Inflammation and Endocrine Disruptors
There is a lot of fear that comes with the topic of cancer and disease. Today, we are shifting that fear into confidence by focusing on understanding how our bodies work and from there, taking action on where we CAN support healthy functioning.
In this article, you will learn:
Inflammation: what it is and does to the body
Endocrine Disruptors: what are they and what they do
How to decrease exposure to endocrine disruptors
Proper Testing
Supplement support for inflammation and oxidative stress
So let’s jump right in. The primary root cause of cancer and disease is inflammation.
Acute inflammation is a normal response in your body. For example, when you sprain your ankle it swells as part of the healing process. Once it is healed, the inflammation should go away.
In modern society, we face many triggers of inflammation, therefore, making chronic inflammation a real problem. When inflammation is chronic, it leads to dysfunction in the body.
Common causes of chronic inflammation include:
Exposure to Toxins- Examples include: Plastic, Smoking, Mold, Household, Chemicals, Heavy Metals, Sugar, alcohol, hidden infections, and even negative thoughts.
Food Sensitivities- The most common food sensitivities are gluten, egg, soy, and dairy.
Untreated acute inflammation - Let’s say you never let that sprained ankle fully heal, this leads to chronic inflammation which may affect your entire body.
How do you know if your body is inflamed and to what degree?
First, you can always make an appointment, either virtual or in-person. I use a wide range of tools including testing. One of our guiding mottos at Advanced Wellness of Atlanta is- Stop guessing, and start testing!
One test I use often is the Meta-Oxy Test.
It is one of the best ways to show inflammation at the cellular level. The test is a very simple at-home urine analysis and has been shown to be 50 times more accurate than a blood test in observing cellular inflammation.
It measures malondialdehyde in the urine. Aldehydes are released into the bloodstream when fats, including cell membranes, are oxidized. The kidneys excrete them in the urine. Thus Meta-Oxy is a general measure of cell membrane oxidation due to free radical peroxidation (degradation) of lipids.
Free radicals, atoms with an unpaired electron, may cause damage to DNA and other parts of the human cell when they are unable to be released. This leads to oxidative stress, which is essentially the inability to detox free radicals from the body.
I will often use The Meta-Oxy test with the True Cellular Detox program which is a process designed to remove systemic inflammation, heavy metals, and other environmental toxins at the cellular level. You can read more about this program when you visit the detoxification tab on the website.
Next, there is the issue of Endocrine Disruptors.
Endocrine Disruptor - noun. a chemical compound that interferes with the normal functioning of the endocrine system and the reproductive and other biological processes regulated by it. Pesticides, plastics, processed foods, and more contain these harmful chemicals.
The endocrine system is made up of glands that make hormones, which send messages to the body and also carry information from cell to cell. The endocrine organs include the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, thymus, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, and testes.
So without even realizing it, we are consuming chemicals that disrupt how the body sends its information around. This may make you fatigued, nauseous, excessively hungry or thirsty, have unexplained weight loss or gain, or have the inability to lose weight,
Common disease or dysfunction of the endocrine system:
Diabetes mellitus, Addison’s disease (decreased production of hormones by the adrenal glands)
Cushing’s syndrome (high cortisol levels for extended periods of time)
Graves’ disease (type of hyperthyroidism resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production)
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune disease resulting in hypothyroidism and low production of thyroid hormone)
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
Prolactinoma (overproduction of prolactin by the pituitary gland).
Many people in the United States are feeling the effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. 10.5% of the US population has diabetes and an estimated 34.5% of the population have prediabetes.
“More than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition.” -The American Thyroid Association.
There are approximately 1,000 known endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A common one that you may have heard of is BPA (Bisphenol A). Did you know? BPA has been found in urine samples of approximately 90% of the population in North America.
The BPA synthetic chemical imitates your sex hormone estrogen, and this has a disastrous effect. BPA has been linked to everything from breast and others cancers to reproductive problems, obesity, early puberty, and heart disease.
We now understand the disastrous effect that these chemicals have on human health. The great news is that there are steps you can take to alleviate the burden.
Here are nine tips to reduce your exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals:
Use only organic whole foods when you can. Buy hormone-free meat products where possible. If you can’t buy organic, wash your food well to rid the pesticides. Bathe the washed food in a produce wash for 20 minutes before cooking.
Avoid all pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides use around your home.
Avoid plastic goods. Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food.
Do not microwave food in plastic containers, and especially avoid the use of plastic wrap to cover food for microwaving.
If a plastic water container has heated up significantly, throw it away - do not drink the water either.
Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals and estrogenic ingredients such as parabens and stearal konium chloride. Cheap brands usually have more toxic ingredients.
Avoid nail polish and nail polish removers.
Use only naturally based perfumes. Most perfumes are petrochemically based.
Avoid soy
There are also a few tests that will help us get a picture of what is going on specifically in your body. First, I recommend a Comprehensive Blood Panel. This includes a thyroid profile which will give you an idea about where your levels are and if something is causing a misalignment of your thyroid.
Additionally, we offer The Dutch Test which is a comprehensive assessment of sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites. It also includes the daily, free cortisol pattern, organic acids, melatonin (6-OHMS), and 8-OHdG.
Supplement Support
BroccoProtect- Effective support for the detoxification of environmental toxins
Contact us to purchase this supplement or buy it through your Wellevate account.
Highlights of BroccoProtect
Contains a specially cultivated, proprietary form of broccoli seed grown and processed in North America; it is extracted using a clean, non-toxic process, resulting in an all-natural final product with no remaining solvent residue.
Includes only 1.5 mcg of vitamin K (the equivalent of the amount contained in one potato) per two capsules, making this product safe for most people taking blood thinners under medical supervision.
Unlike cruciferous veggies, it does not contain goitrogens, which are naturally occurring compounds that may block the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland.
Added myrosinase — many commercially available broccoli seed extract products do not contain myrosinase; BroccoProtect™ goes the extra mile to facilitate the conversion to active sulforaphane, and also includes preformed sulforaphane to ensure maximal efficacy.*
Ultimate Antiox Full Spectrum- Synergistic blend of antioxidant-rich vitamins, herbs & botanical extracts
Contact us to purchase this supplement or buy it through your Wellevate account.
Highlights of Ultimate Antiox Full Spectrum
Vitamin A (from mixed carotenoids) – Carotenoids have potent antioxidative properties; mixed carotenoids have been shown to contribute to greater free radical scavenging ability compared with single carotenoids.*
Vitamin C (from acerola extract) – Acerola fruit is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, and contains a variety of potent phytonutrients which are known to combat oxidative stress and support a healthy inflammatory response. Vitamin C is a potent neutralizer of free radicals and helps recycle other antioxidant compounds.*
Vitamin E Isomers – provided as tocotrienols, which are more powerful antioxidants than the tocopherol forms of vitamin E typically found in supplements. They are well suited to protect the lipids within the cell membranes of a variety of tissues from oxidative stress as they fit perfectly into cell walls.*
Grape Seed Extract – contains a very high antioxidant capacity, with over 36 different phenols, flavonoids, and other antioxidative compounds, much higher than the skin and flesh of grapes.
Curcumin – potent antioxidant containing three different bioactive forms of curcuminoids from the spice turmeric; helps support a healthy inflammatory response and works synergistically with vitamin C*
Resveratrol – a well-tolerated, easily absorbed antioxidant found in berries, the skin of red grapes, and in the Japanese knotweed plant, also known as Polygonum
Garlic – supports a healthy microbial balance and possesses antioxidant action that is helpful for blood vessels and vascular health*
Lutein & Lycopene – Lutein has been shown to help protect the retina from free radical damage, supporting eye health. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant shown to protect male sex organs from oxidative stress, supporting healthy fertility.*
Rosemary, Clove, Basil, Allspice & Sage – herbal extracts that contain a variety of potent polyphenolic compounds that have powerful antioxidative properties which help support healthy aging and a healthy inflammatory response*
Quercetin, Rutin, & Ginkgo Biloba – powerful antioxidants that support healthy inflammatory responses in the body and brain*
To recap, this article has covered the negative impact that inflammation and endocrine disruptors have on our health.
In order to give our bodies the support they need, we must take the necessary steps to reduce inflammation and exposure to endocrine disruptors. We do this through proper testing, removing toxins, and supporting our bodies with the nutrition needed for detox and greater healing.
If you have any questions, please send an email.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease