The Endocrine System
Your endocrine system is a very sensitive communication network — it influences all aspects of your health and well-being, including your reproductive potential, cognitive function, thyroid and metabolism, digestion and hormonal balance.
By giving your body the tools that it needs to function well you can optimize your capacity to detox. Of all the manmade toxins in our environment, the most constantly encountered may be the most worrisome (the ones used to create plastics, pesticides, cleansers, dyes, flame retardants and white paper, among other products). These are called endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC’s), and mimic the action of hormones when absorbed by humans and wildlife. These compounds interfere with the essential inner workings of our cells.
The endocrine system is made up of a number of glands, including the thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries and testes, as well as pockets of tissue throughout the body, all of which secrete calibrated amounts of hormones into the blood stream. Hormones are chemical messengers that orchestrate many of the body’s internal functions — including cell growth, development and division — and how organs behave. They also handle communication between organs.
Oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, insulin, cortisol, and the thyroid hormones are just a few of the primary and secondary hormones circulating in our bodies. The hormone–receptor complexes are more intricate than originally thought and makes endocrine disruption more potentially hazardous.
An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic compound that mimics a natural hormone when it is absorbed by the body. It can turn on, turn off, or change normal signals. It can have the effect of altering normal hormone levels, triggering excessive action, or completely blocking a natural response. Any other bodily function controlled by hormones can also be affected.
Manmade chemicals known or suspected to influence the endocrine system are everywhere. They make our plastic products softer and easier to handle, our cosmetic creams and lotions smoother and longer-lasting, and our clothes and furnishings inflammable. They are used in clothing dye (especially denim!), cars and computer casings, Teflon coatings, and disinfectant bleaches. They are diffused throughout the atmosphere by the burning of industrial waste and leach into groundwater from landfills. Scientists are concerned because these chemicals biomagnify in the food chain.
We have a rigorous detoxification system in place in the form of our blood, lymph, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and skin. But we are being overloaded with manmade chemicals and have trouble filtering this kind of load. This will result in chemical and medical sensitivities, childhood cancers, infertility rates, learning disabilities, autism and mood disorders. We now know that these compounds have effects on thyroid function and brain development as well as reproductive potential. While early on they were referred to as oestrogen disruptors or xenoestrogens, we now realize they play a much broader role.
Cellular disorder can be manifested at quite low doses, perhaps lower than accepted toxic doses. Many of these compounds are lipidophilic — they “like fat” and accumulate in fat tissue. They are not easily detoxed or cleansed from the body so are stored up over decades, particularly in women’s bodies (including breast tissue). These contaminants can be transferred across the placenta to a growing foetus.
What can you do about endocrine disruptors?
The health of your air, water, and earth effects your health. Assess and reduce the potential load of contaminants you come into contact with each day, including plastics, pesticides, housing and clothing material, cleansers, bleach and cosmetics.
1. Work with a holistic, knowledgable health practitioner who is achieving results.
2. Investigate and reduce the chemicals in your kitchen, laundry, bathroom, garden, cosmetics, lotions and toiletries.
3. Choose your food intelligently — eat as organically as possible. Endocrine disruptors and heavy metals magnify in the food chain.
4. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consuming.
5. Take high quality supplementats with essential fatty acids to ensure rich nutrition and to support your body’s optimal functioning.
6. Support your body’s natural ability to detox by exercising and sweating on a regular basis.
7. Eat plenty of fibre and take a daily probiotic.
8. Be fussy with your water supply. Not all household filters work effectively on hormone-disrupting chemicals and heavy metals. The same for bottled water.
9. Avoid using plastics. Assess the amount of plastic in your life and try to reduce it.
