ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS, SILENT ENEMIES: HOW CAN WE DEFEND OURSELVES?

I recommend that you carefully read and put into practice the following recommendations, which will help to reduce the environmental toxics that you are exposed to daily in your home, and which are implicated in a wide variety of health problems. I have extracted it from the book The 13 Horsemen of the Metabolic Apocalypse, by Dr. Jorge Cubrías (Fullcolor Printcolor Publishing House, 2019) and scientists from MD Anderson Hospital (USA).

01.- FRESH AND ORGANIC FOOD

Eat real food, ideally local, fresh and organic. Processed and packaged products are therefore a common source of chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. Also wash fresh produce well, especially if it is not organic.

02.- MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS FROM GRAZING ANIMALS

Above all, choose meat and dairy products from pastured animals, raised sustainably to reduce their exposure to hormones, pesticides and fertilisers. Also avoid milk and other dairy products containing recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) or transgenic bovine growth hormone (rBST).

03.- WILD FISH AND KRILL OIL

Instead of consuming conventional or farmed fish, which are often contaminated with PCBs and mercury, it is also advisable to take high-quality krill oil supplements or eat wild fish, which have been tested for purity, such as wild Alaskan salmon.

04.- PRODUCTS IN GLASS CONTAINERS

It is important to buy products, which come in glass containers instead of plastic or cans, as the chemicals contained in e.g. plastics and plastic coatings of cans, leach both into the contents and into the food.

05.- WATCH OUT FOR BPA-FREE PLASTICS

Also note that “BPA-free” plastics commonly contain other endocrine disrupting chemicals, which are just as bad as BPA and are not always identified on the labelling.

06.- STORE IN GLASS, NOT IN PLASTIC

Store food and beverages in glass containers instead of e.g. plastic and therefore avoid using plastic and aluminium foil for wrapping or storing food.. Use glass bottles.

07.- COOKING WITH CERAMIC OR GLASS UTENSILS

Replace non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass utensils.

08.- WATER FILTERING (USE AND CONSUMPTION)

Filter water for drinking and bathing If you can only afford one, filtering your bath water may be more important, as the skin absorbs contaminants. To remove the endocrine disrupting herbicide Atrazine, we must ensure that our filters are certified to do so. Also, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), perchlorate can be filtered without a reverse osmosis filter.

09.- CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS

Therefore, look for products of all kinds manufactured by animal-friendly, sustainable, certified organic and GMO-free companies.. From food and personal care products, to building materials, carpets, paint, furniture, mattresses and clothes, etcetera.

10.- HOOVER WITH HEPA FILTER

Use a hoover with a HEPA filter to remove contaminated dust from your home. It is one of the major routes of exposure to the flame-retardant chemicals found in many household products.

11.- CHOOSE FURNITURE MADE OF NATURAL, NON-FLAMMABLE MATERIALS.

When purchasing new products, such as furniture, mattresses, carpets, etc., we should also consider buying fire-resistant varieties that contain naturally less flammable materials, such as leather, wool, cotton and silk.

12.- DO NOT PURCHASE STAIN AND WATER RESISTANT CLOTHING AND FURNITURE.

Avoid stain- and water-resistant clothing, furniture and carpets to avoid PFC perfluorinated chemicals.

13.- AVOID PLASTIC TOYS

Ensure that babies’ toys are BPA-free, e.g. dummies, teething rings, as well as any objects that the baby could suck or chew on (even books, which are often laminated). It is therefore advisable to avoid all plastics, especially the flexible varieties.

14.- USE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS

Use natural or self-made cleaning products, e.g. vinegar, baking soda. Avoid those containing 2-butoxyethanol EGBE and methoxy diglycol DEGME, a toxic glycol, which can compromise fertility and also cause harm to the fetus.

Bhital - Environmental Health & Biological Medicine

15.- NOT OPTING FOR VINYL CURTAINS

When replacing curtains, do not choose vinyl curtains, but rather fabric curtains that are not treated with chemicals (anti-stain and anti-wrinkle).

16.- ORGANIC BATH PRODUCTS

It is important to replace personal hygiene products, tampons, sanitary napkins, with safer alternatives. Use organic bath products, fluoride-free toothpaste (although it was recommended until a few years ago, we now know that it is toxic), as well as antiperspirant and organic cosmetics.
EWG11’s skin-deep database, for example, can help you find personal care products free of phthalates and other potentially hazardous chemicals.

17.- PURCHASE FRAGRANCE-FREE PRODUCTS

Look for fragrance-free products, as fragrances can contain hundreds or thousands of potentially toxic chemicals.

18.- DISCARDING THE USE OF FABRIC SOFTENERS AND WIPES

Avoid fabric softeners and dryer sheets because they contain a mixture of chemicals and synthetic fragrances.

19.- HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL PHYSIOLOGICAL TOOLS

Try to keep our physiological detoxification tools healthy and functional, especially hepatic, lymphatic and emunctory phases 1 and 2, while respecting the frequency of evacuation, as well as the volume and forms.

20.- SAUNAS AND STEAM BATHS

Also undergo sauna and/or steam bath sessions (this has been empirically proposed as a valid and reasonable tool, although there is little literature support).