Most of the household items like cleaning products and plastic containers are packed with harmful chemicals. There is one such hormone-mimicking chemical is used in many products known as Xenoestrogens.
This particular chemical is a major reason behind several chronic health issues that are common today. The article below will tell you about the chemical and ways to avoid them to remain healthy.
Table of Contents
What Are Xenoestrogens?
Xenoestrogens are chemicals that mimic estrogen in your body. They are compounds like estrogens from a foreign source.
They are artificial chemicals that can impact the hormonal balance of your body. Xenoestrogens are also capable of disrupting the endocrine system functioning of the body.
Once this chemical enter your body, they attach themselves to the natural cells receptors of the body, taking over the natural estrogen function to control growth and development.
The estrogen levels in the body promote tissue growth and development which further is responsible for giving soft supple skin and the ability to conceive.
However, if the estrogen levels in your body increase it can promote abnormal growth like fibroids, cysts, weight gain, and tumor. The abnormal levels disrupt the entire endocrine system and its functioning.
Chemical That Are Xenoestrogens
Xenoestrogens are a variety of chemical substances. Some of the chemicals that are xenoestrogens are mentioned below:
1.Beauty Products
Xenoestrogens present in beauty products are:
- 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor
- Parabens like methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.
- Benzophenone
2. Plastics And Other Products
Xenoestrogens present in plastic and other industrial products are:
- Bisphenol A which is generally an antioxidant in plasticizers to avoid damage by oxidation.
- Phthalates
- Polybrominated biphenyl ethers
- Polychlorinated biphenyls
3. Food
Xenoestrogens present in food items are given below. Generally, they are common ingredients of preservatives or food colors.
- Food dyes contain Erythrosine
- Phenosulfothiazine is another kind of red dye used in various food items.
- Butylated hydroxyanisole / BHA is a kind of food preservative that has a potential effect on hormones.
4. Insecticides And Pesticide
Xenoestrogens present in insecticide and pesticide are:
- Atrazine which is a weed killer and is generally added to commercially grown crops.
- DDT which is an insecticide and banned.
- Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene is one of the byproducts of DDT and is potential estrogen products
- Dieldrin, Endosulfan, Heptachlor, hexachlorocyclohexane and Methoxychlor are few other insecticides that are potentially harmful to human use.
- Fenthion
- Nonylphenol and derivatives (industrial surfactants; emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization; laboratory detergents; pesticides)
- Chlorine and chlorine by-products used in swimming pools.
- Ethinylestradiol present in pills
- Alkylphenol is a chemical present in detergents and other cleaning products.
How To Avoid Xenoestrogens?
Although it is becoming difficult to avoid the chemical pollutants from your life completely, taking simple measures might limit the exposure to it.
Limited or negligible exposure can further help you to stay away from the adverse effects of these pollutants. You should aim for opting for foods that do not contain these chemicals.
It’s not only the food that you should avoid but also the household products that contain Xenoestrogens should be avoided. To help you out, down below is a descriptive guideline to avoid it.
1. Plastics
Plastic in any form is not good for health, especially when heated.
Following things should be taken care of when using plastic:
- Reduce the use of plastics. Limit the plastic usage whenever possible. Opt for alternatives like glass or steel whenever possible.
- Never microwave food in plastic containers.
- Avoid using plastic wraps to cover or wrap for storing or microwaving.
- Do not use plastic containers for drinking water especially when you go out in the sun with the bottle. Special care should be taken for children water bottles as they tend to keep their bottles in the sun.
- Don’t heat the plastic container, if heated up significantly throw it away.
- Don’t refill plastic water bottles.
- Do not freeze water in the plastic bottles to drink later.
2. Household Products
When using household products for cleaning, you should take extra care as they might contain significant amounts of xenoestrogens.
Following things should be taken care when choosing household products:
- The cleaning products like detergents for washing clothes, household cleaning products etc, should be chemical free and biodegradable.
- Opt for chlorine free and unbleached products. Extra care should be taken when buying tampons, toilet paper, towel, coffee filters, pads, pampers, napkins, etc.
- Always use a chlorine filter head for shower heads for filtering drinking water.
- Use a chlorine filter on shower heads and filter drinking water
3. Health And Beauty Products
- Try using creams, lotions, and shampoos free from toxic and estrogenic chemicals like parabens and stearalkonium chloride. Opt for paraben free or organic beauty products.
- Limit exposing your nails to nail polish and nail removers.
- Fragrances tend to contain chemicals and xenoestrogens, so try to use essential oils or natural fragrance.
- Opt for chemical-free toothpaste. Toothpaste that has a green symbol on their packet is natural and chemical free so it’s better to opt those ones.
- Read the labels a sex-enhancing or pregnancy preventing aids like condoms or lubricant gels. These may contain harmful ingredients which are better to be avoided
4. Stationary Items
Stationary items like copiers, printers, fiberboards, carpets, and toxic ink items should be handled with care.
5. Commercially-Raised Meat And Dairy Products
The processed or commercially raised beef and dairy products like beef, meat, pork, chicken, butter, milk, ice cream etc. contain chemical preservatives and xenoestrogens. You should limit their usage in your daily diet.
These products are contaminated with bovine growth hormones and expose us to a significant amount of xenoestrogens.
Therefore, you should cut-down their consumption in the daily diet and should consume hormone-free, grass-fed and humanely raised animal products whenever possible. It is impossible to completely avoid them but limited use will save you from too many adverse effects.
6. Avoid Drinking Tap Water
The tap water is often contaminated with harmful chemicals coming from the air. Of these the most vital pollutants in tap water come from petroleum derivatives which are the primary source of xenoestrogens. So, always drink filtered water.
7. Artificial Flavoring Agents
Flavoring agents like MSG and artificial sweeteners are very dangerous to health, especially in the long run. As per a research published in the journal, Chemical Research in Toxicology, a substance like preservatives, coloring, texture, and for taste have high amounts of estrogenic effects on the body.
Of these, Propyl gallate and 4-hexylresorcinol are the two most harmful additives to be especially careful for.
8. Packaged Foods
Packaged foods like canned foods are usually lined with a plastic coating that contains bisphenol-A (BPA), which is a xenoestrogen.
The packaged foods are always undesirable as they contain ingredients that are not good for health. Thus, you should buy local food items whenever possible.
9. Avoid Use Of Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are loaded with xenoestrogens to make your clothes feel soft and fresh. The xenoestrogens present in i can permeate in the skin directly into your cells.
So, you should avoid using dryer sheets whenever possible. You can opt for natural liquid fabric softener or ½ cup of baking soda in the rinse cycle instead to keep your clothes fresh and clean.
10. Avoid Insecticide, Pesticide, And Fungicide
Do not use Insecticide, Pesticide, and Fungicide as they are harmful in the longer run.
Xenoestrogens And Adrenal Fatigue
Xenoestrogens can create a havoc on the hormones of your body which can further cause an array of health issues. They can include from disrupting your thyroid function to low immunity.
They are harmful because they disrupt the hormonal balance of the body in the following ways:
Environmental estrogens or xenoestrogens and adrenal fatigue are interlinked. They create an estrogen dominance in men by regular exposure of these estrogens from food and water supply. The adrenal fatigue further gives rise to other issues like lack of sleep, and disruption to the circadian rhythms of the body.
Many types of research have concluded that the overabundance of estrogen and estrogen-like substances are responsible for serious health issues in men and women.
One of the famous researcher Dr.Lee concluded that high exposure to estrogen-like substances can cause prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.
Xenoestrogens bind to hormone receptor creating a rush of circulating estrogen in the blood. Too much estrogen can cause various health issues and the issues can be exaggerated more for people suffering from Adrenal Fatigue.
As these xenohormones are chemically produced hormones that are difficult for the body to process. They end up getting stored in the body as fat cells causing greater health issues.
For people already having adrenal exhaustion, Xenoestrogens can hamper the fragile endocrine system. The added artificial hormone can create an additional burden on the compromised system which hampers organs such as the liver and kidneys.
Disorders Related To Xenoestrogens
Regular long-term usage to xenoestrogens can lead to several disorders and diseases.
A few of them are classified below:
1.A cause of reproductive site cancer in women especially breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer.
2.Decreased fertility in both male and female due to an imbalance of reproductive hormones.
3. High levels of estrogen in the body causing Estrogen dominance
4. Increased incidence of prostate cancers
5. A greater risk to cardiovascular diseases
6. Imbalance of insulin in the body causing type 2 diabetes.
7. Risk of Prostate Cance
8. Obesity
9. Damage to the Thyroid gland
10. Endometriosis and Uterine Fibroids due to hormonal imbalance in the body.
You can absorb xenohormones by ingestion, inhalation and by direct skin contact too. Nowadays, they exist in every aspect of your daily life.
The packaged food you eat, the plastic in which you drink, the city water you drink, all contain xenohormones in some or the other form. Xenohormones are present in the lining used on the inside of almost everything present in a food mart.
Not only this, the safe water that comes from the tap contains chemicals to kill bacteria that at the end go and accumulate in your body.
Diseases or disorders won’t occur at once but regular usage can really cause an adverse effect on your body.
This is not only true for adults but also for children. For children, it can even retard growth and cause serious health effects. These xenohormones can cause a variety of diseases and disorders so best it to avoid them as far as possible.
Final Talk
Xenoestrogens have made the world a contaminated place. The trend of using xenoestrogens came into action just 20 years ago.
They might be a reason for prevalent chronic health issues. The main concern is that xenoestrogens are present almost everywhere from the household items you use the packaged food to eat.
A clean environment for everyone is the priority to keep everyone’s health optimum. Modern life pollutants are increasing the exposure.
To eliminate all these pollutants, the best way is to buy natural, chemical-free products, and organic products. Try detoxifying your life off all the chemicals pollutants keep yourself fit and healthy.
