Xenoestrogens and Why You Should Avoid Them

Xenoestrogens are a dangerous subtype of endocrine disruptors that can cause cancer, reproductive harm and birth defects, and many problems in children and adults.

I got an amazing question last week, and I figured that if one woman has this question, then inevitably other women will too.

The question: What are xenoestrogens?

Let’s dive in.

Xenoestrogens are a group of synthetic compounds or chemicals that mimic estrogens, to the point that they will actually stimulate estrogen receptors in our bodies. “Xeno” literally means “foreign, other” and xenoestrogens have this name because they are foreign to our bodies. They are a type of chemical called an “endocrine disruptor,” which broadly means that they can disrupt our body’s delicate hormone balance.

Xenoestrogens can stimulate and overstimulate estrogen receptors in our bodies. This means that they can promote the development of many female cancers including breast, ovarian and uterine cancers that are also driven by high levels of estrogens. They can also disrupt our natural menstrual cycles, cause endometriosis and MAJOR PMS symptoms. It’s especially important that pregnant women avoid them because they can cause complications to your developing baby, especially in boys where they lower the testosterone levels required for proper genital development. In kids they’ve been associated with asthma, behavioral problems and obesity, and with changes in puberty for boys and girls. They’re also linked to cardiovascular, immune and neurological issues in men and women.

So where are xenoestrogens found, and how can we avoid them?

Xenoestrogens, as I mentioned, are synthetic chemicals that are often found in MANY products in our Westernized world. They can also be found in some foods, which is extra scary. It’s too easy to be exposed to these chemicals in our modern world.

A quick tip I share with my patients is this: you know that intense, perfumey smell you smell when you walk down the fabric softener aisle in the grocery store?

Yup, xenoestrogens. Beware.

Xenoestrogens are often found in heavily perfumed products like

• Common air fresheners

• Candles

• Household cleaning products: soaps, sprays, floor and surface concentrates

• Fabric softeners and detergents

• Common skincare and body care products like soaps, body washes, skincare, shampoos and conditioners, sunscreens, deodorants, nail polish, hair gel

• Cosmetics

You can also get exposure through

• Plastics: plastic bottles, plastic wrap, plastic food containers (and they are released like crazy into our food when we microwave with them! Don’t microwave your food in plastic!!)

• Plastic or vinyl shower curtains

• Food preservatives

• Some pharmaceuticals (eg birth control!)

• Pesticides (once again, please heed the call to eat locally grown and/or organic food whenever possible!)

• Your baby can get increased exposure from silicone or plastic toys

Can You Tell Me More About Xenoestrogens?

Here’s a list of the names of some of these chemicals; as much as possible I’ve tried to link them together for you so that you can recognize patterns and know what to avoid:

Xenoestrogens found in plastics:

• Bisphenol-A glucuronide, (BPA), Bisphenol S (BPS), Tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA): the bisphenols are one of the most dangerous classes of xenoestrogens: avoid, avoid avoid!

  • Avoid plastics #3, #6, and #7

  • Some cans are still lined with BPA, although according to my research this is happening less and less due to customer demand. To be sure, go for cans that specifically say they’re BPA free, and try to find the same for your animals!

• 4-tert-octylphenol (4-OP)

• Terephtalic acid (TPA)

• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Di-(2-ethylehxyl) phthalate, Benzylbutylphthalate (BBP)

Xenoestrogenic pesticides and Environmental Contaminants:

• Methoxychlor

• Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)

• Hydroxyphenyltrichloroethane (HPTE)

• Chlordecone

• 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Xenoestrogens in Pharmaceuticals/Birth Control

• Ethynyl estradiol

Xenoestrogens in Personal Care Products

• All the parabens: methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben

• UV filters in sunscreens: Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

• Densophenone 2 (BP-2)

Xenoestrogens in Foods (as Preservatives)

• 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC)

Coolants, Plasticizers and Pesticides

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Yikes! So What Can I Do?

Luckily you don’t need to have a master’s in organic chem to know how to navigate this list. There are a few really simple rules of thumb that will cut down on your risk of exposure:

1. Eat lots of ORGANIC fruits and veggies

2. Use clean and all natural bath, body and household cleaning products

3. Choose clean and all natural makeup and sunscreen as much as possible

4. Store your food and drinks in glass, not plastic

These simple steps fo so far in keeping your exposure to toxic xenoestrogens at bay.

What else can you do? Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, has created a whole class of natural compounds that provide further protection against excessive estrogen (or xenoestrogen) exposure. These natural compounds are called phytoestrogens.

Natural phytoestrogens are found in many plants. These are actually protective for our health by calming down a system with overstimulated estrogen receptors; binding up excess estrogen in our intestines and preventing it from recirculating; and providing major antioxidant functions.

Phytoestrogens help soothe PMS and menopausal symptoms, can support bone health, and can reduce infertility and risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Healthy phytoestrogens can be found in a variety of foods including:

• Soy products (organic only please!)

• Red clover tea

• Hops (like those in a good IPA)

• red wine

• Olive oil

• Nuts and seeds: flax, sunflower, sesame, almonds, walnuts

• Veggies and fruits: many including yams, lentils, alfalfa sprouts, mung beans, grapes, cranberries, strawberries, carrots

• Oats

One of the important things that I ask my patients to do for their health is clean up their home care and beauty routines. Sometimes, it’s not what we add in, but what we take out that makes the biggest difference in our health.

If this has stimulated any questions or thoughts for you, please share! You can comment below. If you’d like to see if we’d be a good fit for my highly customized 1 on 1 functional medicine care program, schedule a free Discovery Call here.