Do Endocrine Disruptors Impact Your Health?
It still surprises me after all these years to find out that many people do not know about or have not even heard of endocrine disrupting chemicals or EDC’s. It was back in 2016 when I first wrote a blog about this subject. Fast forward by 9 years and it appears that there is still a real lack of awareness about the health impacts of hormone disrupting chemicals in our environment.
There are three chemicals of particular concern, and they include perfumes, plastics and pesticides.
If you can reduce or even better eliminate using products that contain these ingredients, then you will reduce the risk that they pose to your health and not only that you will also help the environment.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to eliminate these risks completely, but they can be minimised.
Perfumes
Perfumes are used in a wide range of personal care and household products as well as in perfume itself. Most perfumes are made from synthetic chemicals. Many of these chemicals are known to disrupt hormones, including some that mimic oestrogen, and are known to be involved in the development of breast cancer.
If you want to find out more about perfumes I wrote a blog about the hazards of perfumes in 2016.
A recent study has shown that switching to personal care products without parabens and phthalates turned breast cancer genes OFF in women in just 28 days (PMID: 36746253).
Reduce your Exposure
Use fragrance free products wherever possible, unless the fragrance is from essential oils which are concentrated plant extracts in the form of an oil e.g. lavender essential oil is distilled from the flowers of the plant.
Check that your cosmetics do not contain parabens or phthalates.
Choose natural and organic.
Make your own products – it’s easy, fun and very satisfying. Check out my natural soap and skincare courses.
Plastics
In my humble opinion plastics are a scourge on the planet. Hazardous chemicals are involved in every stage of their manufacture, use and disposal. And although they might be convenient and cheap, I miss the days when brown paper bags were the norm in shops.
Plastics release hazardous chemicals into our food, water and personal care products. Plastic materials that come into contact with food are considered to be an underestimated source of EDC exposure and water in plastic bottles that contain polyethylene terephthalate have shown three times the oestrogenic activity compared to the same water in glass bottles.
Reduce your Exposure
Buy personal care products in plastic alternatives made from sugar cane or in glass jars / bottles.
Buy water in glass bottles.
Use stainless steel bottles for drinks on the go.
Try not to store food in plastic containers. Avoid plastic that shows the recycling codes 3, 6 and 7.
Do not buy tinned food as the linings are often made from BPA which disrupts the regular action of hormones and has been linked to breast cancer.
Pesticides
Pesticides and herbicides are still used freely in our environment and in homes and gardens. In fact, I am horrified when I see people happily spraying ‘weeds’ with hazardous chemicals and not only that, but they are also usually wearing no protective gear. They seem to be completely unaware of the dangers to themselves, their pets, the wildlife and their surrounding area. It is my belief that the use of pesticides has resulted in the massive decline in birds as they have fewer bugs and insects to feed on.
Several pesticides are carcinogens and have been linked to cancer. Even cut flowers bought from the supermarket may contain significant amounts of pesticides, but the levels are not monitored. In fact, higher than normal levels of cancer have been reported among growers and sellers of flowers.
Reduce your Exposure
Don’t use pesticides in your garden – practice organic gardening instead – better for you and for wildlife.
Don’t use pesticides to eliminate fleas in pets.
Wash your hands thoroughly after arranging cut flowers that you have bought from a store.
Buy organic food as much as possible. Even swapping out one of your regular fruit purchases, such as apples, for organic apples instead can make a difference.
Conclusion
I have highlighted three chemicals that are of particular concern, and I hope with this knowledge you can now make informed choices about what you buy and how you live.
Knowledge is power and it will help to protect you and your loved ones.
