Yoga mats contain chemicals which are dangerous for fertility
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Women value the importance of physical exercise or yoga, as it helps them stay in shape and maintain their health. However, they are not aware they might also put their fertility in danger. A recent study discovered how certain chemicals found in these mats might reduce the women’s chances to conceive.
What do yoga mats contain?
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, discovered traces of organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) in the urine of several women. Also, researchers identified a correlation between these chemicals in the women’s bodies and lower chances of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF).
PFRs are found not only in yoga mats, but also in car seats or furniture made of polyurethane foam. The chemicals are meant to make the materials resistant to heat, therefore inflammable. However, they might have other consequences on women’s health.
PFRs reduced the success rates of IVFs
Between 2005 and 2015, researchers took samples of urine from 211 women before undergoing in vitro fertilization at Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. Around 87 percent of these women had traces of PFRs in their urine.
High PFR concentrations reduce the chances of a successful fertilization by 10 percent. Also, the chances of a proper embryo implantation get reduced by 31 percent. These women also get 41 percent less likely to become pregnant. Even if they manage to get pregnant, they are still 38 percent more likely to deliver an unhealthy baby.
Unfortunately, the study was limited to collecting samples from women living only within a specific area. However, several researchers think this is enough to prove that PFRs are dangerous for women who are trying to have a baby. This should act as a warning, and convince manufacturers to refrain from using such chemicals in yoga mats or in other pieces of furniture. Instead, they should opt for safer alternatives.
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