12 Chemicals to Avoid to Protect Fertility

Did you know that fewer males have been born in the last 30 years in the United States?

Male infertility is on the rise and we have only ourselves to blame for this phenomena.

Studies have shown that the accumulation of certain man-made chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, are wreaking havoc with the endocrine systems of humans and animals alike, affecting their behavior, intelligence and ability to reproduce.

How Endocrine Disruptors Threaten Fertility

Endocrine disruptors have a “gender-bending” effect on your body or on your future offspring. They are so-named because they disrupt your endocrine system – a complex network of glands, hormones and receptors which works side by side with your nervous system to control all of your bodily functions and processes – by:

• Mimicking hormone functions by binding to a cellular receptor, which can initiate your cell’s normal response to the naturally-occurring hormone at the wrong time or to an excessive extent (agonistic effect).

• Binding to a cellular receptor but not activating it, preventing the binding of the natural hormone (antagonistic effect).

• Binding to transport proteins in your blood to altering the amounts of natural hormones in your blood circulation.

• Interfering with your metabolism, affecting the synthesis or breakdown rates of your natural hormones.

All of us are unwittingly exposed to a cocktail of endocrine disruptors on a daily basis because these man-made chemicals are everywhere!

In response to this concern, Congress passed the Food Quality Protection Act in 1996, which mobilized the EPA to initiate a program that will screen pesticide chemicals and environmental contaminants for their potential to disrupt the endocrine systems of both animals and wildlife.

Unfortunately, more than a decade has passed but nothing much has happened. The market remains flooded with products containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are potentially harmful to your health.

You are exposed to endocrine disruptors from a wide variety of sources, including countless common household products, toys, personal care products and cosmetics and construction materials.

But you can do something to protect your fertility. Here are …

The 12 Potential Endocrine Disruptors to Avoid, Their Sources and Why You Should Avoid Them:

1. Phthalates – Also known as plasticizers, phthalates can contribute to incomplete testicular descent in fetuses. Phthalates are found in many personal care products like soap, shampoo, deodorants, fragrances, hair spray, nail polish, and in vinyl flooring, detergents, automotive plastics, plastic bags, food packaging, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage bags, and intravenous medical tubing.
2. Bisphenol A – Can influence fetal development in way that increases breast cancer risk. Bisphenol A is a common ingredient in many plastics, including those in reusable water bottles and resins lining some food cans and dental sealants.
3. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – Is a likely carcinogen found in grease- and water-resistant coatings like Teflon and Gore-Tex.
4. Methoxychlor and Vinclozin – An insecticide and a fungicide respectively, have been found to cause changes to male mice born for as far as four later generations after the initial exposure.
5. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) – Are chemicals that affect gene expression by turning certain genes on or off certain genes, and by interfering with the functions of your glandular system. NPEs mimic estrogen and have been tagged as a reason behind some marine species switching from male to female.
6. Bovine growth hormones – Which are commonly added to commercial dairy, have been associated with premature adolescence.
7. Soy – Soy products are loaded with hormone-like substances.
8. MSG – A common food additive that’s been linked to decreased fertility.
9. Fluoride – A chemical in the water supply which has been linked to lower fertility rates, hormone disruption and low sperm counts.
10. Synthetically-produced pharmaceuticals – Your body is not designed to be exposed to synthetic hormones from contraceptive pills and treatments for hormone-responsive cancers. Long-term use of these pharmaceuticals will increase your risk of developing serious chronic illness.
11. Some natural chemicals – These include phytoestrogens and other toxins produced by components of plants and certain fungi.
12. Other man-made chemicals and byproducts – These include some pesticides (such as pyrethroids, linuron, vinclozolin, fenitrothion, DDT and other chlorinated compounds) and a number of industrial chemicals like polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs) and dioxins.

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Tags: endocrine disruptors, endocrine system, fertility, male infertility