Health and Xenoestrogens

In terms of health, xeno-oestrogens can cause all manner of problems. What are these? Xeno means “foreign” and it has been a cause of great concern that these man-made oestrogens are causing oestrogen dominance, not only in women, causing more and more cases of hormone related symptoms and cancer, but in men and children too.

Prior to 1921, there were only 20 cases of a disease called endometriosis in world-wide medical literature. Now, in the USA, 1 in 20 women have the condition. This painful condition is the main cause of infertility - where fragments of the womb lining (endometrium) break off and lodge in tissue elsewhere like the gut causing pain and periodic abnormal bleeding.

This is mainly due to a problem with oestrogen becoming the dominant force in a woman’s body – oestrogen that is becoming part of our environment.

The 1997, Herman-Giddens health study showed that 15 percent of girls aged 8 were showing signs of breast growth and pubic hair at this early age. Time Magazine in October 2000 cited this study and blamed oestrogen-like chemicals (xenoestrogens) in the environment causing early puberty.

A Health Time Bomb

In the 1950s, breast cancer incidence was 1 in 20 in the USA. In 1989 the cancer incidence was 1 in 11. In 2004, it was 1 in 8. Recent studies have shown that breast cancer incidence, if it carries on like this may soon be 1 in 5.

Only 5-15 percent of breast cancers can be described as genetic. The rest are triggered by environmental causes, namely chemical oestrogen’s. In 2004, 42 percent of the male bass in the Potomac River were producing eggs. These fish were being affected by xenoestogens in the water.

Oestrogen is a vital health-giving hormone - but it is an excess of oestrogens that are causing the problem. In women the hallmark of oestrogen dominance (excess oestrogen) is bloating before the period and periodic breast tenderness. This is NOT normal – but is now common. These chemicals mimic oestrogens and act like oestrogens in the body but are man made. Over time, these ostrogens, absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes – can build up in the body and cause female - and male - diseases and health problems.

How do Xenoestrogens work?

New health research in the last decade has brought to light that these synthetic chemicals present in many of the products we use everyday are very different in structure to oestrogen yet may act as an oestrogen in the body. They may bind to the oestrogen “receptors” in the body strongly or weakly. It may also stimulate the receptors strongly or weakly to imitate the effect of oestrogen, or it may cause a response that is an abnormal oestrogen response.

Thus these chemicals can cause breast cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia, fibrocystic breast disease, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, premature sexual development and uterine fibroids. Some health researchers have suggested that since the prostate and the uterus are similar sexual organs, xeno-oestrogens may also cause benign prostate growth and prostate cancer in men.

Critics have proclaimed that these chemicals are for the most part “weak”. However they exist in the body in concentrations hundreds to thousands of times of the natural body hormones; and one researcher has demonstrated that two “weak” oestrogens may act when combined to give a strong oestrogen response.

What kinds of chemicals are there – and what are the dangers?

Some of these oestrogens may persist in the body fat for decades. Since this is a new field of health research only a few chemicals have been tested and are listed below so this list is far from being complete:

Pesticides and herbicides such as DDT, endosulfan, dieldrin, methoxychlor, kepone, toxaphene, chlordane, and other chlorinated hydrocarbons
DDT is banned in the U.S. The U.S however produces it and ships it to other countries. However it is present in imported produce and DDT found in U.S citizens has been traced to imported produce. Combinations of other pesticides above are found on U.S produce that exceed FDA safe levels.

The combining effect of all these different chemicals is unknown. Farms, lawns and especially golf courses use these pesticides and herbicides that can easily enter the body through the skin and lungs.

Products associated with plastics such as bisphenol A and pthalates
Bisphenol A was originally designed for use as a synthetic oestrogen replacement. It was found to work well as an antioxidant to prevent plastic breaking down in the sunlight. It is used to make water bottles, plastics used in baby bottles, plastics used to pack foods, and some dental composites. Pthalates along with excess oestrogen given to chicken in their feed were suspected to cause girls as young as 18 months to begin to menstruate in Puerto Rico in the 70s and 80s.

In one study in Dartmouth University, researchers found that plastic wrap with olive oil heated in a microwave produced a concentration of xenoestrogens 500,000 times the minimum amount of oestrogen needed to produce breast cancer cells growth in the test tube.

Pharmaceuticals such as drug oestrogens (primpro, DES and Primarin) Tagamet, and birth control pills
A physicians desk reference lists Tagamet as having the side effect of breast enlargement in men. A full list of drugs with oestrogen effects may be found if you search for "drugs and gynecomastia" on the Web. Many of these synthetic oestrogens in these drugs are chemically modified to be different from naturally occurring oestrogen to increase profits from a patented drug.

Also there is some evidence that they may be stored in body fat for years. Pemarin, prempro and birth control pills contain synthetic chemically modified oestrogen that cause a 40-70 percent increase in breast cancer. They fit the body’s oestrogen receptor and act like oestrogen, but are not natural oestrogen.

Household products such as breakdown products from laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent that include: nonylphenol, octylphenol and spermicide
laundry detergent persists in the clothes even after washing, gets onto the skin and is broken down by bacteria. The skin then absorbs it. If any oestrogen is taken orally, only 10 percent actually enters the body as the liver breaks it down, but anything absorbed by the skin goes directly into the body.

Industrial chemicals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenols)
This is an industrial oil used in electrical transformers that is now banned in the U.S. However, it persists in the environment and the fat of animals for decades.

Commercially raised meat such as pork, chicken and beef
Industry supporters claim that the oestrogen used in feed for cattle pigs and chickens washes out of the animal’s system in weeks. However, there is some evidence to suggest that the oestrogens persist in the fat for several months – or even years. Europe has refused to import American and Canadian beef because of this issue and has been a bone of contention for several years. More information here about this health hazard

Preservatives used in Skin lotions, shampoos, make up and body lotions such as the parabens that include methyl paraben, proply paraben, butyl paraben
Health Researchers have found these to be mildly oestrogenic. The European Union has asked the European Cosmetic and toiletry industry about these new findings and the implication for breast cancer.

Perfumes and Shampoos that contain oestrogen
These have been found to contain up to 50 times the daily ADULT dose of estradiol. A small handful of this shampoo used on children every day may cause breast enlargement on females AND males!

Many common sunscreen chemicals are strong oestrogens
Health Researchers have found that many widely used sunscreens mimic the effect of oestrogen. These are also used to make lipstick, and facial cosmetics. These five chemicals behaved like strong oestrogens in lab tests: