Happy Hormones Day 1 : Endocrine Disruptors
It is a staggering reality that currently, according to Endocrine Society, 5 to 6 million women are living with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), 1 out of every 9 women is living with Endometriosis in the U.S., and 36.2 % of women under the age of 35 is currently undergoing IVF to conceive. This means that more than likely yourself or someone you know is battling a female related health struggle. In addition the age of puberty onset in girls is decreasing every decade and now it is not uncommon for puberty to start as early as age 8 in the United States. The scary part is that these rates are still increasingly trending upward and as many medical advancements as we have made women are still suffering at a staggeringly high rate. This does not even begin to touch current research on breast cancer rates that have observed and documented an average of 1% increase annually from 2012-2021. It leads many of us to ask the question, what is happening?
While this is in no way a medical journal and does not claim to be, it is a goal of this business to share peer reviewed research on health issues with our readers and customers. In every journal post that talks about health and wellness there will always be a section at the bottom where we link peer reviewed studies and we HIGHLY encourage you to go read those studies and make informed decisions about your health based on your own conclusions. However, these discussions need to start happening as they are vitally important to long term health decisions. Over the next 5 days we will cover a range of topics that contribute to women’s health and wellness that are part of our everyday life and sometimes go unnoticed until we shed light on the potential harm that they can contribute. Today we are going to introduce the topic of endocrine disruptors as we will continue to mention those over the next few days.
According to the NIH (National Institute of Health) an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical is defined as “an exogenous [non-natural] chemical, or mixture of chemicals, that interferes with any aspect of hormone action”. The NIH research follows to explain that, the main source of human exposure to EDCs is food intake. These chemicals might pass into the food chain directly when they are used as pesticides, or they might be released from food packaging containing metals, bisphenol A, or phthalates. Something as simple as your wheat being sprayed with glyphosate and then being turned into bread can now contribute to endocrine disruption in your body. Storing food in plastic that contains phthalates can also contribute to endocrine disruption. These EDCs are directly linked to disruption of the gut microbiome. In a separate study published by the NIH in 2021, there is a clear correlation between the gut microbiome health and inflammation, chronic immune system issues, and sex/hormone issues such as PCOS.
So what does all this mean?
We may be exposed to endocrine disruptors through food and beverages consumed, pesticides applied, and cosmetics used. In essence, your contact with these chemicals may occur through diet, air, skin, and water. Therefore, it warrants us to step back and take a closer look at just what we are coming in contact with on a daily basis. This is why it is going to take 5 days to even scratch the surface of this issue. Below I will place the top researched endocrine disruptors as well as where they are most commonly found. This list is directly from the NIH website. Knowing what these chemicals are is the first step in being able to make more informed health decisions about products and food .
Atrazine is one of the most commonly applied herbicides in the world, often used to control weeds in corn, sorghum, and sugarcane crops.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It is used in manufacturing, food packaging, toys, and other applications. BPA resins may be found in the lining of some canned foods and beverages.
Dioxins are a byproduct of certain manufacturing processes, such as herbicide production and paper bleaching. They can be released into the air from waste burning and wildfires.
Perchlorate is a colorless salt manufactured and used as an industrial chemical to make rockets, explosives, and fireworks, which can be found in some groundwater.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of chemicals used widely in industrial applications, such as firefighting foam, nonstick pans, paper, and textile coatings.
Phthalates are a large group of compounds used as liquid plasticizers. They are found in hundreds of products including some food packaging, cosmetics, fragrances, children’s toys, and medical device tubing. Cosmetics that may contain phthalates include nail polish, hair spray, aftershave lotion, cleanser, and shampoo.
Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring substances with hormone-like activity found in some plants; they may have a similar effect to estrogen produced by the body. Soy foods, for example, contain phytoestrogens.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are used to make flame retardants for products such as furniture foam and carpet.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used to make electrical equipment, such as transformers, and are in hydraulic fluids, heat transfer fluids, lubricants, and plasticizers. PCBs were mass-produced globally until they were banned in 1979.
Triclosan is an ingredient that was previously added to some antimicrobial and personal care products, like liquid body wash and soaps.
One of the hardest things we encountered when starting to learn this information was being overwhelmed, and not knowing where to start. I am going to post a few links below for product swaps we have made over time to help reduce our EDC exposure in general. However, each day as we cover more specific and targeted issues I will provide a corresponding links section to correspond to the products mentioned during that post. Get ready as tomorrow we are talking all things makeup and skincare!
Links for Swaps:
Instead of Dawn Dish Soap we like Public Goods https://amzn.to/3YeJvVh
Instead of Cascade Dishwasher Pods we like Nood Clean https://www.temarketsc.com/shop-qRp21/p/dishwasher-soap
Instead of Coppertone Sunscreen we like Badger https://amzn.to/3YdfJ2X
Instead of Degree Deodorant I like Salt and Stone https://amzn.to/3XZeV0m *a little on the pricey side but it works so well
Instead of Clorox Wipes we like Nood Clean All Purpose Cleaner https://www.temarketsc.com/shop-qRp21/p/nood-clean-citrus-all-purpose-cleaner
As you can see not all of these are things we personally carry yet in our online store, but we are sharing all our swaps during this time regardless where you can get it from. Over time, our goal is to continue to add to our vendor list to be able to carry all of the things we use and believe in through T.E. Market.
Research Links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7231259/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8506209/