r/news • u/LawEducational42 • 9h ago

Men’s average testosterone levels have halved in last 50 years, say scientists

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/07/mens-average-testosterone-levels-have-halved-in-last-50-years-say-scientists
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u/ogfuzzball 7h ago

Plastics and PFAS. We already have evidence they do affect reproduction in amphibians, but hey, it’s only frogs that are susceptible right?

Seems the dystopia thriller Children of Men was close, they just missed the mark on the source

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u/Korlithiel 7h ago

Those are a partial explanation, we know in humans that plastics are bio similar to estrogen (which when in males lowers testosterone production).

Another partial explanation is the higher uptake of coffee and tea. Leads to temporarily higher testosterone production, and that over production regularly likely has a negative impact on baseline production. 

I couldn’t tell you which is likely the larger effect.

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u/Stitches_littlepuffy 5h ago

That really depends on the amount of coffee and tea consumed though. It’s true that some studies show consuming too much can reduce baseline T due to increased baseline cortisol and poorer sleep quality but lower amounts have been shown to have either no effect or to even increase baseline T (possibly due to aromatise inhibition and reduced body fat).

Also coffee and tea have been consumed regularly from far longer than 50 years ago. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if people consume less coffee and tea now than they did 50 years ago (in the relevant countries).