This is part two in a two-part series on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). Read Part 1

What are EDCs

The name “EDC” encompasses broad range of chemicals that interact with the endocrine system of humans and animals and produce a range of adverse effects.

Much of our bodies’ long term health relies on hormones for normal function. These include mood, growth, metabolism, and sexual development and reproduction.

There is a class of chemical EDCs that mimic our own hormones and interfere with the function of those hormones by binding to the same sites and cells where our naturally-occurring hormones would normally bind. This creates havoc in our bodies.

EDC synthetic chemicals that sneak into our body through our nose, mouth, and skin trick our endocrine system into thinking they are real hormones.

This disruption has a range of downstream consequences: the intestines take in more calories, the pancreas secretes more insulin, the ovaries and testicles are sensitive to disruption… the imposters completely throw off our naturally-occurring hormones.

These chemicals have not had any careful testing for their potential effects on human health, including potential adverse effects on children. These chemicals are known to cause birth defects, infertility, learning disabilities, and even cancer.

EDCs are not required to be labeled (which is infuriating because they are proven mutants to our DNA).

How To Avoid EDCs

After reading gobs of professional journals, blog posts, forums on EDCs and compiling all this information, my thought is this: stay aware and begin making small changes.

Transition to plastic-free products. Plastic is hard to avoid altogether, but start making small changes. Choose glass or stainless steel for cups and food storage, and when you must use plastic as a product container, choose BPA free and avoid containers with a 3 or a 6.
Clean up your personal care products – avoid anything with 'fragrance' on the label unless you know what components make up that fragrance (essential oil, etc.) and start re-thinking your cosmetics.
Wash your hands often, avoiding soaps that are antibacterial or fragranced (triclosan is an EDC).
Dust and vacuum often – this will help clean up the particles from the common household items with any flame retardants on them
Cook with cast iron and stainless steel (non-stick products often hide EDCs) and eat organic when possible (many pesticides contain EDCs)
Drink filtered water
Clean smarter with non-toxic products (including laundry detergent which is often full of EDCs)
Most of all, keep learning, speak out, share the information, and remember small changes ARE changes worth making. Every little bit helps!