Hormone Disruption from Household Products
Today, we’re talking about hormone disrupting chemicals and what I’ve learned about them so far. These types of chemicals are literally all around us. They can be in the air we breathe, the products we use in our homes and on our bodies, and in the food and drinks we consume.
So what exactly are hormone disruptors, and what are they doing to our bodies?
Hormone disruptors (also called endocrine disruptors or EDs in scientific literature), are chemicals that act on your hormonal system. They usually work in one of three ways:
- They fool the body into thinking that they’re naturally occurring hormones. Some examples are: Oestrogens (the female sex hormone) and Androgens (the male sex hormone)
- Thyroid hormones, which control your energy levels and affect many other systems in the body
- Block the natural flow of hormones or Interfere with the way your body makes its own hormones.
Hormone disruptors might affect the liver or other organs that regulate your system. They can have long term, even permanent effects. A fetus is especially vulnerable, because this is a time of such rapid development. Research has shown that early environmental exposures in utero can cause chronic diseases and disorders during adulthood. It’s also possible for these genetic changes to be passed on to subsequent generations. Hormone disruptors can even cause cancer and infertility in men and women. They may be linked to early puberty in children, as well as other problems.
It’s scary stuff, isn’t it? Here’s a graphic where you can see some of the household products that are made with hormone disrupting ingredients:
I am allll about making small healthy changes to avoid these products in our home. I have been partnered with Healthy Human for a while and I LOVE their products. They are a South Carolina based company which I also love because it’s the beautiful place we call home. They specialize in manufacturing the beautiful stainless steel water bottles featured in my photos above. They’re available in EVERY color and pattern imaginable and will make a great addition to your must-haves! What’s most important about them, is that they allow me to avoid using plastic water bottles which under certain circumstances (think about when they sit in your hot car on a summer day) can emit hormone disrupting chemicals into our water. Plastic containers are BAD NEWS and now that we have Healthy Human, we haven’t touched bottled water in months.
They are running a MAJOR Earth Day Sale right now and all products are 20% off with FREE SHIPPING over $40! If you are looking for a quick way to make a change that can help your family, using stainless steel products from Healthy Human is a great way to start. My kids each have their own designated cup and they love taking them with us to the pool or on a long hike. They will keep our hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold drinks will be icy for 24 hours! A fun fact about their design is that they were made with no sharp edges and that is to keep bacteria from collecting and hiding there. I just love a well-designed product that actually works!
Whatever route you decide to start with to reduce your exposure, please share! I would love to hear more of how you’re working on this in your life.
