Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)
What is your endocrine system and why is it so important?
Your endocrine system consists of glands that secrete chemical messengers known as hormones. Hormones travel around in your bloodstream and send messages to your tissues and organs. They play a crucial role in growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, mood and stress. Your hormones are constantly fluctuating but even a slight change can throw off the delicate balance.
Your body makes over 50 different hormones, so there’s a wide range of symptoms and conditions associated with hormone imbalance depending on which hormones are involved. Common symptoms of a hormonal imbalance include PMS, irregular cycles, weight gain, anxiety, fatigue, mood changes, acne, dry skin and hair loss.
What are Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)?
Endocrine disrupting chemicals are environmental chemicals that wreak havoc on your endocrine system. They are found everywhere - in the food we eat, the water we drink, the products we put on our skin, and even the air we breathe. There are thousands of different EDCs including pesticides, BPA, PCBs, phthalates, dioxin, parabens, air pollution, nickel, copper, lead and mercury.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals mimic hormones and interfere with hormone signalling. They can bind to receptors and inappropriately activate them or block them and prevent normal hormonal processes from taking place. Even a small amount of an EDC can significantly disrupt your hormones. Studies have found links between EDC exposure and early menopause, altered fertility, reduced ovarian function, menstrual cycle irregularities, breast cancer, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis and diabetes [1, 2, 3]. EDCs can also affect your thyroid, adrenal and pancreatic function.
Most EDCs are fat soluble, meaning that they can accumulate in your body’s fat tissue over time [4]. The most alarming fact is that exposure to EDCs in early life can lead to health consequences in adulthood that can last generations [2]. This makes it difficult to assess the full impact of EDCs on human health.
How to reduce your exposure to EDCs
Almost everyone has a detectable level of EDCs in their body. They are everywhere and although we can’t completely avoid them, we can reduce our exposure and support our body in eliminating them.
Plastics - Switch plastic bottles and containers for stainless or glass. Tea bags are a common source of microplastics (they leech out into your cup of tea), so opt for loose-leaf tea or 100% plastic-free tea bags instead. Never microwave or heat food in a plastic container even if it says microwave safe.
Pesticides - Wash your produce thoroughly with a dash of soap or vinegar. Choose organic where possible and grow your own veggies. Avoid using fly spray, pesticides and weed killer in your home or garden.
Drinking water - Tap water is a potent source of EDCs including disinfection byproducts, fluorinated substances, bisphenols, phthalates, pesticides, and natural and synthetic estrogens [5]. Water bottled in plastic was also found to have a three times higher estrogenic activity than water packaged in glass [6]. Even rainwater can contain heavy metals that act as EDCs when ingested. Your best option is to invest in a good quality water filter.
Cookware - Non-stick cookware is a potent source of EDCs. Choose cast iron or ceramic instead.
Cleaning supplies, cosmetics & skincare products - Use natural and organic cleaning products, washes, shampoos, conditioners, makeup, hand soap, dishwashing & laundry detergent etc.. Look for products labelled as “phthalate and paraben free.”
Fragrances - Avoid artificially fragranced things, like air fresheners, perfumes, fabric softeners & detergents.
How to reduce the effects of EDCs
In our current environment, reducing exposure may not be enough to offset the hormonal effects of EDCs. There are steps we can take to enhance our body’s detoxification pathways and protect our cells by increasing their resilience.
Consume a more wholefoods plant-based or Mediterranean-style diet
Consuming a wide variety of plant foods including fruit & veg, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, and seeds promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria which plays an important role in metabolising and eliminating EDCs. Plant foods also contain health-promoting phytochemicals that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
A diet rich in polyphenols and omega-3 foods may enhance your body’s resilience against EDCs and other environmental toxins [7]. Food sources of polyphenols include vibrant fruit & veg, berries, pomegranate, herbs, spices, nuts, beans, tea, olives and cacao. Omega 3 foods include wild-caught oily fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and hemp seeds. If plant-based, take a good quality algal oil supplement containing EPA and DHA.
Turmeric and cruciferous veg including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and kale help to support your phase II liver detoxification pathway. Choline, zinc and high-quality protein are also required for the liver to function properly.
Reduce your overall toxic load
A diet high in processed foods, trans fats, additives, refined sugars and alcohol, as well as a sedentary lifestyle promotes inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. It also burdens your liver, which may cause EDCs to be stored in your body rather than eliminated. These factors may exacerbate the effects of EDCs and other environmental toxins [7].
Stay hydrated - drink at least 2L of filtered water daily. Move your body, as frequent exercise is an important way to support your body’s detoxification processes. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. It can be as simple as a walk, yoga session or swim. Get enough sleep - Your body depends on sleep to repair and replenish itself. Lack of sleep can cause toxins to build up in the brain and body. Aim for 8 hours of quality sleep every night. Limit your alcohol intake and intake of processed foods.
Investigate and address any underlying liver & gut dysfunction or methylation problems
Work with a naturopath to investigate your liver function, assess any nutritional deficiencies or factors that may be impairing it, and if necessary prescribe liver-supporting herbs and supplements. Address any underlying gut dysfunction such as dysbiosis, parasites, bacterial overgrowth, low stomach acid, food sensitivities and leaky gut. A full gut healing protocol may be necessary. And finally, methylation plays a vital role in metabolising and detoxifying EDCs and other environmental toxins. Genetic polymorphisms such as MTHFR, nutrient deficiencies and high alcohol intake can impair methylation and potentially exacerbate the effects of EDCs. This can all be investigated in a consultation with a practitioner.
As the production of EDCs has increased, so has the incidence of endocrine disorders. The more research that comes out, the clearer it is that we can’t ignore their health effects. Aim to minimise your exposure as much as possible and make sure your body has the tools it needs to eliminate them.
I hope you found this post helpful and if you have any questions or would love some support with this, please get in touch.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33385395/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2021.1903382
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-022-00858-8
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31792807/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139484
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076010003572
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5503778/