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Health See other Health Articles Title: How to Avoid Phthalates (Even Though You Can’t Avoid Phthalates) How to Avoid Phthalates (Even Though You Can’t Avoid Phthalates) By Maia James Shutterstock If you’re like me, you’re already failing at most of your New Year’s resolutions (I’m still not making my bed every day, and I haven’t been to a yoga class yet in January). One goal that I am tackling in earnest? Banishing phthalates from my home once and for all. On my website, www.gimmethegoodstuff.org, I’ve always advised readers to avoid these chemicals, and this year it moved to the top of my resolution list. Unfortunately, ridding my house of phthalates is proving to be much, much more difficult than I’d hoped. What Are Phthalates? For several years now we’ve been hearing about the mysterious, ubiquitous, and hard-to-spell chemical compounds know as phthalates (pronounced f-THAL-lates), which are used to make plastics flexible and as lubricants in cosmetics. There are many types of phthalates, among them DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate), DEP (diethyl phthalate), DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate), and DMP (dimethyl phthalate). You aren’t likely to see any of them listed on a label, so don’t bother memorizing these names. Most of us have the general idea that we should avoid phthalates, but we aren’t certain why, and (more importantly) how. Where Are Phthalates Used? You’ve probably heard that phthalates are commonly found plastic food and beverage containers, but it turns out their presence extends far beyond that. In fact, about a billion pounds of phthalates are produced every year, and their use is so widespread that they are nearly impossible to avoid entirely. Indeed, 95 percent of us have detectable levels of phthalates in our urine. You’ll find phthalates in perfume, hair spray, deodorant, almost anything fragranced (from shampoo to air fresheners to laundry detergent), nail polish, insect repellent, carpeting, vinyl flooring, the coating on wires and cables, shower curtains, raincoats, plastic toys, and your car’s steering wheel, dashboard, and gearshift. (When you smell “new car,” you’re smelling phthalates.) Medical devices are full of phthalates — they make IV drip bags and tubes soft, but unfortunately, DEHP is being pumped directly into the bloodstream of ailing patients. Most plastic sex toys are softened with phthalates. Phthalates are found in our food and water, too. They are in dairy products, possibly from the plastic tubing used to milk cows. They are in meats (some phthalates are attracted to fat, so meats and cheeses have high levels, although it’s not entirely clear how they are getting in to begin with). You’ll find phthalates in tap water that’s been tainted by industrial waste, and in the pesticides sprayed on conventional fruits and vegetables. What Are the Effects of Phthalates? As a result of this ubiquity, we are all ingesting, inhaling, and absorbing through our skin a significant phthalate load — which quickly moves to our bloodstream. So why is this scary? Well, if you ask the American Chemistry Council, a lobby group for phthalate manufacturers, phthalates are totally safe and “among the most thoroughly studied family of compounds in the world.” But what do some of these studies show? The effect of phthalates, especially on male reproductive development, has been observed since the 1940s, and phthalates are now widely known to be “endocrine disruptors.” So what does that mean? A Frontline special explained that: Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism, and fertility. They can influence the function of the immune system, and even alter behavior...In response to a signal from the brain, hormones are secreted directly into the blood by the glands that produce and store them. These glands make up what is known as the endocrine system. Chemicals that interfere with the function of hormones are therefore known as endocrine disruptors. Phthalates are thought to mimic and displace hormones and interrupt their production. This can have a range of unpleasant effects. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
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Endocrine disruptor Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that, at certain doses, can interfere with the endocrine (or hormone) system in mammals. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormone disruptors. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En docrine_disruptor articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/13/worst- endocrine-disruptors.aspx "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
I've often wondered if my hormones were disrupted... What's the difference between an enzyme and a hormone? You can't hear an enzyme. “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Difference between enzymes and hormones The difference between an enzyme and a hormone is due to the purpose they are designed to serve. Hormones control aspects of growth and metabolism such as the breaking of the voice and the development of musculature during puberty in males; and the regulation of the menstrual cycle in females. www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_an_enzyme_and_a_hormone< /a> "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
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