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American researchers have identified a compound that affects an area of the brain and triggers the production of hormones. The problem is that it is found in products used daily by our children.
For decades, the age of puberty in young girls has been decreasing at an alarming rate, with scientists having no explanation. But new research suggests that a compound present in a wide variety of products (cosmetics, detergents, soaps, etc.) could send a signal to an area of the brain that would prematurely trigger the onset of puberty.
Puberty is becoming increasingly early
So-called very precocious puberty (before age 8 for girls and age 9 for boys) can have health effects that persist into adulthood, including higher risks of breast cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It can also lead to shorter height in both girls and boys.
Already last May, a study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health revealed that 15.5% of girls had their periods before the age of 11 and 1.4% of them had their first period before the age of 9. Genetic factors alone cannot explain this development. Nor can the increasingly frequent excess weight, as was once suggested. Researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences therefore deduced that part of the problem could come from the environment.
Ambrette, a common product in cosmetics
After combing through nearly 10,000 compounds in a library of approved pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals and dietary supplements, the researchers found several compounds that could influence the onset of puberty. But children were most likely to be exposed to just one: musk ambrette, according to the report in Endocrinology.
This musk ambrette or ambrette, a synthetic form of the scent widely used in cheap perfumes and hygiene products, could thus attach itself to a receptor linked to puberty in the hypothalamus. According to scientists, it would trigger the release of GnRH, a hormone involved in the maturation of the sexual organs and the production of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone.
The researchers then tested the impact of ambrette on human hypothalamic cells and zebrafish larvae. They found that in both fish larvae and human cells, the compound triggered the production of GnRH.
Avoid scented skincare products
For author Dr. Natalie Shaw, a pediatric endocrinologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, North Carolina, the new study is just a starting point. Further studies in mammals should follow soon.
Canadian and European regulations limit the use of musk ambrette due to its potential toxicity, as does France, which has listed the compound among substances that cannot be included in the composition of cosmetic products. However, it is reportedly still available on the market in some personal care products.
Until this discovery can be confirmed, the pediatrician suggests that parents check the ingredient lists of all cosmetics, perfumes and household products that their children might use. The most obvious precaution would also be to avoid children’s perfumes, shower gels and scented soaps as much as possible.
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