What does sunblock, frogs, fertility and cancer have in common

The answer is: Hormone disruptors!

Frogs are changing sex and fish are becoming infertile. Sperm counts of young men are less than a third of what they used to be 70 years ago. Abnormal sperm are taking over and the normal ones are dying out. Puberty is shifting to a younger age. Diseases with the potential to cause infertility are becoming more and more common in young women (Polycystic ovarian syndrome/PCOs, endometrioses and more). Hormone dependent cancers are on the rise.

At least part of the reason for all of this, is hormone disruptors in our environment. Hormone disruptors are mostly synthetic substances that act like female hormones – estrogens – in our bodies. They have a very strong effect, stronger than our own natural hormones. While it is easy to understand that this will interfere with the health of men, it also interferes with the health of women by causing imbalances.

Our hormones are involved in so much more than what we see as hormone-related health. They are involved in numerous systems, from the immune system, blood sugar management to skin and bone health. That is why disrupting this system has a major impact on our health altogether.

It is impossible to avoid hormone disruptors completely, but there is certainly a lot we can do to reduce our exposure. Additionally, the liver is involved in helping us get rid of these harmful substances, so supporting the liver with detoxification can be very beneficial.

In our sunblocks particularly are some very strong hormone disruptors. Unfortunately, the hormone disruptors make the sunblocks very easy to use. Sunblocks with hormone disruptors are mostly the ones that are absorbed into the skin very conveniently. Keep in mind that the skin has blood supply and carries these substances into your body. They become a part of you.

We tend to pay more attention to convenience than health until we get seriously ill. Lets change this attitude and stop using sunblocks with hormone disruptors for our own health and for the environment.

Go get your sunblock right now and look for the following on the ingredients list:

• 3/4-Methylbenzylidene-camphor (4-MBC)
• octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
• octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD–PABA)
• bexophenome-3 (Bp-3)
• homosalate (HMS)

If any of these are in your sunblock, you want to stop using it. There are a number of sunblocks free of hormone disruptors, however, they are not in large grocery stores yet. You can find some wonderful and safe sunblocks online at:
embracelife.co.za
Alternatively, have look at your nearest health shop.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Start changing the environment for the frogs, the fish, for ourselves and the next generations today.

…For a list of more hormone disruptors to avoid, see:
http://www.hesterladewig.com/news-and-events/categories/hormones/