October Edition: Breast Cancer & Endocrine Disruptors

In our last blog post we gave you a mini lesson on breast cancer risk. We know the development of the disease can be related to a variety of different factors, including environmental/lifestyle causes. Apart from genetics, we discussed how increased alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyles, and stress can increase the risk. This week we will explore how environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors influence your risk of developing breast cancer and what you can do to minimize this.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals from the environment that disrupt the normal functions of the endocrine system. They do this by disturbing natural hormone creation. They mimic natural hormones and block their cell receptors. This changes the cell’s normal course of action, and also alters metabolism. It is also important to understand that endocrine disrupting chemicals play a role in many hormonal abnormalities that arise such as earlier period onset in girls, early menopause, endometriosis, and hormone imbalance, as well as in the development of breast cancer. 

The way these endocrine disrupting compounds, chemicals, and toxins play a role in the development of breast cancer is extremely complex and depends greatly on the individual. We know the link exists and we can trace evidence to the toxins and chemicals in our environment. We want you to know how to make lifestyle choices and avoid exposure to them. 

In our environment, there are 3 main places these chemicals hide. 

1. Food

   • Endocrine disruptors are found in foods that have been treated with pesticides, most commonly DDT.

   • BUY ORGANIC! Buying organic food ensures foods have not been exposed to pesticides. Another plus to organic eating is that it is better for the environment.

   •  If you do not have access to organic foods or just happen to find a great deal on non-organic tomatoes, properly wash your produce with apple cider vinegar. 

2. Household/Lifestyle Items

   • Ah, plastic, the world’s biggest blessing and curse. Not only does plastic pollute our environment, most times it also contains Bisphenol-A, or BPA. BPA can leach from plastic into food, water, and other items that are stored in plastic. 

   • We recommend swapping to glass or stainless steel food storage, and water bottles. 

   • Using a water and shower filter can also reduce exposure to these chemicals from plastic that has leached into our water systems. 

   • Buying plastic products labelled as “BPA Free” may not be safer. Most times, these plastic products will contain another form of Bisphenol like B, C, or D and these versions, while not heavily studied yet, are also suspected to be endocrine disruptors. 

3. Beauty/Self Care Products

   • There are several common endocrine disrupting chemicals that appear in every day beauty/skin/cleaning products. The most commonly seen are listed below:

     1. Parabens

     2. Phthalates 

     3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and its various other derivatives. 

     4. Synthetic Colors and Fragrances

   •  The Environmental Working Group is a great free resource where you evaluate your current inventory of products and find products with low levels of endocrine disruptors.

   • Essential oils, white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide also make great alternatives for household cleaning products. 

Toxins accumulate over time if your detoxifying pathways are not working properly. Hormonal issues arise after repeated exposure over time. We are here to help you evaluate exposures and take action on reducing the effects and further exposure. Take inventory of where you may have exposure to endocrine disrupting toxins in your life right now. Create a plan to rid them from your life. It is difficult to expect to remove every source of endocrine disrupting toxins from your life at once because our modern world is saturated with them. Take things one step at a time and be mindful of what you use. 

PIM wants to hear from you! Has breast cancer affected you or someone you love? Are you concerned you’ve been exposed to endocrine disrupting toxins? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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If you or your loved one needs help, perhaps you are suffering from the effects of ongoing stress, mood or hormone imbalance, including thyroid imbalance, or you or they are already working with a doctor to address a condition but want a more comprehensive, empowering approach schedule your a 20 minute free consultation or an appointment with Lynda Sherland, RN, FNP-C today! Not quite ready to schedule and have questions,quickly get in touch with us today!

Resources:

https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/detox-menarche-plastics/?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8iEht3CzK5M_IH9NQt4P6zDjwjWL7qIZ9_DFHyE2ZKcWqpWgE5eOD5gGFoB1beZ-Tx_lupoMIERYkihhafgvvwCum5Fw&_hsmi=76203127&utm_content=76203127&utm_source=hs_email&hsCtaTracking=7c5d1c42-63c1-4292-affe-a346fb605ca6%7C73d4cc3d-8a74-4a16-ad0c-73d994d6b77c

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3682794/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/37462897_Endocrine_Disruptors_and_Breast_Cancer

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm

https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors