How Hormone Disruptors May Be Affecting Your Health (What Can You Do?)

What Are Hormone Disruptors?

Hormone Disruptors, which are also referred to as Endocrine Disruptors since the Endocrine System is responsible for our hormones, are chemicals encountered in our foods, environment, and physical objects we interact with that interfere with our body's hormonal system. These hormone disrupting substances mess with the hormones within our bodies by mimicking, blocking, or even altering our own natural hormones including sex hormones like Estrogen and Testosterone, Thyroid Hormones [such as T3 (Triiodothyronine), T4 (Thyroxine), and TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)], and more.

Some common sources of hormone disruptors include:

• Plastics (containing BPA and/or Phthalates)
• Pesticides
• Personal Care or Beauty Products (containing Parabens and some synthetic fragrances)
• Non-Stick Cookware (which may contain PFAs)
• Flame Retardants in Furniture and Fabrics

How Do Hormone Disruptors Affect Your Body?

Hormone Disruptors can be the leading cause of a wide array of health problems facing many of us, which can include:

• Fertility Issues (for both Men and Women)
• Metabolic Dysfunction, including weight gain
• Thyroid Imbalances
• Mood Disorders, including Anxiety or Depression
• Hormone-Sensitive Cancers, such as Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, or Ovarian Cancer
• Early Puberty in children

Even small amounts of exposure to these Endocrine Disruptors, especially during critical stages of development, such as during pregnancy or early childhood, can have long-lasting or even permanent effects.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), interfere with our Endocrine System, which is our internal network of glands and organs that produce, store, and secrete hormones which regulate critical functions. Some of those key bodily functions regulated by our hormones include our Metabolism, Reproductive Health, Physical Development, and our Mood.

Chemicals that mimic our bodies natural hormones (agonists) structurally resemble our bodies hormones, Estrogen being especially prone, and these chemical bind to our hormone receptors as if they were the hormone itself, and this can cause our bodies to respond inappropriately to the presence of these EDCs. Even though these chemicals are not actually the same thing as the hormones themselves, our bodies get tricked into responding in ways as if more of those hormones were present.

Other Hormone Disrupting Chemicals simply block our hormone receptors (antagonists), which prevent our real hormones from binding to the corresponding hormone receptors in our bodies, and prevent the normally signaling that would be caused if our natural hormones could bind to the receptors instead. This is where some chemicals block our Testosterone signaling by blocking off our androgen receptors, and thereby reduce male fertility, and can even impact fetal development in male children who are exposed to these chemicals by their parent.

Those EDCs that alter our Hormone Synthesis can interfere with the enzymes that are involved in the production, metabolizing, or elimination of hormones in our bodies and these can lead to unnatural balances or even rhythms. One example of this is when chemicals increase the aromatase process by which a male's testosterone is increasingly converted into estrogen, which can lead to detrimental hormone imbalances in men.

Common Symptoms of Exposure to Hormone Disruptors

While it can be tricky for your average healthcare professional to diagnose hormone-related issues, there are still a litany of symptoms people experience who are dealing with the effects of exposure to Hormone Disruptors. Commonly reported symptoms can include:

• Unexplained Fatigue
• Mood Swings
• Irregular Menstrual Cycles
• Low Libido
• Unexplained Weight Gain
• Thinning Hair or Brittle Nails
• Trouble Sleeping or Falling Asleep

This list is not exhaustive by any means, so there are certainly more symptoms you may experience when your hormones are out of balance, but those are some of the most commonly reported or easiest to correlate to having hormones disrupted and out of balance.

The Top Hormone Disruptors to Avoid Exposure To (in no particular order):

1. Bisphenol A (you may know it as BPA): BPA is found in the linings of canned foods, plastic bottles, and many types of food packaging. When examining the food labels, be sure to look out for the "BPA-Free" statement or logo on the label, or opt for foods and beverages in glass containers instead.
2. Phthalates: A substance all too commonly found in plastics, as well as some fragranced personal care items. If trying to avoid, choose items that are unscented or naturally scented.
3. Parabens: This is commonly used as a preservative in cosmetics, even everyday items like soaps and shampoos. While you think you may be cleaning yourself or taking care of your skin and hair, you could literally be soaking hormone disruptors through your skin barrier, and negatively impacting your own health. Carefully check the label for a "Paraben Free" symbol, or skim the ingredients to be on the lookout for parabens.
4. PFAs (the spooky "Forever Chemicals" you've probably been hearing about): Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAs for short since nobody can pronounce that, are commonly found in non-stick cookware, wrappers on some fast food, as well as in some water-resistance fabrics in our clothing, furniture, carpets, mattresses covers, etc.
5. Atrazine: Atrazine is a commonly used herbicide that permeates into a lot of non-organic produce. The bad news is that you can't wash it off or cook it out, so once it's in, it's in. To make matters even worse, because some farmers are spraying this stuff on crops it also soaks into the ground water or washes away into our rivers, lakes, and streams and ends up to some degree in our public water sources. Atrazine is some nasty stuff that needs to be dealt with across the globe, but particularly here in the United States where it's use is all too widespread in corporate farming.

How to Protect Yourself From Hormone Disruptors

By now you might be wondering why on Earth these types of chemicals are allowed to be used in so many common household products we interact with everyday. That's a very valid and relevant reaction, and one that many people are waking up to the reality of each and every day. While some people brush it off as hearsay, the reality is that we live in a modern world surrounded by man-made chemicals that are wreaking havoc on our collective health and wellness. It doesn't just affect us, some of these things may be around for generations to come, even if we begin addressing their root causes today.

You can consciously make an effort to try to avoid many Hormone Disruptors by:

• Use Clean, Non-Toxic Personal Care and Beauty Items
• Use All-Natural or "Clean" Household Cleaning Products and Laundry Detergents
• Avoid Foods and Beverages Heated in Plastic Containers
• Choose Organic Produce
• Filter Your Drinking Water
• Minimize Consumption of Canned Foods and Foods Stored in Plastics

Supplements That Can Help With Hormone Balance

Certain dietary supplements can be effective at supporting the body's natural hormone production and regulation, and some supplements can also be effective at aiding the body in detoxing from exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals. If you suspect that you may be dealing with a hormone-related issue, it's always best to speak with your trusted healthcare professional, even if you plan to take dietary supplements to support your health.

Some of the Ingredients in Supplements That Can Help With Detoxifying:

• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
• Choline
• Milk Thistle (featured in our Liver Detox)
• N-Acetyl Cysteine
• Glutathione

Dietary Ingredients That Can Help With Hormone Balance:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: can help reduce inflammation and also support hormone signaling.
• Adaptogens: Cortisol fighting compounds found in many of our Mushroom Complexes, but also readily available in Ashwagandha and Maca Root, as well as others.

Awareness is Only the Beginning: Some Things Cannot Be Unseen

Hormone Disruptors seem nearly impossible to avoid entirely in today's world, but being well-informed about the topic can help you make conscious efforts to reduce your exposure. Avoidance can help you protect your long-term health and wellness. Through simple lifestyle changes, targeted nutrition and supplementation can go a long way towards protecting or restoring hormonal balance naturally.