Xenoestrogens / Estrogenic Chemicals
What Are They and How Do They Affect Fertility?
Endocrine disruptors and estrogenic chemicals (xenoestrogens) are chemicals and compounds that are found in everyday life that can negatively alter the endocrine system causing hormone imbalances.
These elements mimic your body's natural estrogens and affect hormonal activity in organs, the nervous system and the reproduction system.
While many years ago some products containing these disruptors were thought to help pregnancies, studies have now shown that these products are known to cause fertility problems.
These are some of the ways that endocrine disruptors affect the reproductive process in both males and females:
- Increase possibility of getting mammary, ovarian, testicular and prostate cancer
- Create abnormalities within male reproductive organs and sperm
- Limits males and females’ fertility by causing hormone imbalance
The way xenoestrogens and estrogenic chemicals affect hormones is probably the most negative side effect and causes the most damage. These effects not only include hormones involved in the reproductive system, but they also affect other organs within the human body.
These are the ways that endocrine disruptors affect hormones:
- They mimic other hormones, disrupting the flow of hormones into cells. They have been known to mimic reproduction hormones, like estrogens for females and androgens for males.
- They can bind to a hormone receptor inside of a cell. Typically, these are anti-androgens and anti-estrogens that disrupt the passage of hormones through the cell. After the receptor binds to the disruptor, the body will not respond properly to the hormone that was supposed to enter the cell.
- The disruptors can also block the hormones from entering the cell even if the disruptors don’t enter the cell.
These disruptors can enter the human body by being ingested, breathed in, or absorbed through the skin.
Thousands of products contain small doses of estrogenic chemicals. Studies have shown that it is tough to tell which products contain a harmful dose since people are generally exposed to several products containing xenoestrogens at a time.
Here is a list of some products that are known to contain a high dosage of endocrine disruptors:
- Mineral oil or anything that contains mineral oil
- Shampoos and soaps that contain sodium laurel (laureth) sulfates.
- Medicines and steroids that contain diethylstilbesterol. (Diethylstilbesterol contains estrogenic chemicals and alters the hormonal system.)
- Laundry detergents and dryer sheets that are high in chemicals.
- Organochemicals and pesticides including DDT and dioxin.
- Many plastics and plasticizers that include bisphenol (bottles, containers, and rubbers usually contain plasticizers).
- Flame retardants containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
- Coolants and lubricants containing polychlorinated biphenyls.
- Non-organic coffee and tea.
- Non-organic eggs, poultry, meats and dairy.
- Skin creams and cosmetics that contain parabens and stearal konium chloride.
- Noxious gasses from copiers, printers, carpets and fiberboards.
- Nail polish.
- Phthalates often found in baby lotions and powders.
- Sunscreens that contain benzophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor, octal-methoxycinnamate, octal-dimethyl-PABA. Choose organic sunscreen instead.
- Deodorants and Anti-perspirants and other products that contain propylene glycol, aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum chloride, triclosan, alcohol, aluminum zirconium, sodium silver aluminum silicate, terachlorhydrex-gly, stearyl alcohol, alum (short for aluminum), and urea. (Aluminum has been implicated as the number one cause of Alzheimer disease.) Yes, even alcohol should be avoided. It is a petroleum product and should not be getting into your bloodstream via the skin to cause toxicity problems such as infertility.
Many products contain disruptors, so cutting them completely from your life is probably impossible; however, limiting your exposure to endocrine disruptors and estrogenic chemicals (xenoestrogens) is one way to boost your fertility if you’re having problems conceiving.
Here is a list of recommended organic products that do not contain endocrine disruptors
First start with a full body cleanse to rid your body of the chemical build-up. Then choose organic products to keep your body clean.
You could go to your local health store for organic products, of course. But, here I have listed some products and websites that I personally use after doing my own research and reading the labels.
- Herbal Clean
- The Fertility Cleanse: If you are trying to conceive then follow up a full body cleanse with a fertility cleanse.
- Aubrey Organics: Personal hygiene products: soaps, shampoos, deodorants, and so forth (uses grain alcohol in some products which is better than the petroleum-derived alcohols).
- Giovanni Organic Cosmetics: Personal hygiene products.
- Kiss My Face: Organic facial care: cleansers, scrubs, moisturizers, sun protection, and more.
- SunOrganic.com: Certified organic foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, you name it.
- Peelu: Organic toothpaste and chewing gum. (don't use floride)
- More to come...
Warning: Not all "organic" products are created equal. For instance, Avalon Organics and Nature's Gate, just try to pronounce some of the realllllllly long "chemical" names they have listed in their deodorant ingredients (for example: babassuamidopropalonium chloride. This starts out as shea butter, then chemicals, heat, and reactions are added until it's a synthetic chemical of its own).
Always remember to check the ingredients of any product before you buy. Become a conscious consumer and save your fertility, not to mention, your health. Leave those endocrine disruptors on the shelf.