"Endocrine disruptors" - a threat to our he alth

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"Endocrine disruptors" - a threat to our he alth
"Endocrine disruptors" - a threat to our he alth
Anonim

“Xenoestrogens are a group of substances in our environment that we encounter every day. We eat them, drink them, inhale them, use them in our daily lives, at work, at home, in the garden… They are in the soil, water, air, food, they are household items, packaging. The risk to human he alth that may be associated with the presence of these low-concentration but constantly present substances around us is not yet fully understood. But over the years, we, gynecologists, have asked ourselves what is the cause of the occurrence of this disease, of that condition, why suddenly, for no apparent reason, the child's breasts begin to grow, the menstrual cycle suddenly stops, why the prescribed therapy does not have the expected effect?", writes in his article on the subject prof. Dr. Milko Sirakov from the General Hospital "Maichin Dom"

“Xeno” means foreign, external, i.e. "external estrogens", also known in the literature as "endocrine disruptors", hormonally active substances, estrogen-like substances, estrogenic xenobiotics, bioactive chemicals, etc. They mimic sex steroid hormones, bind to the cell's receptors and block, prevent or alter the binding of normal hormones to them. Some xenoestrogens can cause cell damage, DNA errors and trigger tumor growth.

One oft-repeated argument against the harm of "endocrine disruptors" is that the level of xenoestrogens in the body is so low compared to the levels of the blood's own estrogens that they should have no effect at all. The experimental facts say otherwise. A 2002 study proved that 11 xenoestrogens in a mixture doubled the effect of natural estrogens.

At “Tufts Medical School” in Boston in 1987.accidentally discovered that the plastic test tubes contained a substance that stimulated the rapid growth of breast carcinoma cells cultured in them. The test tubes are manufactured using P-nonylphenol, a chemical from the alkylphenol family, which makes the tubes stronger and less brittle. Another study shows that PVC products, which are widely used by the food and packaging industry, contain nonylphenols. Contamination of drinking water passing through PVC pipes has been detected.

In 1993 at Stanford University of Medicine, Professor of Medicine Dave Feldman discovered that polycarbonate bottles used for drinking water contained bisphenol-A. The Stanford team found that 2 to 5 parts per billion of bisphenol-A was enough to cause carcinoma cells to multiply.

A Dartmouth University study shows that plastic wrap (foils) heated in a microwave oven in the presence of vegetable oil emits 500,000 times more xenoestrogens than the minimum that stimulates breast carcinoma cells to proliferate in a test - the tubes.

Two Spanish scientists from the University of Granada are investigating the plastic coating used in beer kegs and in the canning industry. This coating is applied to avoid the taste of metal in food or drink. They found bisphenol-A in it, which causes the proliferation of tumor cells.

Farmed animals (cattle, chickens and pigs) are often given

xenoestrogens to build muscle,

to grow faster and cause them to retain fluids. Diethylstilbestrol was the first synthetic hormone used by meat producers in animal protection. Its use was banned after it was found that girls born to mothers who took it during pregnancy to avoid miscarriage had reproductive problems, vaginal and cervical cancer, and reproductive malformations. organs (uterus, cervix). Boys born to such mothers also show a high rate of malformations - micropenis, cryptorchidism, sperm abnormalities. However, DES is still widely used in the meat industry of many countries as a food additive to increase the weight of animals.

Despite the ban on the use of DDT in the USA in 1991, 96 tons of DDT were produced and exported quite legally to Third World countries. Where farmers spray their farm produce, the fruit, with DDT, then export it for consumption in the US.

According to recent studies, diseases caused by chronic exposure to xenoestrogens in women are: cancer of the breast or reproductive organs, fibrocystic breast changes, polycystic ovarian disease, endometriosis, uterine fibroids. In men: poor sperm quality, testicular cancer, malformations (cryptorchidism, micropenis, hypospadias), prostate diseases. Duration of exposure, dose, age, sex, as well as some individual genetic characteristics, influence the type and severity of the he alth problem that occurs. Therefore, one person may have many problems and another may have none. But even if an adult woman exposed to these substances does not show abnormalities, her offspring may have he alth and reproductive problems, including reduced fertility, altered sexual behavior, lowered immune defenses and even cancer.

Statistics presented by the WHO at the last World Conference on Breast Cancer held in Canada in June 2002 show that the incidence of breast cancer worldwide has doubled in the last 20 years. According to specialized North American journals, the probability that a woman in North America will get breast cancer has increased from 1 in 20 women in 1950 to 1 in 8 today. One of the main causes of breast cancer is estrogens - exposure on high doses of hormones for a long time.

Substances associated with

increasing the risk of developing cancer,

are found in plastics. They are released in the presence of fats, acids (vinegar, tomatoes) or alkaline foods when we heat them in plastic containers. Phthalates, used as plasticizers in the production of plastics, are included in the group of xenoestrogens. Experiments have shown that they potentiate the growth of hormone-dependent cells and suppress the immune system.

In 1990, environmental specialists from the Hebrew University's Hadassah School of Medicine in Israel found a surprising blip in the world's breast cancer statistics. From 1976 to 1986, Israel was the only country among the 28 participating in the study in which a decrease in the incidence of cancer was recorded, and by more than 50%! Scientists explain this fact with the ban in 1978 in Israel of three pesticides from the group of so-called organochlorines and the well-known DDT.

More and more facts are accumulating that the presence of synthetic estrogens and estrogen-like substances in our environment also affects men's he alth. Studies of men all over the world show an increase in the incidence of testicular cancer, the incidence of cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and on the other hand, a significant decrease in the number of spermatozoa and that of good motility in the ejaculate. In numbers, the average sperm count and motility today is twice as low as it was 50 years ago. The study concludes that it is likely that our environmental pollution with xenoestrogens is responsible for this trend.

Practical Tips

• Buy organic fruits and vegetables, grown without herbicides and pesticides, meat - without applied hormones or other stimulants

• Remove plastic wrap and Styrofoam containers from foods immediately after bringing them home

• Do not drink water and beverages sold in plastic containers and bottles, even if it says “for drinking water”

• Use glass or ceramic when storing food or water. Heat them only in ceramic or glass containers. Do not heat food in plastic containers

• Avoid keeping food in plastic containers

• Use unbleached toilet paper, napkins, handkerchiefs, diapers and tampons

• Avoid coffee and alcohol

Mara KALCHEVA

Note: The title of the article is of the editorship of the "Doctor"

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