explanation
The number of couples struggling to conceive due to unexplained infertility is increasing at an alarming rate around the world. In addition to this alarming increase, there is growing awareness of how endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), particularly chemicals found in plastics and personal care products, are negatively impacting our hormonal health and overall well-being. Could fertility be improved if EDCs were removed or reduced from the environment of couples struggling to conceive, dramatically reducing their exposure?
In this episode, Nate is joined by award-winning scientist Dr. Shana Swan and plastics expert Sian Sutherland to join Shana’s new Netflix documentary plastic detoxSo she will perform real-life “plastic interventions” in the lives of six couples suffering from unexplained infertility in the hope that they will be able to conceive by the end of the study. Additionally, Sian shares strategies her organization is using to strengthen regulation of EDC-containing products and increase the availability of plastic-free options. Shana and Sian also discuss how they organize their work. plastic free baby This campaign highlights why avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals during a baby’s first 1,000 days is so important to prevent intergenerational effects on overall health and fertility.
EDCs such as phthalates, bisphenols, and parabens How does reducing exposure to improve markers of hormonal health have a ripple effect on our overall quality of life? What is the reasonable responsibility of governments to test and regulate the safety of products on the market, and are current government agencies meeting those expectations? Finally, could addressing the toxins and pollution associated with lower birth rates put us on the path to broader systemic changes to the entire web of life?
About Dr. Shana Swan
Dr. Shana H. Swan is an award-winning scientist based at Mount Sinai (New York, NY). Shanna has published over 200 scientific papers and has received extensive media coverage around the world. She currently serves as director of the Action Science Initiative. The program is a program of rapid interventions and large-scale, long-term studies examining the effects of environmental pollutants on relevant markers of fertility and reproductive health. Additionally, Shana co-authored a 2021 book. Countdown: How the modern world is threatening sperm counts, altering male and female reproductive development, and endangering the future of humanity..
Recently, Shana was featured in a documentary. plastic detoxThere, she helped six couples with unexplained infertility reduce their exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment in hopes of conceiving. The movie was released on Netflix on March 16, 2026. Shanna’s previous appearances include ABC News, NBC Nightly News, 60 Minutes, CBS News, PBS, BBC, PRI Radio, NPR, The Andrew Huberman Lab, and The Joe Rogan Experience.
About Sian Sutherland
Sian Sutherland is co-founder of A Plastic Planet, one of the most well-known and respected organizations tackling the plastic crisis. Most recently, he co-founded PlasticFree, the first materials and systems solutions platform, enabling 160 million creators around the world to radically eliminate waste in their designs. Sian was awarded Female Marketer of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and UK Inventor of the Year. During the 2023 UN Plastics Convention negotiations (INC2), Plastic Planet collaborated with the Plastic Soup Foundation to launch the Plastic Health Council, bringing expert scientists into the negotiation process with irrefutable evidence of the impact of plastic chemicals on human health.
Most recently, in early 2024, Sian co-founded the Visionary Science and Art Foundation with Alex Adams, working with scientists to help fund extraordinary research work on psychedelic therapies. Passionately focused on business and solutions, Sian believes the plastics crisis gives humanity a rare entry point to transform both materials and systems to create a different future for generations to come.
