If you want to turn the clock back on aging,
then you may already know that optimizing your hormones is one of the first steps that I recommend.
Now, there’s a class of chemical compounds that’s present in our food,
in our water and in our environment called “Endocrine Disruptors”
and they should be avoided like the plague, because they can wreak havoc with your hormones.
And that’s the topic of today’s video.
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And watch this video to the end to find out how to download a list of the top endocrine disruptors,
where they’re used most often, and how to avoid them.
OK, so today we’re going to be talking about “Endocrine disruptors”
or endocrine disrupting chemicals, also known as EDCs.
We’ll be discussing what they are, where they’re found,
what type of effects they can have, and how to avoid them.
But before we get into EDCs, let’s take a minute and talk about the endocrine system.
We all have a network of glands and organs that produce, store or secrete hormones,
and this is the endocrine system.
It’s a system of chemical messengers that are released directly into the circulatory system.
When this system is functioning normally, it regulates the healthy development of the body,
as well as it’s functioning throughout life.
The whole function of the endocrine system is to produce hormones,
which are signaling molecules that are transported through the body by the blood steam.
They target organs that can be quite distant from the gland that is secreting the hormone
and they regulate bodily functions such as digestion, metabolism, respiration, tissue function,
sensory perception, sleep, excretion, stress, growth and development, movement, reproduction and mood.
Hormones work by binding to specific receptor proteins in the target cell,
resulting in a change in cellular function.
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals, or mixtures of chemicals,
that interfere with the way the the body’s hormones works,
and they can do this in a number of different ways.
Some endorcrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs can “mimic” hormones,
meaning that they can trick the body into believing that they are actually a hormone.
The EDC can then be recognized and bound by hormone receptors in the cell.
These receptors can then transmit the signal from the EDC to the cell, which then executes that command.
Other EDCs can block natural hormones from doing their job
by binding to receptors that are meant for the natural hormones
and preventing those hormones from binding to that receptor.
Still other EDCs can increase or decrease the levels of hormones circulating through the blood
by affecting how they’re made, broken down or stored.
And finally, there are EDCs that can impact how sensitive the body is to the signals of the hormones.
And here’s the thing about EDCs…they can be dangerous in extremely small amounts.
Exposure levels are measured in parts per billion.
That’s the equivalent of one drop in 20 olympic-sized swimming pools.
EDCs have been linked to a whole bunch of adverse health outcomes
that range from alterations in sperm quality and fertility, abnormalities in sex organs,
altered nervous system function, immune function, certain cancers, respiratory problems,
metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems and neurological and learning disabilities
to problems with mood, energy levels, erectile dysfunction and the libido.
We get exposed to EDCs is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.
They can also be absorbed through the skin.
Industrial chemicals and pesticides can leach into the soil and groundwater
and make their way into the food chain by building up in fish, animals and people.
Many consumer product contain EDCs, or are packaged in containers that can leach EDCs into the products.
Processed foods can contain accumulated traces of EDCs
that have leached out of material used in manufacturing, packaging, processing, transportation and storage.
Household dust can contain EDCs, which can then be inhaled.
But it not just from industrial chemicals.
A number of natural, organic foods have a type of EDC called phytoestrogens,
which are chemicals produced by plants that can mimic estrogen
And if this wasn’t bad enough,
EDCs can interact with other chemicals in our environment to exacerbate their effect.
Here’s just one example of what I’m talking about.
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a well-known EDC that present in plastics,
and that can leach into water stored in plastic containers. But, it can be absorbed through the skin.
BPAs are widely used in thermo-printed receipts, such as grocery store receipts.
Hand sanitizers, sunscreens and moisturizers contain dermal penetration enhancers
to improve the absorption of their active ingredients by breaking down the skin’s protective barrier.
A recent study demonstrated conclusively that using one of these products while handling thermo-printed receipts
increase absorption of BPAs by a staggering 185 times.
So if you’re a cashier who uses a hand sanitizer or moisturizer,
you might want to consider wearing nitrile gloves.
Now, since hormones can have a major impact on growth and development,
a lot of research has been done on studying the effects of EDCs on prenatal and early childhood development.
But more recently, a significant amount of research has been done on the effects of EDCs on aging adults.
For example, in the October, 2019 issue of “Gerontology & Geriatric Study”,
Gyorgy Csaba stated that endocrine disruptors “can harmfully influence aging during the whole life,
by disturbing the physiological function of the endocrine and immune systems.”
So I think that we can all agree that avoiding endocrine disruptors is key
if you want to turn back the clock on aging.
Now, it would take more time than we’ve got in this short video to list all, or even the top, EDCs, how to avoid them.
where you’re likely to encounter them, and how to avoid them.
But I’ve put together a PDF that you can download that does that for you.
It lists the top endocrine disruptors and where they’re used or where you might encounter them,
and it lists a variety of ways that you can avoid them.
If you’d like to download that PDF, you can click on the card in the upper right hand corner of this screen,
or look for the link in the description below.
But if you want a real quick rundown of some of the things that you can do to avoid EDCs, here they are.
First, eat whole, organic foods that are minimally processed and refined.
Avoid non-stick pans and plastic containers, and instead use glass containers.
Never microwave food in plastic containers.
Use organic personal care products. Avoid thermoprinted receipts.
And filter your water.
If you’re trying to optimize your hormones, such as testosterone or human growth hormone,
then avoiding as many endocrine disruptors as possible is imperative.
EDCs will screw with your hormones in ways that I don’t even know,
and avoiding them is one of the first things that I did when I decided to optimize my own hormones.
So download the PDF and start eliminating EDCs from your food, your water and your environment.
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Thanks for watching, and I’ll catch you next time.