THE EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS ON YOUR HORMONES
RODALE
NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Take a gander at the list of more than 1,300 potential
hormone disrupting chemicals just released by researchers at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, and you may not feel overly concerned at first. You might think, "Glyphosate? Dimethylbenzene? Benzoic acid? What's that got to do with me, and what exactly is a hormone disruptor, anyway?" But
the truth is, many of these industrial chemicals (which were never
adequately tested for long-term health effects before being introduced
to the general public) have found their way into products we come into
contact with each and every day—pesticides in food,
on our lawns, and inside our homes. These chemicals also lurk in food
preservatives, in household dust, and in household products ranging from
hairspray and shampoo to air fresheners and candles. Depending on when
we're exposed, researchers now believe that certain hormone disruptors
can set us up not only for developmental problems early in life, but
also for hormone-related problems like obesity,
infertility, certain cancers, and diabetes that may not surface until
decades after exposure. Hormone-disrupting chemicals throw off our
bodies' intricate systems for developing and regulating our bodily
systems; these chemicals mess with our ability to function in a way our
bodies did pre-Industrial Revolution.
THE DETAILS: For
years, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange staff has been poring over
thousands of published scientific studies to build this list of more
than 1,300 potentially hormone-disrupting chemicals. For a chemical to
make the cut, at least one scientific study had to show that the
chemical had hormone disruption effects. However, Carol Kwiatkowski,
PhD, executive director and senior research associate at The Endocrine
Disruption Exchange, says researchers found multiple studies indicating
hormone disruption as an effect of many of the chemicals listed. And
this list is just the tip of the iceburg. "We had to stop somewhere so
we could share this list, but we're already working on adding more
chemicals," Kwiatkowski says.
WHAT IT MEANS: While the list shows all different types of chemicals, including the notorious BPA,
a particular class of chemicals kept popping up: Pesticides. Weed-,
bug-, and fungi-killing chemicals used in homes, gardens, and farm
fields appeared time and time again on the list. "There are 269
pesticides on the list, and there are going to be lots more,"
Kwiatkowski notes. Glyphosate, the chemical name for the common
agricultural and residential weedkiller Roundup, is on the list, as is
2, 4-D, a compound Monsanto, the maker of toxic chemicals and
genetically engineered seeds, hopes to use in its next round of GMO seeds. Benzene,
an air pollutant that is often linked to cancer and breathing problems,
is also recognized as a hormone disruptor. That's bad news for the natural gas drilling industry, which is being slammed by studies showing major public health threats.
Earlier in the year, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange published a
study finding that 43 percent of the chemicals used in natural gas
drilling are endocrine disruptors. The
development of this list also brought to light the fact that
hormone-disrupting chemicals, which can affect the endocrine
glands—pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and
testes—can lead to problems with immune systems, bone health, and brain
and heart development, too. "We were surprised at the range of effects
related to the endocrine system," Kwiatkowski says.
Here are 4 ways to phase out hormone-disrupting chemicals from everyday life.
• Demand organic. This
list adds to the mounting research finding that pesticides don't just
damage weeds and other pests, but us, too. It's farmer's market season,
which means you can find great deals on in-season, local, organic food.
Just make sure it's really organic: How to Find True Organic Food at the Farmer's Market.
• Demand a moratorium on natural gas drilling. Unconventional natural gas drilling, which uses the toxic fracking process
to release subterranean gas, uses hundreds of toxic chemicals that
wastewater-treatment plants cannot adequately deal with before the water
is then released back into waterways, including those that serve as
drinking water supplies. And wastewater from the drilling could be
shipped far from the original site, ending up in municipal systems after
being inadequately filtered. You can lobby your local government to
adopt an ordinance that bans natural gas drilling in your area.
• Banish toxic household hormone disruptors. Ditch benzene- and synthetic fragrance-emitting candles and
air fresheners. If you still want ambiance, choose beeswax candles,
which actually help clean up indoor air. In general, avoid any
personal-care products listing parfum or fragrance as an ingredient.
Check the online and with manufacturers the safety of products you use, and to find safer ones if you need to.
• Don't use pesticides in or around your home. Just
as you shouldn't eat pesticides with your food, you shouldn't inhale
them, taint your drinking water with them, or absorb them through your
skin. Use natural pest-control methods and nontoxic lawn and garden tactics from Organic Gardening magazine.
Summary: Cellfood features all the power you need to begin your process of healing. The powerful formulation may assist in cleansing
your body at a cellular level of those built up nasties and put you on
the road to recovery. Find a good Practitioner who can carry out some
targeted hormone tests and set in place a program to get your hormones
back on track. Also, try Digest-Ease, a comprehensive probiotic for
balancing 'friendly' bacteria in the gut. Probiotics are essential for
good hormonal health and will help you clear toxins. iHealth Online
store features 'hand picked' Superfoods to help you recover health and
vitality.
|
