Testosterone levels in men have been quietly falling—and the numbers paint a stark picture.
Studies show testosterone has dropped by roughly 1% per year over recent decades, translating to drops of up to 20% in some populations.
The culprit? It’s not just lifestyle—though diet, sleep, and micronutrients play a role—but something far more insidious lurking in everyday products.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a biomedical scientist known for her research on health and longevity, recently explained how endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics and consumer goods may be hijacking male hormones and reproductive health.
Jump to:
- The Silent Threat: Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
- BPA: The Estrogen Imposter
- Phthalates: The Testosterone Saboteur
- PFAS: Forever Chemicals with Long-Term Consequences
- The Autism Connection
- Lifestyle Factors Still Matter
- What You Can Do: Practical Steps to Reduce Exposure
- The Detox Power of Broccoli Sprouts
- The Bigger Picture
The Silent Threat: Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
Patrick points to three main chemical families wreaking havoc on hormones: BPA (bisphenol A), phthalates, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called “forever chemicals”).
These compounds are everywhere—plastic bottles, food packaging, nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothing, cosmetics, and even the lining of paper coffee cups.
I think that we are being bombarded with what are called endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These are man-made chemicals. A lot of them are part of plastic.
These chemicals don’t just sit inertly on surfaces. They leach into food, water, and skin, then interfere with the body’s hormone systems—particularly testosterone, estrogen, and thyroid hormones.
BPA: The Estrogen Imposter
Bisphenol A is one of most studied endocrine disruptors. It’s used to make plastics more durable and lines many food and beverage containers.
BPA acts as an estrogen mimetic—it binds to estrogen receptors in the body, either mimicking estrogen’s effects or blocking natural estrogen from doing its job. It also interacts with androgen receptors that respond to testosterone.
Men that have high amounts of BPA also have low amounts of testosterone.
One particularly striking study examined adolescent boys—teens going through puberty, when testosterone surges are critical for sexual development.
Boys with the highest BPA levels had 50% lower testosterone than those with the lowest levels.
Even more concerning: Patrick notes that canned soup, often heated before being sealed in BPA-lined cans, has been shown in multiple studies to spike BPA levels by up to 1,000% after consumption.
Phthalates: The Testosterone Saboteur
If BPA is bad, phthalates may be worse—at least when it comes to male reproductive health.
Phthalates make plastics flexible and are found in food wrapping (think shrink-wrapped meat and cheese), PVC piping, cosmetics, lotions, and hair products.
Because phthalates are lipophilic (fat-loving), they migrate easily into fatty foods like meat, cheese, and dairy wrapped in plastic.
These disrupt our hormones in ways similar to BPA. So, they’re binding to the androgen receptor, but they’re also going into the testes and disrupting the synthesis of testosterone.
Men with highest phthalate exposure showed 20% lower testosterone compared to those with lower levels, Patrick explains.
But testosterone isn’t the only casualty. Phthalates also damage sperm quality—affecting shape, count, and motility (the ability to swim).
Prenatal Exposure and Birth Defects
Perhaps most alarming is what happens when pregnant women are exposed to high phthalate levels while carrying male fetuses.
Patrick describes conditions like hypospadias (where the urethral opening is abnormally positioned) and undescended testicles, both linked to prenatal phthalate exposure.
This is happening at an alarming rate. Like something like 20% of boys now have an undescended testicle.
Undescended testicles are associated with infertility and increased risk of testicular cancer later in life.
PFAS: Forever Chemicals with Long-Term Consequences
PFAS are synthetic chemicals used to make products resistant to water, oil, stains, and heat. They’re in nonstick cookware (like Teflon pans), water-resistant clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foam.
Nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment or human body, PFAS accumulate over time.
Patrick notes that PFAS primarily affect thyroid function and ovarian aging, with studies suggesting women with high PFAS exposure may reach menopause one to two years earlier than expected.
The PFAS chemicals are ones that are really affecting the thyroid and they’re affecting ovarian aging. They seem to target the ovaries and accelerate the age that you’re going to get menopause.
Thyroid hormones regulate metabolism, energy, and mood—so disruptions ripple across multiple body systems.
The Autism Connection
Patrick also highlights emerging research linking BPA exposure during pregnancy to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Pregnant women with high BPA levels were found to be six times more likely to have a child with autism compared to women with low BPA exposure.
The mechanism? BPA disrupts the enzyme aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogen. Surprisingly, estrogen plays a critical role in masculinizing certain parts of the developing male brain during fetal development.
When you’re a boy developing in your mom’s womb, estrogen plays a very important role in your brain and brain development and what’s called masculinizing the male brain.
When aromatase is inhibited by BPA, this delicate hormonal balance is thrown off.
Adding another layer: children with autism are reportedly 30 times less likely to excrete BPA efficiently, creating a vicious cycle.
Lifestyle Factors Still Matter
While endocrine disruptors are a major concern, Patrick also emphasizes that diet, sleep, and micronutrients play significant roles in testosterone levels.
- Refined sugar negatively impacts hormone production
- Sleep deprivation is strongly linked to lower testosterone
- Zinc and magnesium are essential for testosterone synthesis
Addressing these factors can help, but won’t fully counteract chronic chemical exposure.
What You Can Do: Practical Steps to Reduce Exposure
Patrick offers straightforward advice for minimizing contact with endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Avoid Plastic Bottles and Containers
If you can eliminate and not drink out of plastic bottles as much as possible.
Swap plastic water bottles for stainless steel or glass. Even “BPA-free” bottles often contain BPS (bisphenol S), which may be just as harmful.
Bring Your Own Coffee Mug
Paper coffee cups are lined with plastic to prevent leaks. Patrick brings a reusable mug (like a Yeti) to coffee shops and asks baristas to fill it directly.
Skip Canned Soup and Soda
Canned soups and sodas are lined with BPA. Choose fresh, homemade, or boxed alternatives when possible.
Ditch Nonstick Cookware
Teflon and similar nonstick pans contain PFAS. Opt for stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic cookware instead.
Choose Fresh Over Wrapped
Avoid plastic-wrapped meats, cheeses, and fatty foods. Shop at butcher counters or farmers markets where you can get items wrapped in paper.
Check Personal Care Products
Many lotions, shampoos, and cosmetics contain phthalates. Look for phthalate-free labels or use apps like EWG’s Skin Deep to check product safety.
The Detox Power of Broccoli Sprouts
The body has natural detoxification pathways, and certain foods can activate them.
Patrick highlights sulforaphane, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli sprouts (which contain 100 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli).
Compounds in broccoli, broccoli sprouts being the big one. Sulforaphane activates a pathway that are enzymes involved in making BPA become water soluble so they come out your urine.
Sulforaphane activates phase two detoxification enzymes, which convert fat-soluble BPA into a water-soluble form that can be excreted through urine.
Patrick personally takes a sulforaphane supplement called Avmacol (by Nutramax), which has been studied in 12 clinical trials.
Some of those studies showed improved symptoms in children and adolescents with autism—possibly because sulforaphane helps the body eliminate BPA more effectively.
The Bigger Picture
Declining testosterone isn’t just about individual health—it’s a population-level crisis with implications for fertility, development, and chronic disease.
Patrick believes environmental chemicals are the “big player” driving this trend, yet they remain largely unregulated and underappreciated by the public.
This is definitely something that is known in our environment to cause that. I don’t know if that’s the only cause, but it in my opinion is a very very concerning cause that nobody is talking about.
While research continues to clarify the full scope of these chemicals’ impact, the precautionary principle suggests minimizing exposure now—especially for pregnant women, infants, and adolescents.
Simple swaps—glass over plastic, fresh over canned, stainless steel over Teflon—can reduce daily exposure significantly. And boosting the body’s natural detox capacity with sulforaphane-rich foods or supplements may offer additional protection.
The evidence is mounting. The question is whether society will respond before another generation of boys grows up in a chemical soup that disrupts their hormones from the womb onward.
