Hormone disruptors are also called endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are the agents that can be absorbed in the body and can stop or change the body’s reaction to one or more hormones. Hormonal disruptors of the body can also increase or decrease the usual levels of our body.
Here are some examples of Endocrine Disruptors/ Hormone Disruptors:
- Sugar & Refined Carbs: Sugars are not just only a way to increase the size of the waistline, but they also are a way to increase problems in your body. Mostly all refined food is sugar. That way, the consumption of sugar increases the body’s insulin resistance. In females, it becomes PCOD/PCOS & causes infertility problems.
- Coffee: Coffee cause endocrine disruption, as well as reproductive disruption, and more unfavourable effects. Consumption of Coffee among women of childbearing age can disrupt ovulation and influence oestrogen levels.
- Plastic Bottles & Containers: Synthetic chemicals in products like plastics can mimic hormones and interfere with or disrupt the delicate endocrine dance. The Oestrogen hormone is the main hormone that gets disrupted due to plastic/synthetic.
- Alcohol: Alcohol has a diverse effect on one’s body, and not only women are affected but also men too. In men it can cause imbalance in testosterone levels, alters sperm structure, and lead to male breast enlargement. In women, it cause early menopause, irregular menstrual cycle, etc.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: sedentary lifestyle leads to poor weight management, hormonal imbalance, and low metabolism. This lifestyle, as it causes hormonal imbalance, cause PCOS/PCOD, Thyroid problems, and infertility.
- Dairy Products: Dairy products, especially with full-fat, are high in oestrogens, that could interfere with your own body’s hormone levels, which can cause hormone related diseases.
- Stress: Stress can cause changes in the serum levels in a lot of hormones, which can cause hormonal imbalance. The hormones which stress disrupts are important for the ‘fight or flight’ response of the body.
- Lack of Sleep: sleep affects a lot of hormones of the body, the main ones are of stress and hunger. Sleep deprivation can cause effects on the cortisol levels. Lack of sleep, interferes with the hormones, can cause some serious medical problems.
- Fragrances/ Perfumes: Synthetic chemicals in products like fragrances can mimic hormones and interfere with or disrupt the delicate endocrine dance.
What do hormone disruptors do?
The endocrine/hormone disruptors block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors (e.g. growth hormones required for normal development). Still, others directly stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system and cause overproduction or underproduction of hormones (e.g. an over or underactive thyroid).
So it is necessary to avoid or limit the use and intake of these disruptors to lessen the effect that they have on our bodies. Moreover, some of the effects can be minimised or neutralized with body movement and/or physical exercise.
So Workout, exercise, move your body as much as possible, and try to lower your consumption or use of such products. Hope after going through this article you will be able to deal with hormonal disruptors of the body.
Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy.