More and more research is revealing the additives in our foods are wreaking havoc with our health. Endocrine disruptors, like those mentioned below, are some of the culprits that are causing hormonal imbalances that contribute to weight gain, infertility, thyroid problems and more.
Christine Hunt
THE HORMONE DISRUPTING ADDITIVES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
by James Colquhoun
Did you know, more than 3,000 preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients are added to food in the United States? Not to mention the extra additives leaching into foods from the packaging alone such as bisphenol-A (BPA), bisphenol-S (BPS, and phthalates!
Yet none of them are required to undergo testing for estrogenic activity, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Crazy right?!
A company can simply hire an industry insider to evaluate a chemical, and if it’s determined ‘safe’ according to federal safety standards, it can be deemed GRAS without any involvement from the FDA. No independent third party objective evaluation required.
Whilst further testing is required to assess safety of the individual chemicals in humans, it’s important to realize that it’s more about the chemical cocktail we’re ingesting on a daily basis, and how they could be adding to the total effect of hormone disruption in our bodies.
Many food additives have an estrogen-mimicking effect. These are known as xenoestrogens and have been linked to reproductive problems in animals and perhaps humans. 12 of the worst were listed recently by the Environmental Working Group.
They stated:
“There is no end to the tricks that endocrine disruptors can play on our bodies: increasing production of certain hormones; decreasing production of others; imitating hormones; turning one hormone into another; interfering with hormone signaling; telling cells to die prematurely; competing with essential nutrients; binding to essential hormones; accumulating in organs that produce hormones.”
We’ve outlined the top food-related hormone-disruptors to avoid below:
1. Phthalates
Such as DEHP interfere with the creation of the male sex hormone, testosterone, and exposure has been linked with birth defects of male genitals, and later in life, poor sperm quality, and infertility. They are of concern because they interfere with the synthesis of the male sex hormone, testosterone, and exposure has been associated with birth defects of male genitals and later in life, poor sperm quality and infertility.
Reduce your food-related exposure by:
a. Limiting dairy, meats, and cheeses, and non-organic produce.
2. Propyl paraben
Is a preservative and known endocrine disruptor that is used in processed foods such as Sara Lee Cinnamon Rolls, Weight Watchers cakes, tortillas, muffins, food dyes and more. The European Union (EU) removed propyl paraben from its list of safe food additives in 2006, due to its potential health hazards. Yet tests show more than 91 percent of Americans have propyl paraben in their urine, and around half the tested samples of beverages, dairy products, meat and vegetables sold in the US contained the chemical. Propyl paraben acts as a weak synthetic estrogen altering the expression of genes, including those in breast cancer cells and has been linked to impaired fertility in women by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Reduce your exposure by:
a. Limiting processed, packaged foods.
3. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
An additive that the International Cancer Agency categorizes as a possible human carcinogen and the European Union classifies as an endocrine disruptor. At higher doses, it can lower testosterone and the thyroid hormone thyroxine and adversely affect sperm quality and the sex organs of rats. A wide variety of foods contain BHA, including chips and preserved meats as it is added to fats and to foods that contain fats and is allowed as a preservative in flavoring.
Reduce your food-related exposure by:
a. Limiting processed, packaged foods, especially those high in fat.
While we can’t avoid absolutely all additives and hormone disruptors, we can take steps to reduce our daily exposure. It all starts with awareness!
Source: Hormone Disruptors
To your health!
What types of processed foods are you eating that may contain these endocrine disruptors?
Please share your questions and comments below.
Christine Hunt is a Wellness Coach and Certified EFT Practitioner and has found that working with the whole person by combining mind/body work, dietary adjustments and movement provides her clients with the tools they need to lose weight (and keep it off), get relief from chronic illness and positively transform their lives. Contact her for a free, 15 minute consultation to learn why what she does works when other methods have failed.
Christine works with her clients in person, by Skype or phone. So, if you live away from the Annapolis, Maryland area, she can still work with you.
