Hormone altering chemicals can alter the way our brains produce and work with other hormones. BY also altering these actions or mimicking or blocking hormone production . These disruptions can offset our hormone balance, affect our ability to reproduce, regulate sugar, to concentrate and maintain a healthy immune system.
These chemicals can be natural or man made in our world today. Some have not been studied while other have and aren’t understood.
Glycol Ethers This term refers to a wide range of clear liquid chemicals having a wide range of uses. Including solvents, lacquers, paints, perfumes, and varnishes. Also ingredients in cleaning products, foods, anti freeze and cosmetics. Some can evaporate rather rapidly and reach hazardous levels in the air.
Glycol Ethers can enter the body through the skin without causing rashes. While over exposure can cause anemia, intoxication, kidney and liver damage. or also irritation to your eyes, skin, nose and throat. Even low levels can cause health impacts to unborn fetuses and young children.
A recent study by Harvard University and Sweden’s Karlstad University indicated that pre-school age children with low- levels exposure to glycol ethers from paint or solvents were two to four times more likely to have allergies or asthma. This finding may explain why levels have been on the rise among children in developing countries since the 1970’s.
To reduce your exposure: use cleaning products without these common ingredients. Avoid exposure by using the Environmental Working Group’s Guide ewg.org/guides/cleaners and use safer products listed in greenseal.org When painting or varnishing ensure proper ventilation during and after application. Also prepare the baby’s nursery well in advance of arrival.
Arsenic: Arsenic can interfere with the balance of hormones in the gluco- corticoid system. Which regulates our bodies process sugars and carbohydrates. This is linked with weight gain, or loss, osteoporosis, immunosuppression, insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes and high blood pressure.
Some drinking water can have elevated rates of arsenic, particularly in the western and north central United States. Studies have demonstrated that high levels of arsenic in water can result in an increase instance of lung, bladder, skin, liver and kidney cancers; skin lesions, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease.
Food is a primary means of ingesting arsenic, with an estimated average intake of 3.2 micrograms per day. Arsenic is absorbed by all foods, but leafy green vegetable, rice, apples and grape juice and seafood having higher levels. When t comes to drinking water always use a filter certified to remove arsenic. Private wells can contain arsenic, uranium, lead, radon, methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and atrazine. So have your water tested for safety being the FDA doesn’t regulate well water.
Atrazine: atrazine is primarily applied to corn, sugar cane, pineapple, sorghum and ever green trees. It’s sometimes applied to residential lawns and along roads and highways. It’s widely used in most states but especially in the Midwest. In water it breaks down slowly so it does persist in wells, lakes and rivers.
This chemical can travel long distance on dust particles, drinking water, and can be absorbed through the skin is someone comes into contact with it. Once it enters the blood stream it can change into substances called metabolites which can enter into organs and cause wreck havoc.
Because of health concerns atrazine has been banned in seven European countries including France and Germany. To decrease exposure avoid being around farmland and lawns when it’s being applied. Also use a with granular activated carbon filter for drinking water. Select a filter by using Environmental Working Group’s Water Filter Buying Guide.
Perchlorate: this chemical is found in flares, fireworks, fertilizers, herbicides and bleaching agents. Being water soluble it can remain in drinking water for decades. When perchlorate enters the body it can prevent the thyroid from taking up iodine. Thereby decreasing the amounts of thyroid hormone in the blood.
In adults the thyroid regulates the metabolism through the release of hormones. When you have a decrease of this hormone this causes hypothyroidism, resulting in chronic fatigue, headaches, difficulty concentrating and weight gain in adults. As well as slow growth, poor mental development and delayed puberty in children.
To reduce your levels of perchlorate in your water use a reverse osmosis water filter. It’s difficult to reduced levels in your food, but you can increase your levels of iodine intake to mitigate its impact
Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs): are used to make household products more grease, stain and water resistant. Non stick coatings on cook ware and food wrappers, stain resistant treatments on carpets and sofa’s and water resistant applications on carpets and mattresses all commonly contain these substances.
PFCs take years to leave the body and they can disrupt the endocrine system and are linked to liver inflammation. a weakened immune system, attention deficit, hyperactivity, increased cholesterol levels, reduced fertility and lower birth weights. But the full range of health effects are largely unknown.
To avoid PFCs use a reverse osmosis and carbon filter for drinking water. Avoid using non stick cooking ware, microwave popcorn bags are made with a PFC coating and don’t use person care products with ingredients starting with “perfluoro.” Also avoid items with Scotchgard, Stainmaster, Teflon or Gore-Tex Treatments.
Plastic Chemicals: Although plastic products can be convenient many have hormone- altering chemicals such as bisphenol- A (BPA) and phthalates that leach into food and beverages. BPA can affect the activity of estrogen, other hormones in our body and is linked to breast cancer. Resulting in impaired reproductive capacity, obesity, altered thyroid levels and metabolic disorders.
Studies have shown that BPA- free plastics can leech chemicals into food. So to reduce your exposure drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water, avoid canned foods for a plastic liner, don’t microwave in plastic of any kind opt for glass instead. Vinyl can contain up to 40 percent phthalates by weight… so avoid vinyl shower curtains, flooring, rain coats and other vinyl household products.
Personal–care products may contain phthalates: often listed as fragrance in the ingredient list. Also refer to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database for alternatives..