By Admin at 23 Sep 2015, 13:55 PM
Cynthia Barstow, a marketing lecturer at the University of Massachusetts, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She set out to determine what in her environment might have boosted her risk, and found that of the 85,000 chemicals used in everyday consumer products, only 7 percent have been tested for human health effects.
Of those, 1,000 are endocrine disrupters, which means they interfere with your hormones and may, in some cases, increase cancer risk (especially when exposure occurs during vulnerable periods such as development and menopause).
Barstow launched a program known as Protect Our Breasts to help spread the word about endocrine-disrupting chemicals and how to avoid them. When asked which endocrine disrupters concern her the most, Barstow stated
“Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S—used in cans and bottle caps, linings, some plastics and receipt paper; phthalates—often found in personal care products, fragrances and cleaning supplies; and PFOA/PFOS—perfluorinated chemicals used to repel oil and water inside microwave popcorn bags or pizza boxes. These are particularly ubiquitous in products, so our exposure is significant.
University of Massachusetts endocrinologist Thomas Zoeller, PhD, further explained:
“The combination of estrogenic chemicals such as BPA (which act like estrogen) with anti-androgenic chemicals such as phthalates (which counteract the effect of male sex hormones including testosterone) is a significant problem that could be having an adverse effect on male reproductive health. Parabens (often used as preservatives in personal care products) and triclosan (used in antibacterial soaps) can have potentially negative impacts on the thyroid gland.”
In regard to breast cancer, for instance, parabens have estrogen-like properties (estrogenic activity in the body is associated with certain forms of breast cancer). These chemicals have been detected in 99 percent of breast cancer tumors tested, with 60 percent of the tumors containing five or more parabens. Research has also shown that higher concentrations of parabens appear in the upper quadrants of the breast, close to where antiperspirants are applied.
Triclosan, meanwhile, has been found to cause estrogenic activities in human breast cancer cells, which may stimulate the growth and development of cancer cells. Phthalates also have both endocrine-disrupting and estrogen-like properties and have been found to increase growth and spread of breast cancer cells as well as induce changes in gene expression in rat mammary glands with in utero or early life exposure. Exposure to one type of phthalate, diethyl phthalate, has been shown to double breast cancer risk.
To cut down on your (and your family’s) exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals, try the 11 tips that follow:
1. Avoid using polycarbonate plastic bottles.
2. Breastfeed your baby to avoid exposure to toxins in the lining of infant-formula cans
3. Store your food and beverages in glass storage containers as opposed to plastic. Glass is a better choice than even BPA-free plastic, as research shows even BPA-free plastic can still leach chemicals with estrogenic activity into your food.
4. Minimize your use of canned foods, including soda in cans.
5. If there’s an option, choose glass jars over plastic containers for your food products (juice, vegetables, beans, etc.).
6. Choose glass baby bottles instead of plastic.
7. Avoid plastic toys for children -- choose those made from natural materials, such as wood or fabric, instead.
8. Do not microwave or heat your food in plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap.
9. Ask your dentist for a BPA-free dental sealant.
10. Know your recycling codes. In general, plastics that contain the numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 usually do not contain BPA. Plastics with the numbers 3 or 7 may be made with BPA (though not all plastics marked with 3 or 7 contain BPA).
11.Use natural personal care products (try these DIY fixes for face body and bath).
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