First, let me take back the headline. Sure, a University of Rochester study just showed that the sons of women who ate a lot of beef during pregnancy showed sperm count decreases of as much as 25%, which researchers linked to the ongoing use of steroid and growth hormones in the US and Canadian cattle industry.
But consider for a minute that this study involves men old enough to deliver sperm samples to a study. And more importantly, they're old enough to decide to participate in a study where they get paid to deliver sperm samples. So obviously, they're grad students.
The beefeater data, meanwhile, comes from contemporary questionnaires of these dudes' mothers, who, in addition to worrying about what signing up to be a lab rat says about their sons' employability, are being asked to remember what they ate and how often, 25 years ago.
So let the anti-steroid, anti-BGH activists have their sperm count study, and just switch yourselves to organic beef. Or sushi.
Mom's beef puts son's sperm count at stake [latimes via tmn]
Hmmm, the wife ate about 8,000 grpefruit during her pregnancy so I wonder in 2025 what results that will show or that she'll remeber eating that many.