Environmental Toxins - How to Protect Your Hormones
Detoxification is essential to the human body and there are many organs in the body that help us with this process including the liver, gut, kidneys and skin. There are things that can help our detoxification system in our body and things that can slow it down. When our detoxification wheels are going too slow, this can cause many problems in the body but first and foremost can affect our hormones significantly.
Up to 800 chemicals in our everyday life have been shown to have an affect on our hormonal system by interfering with hormone receptors, hormone conversion and hormone synthesis. These problems can then be linked to thyroid disease, diabetes, endometriosis, obesity and more.
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Your Genes May Guide Your Detoxification Capability
Every year we are exposed to new chemicals that have been put into our environment, food, water, personal care. with this, our bodies detoxification abilities are constantly being put to the test but the main issue is that some people have genes that affect their bodies stamina to keep up with this demand.
Genes passed down from your parents can tell us if you are good at eliminating certain toxins or if you may have trouble processing things like heavy metals, pesticides, herbicide, and organic pollutants which can cause accumulation of toxins in the body.
For example, the gene variants GSTT1 and GSTM1 are linked with the production of an antioxidant Glutathione. This is the most potent antioxidant in the body and one of it’s most important jobs is to eliminate manmade chemicals from the body. If you have a variant in the above genes it may mean that your body’s capability to process toxins might be less than the next person who does not have these gene variants.
Endocrine Disruptors
The main category of chemicals that are bring referred to are called endocrine disruptors and greatly affect the communications between certain hormones and may lead to problems associated with:
Hypothyroidism / Hashimoto’s / Graves disease
High oestrogen diseases such as endometriosis and fibroids
Blood sugar disregulation which can lead to an increased risk of diabetes
Weight and obesity
Chemicals that may affect your hormones:
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Found in plastics such as plastic water bottles, plastic food containers, inside lining of takeaway coffee cups and tinned food, plastic utensils, thermal receipt paper, phone cases, children’s toys. Also anything heated in plastic leaches more BPA.
Brominated and organophosphate flame retardants (volatile compounds):
Found in rugs, foam furniture, carpets, floor polish, nail polish
Pthalates
Found in cosmetics, perfumes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, body lotions, hair spray, floor and wall coverings, food packaging, children’s toys, detergents
Pesticides/Insecticides
Found in most non-organic certified fruit, vegetables, grains, food in general. Also found in bug spray cans, termite control, lawn and garden treatments, head lice treatment.
Five Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself from Toxic Overload
It is important in this day and age to reduce your toxic overload to protect your hormones, prevent chronic disease and to improve your overall health.
Reduce Plastic Use & BPA exposure
BPA found in plastics is essential to avoid when looking after your hormones.
One of the largest exposures to BPA is drinking water from plastic water bottles. Unfortunately even BPA free water bottles and plastic containers still contain other types of Bisphenol substitutes that have similar hormonal impact as BPA.
Heating plastic releases even more BPA into the product, so please stop reheating your food in plastic containers asap.
Switch to stainless steel or glass water bottles, switch to glass food containers for storage. Start keeping all the glass jars you buy food in and use this for storage. Switch to using a glass or stainless steel reusable coffee cup if getting takeaway, use wooden kitchen utensils and ask for receipts to be emailed to you or just put in your reusable shopping bag instead of touching it straight away while still hot.
Reduce Pesticide exposure by choosing organic produce
Choosing organic produce just for 1 week has been shown to reduce urinary pesticide levels by nearly 90%. Check out the dirty dozen and clean 15 to help you prioritise what is most heavily sprayed and therefore the most important to buy organic.
Switch to 100% Natural Personal Care Products
Swapping all personal care over gradually to 100% natural is essential for hormone health.
Remember that your skin is your largest organ and absorbs over 70% of what we put on it.
This includes products such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, moisturisers, toner, cleansers, facial scrubs, self tanners, deodorant, makeup, aftershave lotion, lip balm.
Some great brands you can swap to for all of the above include Dr Bronners, Sukin, Thursday Plantation, Eco Tan, Schmidts, Inika, Zuii, Mukti.
Surround Yourself with Plants to Filter Indoor Air
Incorporating potted plants into your environment has been shown to reduce indoor air pollution significantly within just 24hours.
These can include a reduction in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as formaldehyde, xylene/toluene, benzene, ammonia and acetone.
Common plants that have been studied to reduce VOCs include spider plant, peace lily, snake plant, and devil’s ivy.Use foods and herbs to support your liver detoxification process
Food is medicine. Using food and herbs to support your liver detoxification pathways can be very powerful.
Foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, beetroot, brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, bok choy, pak choy, silverbeet, and silverbeet are all very nourishing for the liver and helps to speed up the pathways to clear toxins more efficiently.
Using herbs such as garlic, turmeric, dandelion root, St Mary’s Thistle, globe artichoke, tulsi, Schisandra, and reishi… just to name a few amazing ones.Also remember to make sure that the majority of these above foods are sourced organically to get the full effects of them.
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food
- Hippocrates
The main take away here is there are many different ways that environmental toxins can take form in our lives and although it may seem overwhelming to begin with, gradually changing over to a clean lifestyle is a number one priority in supporting your hormones.
Ellen x
*Always consult with your health care practitioner before taking herbal medicine.