What Are Endocrine Disruptors?
The endocrine system is responsible for producing and managing hormones that regulate, to put it mildly, everything in your body: metabolism, reproduction, memory, shiny hair, and other important things such as protection against cancer and Alzheimer’s. “Endocrine disruptors” is the name given to substances that negatively affect the endocrine system and unbalance hormones by increasing or decreasing their production or availability, or by interfering with the hormone signaling pathways. Examples of endocrine disruptors are chemicals such as BPA, phthalates, PFAS chemicals, and parabens. They are very common and are found in many personal products such as perfumes, makeup, and soaps. BPA, which chemically resembles the hormone estrogen, is found in many plastics and has also been linked to various cancers and reproductive issues. Although we would only come into contact with most of these chemicals with our skin, they are able to pass through our skin, into our bloodstream, and directly affect our hormone levels.
Why Do They Matter?
This 2018 study examined the effects of in-utero exposure to chemicals on child development. According to the research, girls whose mothers had particularly high levels of certain endocrine disruptors in their bloodstream while pregnant hit puberty at a younger age. While there is not yet enough research available to show clear causation between fetal exposure to endocrine disruptors and early puberty, earlier onset of puberty is correlated with conditions including breast and ovarian cancer. Caution is warranted, both in terms of a pregnant mother’s exposure, and then the young child’s exposure to endocrine disruptors.
Five Quick Tips to Clean Up Your Act, and Your Hormones
· Avoid touching receipts (BPA)
· Choose fragrance-free or phthalate-free (Phthalates)
· Swap non-stick for ceramic (PFAS)
· Shop organic, especially for the Dirty Dozen (Pesticides)
· Store food in glass, rather than plastic (BPA)
Benefits of Avoiding Endocrine Disruptors
Studies have shown that it’s never too late to see benefits from cleaning up your beauty and house cleaning products. The HERMOSA Study aimed to raise awareness of how these chemicals might affect adolescents. Participants were given products free of endocrine disrupting chemicals to see if using them would change the levels of these chemicals in their blood. Researchers were surprised to see a difference so quickly— after only three days of using ‘clean’ products free of any endocrine disruptors, the adolescent girls had significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals in their bodies. These clean products are usually more expensive, and a full overhaul may be out of reach for most people. It is best to use as little of these products as you can and try to replace products as you go through them. Even small changes are a great start and will create results, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good!
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