Good morning. It’s Tuesday, August 26th.

In today’s email:

• Learn: The Fertility Crisis

• Try: Ditch the Plastic

• Focus: Conscientiousness

• In the News: Learn from Sports

Summer’s almost over - it’s the perfect time to reset.

Get organized with the Thrive25 Personal Longevity Advisor and head into fall with your health fully on track.

👉 See HOW to get started

Stat of the Day

The decline in sperm concentration since 1973 - the annual decline has doubled since 2000. (National Institute of Health)

Learn

The Fertility Crisis

Sperm counts are dropping - fast.

You might be thinking - well, I’m not having any more kids so it’s not a problem.

But it’s not just a fertility issue - problems with sperm means problems with your health.

It’s really just an early warning signal. Low sperm counts are often connected to:

• Metabolic dysfunction - insulin resistance, fatty liver

• Cardiovascular problems - risk of heart issues, inflammation, poor circulation

• Hormonal imbalance - low testosterone, sexual health issues

• Cellular damage - sperm DNA fragmentation

Just reading this last bullet - DNA fragmentation probably isn’t limited to just our sperm. There are most likely breaks and damage across our DNA strands.

Why is this happening?

Fertility problems are connected to the usual suspects - bad diet (eating empty calories without enough nutrients), not moving enough, too much stress, too many drinks.

But one of the biggest problems is our increasingly toxic environment.

Studies show problems with two big culprits:

Phthalates (plastics and packaging)

• These are chemicals used in everything from water bottles and food containers to cosmetics and receipts.

• They leach into our food, water, and skin. One study found 93% of people tested had BPA metabolites in their urine.

• Now studies are showing we have a spoonful of plastic in our brain!

• BPA (and its just-as-bad cousins like BPS) interferes with hormone production. Even tiny doses have been shown to lower testosterone by disrupting Leydig cells (the cells that make testosterone).

• Translation: the convenience of plastic is literally rewiring our hormones.

Pesticides (like atrazine and alachlor)

• Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S., especially on corn and grains.

• It contaminates rivers and even drinking water - because most water treatment plants can’t filter it out.

• Studies show atrazine can chemically castrate frogs, and at very low doses even turn male frogs into functioning females. Water samples across the Midwest have shown atrazine levels hundreds of times higher than the amounts that caused those changes in frogs.

• Other pesticides like alachlor have been strongly linked to reduced sperm quality in humans.

It’s not just men - endocrine disruptors hit women too, raising risks for reproductive issues, miscarriages, and hormone-driven cancers.

What’s Next

Get your key biomarkers tested to find out your risk - yes, of sperm quality - but also key health metrics.

Here’s five markers to measure and identify if there’s an underlying risk you need to be worried about:

🫀Blood Pressure - measures risk for your heart, brain and kidneys. You absolutely want to be below 120mm Hg (systolic) and below 80 mm Hg (diastolic). More HERE.

🍽 Fasting Insulin - a key measure for metabolic health. The aim is to be less than 10 µIU/mL. More HERE.

💪 Testosterone (free + total) - for both men and women it’s a marker for energy and hormone balance. See results table HERE.

🔥 C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - a key measure of overall inflammation. The goal is to be less than 1 mg/L and even lower if possible. More HERE.

🧪 ALT (liver enzyme) - helps transform glucose into usable energy and measures liver health. See results for men and women HERE.

We can’t completely eliminate our exposure to toxins - it’s all about accumulation. So do whatever you can to minimize chemicals interfering with your hormones.

• Filter your water

• Never microwave food in plastic

• Choose glass or stainless steel bottles/containers

• Buy organic when possible

Try

Ditch the Plastic

Don’t eat out of plastic and if you do make sure it’s NOT hot food.

Heat breaks down the plastic to get into the food inside it and then that gets inside of us. So never microwave or cook food in plastic and never eat or drink anything hot in a plastic container.

If getting takeout (as we sometimes do from a local pho restaurant) - immediately remove the food from the plastic container!

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

Exclusive 15% Off at Momentous!

Unlock 15% off the full range of Momentous supplements, including Creatine, L-Glutamine, Protein, Magnesium Threonate, and more - all backed by scientific research and clinical proof.

Momentous partners with top scientists and performance experts from the NFL, NBA, and MLB to create world-class products for anyone aiming to perform at their best.

Thrive25 subscribers get 15% off with code Thrive at checkout. Click HERE!

We are a proud customer and affiliate of Momentous - please consider buying products from Momentous to support our mission.

Focus

Conscientiousness

We throw this word around - but what does it really mean?

“The quality of wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.”

Research is showing that social media is making it really hard for us to be conscientious.

It’s also making us more neurotic, less agreeable, and more introverted.

More specifically - this plays itself out by us not following through with plans, giving up easier, and getting distracted.

According to John Burn-Murdoch - distraction is toxic to conscientiousness and we’re more distracted than ever.

This isn’t all that surprising - who hasn’t had friends flake on plans at the last minute, or had to push their kid (or themselves) to not give up so easily.

The digital world is crushing our brains to push through and it’s just going to get worse.

What can you do to recognize this in yourself and overcome the distraction?

H&L in the News

Train Your Mindset: Elite athletes use sport psychology to sharpen focus, manage stress, and bounce back stronger. Learn how these mental toughness strategies can fuel your performance - at work, in life, anywhere. (NYTimes)

AI's Dirty Energy Secret: AI’s energy use remains a black box - major companies won’t disclose emissions, leaving experts guessing. As AI scales, the climate cost may be far higher than Big Tech wants us to know. (WIRED)

The Trend Illusion Trap: Are loneliness, empathy decline, and democracy crises real - or just mental mirages? Discover how our brains invent patterns in chaos and why many social “trends” don’t hold up to scrutiny. (Big Think)

Product Recs

Please consider the following brands - when you purchase products we’ve tried and trust, you’re not just investing in your health - you’re also supporting Thrive25’s mission to make health & longevity accessible for everyone (we do earn a commission).

• ☕ Bulletproof - fuel your journey to a better you with Bulletproof. Elevate your performance with science-backed, functional nutrition from a wide range of coffees, proteins and supplements. Click HERE to start your transformation

• ♨️ Caraway - good looking, clean cooking. Non-toxic cookware made modern - non-toxic cooking surfaces and thoughtful design lead to cleaner cooking. Click HERE to cook with confidence

• 🦱 Huron - science-backed, clean ingredients, 100% vegan, and cruelty-free. Luxury performance designed for the everyday guy ready to level up his game (see the founder in Issue #91). Max is into the deodorant, face wash, and jumbo shower kit. Ready to clean up your act? Get 15% off now - click here!

• 🍴 Primal Kitchen - Primal Kitchen redefines flavor with a healthy twist, offering an array of irresistible options. Enjoy a 10% discount off your entire order at Primal Kitchen. Don’t miss out - click HERE to claim your discount today!

• 🌎 Zero Acre Farms - seed oils can have real negative effects on our health - but they’re in almost everything we eat. Made by fermentation, not deforestation, Zero Acre Farms cultured oil uses 85% less land than canola oil, emits 86% less CO2 than soybean oil, and requires 99% less water than olive oil. Get 15% off your order with code THRIVE25 today!

Thrive25 Referral Program

Thanks for being part of the Thrive25 community! Want to further support our mission of transforming science into digestible insights to support our health & longevity. Earn Thrive25 swag and other rewards from our Sponsors via our referral program:

Thanks for joining us today!

• Want to see what we’re up to? Sign up for early access to our platform

• Missed an issue? No problem, check out our newsletter archive

• Got feedback, recommendations or stories to share? Tell us what’s on your mind here

• Someone send you this email? Sign up here

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

To health!