What Are Xenoestrogens and How Do They Affect Our Health and Weight?
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Xenoestrogens: What, Why, and Their Effect on Our Health and Weight
By Donovan Baldwin
Funny word, but not so funny results perhaps.
 Without getting too scholarly, xenoestrogens are basically "fake" estrogens. They are man-made and very common in today's world. This is because they are common in many "modern" products, including ubiqitous forms of plastic found in many forms. We eat off of them, drink out of them, sit on them...you get my point.
The problem arises in that xenoestrogens "leak" into our food supply, into the water we drink, and make our drinks out of, and into the very air we breathe. It is extremely difficult to avoid contact with, or ingestion of, them.
If they were exactly like the hormone estrogen, this might not be too much of a problem, although higher levels of estrogen in men can create health problems, particularly in the area of reproduction. Estrogen, and xenoestrogens, results in a reduced sperm count in men, just to cite one issue.
Even that might not be a major issue in itself.
However, as common as they are, we still do not have a lot of hard data on the effects of xenoestrogens on the population at large.
One effect which seems to be occuring is that xenoestrogens increase insulin resistance, and this can result in unwanted weight gain, in the form of body fat, and even diabetes. They have also been tentatively linked to such diseases as breast cancer, endometriosis, precocious puberty (unusually early onset of puberty), infertility, and miscarriages.
Due to their dissemination throughout our society, it is extremely difficult to limit our personal exposure to xenoestrogens. This is especially true as they are found in many common household products such as cleaners and paper products, and are even used in herbicides and pesticides applied to fruits and vegetables before we puchase them in the supermarket. They are also found in invisible fumes given off by the products around us which, unknown to us, contain xenoestrogens.
We can however, take some steps to avoid xenoestrogens:
- Choose chlorine-free products and unbleached paper products.
- Avoid all chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
- Use filtered water to drink and bathe in.
- Whenever possible, choose organic foods.
- Buy hormone free meats and dairy products.
- Use chlorine free tampons, menstrual pads, toilet paper, paper towel, coffee filters, etc.
- Reduce your use of plastics whenever possible.
- Do not microwave food in plastic containers.
- Avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food for storing or microwaving.
- Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food.
- Do not drink water from a plastic container left in the sun.
- Don't reuse plastic water bottles (better not to use them in the first place).
- Choose organic food grown locally and in season whenever possible.
- Remove the peel of any non-organic fruits and vegetables.
- Use chemical free, biodegradable soap, toothpaste, laundry and household cleaning products.
- Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals or ingredients such as parabens and stearal konium chloride.
- Minimize exposure to nail polish and nail polish removers.
- Use naturally based fragrances, such as the essential oils used in aromatherapy.
- Check the labels on condoms and diaphragm gels.
- Minimize X-rays whenever possible.
- Be aware of the possible existence of noxious gas such as from copiers and printers, carpets, fiberboards, and at the gas pump.
Last, but not least, don't panic or over-react. Even the bad things which are believed to result from the existence of, and contact with, xenoestrogens, usually have many contributing and cumulative risk factors. Reducing as many as possible may have a cumulative and complementary reduction in risk as well.
The research is still being done on the health effects of xenoestrogens and most is in its infant stages. In the meantime, if you are concerned for your health, reduce your personal contact with them by implementing as many of the tips above as possible. Exercise regularly, make wise nutritional choices, supplement your diet with the best multivitamin you can find, get plenty of sleep, and enjoy life. After all, it's the only one you've got.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donovan Baldwin is a 71-year-old exerciser, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a past member of Mensa and has held several
managerial and supervisory positions throughout his career. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he
became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over
40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters.
He has an online store of various homeopathic and herbal health
products which can be found at nodiet4me.com/health_products.
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P. S. If you want to learn about Why Diets Don't Work, please click here.
If you want to learn how to burn fat, a great book to read is
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto
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