The Environment and a Person’s Health

Originally featured on Natural Bio Health

What does the environment have to do with a person’s hormones? A lot more than someone may suspect! The environment has an unprecedented impact on a person’s health and can influence hormonal functions in the body.

Environmental factors that affect our body and its hormones include stresses that we are exposed to, what we ingest and inhale, and what we apply to our biggest organ, our skin. These environmental exposures may lead to altered hormone production by the body’s organs, and our hormones may be thrown off balance as a result.

How the Environment is Changing Our Hormones

Exposure to environmental stressors may explain the growing number of cases of hormonal changes and imbalances. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that xenoestrogen exposure is becoming more common in women.

Found in cosmetics, hairsprays, nail polish, and other beauty products that we apply every day, xenoestrogens are a type of hormone that mimics estrogen. Xenoestrogens can be natural chemical compounds or synthetic. When absorbed by our body through the skin, synthetic xenoestrogens that include compounds like phthalates don’t allow estrogen to function as it should for optimal health.

According to a study published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal, exposure to herbicides over an extensive period of time can cause hormone imbalances, and even result in infertility. Individuals may ingest these chemicals unknowingly when they consume commercially produced fruits and vegetables. Consuming genetically modified (GMO) corn products increases the risk of hormonal changes from toxic herbicides as well.

The environment can also have a negative impact on testosterone levels, exposing us to organophosphate and other harmful pesticides used to destroy insects on produce. EWG attests that exposure to these pesticide chemicals has been linked to adverse effects on brain development, behavior, and fertility, and can impact testosterone levels. In turn, low testosterone adversely affects energy, mood, and sex drive.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it may be time to get tested for low testosterone. At Natural Bio Health, our providers will check your hormone levels and create a plan specifically for you. We offer a customized therapy program that can help you regain energy, muscle strength, and sex drive.

An environmental factor that is often overlooked is your exposure to light at night. If you are exposed to light in the morning and dark at night, your circadian rhythms can function adequately for higher quality sleep. The use of televisions, phones, and other electronics exposes many individuals to light at night, repressing the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for regulating your circadian rhythms. Melatonin imbalance has been linked to higher levels of abdominal fat, as well as other issues that sleep deprivation triggers.

How You Can Prevent Hormonal Changes

The prevalence of environmental factors that contribute to hormonal changes and imbalances may be daunting, but there are many ways to limit your exposure to them.

Avoid using and consuming foods and products that contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. When possible, purchase organic produce to reduce exposure to herbicides and pesticides. Pay attention to what foods you eat, and limit your contact with perchlorate, a chemical that is often found in milk and produce products.

Excess perchlorate in the body can affect the thyroid gland’s ability to generate hormones. EWG recommends decreasing the effects of this prevalent chemical by consuming sufficient levels of iodine through diet.

And if you’re still drinking out of plastic bottles, it may be time for a change! Many plastic products discharge chemicals that imitate the hormone estrogen. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics, and it can disrupt the vital production, secretion, function, and natural elimination of hormones.