Endocrine Disruptors

[dinoiii]

Endocrine disruptors are substances that "interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for development, behavior, fertility, and maintenance of homeostasis (normal cell metabolism). Studies have shown that endocrine disruptors can cause adverse biological effects (cause tumors, et al) in animals, and low-level exposures also cause similar effects in human beings. The term endocrine disruptor is often used as synonym for xenohormone (most often xenoestrogens) although the later can mean any naturally occurring or artificially produced compound showing hormone-like properties (usually binding to certain hormonal receptors).

This is a thread dedicated to advanced discussion of these potentially disastrous chemicals...


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[dinoiii]

A grade-seven student named Claire Nelson discovered that diethylhexyladepate (DEHA; please note this is NOT the same as DHEA), a known carcinogen, lurks in plastic wrap. Even more shocking, she found out that the FDA didn't bother to study what happens to plastic food wrap in the microwave oven. Turns out, the news is very bad: Nelson's more recent research since her seventh grade revelations found that carcinogens and xenoestrogen are migrating into foods. Unfortunately, xenoestrogens are linked to low sperm counts in men.

My company, Medical Muscle's preferred covering to avoid this is tin/aluminum foil.


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[dinoiii]

You'll find a microwave oven in 90% of North American homes. This little gadget has shrunk cooking times and transformed the way we prepare food. Every man we know leans heavily on the microwave oven to do most of his cooking. How easy is it to toss a TV dinner into the microwave, only to be munching on it minutes later?

Lately, microwave ovens have come under scrutiny as dangerous appliances. In Russia, they've been banned from use because there is some concern that microwave ovens leak unsafe levels of elctromagnetic radiation. Older units are particularly at fault because gaskets and other parts break down. The US FDA limits the amount of microwaves that can leak from an oven in its lifetime to five milliwatts of microwave radiation per square centimeter, which is considered a "level far below the level known to harm people."

You can avoid exposure to harmful rays by keeping your unit in top working order and standing away while it's in operation (How many people do you know that stand right by it waiting like to pounce on the prey inside?).

As an alternative - use toaster ovens, conventional ovens, and when able - good old-fashioned grills.


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[dinoiii]

While not necessarily discussing an endocrine disruptor or other disastrous compound, I had no better place to put this one...

Keeping a kitchen clean is a laborious and often unpleasant task, but it must be done to keep you safe from bacteria and keep your kitchen a happy place to hang out. Your favorite cleaning implement may be a sponge, but it turns out to be dangerous, particularly when you learn that sponges are perfect places for attracting and growing bacteria. Why? Bacteria, especially E. coli and salmonella, love warm, wet places with lots of yummy "food" lurking about.

So - what to do? Purchase cloth dish towels, which can be washed and bleached after every use. Paper towels are also useful....but can leave little lint components on surfaces...

Your kitchen sponge can also be disinfected by placing it into the microwave oven for 60 seconds. Just make sure to stay away from the microwave (see thread on microwave ovens).

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[swollen87]

Subd

[mattrag]

Interesting stuff!!
Subbed.

[ssbackwards]

can you speak about food goitrogens,

there are a lot in legumes and veggies, apparently cooking helps reduce them.

can you give insight on what to avoid in terms of goitrogenic compounds to make our bodies healthy and more stable?>

and if there are certain foods we like the best way to prepare to reduce the exposure to goitrogens?>

[David Dunn]

A grade-seven student named Claire Nelson discovered that diethylhexyladepate (DEHA; please note this is NOT the same as DHEA), a known carcinogen, lurks in plastic wrap. Even more shocking, she found out that the FDA didn't bother to study what happens to plastic food wrap in the microwave oven. Turns out, the news is very bad: Nelson's more recent research since her seventh grade revelations found that carcinogens and xenoestrogen are migrating into foods. Unfortunately, xenoestrogens are linked to low sperm counts in men.

My company, Medical Muscle's preferred covering to avoid this is tin/aluminum foil.


D_

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38600414.../#.Tq4j9LJ4EXs

[dinoiii]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38600414.../#.Tq4j9LJ4EXs

This reminds me why I don't want to father a girl I think.

But seriously, it's a nice article to share the impact of estrogens, et al... on health and society and the lower California numbers are interesting where people are more inclined to go "green" when many laugh at the idea of adopting such a concept because "it hasn't shown impact, et al..."

The numbers are staggering in white girls...10% up from 5% - essentially doubling.


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[dinoiii]

can you speak about food goitrogens,

there are a lot in legumes and veggies, apparently cooking helps reduce them.

Correct on all counts!

Goitrogens contain naturally-occurring substances known as isothiocyanates that interfere with the function of the thyroid gland. They're found most prominently in the bodybuilder-favored cruciferous vegetables from the Brassica family (cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, some greens like kale).

You're right that these items are usually only considered a problem when eaten raw. In fact, there is no evidence that these foods cause health problems for most people, though. In fact, these foods have many benefits - like a great natural source of the estrogen-channeling indoles, etc...


Foods that may cause grief outside of this are many (but probably to a much lesser degree):
peaches, peanuts, pine nuts, spinach, and strawberries and this is when consumed in large, large amounts.

A caveat is that we had patients use peanuts and pine nuts to the nth degree with no change in thyroidal function...so I am going to say it probably is something more of a concern if you are thyroid autoantibody positive (anti-thyroperoxidase/anti-TPO Ab - or - anti-thyroglobulin/anti-TgAb)...otherwise its not much of an issue. Who's positive...hard to tell in people not exhibiting symptoms unfortunately.

It is still my assumption that soy be avoided at all costs and a complete soy thread is probably in order (and this is thyroid related, not even the volumes on estrogen); but the lobbying power of that industry and funding of fictitious studies will continue to allow it to flourish.

can you give insight on what to avoid in terms of goitrogenic compounds to make our bodies healthy and more stable?

If you have a huge concern about this, you could have your thyroid autoantibodies looked at through blood work. If you harbor no family history of thyroid disease, etc... you'd probably have to consume barrels a day in order to see impact and continue to cook Brassica veggies.

and if there are certain foods we like the best way to prepare to reduce the exposure to goitrogens?

Avoid Soy, Cook Brassica veggies, and don't consume barrels of the rest mentioned in this thread.

That's about as easy as I could suggest it. Possibly limiting excessive iodine intake might also be of use to SOME, but even iodine, even at supplemental dose takes a boatload.


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[ssbackwards]

yea i read iodine (higher amounts) increases TSH

i have family history of hypothyroidism, however, i believe its leptin/agouti related and im doing all things necessary to keep my self from issues.

calcium at 3000 per day. magnesium at 800, vit d at high doses.

no soy (except soy sauce for my jerk chicken ) and thats about it.

steam and cook all veggies, as i hate veggies and i wouldnt eat them raw.

[David Dunn]

This reminds me why I don't want to father a girl I think.

But seriously, it's a nice article to share the impact of estrogens, et al... on health and society and the lower California numbers are interesting where people are more inclined to go "green" when many laugh at the idea of adopting such a concept because "it hasn't shown impact, et al..."

The numbers are staggering in white girls...10% up from 5% - essentially doubling.


D_

There are three 10-11yo old girls in my daughters 5th grade class (130 kids/2 = 65 girls) who have menstruated. That equates to 5% in just that one school (of the ones that we know of).

[touzaman]

hi testing testing

[bioman]

And then we get into lotions and cosmetics with their obligatory load of parabens. Yikes. I try to avoid these and just use coconut oil as a moisturizer. Anecdotally, its dietary use does seem to boost thyroid function but I'd like to hear Dinoii's thoughts on that as well.