Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are everywhere in our environment. They are being used more and more each day in our household products. Phthalates are just one of many Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. According to the World Health Organization, environmental toxins account for nearly 24 percent of all diseases. EDC’s have been shown to be linked to cancer, developmental delays, obesity, diabetes, and reproductive issues. Today we will take a closer look at phthalates, which are plasticizers known as the worst offenders and which also have a link to breast cancer risk. We will look at the hidden dangers of these phthalates found in everyday products.
Phthalates are a family of man-made compounds used to manufacture plastics (PVCs), solvents, and personal care products. They are oily, colorless, and odorless liquids that increase the lifespan or durability and flexibility of plastics. Most plasticizers appear to act by interfering with the functioning of various hormone systems, but some phthalates have wider pathways of disruption. The history of using plasticizers such as phthalates dates back to the 1920s and 1930s.
They can be found in everyday products we use daily such as:
Clothing
Toys
Plastic bags
Medical Devices
Vinyl flooring
Plastic shower curtains
Plastic food containers
Food
Detergents
Window blinds
And they are also found in some personal care products you might not suspect:
Nail polish
Skin Moisturizers
Perfumes
Shampoos
It’s important to be aware of your exposure to phthalates. They do not chemically bind to the polymers to which they are added. Therefore, they can leach into the environment or be absorbed into your body through what you drink or through products you put on your skin.
As consumers, we must be careful what we put on our bodies. Our skin is like a sponge. Generally 60 to 70 percent of what we put on our skin gets into our blood system through capillaries under our dermal layer.
To reduce our exposure to phthalates, we must avoid plastic wraps, plastic containers, plastic toys, and plastics with recycling label #3. See my previous blog on Understanding the Resin Codes and Plastics: It’s not Just About Marine life!
We must be careful what containers we drink from. Glass, steel, and ceramic drinking containers are best. Also avoid personal care products that say “fragrance,” which is sometimes a hidden word for phthalates. We must learn to read the labels of all of our personal care products.
In the past 20 years, I’ve become more careful about what I put in my body. Yet, I never thought about what I was putting on my skin. I now realize that what I put on my skin is directly absorbed into my body and can be just as important as the food choices we make. This is why doctors sometimes prescribe medicines and patches to administer medications through your skin. I also never considered the containers I was drinking from, eating on, or storing my food in. After my cancer journey, I’ve looked at everything and made significant changes. See my blog post on Reducing Plastics –Do as the Europeans Do.
When phthalates are absorbed into your body through ingestion, inhalation, or your skin, most of them are hopefully broken down into metabolites that are excreted in urine, feces, semen, and saliva. But some are not. Recently, both breastcancer.org and the American Cancer Society have expressed concern about the possible link between hormone-driven cancers and EDCs. Although the research is often conflicting, more research needs to be done.
Like other EDCs, phthalates have been shown to interfere with normal hormone processes that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis in the body. They can either mimic or block female hormones and can bind to the estrogen receptor. Although some research shows the harmful effects of phthalates on the endocrine system, other research seems to indicate little to none. But there is enough out there to cause me to use caution and avoid using these chemicals as much as possible.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @ginnybrant. These messages are now on YouTube:
The Hidden Dangers of Phthalates Found in Everyday Products
The Dangers of Plastics: It’s More Than Just Marine Life
Eight Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Use
Understanding the Resin Identification Code to Protect Your Health
As you begin to examine the labels of products you are eating and using on your skin, how many products containing phthalates are you finding?
For Your Health,
Ginny
Click for free download on Tips for Lowering Your Breast Cancer Risk and Smoothie Recipe
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.