PMS? Irregular periods? Painful periods? Fertility issues? Maybe it’s time to think about xenoestrogens - chemicals that mimic the estrogen in our bodies and are part of a larger group of chemicals known as endocrine disrupting chemicals. They can lead to the symptoms of excess estrogen mentioned above as well as endometriosis, acne, breast tenderness, premature puberty, insulin resistance, depression, breast and uterine cancers. They interfere with the body’s hormone system and can be found at much higher concentrations than our own hormones.
There are over 85,000 synthetic chemicals registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency and 2,000 new chemicals are introduced each year. Most of these chemicals are not studied for adverse effects in humans. The main xenoestrogens we encounter on a regular basis are in the form of parabens, phthalates, BPA, pesticides, insecticides, and hormones used to grow our food. These show up in products we are exposed to everyday: make-up, soap, shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, household cleaners, non-organic food, meat and dairy, plastics, fragrance, air fresheners, the “new car smell”, teflon cookware, cash register receipts, flame retardant clothes and furniture, and chemically treated lawns. It is overwhelming. But there are very actionable steps to take to decrease our xenoestrogen burden and help rebalance our hormones.
The first step is to limit our exposure to these xenoestrogens:
-Eat organic and hormone free foods - airy, even if organic will contain hormones, so you may want to watch your intake
-Get rid of the plastic - especially plastic water bottles and plastic food storage containers. Limit use of plastic wrapped food items and opt for beeswax food wraps
-Say no to teflon cookware and other dubious non stick pans - stick to cast iron or stainless steel
-Check ingredients in all personal care products - they should at least be paraben and synthetic fragrance free. Take a look at the environmental working group (EWG) website for lots more information
-Wash your hands after handling cash register receipts or skip them altogether and take an e-receipt. They are coated in plastic that can absorbed through the skin
-Eliminate toxic lawn care - opt for more natural ways to keep the weeds away
The second step is to help your body get rid of these xenoestrogens:
-Make sure you’re pooping daily. Constipation can lead to reabsorption of estrogens
-Eat your veggies and lots of fiber. Dark leafy greens can give you the nutrients you need for estrogen detoxification in the liver and fiber is good for the gut microbiome which aids in estrogen detoxification and also helps with estrogen elimination
-Love your liver and avoid excessive alcohol and drugs like tylenol that stress the liver and make it harder to metabolize estrogen
Avoiding xenoestrogens as much as possible and giving our body what it needs to help get rid of the xenoestrogens that we already have can put us on the path to better hormonal balance.