Understanding endocrine disruptors
Have you ever heard of endocrine disruptors? These sneaky chemicals can mess with our hormones, and they’re found in places you might not expect. They can be in the plastic bottle you drink from, the lotion you put on your skin, the pest control you spray, or even in the food you eat. Back in 2012, the United States generated a massive amount of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, totaling 9.5 trillion pounds. For women, these chemicals can be especially tricky because they can affect their health in many ways.
What Are Endocrine Disruptors?
Endocrine disruptors are substances that can interfere with our endocrine system. That’s the part of our body that makes hormones, which are like little messengers telling different parts of our body what to do. When these chemicals get in the way, they can turn up, turn down, or totally confuse the messages that hormones are trying to send. This can lead to all sorts of health problems.
How Do They Affect Women’s Health?
For women, endocrine disruptors can be particularly concerning. They can mess with the natural rhythm of hormones that control things like menstrual cycles and pregnancy. Some of these chemicals have been linked to issues like early puberty in girls, fertility problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and even some cancers that affect women more often, like breast cancer.
Products for personal hygiene and beauty, often aimed at women, stand out as a particular way that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can enter the body. Trends indicate that younger women, between the ages of 18 and 34, tend to buy a lot of these products, often more than ten different product categories each year. Additionally, studies show these women and their kids could be at greater risk from these harmful environmental chemicals, especially if the products are used during critical times like before getting pregnant or while pregnant.
Here are a few ways these chemicals can sneak into our lives:
The usual ways people come into contact with these harmful substances are by breathing them in, eating contaminated food, or touching them directly.
- Personal Care Products: Makeup, lotions, and shampoos might have ingredients that act as endocrine disruptors.
- Plastics: Water bottles and food containers sometimes contain BPA or phthalates, which can leach into what we consume.
- Household Items: Cleaning products and furniture can release chemicals into our homes without us knowing.
What can you do about it?
It might seem scary, but there are steps you can take to reduce your exposure to these chemicals:
- Choose Safer Products: Look for beauty and personal care items that are labeled “paraben-free” or “phthalate-free.” All AlumierMD products (and any other skincare products in our clinic) are free from harmful chemicals like phthalates, sulfates, parabens, dyes, or artificial fragrances.
- Eat Fresh: Processed foods are more likely to have come into contact with plastics and other chemicals. Eating fresh, whole foods can help reduce your risk. You can further learn how to reduce your risk by watching our video on clean eating habits and digestion here.
- Be Smart with Plastics: Try to avoid when possible. If you use plastic containers, make sure they’re BPA-free or better, and never heat them in the microwave. Unfortunately today, something being labeled “BPA-free” isn’t much beyond a marketing workaround. This is because BPS and BPF are being used as the industrial replacements and have equivalent health risks.
- Clean Green: Use natural cleaning products when possible to avoid bringing harmful chemicals into your home.
The big picture
While it’s impossible to avoid all endocrine disruptors, being aware of where they lurk can help you make better choices for your health. This is why we focus on prevention and awareness as a huge part of our aesthetics and product education: these chemicals used in the beauty world truly matter to your internal health, and can circle back to impact aesthetic goals.
By taking small steps to limit your exposure, you can make a big difference in protecting yourself and staying healthy. Remember, it’s about making informed decisions and finding safer alternatives whenever you can.
Our licensed naturopathic doctor and experienced functional medicine practitioner offers comprehensive functional medicine consultations in Meridian / Boise, Idaho. Free discovery calls are available!
