The Cascading Effect of Toxicity on Hormones

The body is chronically stressed by hundreds of environmental toxins every day that put a greater strain on our detox organs and pathways and interfere with hormone balance. These endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in synthetic chemical compounds like parabens, phthalates and sulfates in beauty products; BPA in plastic bottles; heavy metals, pesticides and contaminants in our drinking water and food supply; detergents; product packaging; and cleaning products for the home.

Recent analysis of global chemical inventories estimate the number to be around 350,000, which is much higher than previously reported. Every single year, about 220 billion tonnes of chemicals are released into the environment, with greenhouse emissions constituting only 20% of this. The USA alone produces an average of 1,500 new chemical substances a year, and many of these are known toxicants that go straight into the bodies of consumers. The toxic burden we’re faced with is undeniable, and it’s causing health issues in higher numbers and greater severity than ever before.

Many of us suffer with unexplained symptoms; it’s estimated that about 25% of people who visit a doctor complain of symptoms that go undiagnosed. Oftentimes, our symptoms are linked to toxicity in the body, but this connection is regularly overlooked in traditional healthcare.

exposure begins before our first introduction to the world

Another factor that’s typically missed or disregarded when it comes to toxic exposure is those periods of accelerated development - in utero and childhood - when we’re most vulnerable to these toxic chemicals; a study conducted in 2004 on 10 newborn babies tested the cord blood for 413 chemicals and detected 287. 217 of these are known to be toxic to the brain and nervous system, 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development, and 180 are carcinogenic.¹ This is alarming, as only a small portion of the chemicals known to be ubiquitous in the environment were examined, thousands of new chemicals are produced every year, and there’s still much uncertainty about the lasting impacts of many of these toxins.

Toxicity is the greatest preventable cause of mortality today, but this hasn’t impacted the rate of development and distribution of these chemicals. These toxins are rapidly causing both ecological and biological breakdown, and sadly, this trend shows no sign of slowing. Because we’ve been let down by governing agencies and the chemical manufacturing industry in regulating and reducing these harmful substances, it’s become our personal responsibility to better support the body’s detoxification process and mitigate the potential risks of this exposure.

a toxin’s journey in the body

Chemicals enter the bloodstream through a number of different mechanisms, and there are several factors that will determine how long these chemicals remain in the body. However, most chemicals enter through the permeable cell membrane and are stored in our fatty tissues.

Many of the chemicals we’re exposed to are endocrine disruptors, meaning they mimic or interfere with the secretion, synthesis, transport, metabolism, binding action and elimination of our hormones and can lead to reproductive, developmental, cognitive, immune, gut and other problems.

Hormones are the body’s messengers, and when they’re not able to bind to receptors on the cell because they’re blocked by toxicity, communication goes awry and the body is left in a state of dysfunction. The endocrine system is complex, and slight changes in hormone levels or function can throw off this delicate balance. What this means is that toxicity in the body is overriding important signals from our hormones and scrambling those messages.

Estrogen dominance is one of the most commonly occurring forms of hormone imbalance, which can happen naturally with age but can also be a result of toxic overload. Some common symptoms include: 

• hormonal headaches

• heavy periods

• PCOS

• hot flashes

• acne

• depression

• anxiety

• chronic fatigue

• insomnia

• mood swings

• fertility issues

• weight gain or difficulty losing weight

• increased risk of thyroid dysfunction, breast cancer, uterine fibroids, and autoimmune disease

Most often, when a patient comes to their provider complaining of one or several of these symptoms, toxicity is not considered as a potential cause. Our current medical system is far more concerned with treating symptoms of disease than seeing the body as a whole getting to the root of the issue. 

An internal environment inundated with EDCs can lead to a host of problems that extend far beyond our sex hormones. For example, low levels of estrogen are linked to low serotonin, affecting mood, sleep, pain levels and memory. Low progesterone causes GABA to decline, which can lead to anxiety and disrupt sleep. Low levels of testosterone in women have been linked to depression, stress and mood swings. The gut is also closely connected to our hormones, playing an important role in estrogen regulation, thyroid function and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, which support the balance of estrogen, progesterone and other hormones. So, while we can look at hormone imbalance as a cause of our troublesome symptoms, the driving force behind this imbalance is what really needs to be addressed.

how to deal with toxic overload

Effective detoxification is not a 7-day cleanse. It’s a lifestyle change that avoids overconsumption and exposure to toxins and relies upon the consistency of our healthy habits to continually flush toxins from the system. Sometimes we need a little more support, which is why we’ve developed a whole body detox program with a systematic approach to getting to the root of toxicity and creating a cellular environment that encourages deep healing and vitality.

Unlike most detox programs and products available today, the Detox Fix program takes an upstream approach to detox by investigating the underlying cause for illness instead of simply addressing the symptoms. We support all detox organs and pathways rather than solely focusing on the liver, and offer lifestyle, nutrition and mindset coaching to ensure you have the tools and support you need.

This powerful detox program begins TOMORROW and we still have a couple of spots left! Get started with the neurotoxicity questionnaire and book a discovery call with our team to answer any questions you might have and register for this life-changing program.