human Reproduction suggests another answer to the long-standing question: chemicals called phthalates, parabens, and phenols, all of which are found in common cosmetic products.
In 1999, researchers began the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas study, in which they took urine samples from mothers who had been pregnant for about 14 to 27 weeks. The scientists then tracked the…
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