Endocrine Disruptors

The endocrine system is in charge of producing hormones. These hormones link with glands throughout the body to help the body run smoothly and healthy. The endocrine system is in charge of more than just your testosterone and estrogen levels in the body. It also helps with growth, fertility, reproductions, metabolism, and behavior. The endocrine system is in charge of helping your body secrete insulin and adrenaline. It is important to have a healthy endocrine system to have an overall healthy body.

The endocrine system can easily become imbalanced. Hormones in the body with the slightest of change can quickly either have too much or too little which can cause havoc throughout the whole body. Endocrine disruptors can be cause to this imbalance in your endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors are natural or man made chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system. There are a few ways this can happen. These endocrine disruptors, or EDCs, may block the pathway between hormones and receptors in the body. Another is that glands in the body make too much or too little of a particular hormone. The last way they can affect the endocrine system is by mimicking a hormone and causing the body to either overreact or react at the wrong time to something. There are about 85,000 human made chemicals in the world. Out of those 85,000 about 1,000 of them are known to be endocrine disruptors. The smallest amount of contact with these can cause a disruption.

There are lots of different sources of endocrine disruptors. They can be found in cosmetics, food and beverage packaging, toys, carpet, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and flame retardants. You can become in contact by either inhaling them, eating them, or direct contact. Think of it as you are able to get these endocrine disruptors from your diet, the air you are breathing, from your skin, or from your water. The categories of items that have endocrine disruptors are industrial, agricultural, residential, pharmaceutical, and heavy metals.

Common Endocrine Disrupters

There are some endocrine disruptors that are more common and more studied than others.

One of them being atrazine. Atrazine is a very common herbicide used on corn, sorghum, and sugarcane crops.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is common in food storage containers and other plastics.

Dioxins occur from manufacturing, and when some substances are burned.

Perfluoralkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are common in firefighting foam, nonstick pans, paper, and textile clothing.

Phthalates make plastic more pliable and can be found in food packaging, fragrances, children’s toys, medical device tubing and cosmetics. Cosmetics that may contain phthalates are nail polish, hairspray, shampoo, aftershave lotion, and cleansers.

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are used in electrical equipment, hydraulic fluids, heat transfer fluids, lubricants, and plasticizers. Some of these can actually be found in your home. Triclosan products are designed to kill bacteria, so many antimicrobial and personal care items can contain triclosan.

Endocrine Disruptors and Your Health

Studies are still being done to see the effects EDCs have on people. In one study that was done it showed that men who had higher counts of EDCs in their urine showed heightened symptoms of ADHD. Studies are still being done to see the effect EDCS have on conditions such as obesity, diabetes, reproduction problems, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid problems, and problems with the prostate. There have been studies though that show high levels of EDCs can affect your thyroid function, cause a higher risk of some cancers, cause changes in your metabolism, cause changes in reproductive health, and may cause growth delays if exposed to high amounts of EDCs during gestation.

Limit Exposure

Though you cannot eliminate your exposure to endocrine disruptors completely, you can reduce your contact.

One easy way to do that is to make sure you wash your hands often.
When buying produce buy organic. Wash all produce before eating.
Buy foods that are simple and less processed.
Skip canned goods and opt for foods that are either fresh, frozen, or dried.
When storing leftovers or food, choose glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic.
Filter tap water.
Vacuum your flooring often.
Dusting and wiping down surfaces can also lower your exposure.
When choosing cleaners, look for ones that are basic, and don’t contain any harsh chemicals.
Also when choosing products skip the fragrances.
Change your cosmetics to versions that are clean and are free of phthalates.

The endocrine system is in charge of producing hormones. Natural and man made chemicals can disrupt the endocrine system. No what you need to avoid for healthy hormones. #HealthSurgeon

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