Xenoestrogen
and
Weight Loss

"The study of Xenoestrogen is new but it is going to become a major subject of discussion as more is learned. Aside for causing fat storage on the body, it has connections to cancer and other illnesses."

Hello,

Another cause of inability to lose weight is excess estrogen or the symptoms of too much estrogen. Yet blood and saliva tests are showing that estrogen and progesterone levels are normal.

That's where this endocrine disruptor enters the picture. Let's go over the definition of this newly discussed term ...

Definition: Xeno-
foreign, strange, different

Derivation
[Via modern Latin< Greek xenos "stranger, foreigner"]

They are a class of endocrine disruptor (chemicals in the environment that go into your body and act like hormones). Xenoestrogens are endocrine disruptors that act like estrogen. Estrogen is a fat storing and fat creating hormone.

If you want to read more about estrogen and its effects on body fat you can read the page, “Estrogen.”

They are industrially made compounds, that have estrogenic effects and differ chemically from normal estrogens produced by living organisms.¹

They have been implicated in a variety of medical problems, and while there has been little hard evidence of damage, the potential for adverse effects is considered real. Foremost is the concern that xenoestrogens as false messengers that disrupt the process of reproduction.²

Petrochemical Compounds

Petrochemical compounds are xenoestrogens found in general consumer products such as creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfume, hair spray and room deodorizers. Such compounds often have chemical structures similar to estrogen and indeed act like estrogen.

Industrial Solvents

Industrial solvents are a common source of industrial xenoestrogens often overlooked is a family of chemicals called solvents. These chemicals enter the body through the skin, and accumulate quickly in the lipid-rich tissues such as myelin (nerve sheath) and fat. Some common organic solvents include alcohol like methanol, aldehydes like acetaldehyde, glycol like ethylene glycol, and ketones like acetone.

They are commonly found in cosmetics, fingernail polish and fingernail polish remover, glues, paints, varnishes, and other types of finishes, cleaning products, carpet, fiberboard, and other processed woods.

Pesticides and Herbicides

Pesticides and herbicides such as lawn and garden sprays and indoor insect sprays are also sources of minute amounts of xenoestrogens. While the amount may be small in each, the cumulative effect from years of chronic exposure can lead to estrogen dominance or an imbalance of too much estrogen in your body.

More Research

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has and is still doing major research on the effects of these endocrine disruptors.

What has been found is that tiny amounts can create hormone damage. Also, schools, restaurants, golf courses, yards, foods, etc. are sprayed with chemicals that mimic estrogen. These toxins accumulate in bodily organs.

A 2008 report demonstrates further evidence of widespread effects of feminizing chemicals on male development in each class of vertebrate species as a worldwide phenomenon. 3 99% percent of over 100,000 recently introduced chemicals are underregulated, according to the European Commission.⁴

Commonly Used Xenoestrogens

• Bisphenol A (monomer for polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin; antioxidant in plasticizers)
• DDT (insecticide)
• polychlorinated biphenyls / PCBs (in electrical oils, lubricants, adhesives, paints)
• Alkylphenols (intermediate chemicals used in the manufacture of other chemicals)
  atrazine (weedkiller)
• 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor1011 (4-MBC) (sunscreen lotions)
• butylated hydroxyanisole12 / BHA (food preservative)
• Dieldrin (insecticide)
• endosulfan (insecticide)
• erythrosine / FD&C Red No. 3
• ethinylestradiol (combined oral contraceptive pill) (released into the environment as a xenoestrogen)
• heptachlor (insecticide)
• lindane / hexachlorocyclohexane (insecticide)
• metalloestrogens (a class of inorganic xenoestrogens)
• methoxychlor (insecticide)
• nonylphenol and derivatives (industrial surfactants; emulsifiers for emulsion
• polymerization; laboratory detergents; pesticides)
• pentachlorophenol (general biocide and wood preservative)
• parabens (lotions)
• phenosulfothiazine (a red dye)
• phthalates (plasticizers)
• DEHP (plasticizer for PVC)
• Propyl gallate (used to protect oils and fats in products from oxidation)
  

There are a few I will focus on in this site:

• DDT
• Bisphenol A
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB's)
• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PDBEs)

Ability to Persist

Most of these chemicals are also classified as "Persisting Organic Pollutants." This means they degrade very slowly and accumulate and magnify through the food chain. They also travel vast distances through the atmoshphere and ocean currents. Please read the page,"Persisting Organic Pollutants" so you can get an appreciation for the magnitude of the problem we are facing.

You Can Do Something About It

• The first step in changing the world we live in is to become aware of it.
  
  
• All of you reading this have the ability to change it for the better by the voting system. The modern capitalist system has a voting system that determines how our world is shaped. That voting system is what I call "Vote By Purchase." Each purchase you make is a vote for what manufacturers will produce.

Do you know this is how Gandhi brought the most powerful empire to its knees? He wanted independence from England. The fatal blow he delivered was when he convinced India to stop producing for England. India was the greatest source of raw materials for Great England. Without its supply of raw materials, all commerce for England stopped.

You may be dealing with one of me, but I work with many of you and I see so many of you changing your habits and actions as a result of what you read on my site and through my consultations. You can make a difference.

• Keep learning. Subscribing to my blog and getting my updates and simply asking questions is something you can do.
  
  
• The last thing is to share this information with others. I am sure you can see that my aim is health first and weight loss as a by product. Share this information with others.

Metabolism Makeover

Xenoestrogens is a part of our life whether we like it or not. Learning what to do about it and how it affects our health is what you have to focus on.You can reduce the amount stored in your body. My book has a plan to help the body detoxify and and attain higher levels of health. If you are interested check out Metabolism Makeover.

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References

1. Korach, Kenneth S. (1998). Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology. Marcel Dekker Ltd. pp. 278–279, 294–295.
2. Evidence of effects of environmental chemicals on the endocrine system in children PMID 12837917.
   
3. It's official: Men are the weaker sex 7 December 2008. The Independent.
   
4. "It's official: Men really are the weaker sex - Science, News - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Independent News and Media Limited, 7 Dec. 2008. Web. 1 Jan. 2010. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/its-official-men-really-are-the-weaker-sex-1055688.html>.
   
5. Mueller SO, Kling M, Arifin Firzani P, et al. (April 2003). "Activation of estrogen receptor alpha and ERbeta by 4-methylbenzylidene-camphor in human and rat cells: comparison with phyto- and xenoestrogens". Toxicol. Lett. 142 (1-2): 89–101.
   
6. Sun Block has Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals, New Scientist, April 18, 2001
   
7. Goo Kang, Hwan, Sang Hee Jeong, Joon Hyoung Cho, Dong Gyu Kim, Jong Myung Park, and Myung Haing Cho. "Evaluation of estrogenic and androgenic activity of butylated hydroxyanisole in immature female and castrated rats ." Toxicology 213.1-2 (2005): 147-156.

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