General Questions on DHT Blocking Supplements Have Birth Defect Risks?

1- Does Propecia and DHT blocking drugs cause birth defects?
2- How about natural blockers? There are reports of at least 8 different foods or herbal supplements that are supposed to block DHT (soy, green tea, pumpkin seed oil, zinc, nettle root, emu oil, saw palmetto, pygeum extract).
3- If used regularly do the natural DHT blockers cause birth defects that can create ambiguous genetalia?
4- What about those substances that might have DHT blocking such as possibly drinking green tea or eating tofu or concentrated supplements such as saw palmetto, which is said to work the same way as finasteride.

1) The existing finasteride based DHT blocking drugs (including Avodart, dutasteride) are known to cause birth defects that can create ambiguous genitalia when women take the medication. When men take the medication it is not related to birth defects. If someone is still worried about this, you can stop taking the medication and it would be out the blood stream in 1 day or out of the system in 1 to 2 weeks. Many men still take Propecia while trying to conceive with their partner and have no issues.

2) If you believe the natural supplements really do block DHT, then it would work the same way with respect to birth defects. Only when women take it. It does not apply to men as stated above.

3) Again, the birth defect issue only apply to women who take the DHT blocker. From this article in the LA Times: “In the early 1970s, Dr. Julianne Imperato-McGinley, an endocrinologist at Cornell Medical College, traveled to a remote mountain village in the Dominican Republic to study a group of children with a unique condition.” DHT was identified as a cause of the problem of ambiguous genitalia. Of course, this led to the development of DHT blockers.

4) Again, see 1) 2) 3) If you really believe in the DHT blocking reports, then it applies. But I highly doubt drinking green tea or tofu will cause ambiguous genitalia. Use your judgement.