...An article on which I won't necessary win a popularity contest š
While xenoestrogensĀ are bad for anyone, women, men and children, they become particularly more dangerous for women in menopauseĀ transition.
They mimic some of the effects of estrogens in our bodies, yet they are toxic.
š in perimenopauseĀ our hormones are challenged and fluctuating enough, without any further disruption,
š after menopause, especially for the overweight ladies, the extra fat tissue tends to produce unnecessary estrogens, which, if they are not flawlessly excreted by the body after use, they are proven to increase cancer risk.
The extra xenoestrogens add to this one more layer of evil - thus a careful selection of products and a moderate use can be of real help in supporting our hormones.
Several research studies highlighted that a large number of personal care products for women contain xenoestrogens and may increase breast cancerĀ risk - yet, the ingredients are still well available on the market, and the shiny publicity imaging is attractive enough, making most women forget to scan for the ingredients mentioned in very, very small letters, which warn them about the health risks.
Here are a few substances to pay attention to when you scan the ingredients for the products you buy:
- ParabensĀ (in cosmetics and personal care products, used as preservatives in some foods)
- TriclosanĀ (in cosmetics, toothpastes, soap, and other consumer products)
- ButylparabenĀ (used as a preservative in foods, cosmetics, personal care products, household products, and drug formulations)
- DDT and other pesticides
- Synthetic estrogens (17-ethynylestradiol and stilbesterol)
- BPA - bisphenol AĀ (plastic bottles, plastic recipients and sports bottles, food packaging)
If you live in Western Europe:
I find the application YukaĀ very useful for scanning cosmetics and cleaning products.
I recommend however reticence about using it for food scanning - please always read the reasoning behind the score given!)
On a Halloween spirit: allowing all that make up on the face of a pre-teenage or teenage girl... can be a little harmful for her hormones, too (causing skin irritations, acne etc.).
When possible, go for masks, hats, costumes - and try to use cosmetic make-up less (the exceptional party is of course OK š» ).
Also, all year round: trying to restrict to a minimum the use of mommy's cute nail polish and lipstick can be helpful - the small ones are nowadays exposed to dangerous chemicals a lot more than in the past š
Booooooo! A happy Halloween week, everyone š