The Endocrine Age

Since the 1940's, 80,000 different chemicals have been produced by the private sector that make our lives easier. Pesticides to prevent our crops from being eaten. Fragrances to make ourselves smell nice. Hand products to kill 99.9% of bacteria. But what is often forgotten about these chemicals is that they have negative effects on the body. The FDA is too overwhelmed to regulate these chemicals because so many new chemicals come out each year. They are under manned and under funded to carry out the research necessary to analyze these chemicals. Most of the active chemicals (and some of the inactive ones) researched by independent groups have been found to be endocrine disruptors. These endocrine disruptors often either mimic or block hormones in your body. Hormones are important for the regulation of many bodily functions. They regulate your blood sugar levels, your growth, your sleep, and much more. Because of hormone disruption, endocrine disruptors have been seen to create a variety of problems including, but not limited to adult onset diseases, cancer, fertility problems, early puberty in girls, and behavioral problems. Even at levels that are barely detectable, these chemicals are having profound effects on most of the US population.

Here is a website by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Services that has an overview of endocrine disruptors and many different studies that have investegated the effects of some of the major endocrine disruptors of concern.

NIEHS on Endocrine Disruptors

Here is another website with tips on how to avoid endocrine disruptors even when we are surrounded by them.

Avoiding Endocrine Disruptors