plastic and estrogen

2 Ways That Plastic May Be Wreaking Havoc on Your Hormones

Category: Blog

Ban Single-Use Plastics To Improve Your Health

Plastic waste doesn’t just affect the environment.

It also has an impact on your health.

 

One of the most recent developments in environmental trends is the banning of single-use plastics in many countries and cities. The City of Vancouver voted to eliminate single-use plastics in May 2018, and our neighbouring state of the south Washington has banned single-use plastic bags, giving businesses until 2020 to use up their stock. In addition, the nation of Dominica in the Caribbean has announced a total ban on single-use plastics in order to protect the natural beauty of the tropical island.

Plastic Bans Worldwide

But it’s not just small island, holiday destinations that are taking note of the damage that plastics can do to the environment. Countries such as the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are gradually phasing out items such as plastic bags. And companies like Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s are listening to environmentally-conscious consumers by getting rid of plastic straws in their establishments.

Given the harsh weather effects such as hurricanes that seem to affect small island nations such as Dominica on a regular basis, they are very aware of the effects on the environment that arise from consumption without responsibility.

How Does Plastic Affect Your Health?

Plastic waste isn’t only an issue for our environment and climate change. If you eat seafood, it’s of concern for your own health as well. When plastic is dumped into the ocean, fish and other sea creatures eat it. Plastic in the ocean being eaten by sea animals, then ends up on our dinner tables. There are also many cases where animals are harmed and killed by the plastic debris that has found its way out to the ocean.

Certain types of plastic still in use today such as those laced with BPA has been scientifically proven to increase cancer risk in men and women. Given the health and environmental impacts of single-use plastic, it’s no wonder that governments around the world are taking notice and beginning to make changes.

Plastic and How It Affects Estrogen

Many plastics contain different chemicals that are released when the plastic is heated. These chemicals, particularly BPA, can mimic estrogen in the human body. When estrogen is mimicked in the body, that means that the body thinks the chemical is actually endogenous estrogen within the body.

When there are estrogen mimickers in the human body, estrogen is increased. As estrogen increases, it will cause hormonal imbalances and create symptoms for that individual.

Elevated Estrogen in Men

Men can have too much estrogen in their system due to increased consumption of food and drinks from plastic containers, and food re-heated in plastic containers.

When men have too much estrogen in their body, these symptoms develop:

  • Gynecomastia (breast tissue)
  • Low libido, erectile dysfunction
  • Abdominal weight gain

Foods that may cause elevation of estrogen due to their estrogen mimicking ability include:

  • Soy, tofu
  • Hops (found in beer)
  • Non-organic dairy, and meat

Elevated Estrogen in Women

When women experience elevated estrogen, they see many different symptoms. The problems occur due to the elevation of estrogen, as compared to progesterone. The following symptoms may occur due to the imbalance of estrogen and progesterone:

  • Painful periods
  • Increased PMS, or peri-menopause and menopause symptoms
  • Clots in period blood
  • Infertility
  • Abdominal weight gain
  • Acne related to the menstrual cycle

How To Avoid Excess Estrogen

To avoid developing an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone or elevated estrogen, follow these steps:

  • Avoid the use of one-time plastics (such as straws)
  • Avoid storing your food in plastic containers
  • Do not re-heat food in plastic containers in the microwave
  • Avoid drinking from plastic water bottles
  • Do not drink anything from any plastic bottles that have been left in the car or the sun
  • Avoid soy products, and drinking beer
  • Avoid non-organic dairy and meat products

At Bay Wellness Centre, we offer a 21-day cleanse program which helps to reduce the toxic load on the body, and rebalances hormones.