Protection in a Plastic World

If you’ve been a reader for long you’ve heard me talk a lot about the dangers of xenoestrogens.

I’ve been warning about these “alien estrogens” for decades because they lead to a wide array of diseases and disorders, including:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure and heart disease
  • Brain fog and memory loss
  • Impotence and loss of sex drive
  • Cancer
  • Weight gain

Now, the World Health Organization came out with a brand-new report revealing just how much plastic is in our drinking water.1 And, they’ve admitted that these plastic pollutants are harming our world’s water supply.

Ironically, they go on to say that you don’t have to worry — because drinking these plastic microparticles won’t hurt the human body.

It’s mind-boggling. These microplastics are full of xenoestrogens that mimic the female hormone estrogen in your body. And as more and more of our oceans and rivers become polluted with them, the more we consume.

Fortunately, there is a natural way to eliminate these toxins from your body. More on that in a minute…

We’ll never be able to count on the FDA for help. It’s not in their financial interest. You see, they don’t want to get on the wrong side of Big Businesses who produce these poisons.

A few years ago the FDA tried to give the appearance of protecting consumers. They banned the use of the most well-known xenoestrogen — bisphenol A, also called BPA — in baby bottles and sippy cups. But they refused to call for an overall ban. So manufacturers continue to use BPA in everything from eyewear, cosmetics and DVDs to food containers and cash register receipts.

Some major manufacturers also bowed down to public pressure. They started advertising BPA-free bottles, cans and packaging.

But in doing so, they took a bad problem and made it worse…

They simply substituted other bisphenols for BPA. This alphabet soup of new alien estrogens includes BPAP, BPF, BPS, BPP and BPM. These new bisphenols act just like BPA except they stay in your body longer and can cause even more DNA damage.2,3

When these bisphenols get into your bloodstream, they attach to your estrogen receptors whether you’re a man or a woman. They mimic estrogen.

But here’s the big difference…

These chemical hormones are MUCH stronger than the estrogens your body produces naturally. They block natural hormones. They disrupt normal cell signaling. And they destroy your delicate balance of estrogen, testosterone and other hormones.

These chemicals are now in the water we drink. They’re almost impossible to avoid. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control found bisphenols in the urine of 93% of people they tested.4

As I said earlier, there are ways you can eliminate these alien estrogens from your body. And one of the easiest is to sweat them away. Sweating is your body’s natural way to detoxify itself. Since it opens pores, you can flush out impurities about more efficiently.

I recommend that every patient at my clinic start their detox with an infrared sauna. I have one at my clinic and I’ve also installed one at my house. I prefer this type of sauna to the traditional steam sauna.

Here’s what’s so great about infrared detoxing…

Infrared light penetrates several inches into your tissue. This deep penetration releases debris from the fat underneath your skin. It also allows your body to free toxins stored in other organs and tissues.

Infrared saunas are more efficient at detoxing than traditional steam saunas. In one study, sweat from a traditional sauna was up to 97% water. But sweat released in an infrared sauna was only 80% water. The remaining 20% was made up of fat-soluble toxins like xenoestrogens.5

If you’re in the South Florida area, and interested in infrared therapy, call the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine at 561-410-7854 and talk to my staff.

Flush Xenoestrogens Out of Your Body

Unless you live in a bubble, it’s impossible to avoid xenoestrogens. But there are supplements that can help flush these alien estrogens from your body. Here are three I recommend to all my patients:

  1. Eat more crucifers. Veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage contain a compound called diindolylmethane (DIM). This helps your body break down estrogen into safe compounds that can be cleared away. In a study from the University of California at Berkeley, patients who took DIM were able to break down estrogen — and excrete it as metabolites in their urine — much more efficiently than those not taking DIM.6 It’s hard to get enough DIM from food. You’d have to eat two pounds or more of broccoli every day to get the amount you need. I recommend 100 mg daily.
  2. Add in this DIM precursor. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) helps prevent fake estrogens from attaching to your cell’s receptors. It also helps to metabolize estrogen into harmless compounds that are flushed away. Take 100 mg of Indole-3-carbinol per day.
  3. Balance your hormones with chaste tree berry. This herb increases levels of progesterone, bringing your ratio of estrogen to progesterone back into balance. Too many men think of progesterone only as a female hormone. But men need this testosterone precursor to help counteract the effects of estrogen on a male body. Take 100 mg daily to help bring your hormones back into balance.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Al Sears, MD, CNS

References

1. World Health Organization. (2019, August 22). WHO calls for more research into microplastics and a crackdown on plastic pollution [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/22-08-2019-who-calls-for-more-research-into-microplastics-and-a-crackdown-on-plastic-pollution
2. Rochester JR and Bolden AL. “Bisphenol s and f: A systematic review and comparison of the hormonal activity of bisphenol A substitutes.” Environ Health Perspect. 2015l;123(7):643-650.
3. Lee S, et al. “Genotoxic potentials and related mechanisms of bisphenol A and other bisphenol compounds: A comparison study employing chicken DT40 cells.” Chemosphere. 2013;93(2):434-440.
4. Bisphenol A Action Plan. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. March 29, 2010.
5. Evolution Health. Infrared sauna detoxification.
6. Dalessandri KM, et al. “Pilot study: Effect of 3,3’-diindolylemthane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history a early-stage breast cancer.” Nutr Cancer. 2004;50(2):161-167.