Are There Endocrine Disruptors in Your Drinking Water?
Learn how the water you drink can affect your hormones and what to do about it
The human body relies on hormones to regulate all kinds of important functions. Unfortunately, on a daily basis we encounter chemicals and pollutants that can upset the endocrine (hormone) system and disrupt the normal, healthy action of key hormones. We call these chemicals endocrine disruptors.
Depending on the specific substances involved, endocrine disruptors can:
- Increase or decrease production of certain hormones
- Imitate hormones
- Bind to essential hormones
- Cause one hormone to convert into another
- Interfere with hormone signaling
- Tell cells to die prematurely
- Compete with hormones for vital nutrients
At menopause or andropause, you may be particularly vulnerable to the action of endocrine disruptors because your hormonal balance will already be upset due to age-related hormonal decline. This makes it especially important to watch out for endocrine disruptors in your daily environment, including in the water you drink.
Endocrine Disruptors in Tap Water
Many different types of chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides, industrial pollutants, and even residue from birth control pills have made their way into our tap water and into our endocrine systems. For example, atrazine, an herbicide commonly used on corn crops, is pervasive in American drinking water. Atrazine can cause sex change in frogs and has been linked to breast tumors and prostate cancer. Another endocrine disruptor that can be found in tap water is perchlorate. This rocket fuel component competes with the nutrient iodine, preventing the thyroid gland from getting enough iodine to make thyroid hormones. Contaminants like arsenic and lead can also affect the endocrine system.
Bottled Water Isn’t the Answer
At first, purchasing purified bottled water might seem like a reasonable solution to the issue of endocrine disruptors in your tap water. However, it is important to remember that many types of plastic bottles contain endocrine disruptors. For example, phthalates found in certain plastics can trigger premature death in testicular cells as well as contribute to obesity, diabetes, and thyroid problems. BPA, often found in polycarbonate plastics, can mimic estrogen and has been linked to breast cancer, reproductive problems, obesity, and heart disease. Additionally, researchers have found that water sold in Europe in PET packaging also has estrogenic effects due to various estrogen-like compounds.
How to Protect Your Health
When it comes to protecting your health against the endocrine disruptors found in drinking water, the best thing you can do is limit your exposure by avoiding plastic water bottles and by installing a quality water filter in your home.
In order to help restore balance to your endocrine system and get key hormones functioning properly, you may want to consider hormone replacement therapy. Renew Youth’s™ hormone replacement therapy for men and for women can be particularly helpful in situations where key sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone have been affected. Our treatment is proven safe and effective and can be tailored to your specific needs. Contact us today to learn more.
We’re here to help.
Schedule a free confidential consultation.
Free Consultation
