A study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology has found nearly all pregnant women ingest the fungal toxin zearalenone (ZEN), which mimics estrogen in the body and hinders reproduction in some animals. Researchers from Rutgers and the University of Rochester detected ZEN or its metabolites in 97 percent of urine samples from pregnant women and 84 percent of placentas.
ZEN is a type of mycoestrogen, an estrogen-like compound produced by certain molds that contaminate grains, meats and processed foods worldwide. It’s most common in crops such as corn, wheat and barley. While well-studied in animals, where it can cause reproductive issues, less is known about its effects in humans. “We’re just at the beginnings of studying how these compounds affect human bodies in all stages of development,” said Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and senior author of the study. To read the full story.