You can think of the human body as a finely tuned orchestra of biological processes. When everything works in concert, it is truly a marvel that can reach extraordinary physical, mental, and artistic heights. At the heart of this intricate symphony lies the endocrine system. This system comprises several glands arranged throughout the body that produce various hormones. Hormones act as signaling molecules, influencing everything from growth and fertility to metabolism and mood.
The hormonal system changes as we age so that our bodies do what they need to do at each stage. For example, when we are young, it regulates how we grow and metabolize food. In our prime years, it governs our levels of energy, strength, and reproductive systems. As we age, the systems slow down – we are less fertile (men) or infertile (women), for example. But it still functions, regulating our mental acuity, strength, and other things.
The endocrine system can be affected by many things, including our diets and lifestyle. But increasingly, the delicate balance of our endocrine systems is being disrupted by a group of substances known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs).
EDC’s Permeate Our Environment
EDCs are natural or human-made chemicals that can mimic, block, or interfere with the hormones naturally produced by the endocrine system. The consequences of these disruptions can be profound, resulting in a wide array of health issues. From cosmetics to food and beverage packaging, from household goods to cleaning solutions, EDCs can be found in many everyday products. This ubiquity means that exposure to these chemicals can occur through multiple routes – air, diet, skin contact, and even water consumption.
One of the most concerning aspects of EDCs is their potential to affect the endocrine system even at minuscule levels. Hormones operate in extremely small quantities; even minor disruptions in their delicate balance can lead to significant developmental and biological effects.
The variety of chemicals that fall under the EDC umbrella is staggering. According to the Endocrine Society, there are nearly 85,000 human-made chemicals in the world, and over 1,000 of these may cause endocrine disruption based on their unique properties. Research is ongoing in understanding how EDCs influence the endocrine system, and some discoveries are worrisome.
One way EDCs operate is by wholly or partially mimicking naturally occurring hormones in the body, such as estrogens (female sex hormones), androgens (male sex hormones), and thyroid hormones. In this way, they have the potential to overstimulate hormonal pathways, leading to imbalances in an individual’s hormone levels. For example, testosterone levels in men have steadily dropped over the last four decades, but no cause for this decline has been identified. Many people believe EDCs are part of the explanation.
Another mechanism EDCs operate is by binding to receptors within cells, effectively blocking the naturally occurring hormones from performing their intended functions. This disruption of the normal signaling process can cause the body to fail to respond appropriately to stimuli such as stress, arousal, joy, or fear.
Some EDCs interfere with or block how natural hormones, or their receptors, are made or handled in the body. They can alter the metabolism of hormones in the liver or disrupt the processes that control hormone production and transport. This complex interplay, which researchers still do not fully understand, can have detrimental effects on mental and physical health.
How Can You Combat the Effects of EDCs?
Assessing the public health effects of EDCs is an uphill battle for several reasons. First, individuals are typically exposed to multiple endocrine disruptors simultaneously, making it challenging to isolate the impact of a single chemical. Secondly, the early-life effects of these chemicals may not become apparent until much later in life, complicating the task of tracing health issues back to their origins. Last, some of these effects can be persistent and even inheritable, passing down through multiple generations.
What can you do, given the pervasiveness of EDCs? While it may be impossible to avoid or remove them from your life, there are steps you can take to reduce your exposure and address potential health risks.
- Choose Products Wisely: Be mindful of the products you use and consume daily, whether they are personal care items that touch your skin or parts of foods or drinks you consume, from ingredients to packaging.
- Filter Your Water: Invest in a good water filtration system to reduce the presence of EDCs in your drinking water. Many endocrine disruptors can be found in water sources, and filtering your water can help minimize exposure.
- Eat Organic: Whenever possible, opt for organic food because organic farming practices involve fewer chemicals both in the soil and in handling the plants and livestock, reducing the risk of EDC contamination in your food.
Work With REVV Health for Hormone Optimization
Unfortunately, removing yourself from EDCs in our modern American urban or semi-urban environments is extremely difficult. Even communities far from population centers may not be able to avoid EDCs. However, you can address the effect of EDCs by paying close attention to your hormonal health.
At REVV Health, we understand how important a properly functioning endocrine system is to looking, performing, and feeling good. Your hormone levels affect everything: your energy levels, sexual drive, mood, weight, metabolism, and immune response. Even people who prioritize their health cannot necessarily avoid suffering from hormonal imbalances, and EDCs make the effort more challenging.
REVV Health has curated a broad selection of hormone replacement compounds to help individuals address hormonal imbalances and deficiencies. Based on an analysis of your blood, we can determine which products you need to optimize your hormone levels. Then, by doing a blood analysis every three months and working with you, we adjust your prescription to ensure you get the desired results. Our compounds, combined with some fundamental lifestyle changes, can improve how you look, feel, and perform.
To learn more about how we can help you change your life for the better or to get started on our program, contact REVV Health today. While we cannot take EDCs out of your world, we can help you overcome their effects on your life.