Popular fragrance might be pushing girls towards puberty earlier than usual
Young girls
Scientists have found that certain compounds commonly found in the environment can activate parts of the brain responsible for reproductive functions. This, they say, can trigger early puberty in girls.
Musk, one of the common fragrances, is one such fragrance that was banned by the European Union. However, it is still widely available across the world.
The average age of menstruation and physical development in girls has been lowering in the past few years. While racial and socioeconomic factors have been thought to be responsible, scientists think that genetics cannot be wholly blamed, considering how global the problem is.
Finding the culprit has been hard as results have been inconsistent. So researchers from the US National Institutes of Health and North Western University focused only on a network of neurons in the hypothalamus linked to managing the onset of puberty.
Ovaries make oestrogen and the testes pumpout testosterone after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons stimulate the pituitary gland, telling it to secrete chemical cues. A neuropeptide called kisspeptin is thought to be involved in the process.
Scientists started testing the effects of various substances on the cells' GnRH and kisspeptin activity.
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They sorted through around 10,000 different substances, mentioned in an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)library.
Where is musk used?
Musk ambrette stood out as an agonist for kisspeptin. It is commonly found in cosmetics and perfumes. The European Union banned it in the 1990s because of its neurotoxicity effects in rats. However, it can still be widely found in many countries, including India and China.
It is resistant to degradation and so can be found in the environment and poses a serious concern, studies about the compound, including several old ones, warn.
Upon further testing, musk ambrette showed the potential to push parts of the brain into sending out cues that might trigger puberty at earlier ages.
The study further says that early puberty is a serious matter as it can pose an increased risk of psychological problems, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer.