The Endocrine System and Keeping It Healthy
The Endocrine System is a group of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things. The major glands that make up the endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenal glands, pineal, your reproductive glands (ovaries and testes), and finally pancreas. The endocrine system sends messages to the body by using hormones. Hormones travel through the blood stream and affect the activities of the various cells within your body. When one of these glands stops working correctly, which can happen for a number of reasons, you can develop an endocrine disease. It can also occur if your body does not respond to hormones the way it’s supposed to. Stress, infection, and changes in your blood’s fluid and electrolyte balance can also influence hormone levels. In the United States, the most common endocrine disease is diabetes. An endocrine disease is no joke, and I know first hand how debilitating it can be. If you’ve read my other blogs, you know that I unfortunately have a small tumor in my pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure located at the base of the brain. Just below the hypothalamus, to which it is attached via nerve fibers. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. All of these glands are connected to each other in some way or function, and it is extremely important to keep them healthy. This has been a huge wake up call for me and the way I live my life, and it’s made me want to help others in hopes that they will never have to go through what I am going through or something similar. I’m going to be known as the “keep your endocrine system healthy” friend. It’s only because I care, and I wish I would've had someone be that kind of friend for me. So, through this blog I am going to discuss endocrine disrupters and things to STAY AWAY FROM! I promise you don’t want to have an endocrine disease, so please take these tips to heart.
So, what is an endocrine disrupter? They are environmental chemicals that interfere with endocrine (or hormone) systems at certain doses. These disrupters can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Exposure can come in many forms, so it’s important to be aware of what an endocrine disrupter is, where it’s found, and how to look for it.
Endocrine disrupters can be found in a multitude of ways, but one common way is through BPA. BPA is a chemical that is added to many commercial products to produce strong and resilient polycarbonate plastics. You can find BPA containing plastics in food containers, baby bottles, water bottles, and many other things. BPA is also found in epoxy resins and is put on the inner lining of canned food containers to keep the metal from corroding and breaking down. It sounds fine and dandy, but the BPA is getting in your food, and the water you drink. It mimics estrogen and can bind to estrogen receptors influencing bodily processes, such as growth, cell repair, fetal development, energy levels, and reproduction. Your body is sensitive to changes in hormone levels which is why BPA’s ability to mimic estrogen is believed to affect your health. Yet it’s still being used in many popular items. Thankfully though, there are a lot of other companies that care, and make BPA free containers for things like water, and what was mentioned before. So just make sure to look at the labels, before purchasing anything plastic or canned.
Phthalates are another known endocrine disrupter. You can find them in so many things, like soaps, makeup and cleaning products. Anything with the word “fragrance” you can bet has phthalates in it. There have been loads of studies shown that Phthalates can be linked to not just endocrine disruption, but asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioral issues, and even autism. Stop turning a blind eye to these things. If your child gets lets say diagnosed with ADHD, instead of giving them drugs, change the food S/he eats, and the environment. It is so important to look at the labels of your products. Make sure that what you are cleaning with is free of Phthalates and fragrance!
Glycol Ethers, a common solvent found in cleaning products, cosmetics, brake fluid, and paint. I don’t know about you, but just knowing that you can find them in paint, and also your cleaning products, just doesn’t add up. Exposing yourself to Glycol Ethers is fairly easy since most people clean indoors without proper ventilation. I can remember scrubbing my tub with chemicals and not having any windows open and after few seconds my eyes would burn, and my lungs would hurt. That’s not supposed to happen! Your cleaning products should not cause you physical harm. A study was done from a group of painters that worked with high levels of Glycol Ethers, many of which had blood abnormalities and lower sperm count. Glycol Ethers have been linked to asthma as well. Ways you can stay away from this is to clean with lemon, vinegar, or baking soda. If you’ve read my “Spring Cleaning” blog then you know I use Young Living’s cleaning products. Also, when you paint read the labels of your paint cans, open windows, and wear a protective mask. You are not being, “too careful”, like that’s an actual thing. Since it’s also found in makeup, READ THE LABELS. I can’t stress that enough.
Another endocrine disrupter you should be aware of, is flame-retardants. You can find flame-retardant fabric on your furniture. Clothing will sometimes be made with flame-retardant material. I can see the appeal, if there is a fire you are safe. However studies have shown that the chemical in flame-retardant products have caused reproduction issues. So staying away from them when you can is probably smart. I understand you can’t just throw away your couch. So vacuuming often can help protect you. As for clothing, read the labels. If it’s made with flame-retardant fabric, it’ll say it somewhere.
The endocrine disrupters I have listed are probably the most common, and easy to find. I have a list of others, based off research I can share with you if you are interested. I hope reading this has shined a light on what you are possibly using in your home. I truly don’t wish an endocrine disease on anyone. I’m lucky that mine is fairly manageable, but however manageable it is it’s still not fun to live with. The medication alone is debilitating. So please, don't cross off this information i’m sharing with you as me being “overly cautious” because I am not. If I was overly cautious I probably wouldn't’ have a tumor in my pituitary gland.
As always, I am here to support you, and if you want additional advice, let me know. I can talk with you more in detail about the oils I am using to help, as well as the cleaning products I use if you would like. Just email me, or join the conversation on my forum. I hope you all are enjoying your last few weeks of summer before school starts back up. Although personally i’m looking forward to fall! I hope to hear from you guys soon. Happy oiling ya’ll!
