In our modern society, chemicals are everywhere. And while “chemical” shouldn’t be treated as a bad word — our food is made up of various beneficial chemicals, after all — there are some chemicals, or toxins, that pose a greater threat to women’s health and hormone balance.
So, let’s talk about them, and discuss what you can do about it.
An overview of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
Firstly, let’s define what hormones are. Hormones are our body’s key messengers; they’re usually made in one part of the body and travel to another part to tell those cells and organs what to do, and how to do it. An example of this is thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, which is created in our pituitary gland (in the brain) and travels to the thyroid gland (in our throat) to tell the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones then act on other cells and tissues in our body, controlling our metabolism.
We have many different hormones in the body, and each has a specific function. These hormones need to bind to specific receptors on our cells in order for the messages they carry to be received. Our endocrine system is in charge of controlling our growth, reproductive function, and fertility.
This is where endocrine disrupting chemicals come in. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (or EDCs for short) are exogenous substances that can block the receptors or mimic the effects of our body’s hormones, therefore causing a disruption in the communication between our different organ systems.
Some common examples of EDCs are parabens, phthalates, and phenols. These chemicals show up frequently in personal care products; women and femme folks tend to use more personal care products in their daily lives than men and masc folks. This means that they are exposed to these chemicals at a higher rate, and may suffer from more complications as a result. Exposure to EDCs in young women is correlated with the development of uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, infertility, and breast cancer.
But it’s not just personal care products we need to be concerned about. According to a 2024 review article, “Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), dioxins, fungicides (vinclozolin), pesticides like DDT (dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane), methoxychlor, chlorpyrifos, phytoestrogens (genistein and coumestrol), and pharmaceutical agents DES (diethylstilbestrol) are frequently present in EDCs that have a prominent role in food chain.” Unfortunately, these chemicals have been found in human adipose tissue, breast milk, urine, serum, and even amniotic fluid.
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What can we do to reduce the risks of EDCs?
Before you start thinking that everything is “doom and gloom” with EDCs, rest assured that there are quite a few tactics we can employ to reduce the risk of EDCs and their overall impact on women’s health.
One of the biggest tactics to use is eating a high-fiber, whole foods-based diet. You don’t have to subscribe to veganism/vegetarianism, Mediterranean, paleo, or any other specific “diet” — just focus on eating colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, nutrient-dense sources of protein, and healthy fats, like olives, avocado, and wild-caught salmon. As nutritionists and dietitians, we like to focus on cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts), berries, garlic, and flavorful spices when working to reduce the effects of toxins. We do recommend eating organic or locally grown food when possible; however, if that’s outside your budget, focus on prioritizing a high-fiber diet in general.
Some research indicates that regular consumption of probiotics from fermented foods can strengthen our microbiome, allowing for an extra barrier of protection in the gastrointestinal tract. For our local folks, we love Seattle-based Firefly Kitchens’ fermented food products.
Another tactic is exercise. Recent research found higher levels of BPA in sweat than in urine, suggesting that sweat may be a better indicator of overall toxic burden. Working up a sweat is a great way to flush EDCs out of the body. According to a news release from the NIH in July 2024, this emerging research has indicated that a health-promoting diet, paired with exercise, can also reduce the overall effects of EDCs on the body. The reason for this is because high-fiber diets and exercise leverage the body’s natural ability to detoxify and remove these chemicals from circulation.
However, all the exercise and dietary changes in the world won’t make an impact if we don’t also address our environment: we must also mitigate exposure to EDCs in our home and our place of work, when possible. A few key areas to address are the quality of the air, water, and cleaning products used in our homes. If you’re planning on diving into some spring cleaning, we’ve put together a free guide with our top tips to reduce EDC exposures at home.
Putting it all together:
It is impossible to completely eliminate exposure to EDCs in our modern, urban lives. However, by prioritizing our nutrition, physical activity, and optimizing our home environment, we can significantly reduce the amount of chemicals we encounter.
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Sources:
Hassan S, Thacharodi A, Priya A, et al. Endocrine disruptors: Unravelling the link between Chemical Exposure and women’s Reproductive Health. Environmental Research. 2024;241. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.117385
Endocrine Society. Impact of EDCs on Reproductive Systems. Endocrine Society. November 20, 2019. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/what-edcs-are/common-edcs/reproduction.
Common endocrine-disrupting chemicals and women’s health. The Institute for Functional Medicine. August 7, 2023. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.ifm.org/articles/endocrine-disruptors-and-womens-health.
Endocrine disruptors. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. July 24, 2024. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine.