How Xenoestrogens Can Be Making Your Thyroid Health Worse

As people with thyroid issues, we are often told to avoid xenoestrogens – chemicals that, once in our bodies, can alter the normal function of our hormones.

Xenoestrogens mimic the effect of the hormone oestrogen, primarily seen as a ‘female hormone’, but is in fact possessed by both men and women.

Simply put, xenoestrogens are endocrine disruptors that have oestrogen-like effects on the body, which can affect thyroid health, fertility, men’s hormonal health and more.

Sources of xenoestrogens are scarily ten times more potent if they are applied to the skin through things such as cosmetics and toiletries, compared to when taken orally. When they are applied directly to the skin, they pass into the body without the detoxification process of the liver. 

Why Should I Avoid These Chemicals?

There is evidence that exposure to a lot of xenoestrogens and developing breast cancer are linked.  In fact, excessive exposure over time can contribute to hormonal disorders such as PCOS (For a PCOS Blood Test, click here.), endometriosis, fibroids and PMS too.

When it came to having hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, a big part of me getting them under control (and the Hashi’s in to remission) was working with a functional medicine practitioner to tackle what she referred to as oestrogen dominance.

She told me that having too much oestrogen in my body was feeding in to the adrenal dysfunction I was experiencing, which then knocked on to my thyroid health and left me feeling incredibly ill everyday, despite being on thyroid medication. I experienced ongoing fatigue, migraines, acne, digestive issues and more until I got these addressed.

The condition called oestrogen dominance is disputed within medicine, as many conventional doctors do not recognise it, although do recognise that excess oestrogen may lead to breast cancer for example. We need more research, either way.

As a part of overcoming my apparent “oestrogen dominance”, I was told to consider external sources of oestrogen and how to limit them.

Testing:

This UK test checks almost all hormone tests in one go (minus progesterone – you could order this separately) and this US lab checks all of them in one test.

Where are Xenoestrogens Found?

These hormonal disruptors can be found in almost everything, from plastic items to beauty products. You may be familiar with the term ‘BPA and BPS-Free’, which is considered safer than standard plastic, as it omits the endocrine disruptors. Organic foods are also increasing in popularity due to the same reason.

Sources of Xenoestrogens Can Include:

• Beauty products such as make up, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotions, nail polish, lubricants, perfumes, deodorant
• Cleaning products, air fresheners, fabric softeners, detergents
• Plastics (such as storage containers and water bottles)
• Paint
• Plant fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides (so food is often affected if non-organic)
• Hormonal/Menopause medications: Premarin and Prempro, contraceptive pills
• GERD/GORD/Acid Reflux medications: such as Tagamet
• Food colourings/dyes

How Can I Avoid or Limit My Exposure To Xenoestrogens?

Being realistic, although it is pretty much impossible to live completely free of these endocrine disruptors, we can try to limit exposure.

Plastics 

When it comes to plastics, I look for ‘BPA and BPS Free’, such as with my water bottle (which I use daily). As something I use so often, I wanted to limit my exposure of xenoestrogens from this source. In fact, we’re better off limiting plastics use wherever possible.

Food and Drink

If you can afford to, going organic with your food can also be helpful, though for some of us, this may be out of our financial means. Even if you go organic on just a few of your regular items, this can help to reduce the amount of chemicals you’re exposed to.

Avoid Teflon cooking equipment and other non-stick cookware which also contain endocrine disruptors, as well as food in tin cans which are often lined with BPA. Frozen or fresh food is best.

Avoid plastic storage containers and opt for glass, ceramic, or steel to store food instead.

One of the biggest suggestions I see from various sources of thyroid information, includes using a water filter in your home for drinking and bathing water. These water filters can be useful for removing known thyroid toxin fluoride, too. Filters for water sources can be fitted, such as from AquaTru and Clearly Filtered.

Beauty Products 

Opting for organic beauty products can also be beneficial, as well as looking for brands with as little chemical ingredients as possible. Try to avoid using nail polish altogether if possible.

You can also try the oil cleansing method.

Cleaning Products

Laundry detergents with less chemicals or labelled ‘non-toxic’ can be found in various stores now and it is often best to avoid unnecessary products such as fabric softeners. See this article for making your own cleaning products.

Do you actively try to limit your exposure to chemicals?

See also:

The book Be Your Own Thyroid Advocate: When You’re Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired, which details the many things Rachel had to do to get her thyroid and overall endocrine health back on track.