Scientists have developed a fast new method to identify food additives that act as “xenoestrogens” — substances with estrogen-like effects that are stirring international health concerns.

They used the method in a large-scale screening, and discovered two additives with previously unrecognized xenoestrogen effects.

Xenoestrogens have been linked to a range of human health effects, including reduced sperm counts in men and increased risk of breast cancer in women.

The scientists used the new method to search a food additive database of 1,500 substances, and verified that the method could identify xenoestrogens. In the course of that work, they identified two previous unrecognized xenoestrogens — propyl gallate, a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, and 4-hexylresorcinol, which is used to prevent discoloration in shrimp and other shellfish.

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

I’ve written about the dangers of endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A, PFOA and phthalates many times. I like to consider xenoestrogens fake estrogens but their name literally means “foreign estrogens.” Either way they are synthetic chemicals that mimic natural estrogens, and have been linked to a wide range of human health effects.

There are so many of them, and they’re used in so many common consumer products that trying to avoid them may seem like a fruitless struggle.

For example, you come in contact with hormone disrupting chemicals through:

* Pasteurized dairy, which commonly contains bovine growth hormones
* Soy products, which are loaded with hormone like substances
* Plastics – many of which contain bisphenol A
* Personal care products that contain phthalates
* Cooking with Teflon-coated pots and pans

Now you can add certain food additives to the list – and some very common food additives at that.

Hormone-Mimicking Food Additives Recently Discovered

In the U.S., more than 3,000 substances can be added to foods for the purpose of preservation, coloring, texture, flavor and more. While each of these substances is legal to use, whether or not they are entirely safe for long-term consumption – by themselves or in combination – is a different story altogether.

The analysis published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology actually found not just two, but 31 potential estrogen-mimicking food additives during their search.

Of those, propyl gallate was found to act as an antagonist, and 4-hexylresorcinol as a potent transactivator. Antagonists block the binding of an agent at a receptor molecule, and transactivators increase the rate of gene expression. In conclusion the authors’ state:

“Some caution should be issued for the use of propyl gallate and 4-hexylresorcinol as food additives.”

However, I don’t think we’ll see any of them removed from the market any time soon. Propyl gallate, for example, has been used since 1948 as a preservative to stabilize cosmetics, food packaging materials, and foods containing oils and fats. It can also be found in:

* Hair products
* Adhesives and lubricants
* Processed meat products and potato products
* Chicken soup base
* Chewing gum and candy
* Dried milk
* Baked goods, and more

Propyl gallate is frequently used in conjunction with BHA and BHT, which come with their own set of health hazards. These two additives also keep fats and oils from going rancid and are commonly used in processed food products such as cereals and potato chips, even though some studies have found they too, cause cancer in rats.

The other food additive mentioned above, 4-hexylresorcinol, is commonly used as an anti-browning agent in shrimp and other shellfish.

But it’s also used as a starting material to produce synthetic catecholamines, which have important physiological effects as neurotransmitters and hormones (such as epinephrine, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine).

Additionally, you can find it in common consumer products such as:

* Pharmaceutical acne treatments
* Anti-dandruff shampoo
* Sunscreen lotions
* Antiseptic mouthwashes
* Skin wound cleansers
* Throat lozenges

Potential Health Dangers of Propyl Gallate

In addition to being an endocrine disrupter based on this latest analysis, the results in a previous study by the National Toxicology Program (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) showed that propyl gallate caused various types of cancer and other health problems in rats, including:

* Thyroid tumors in male rats
* Rare brain tumors in low-dose females
* Prostate inflammation
* Mostly benign tumors of the preputial gland (glands that produce pheromones)
* Pancreatic tumors
* Adrenal gland tumors in low-dose males

As you can see, in some instances the health effect only showed up in the low-dose groups but not in the high-dose groups, and only in either males or females – a perfect example of just how little anyone really knows about how these types of chemicals might affect your body, or the body of an infant, for example.

Potential Health Hazards of Common Anti-Browning Agent

The anti-browning agent 4-Hexylresorcinol is applied to shrimp and other crustacean seafood to prevent the development of black spots which may occur naturally.

A toxicology study by the School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, England, discovered that 260 mg/kg was lethal to all cats used in the study. Granted, that is a very high dose; however, based on their data, the researchers also concluded that 4-Hexylresorcinol was carcinogenic in both the 13-week and 2-year studies, and also caused a high incidence of nephropathy in mice (an autoimmune disease that affects your kidneys).

A 1984 study determined the probable lethal dose for humans to be anything above 500 mg/kg.

How to Protect Your Family

If you have children xenoestrogens are clearly something you will want to avoid. Here are some measures you can take to protect you and your children from common toxic substances that could cause them to go into puberty more than a decade before they were designed to:

* Store your food in glass containers whenever possible, as it is the most inert container you can use.
* Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search online for them.
* Buy and eat, as much as possible, organic foods, especially mik which is frequently contaminated with bovine growth hormone.
* Avoid processed foods.
* Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
* Avoid all varieties of unfermented soy.
* Switch to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. Same sources as above for these, either your local health food store or you can search online.
* Review Our Stolen Future, probably the best resource on this topic

(Guy Rhodes/Sun-Times News Group)

The risk of breast cancer doubled for post-menopausal women who were on a once-popular combination hormone therapy for at least five years, according to a new analysis of the landmark study that established a clear link between hormone use and breast cancer.

The use of combined hormone therapy — estrogen plus progestin — in the United States plummeted after results from the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative trial were published. This was followed by a decrease in breast-cancer rates a year later.

The risk of breast cancer doubled for women who took the post-menopausal hormone therapy of estrogen plus progestin for at least five years.

But there was still some question as to why: Was it the hormone therapy, or was it changes in mammography, or something else?

“This is very strong evidence that estrogen plus progestin causes breast cancer,” said Dr. Marcia Stefanick, a Stanford University professor of medicine who is co-author of the new study, reported in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.

The new study also found that breast-cancer risk dropped sharply within two years of stopping combined hormone therapy.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 15,000 women involved in the original trial, which was stopped early after increases in heart disease, stroke and breast cancer risks were found.

It is a known fact that our environment and the toxins in it affect our health. So many people with cancer today have no family history of the disease. How are so many getting sick?

We need to take better care of our health and that means changing some of our bad habits. We need to be more aware of toxins in our home and how they affect our bodies! Our cleaning products, personal products, even our clothing could be making us sick! The chemicals, pesticides, hormones and poisons in our foods contribute to toxicity, obesity and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

To find some healthy and natural alternative products, please visit:

http://ShopToEarth.net/DebbieMormino

There’s a sea of change underway that has broad implications for your performance, fertility, and virility.

It’s caused by chemical compounds – found in everyday products – that mimic estrogen, the female hormone.

More and more men show the warning signs. They’ve developed male “breasts,” fatty tissue that develops over the pectoral muscles. They’ve put on weight, lost their libido, find they don’t have the same “get up and go,” and even have trouble getting their partners pregnant.

In women endocrine disruptors cause weight gain and are linked to several health problems.

The cause lies all around us. Endocrine disruptors can be found in pesticides, clothing, plastics, cosmetics, detergents, hair sprays, even our food and water supplies.

They bind to your body’s estrogen receptors and stimulate hormonal responses that are feminizing for men, and dangerous for women.

About two months ago in my Doctor’s House Call I told you about one of the most widespread endocrine disruptors, Bisphenol-A. It’s used in plastics, food and drink packaging like water and infant bottles, compact discs, impact-resistant safety equipment, and medical devices. Epoxy resins used as lacquers to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes contain it. Some dental sealants and composites may also contribute to BPA exposure.

Problem is that we have very little research examining these compounds’ long-term effects on humans. But several studies concluded that low-level, continuous exposure to BPA can be harmful to your health.1-2

If you don’t think this is a serious problem, consider this: the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found detectable levels of BPA in 93 percent of 2517 urine samples from people six years and older.3

Right now we don’t know just how much exposure you’re getting to these endocrine disruptors. Here’s what you can do:

First, have your estrogen levels checked. For most men, the optimum levels are four parts testosterone to one part estrogen. Your total estrogen level should be below 100. For women, consult with your gynecologist, as estrogen levels change over your lifetime.

Here are some additional things you can do to limit your exposure to these harmful chemicals and reclaim the things that make you a man – or a woman.

• Eliminate pesticides from your water: I recommend drinking only purified water.
• Wash your vegetables and fruits before you eat them.
• Cut off any visible fat from meat before cooking, since chemicals and hormones from the feed collect in the fat.
• Avoid processed meats, because they have fat ground in.
• Avoid processed carbohydrates like bread, cereals, and pasta. They make your body release excess insulin, which builds fat and stimulates feminizing estrogen.
• Eat vegetables high in fiber to keep yourself regular. When stool remains in your bowel for a longer time, more estrogen is absorbed.
• Eat more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels’s sprouts, and cabbage. They help you excrete excess estrogen.
• Eat hormone-free food and free range animals whenever possible.
• Incorporate more estrogen-inhibiting foods into your diet. Some of the best and tastiest sources are squash, onions, green beans, cabbage, berries, citrus, pineapples, pears, grapes, figs, melons, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds.