This topic is for anyone who is looking to find out how to increase fertility. Xenoestrogens are increasingly being blamed for a whole host of chronic conditions including infertility. If you want to know how to increase fertility naturally you need to become aware of what xenoestrogens are, why they are bad for your health and fertility and how to avoid them.
What Are Xenoestrogens?
Xenoestrogens literally mean 'foreign estrogens'. Xeno is a Greek word for foreign. Any type of estrogen that's not manufactured by your body can be classified as a xenoestrogen. This also includes plant-based estrogens called phytoestrogens.Xenoestrogens vs. Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens have a much milder effect on the body than the endogenous (body made) estrogens or other man-made (xeno) estrogens. Because of this milder action, they can actually be beneficial in the treatment of estrogen dominance and related conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, polyps and PCOS. This is because they can block the receptors where your regular estrogen or xenoestrogen would dock and prevent it from exerting a much more powerful reaction. However, phytoestrogens should be avoided by men with subfertility. Estrogens will interfere with testosterone metabolism in men, and in those men where spermatogenesis (formation and maturation of new sperm) is already compromised further disruptions to the endocrine system should be avoided or minimized.
How to Increase Fertility and Why Are Xenoestrogens Bad?
Xenoestrogens have been shown to interfere with male and female fertility, predispose to estrogen dominant conditions (PCOS, Endometriosis, Fibroids, Uterine Polyps, Estrogen dependent cancers such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer), contribute to sperm abnormalities and disrupt reproductive system function with their false messages. In wildlife, particularly fish, xenoestrogens have been shown to cause sex reversal by interfering with gonadal development.Some scientists believe that high levels of estrogens/xenoestrogens in humans can contribute to the feminization of male fetuses and predispose male babies to infertility later in life. Therefore we need to be aware of xenoestrogens when we want to know how to increase fertility.
Where Are Xenoestrogens Found?
According to the European Commission, 99% of the 100,000 recently introduced chemicals are under-regulated. Chemicals which find their way to our cleaning products and personal care products are not subject to rigorous testing like drugs and food. Your exposure to xenoestrogens comes mainly from unfiltered tap water, household cleaning products, cosmetics, personal care products and non-organically grown food, and knowing how to increase fertility naturally requires that you become vigilant about your exposure to xenoestrogens.How to Avoid Xenoestrogens?
Here is a very partial list of substances that have been labeled as 'xenoestrogens':- Parabens - found in personal care products, creams and lotions.
- E127 (Erythrosine) - used as a red food coloring.
- Phthalates - used as plasticizers in plastic bottles, food wrapping foils and any other plastic items such as toys, containers, Tupperware etc…
- DEHP - another PVC plasticizer.
- Propyl gallate - antioxidant used in oil production.
- PCBs - used in glues, paint and lubricants.
- Atrazine - used as a herbicide.
- Pentachlorophenol - used as wood preservative and pesticide.
- Nonylphenol - found in surfactants, detergents, pesticides and emulsifiers.
- Hexachlorocyclohexane and heptachlor - found in pesticides.
- TSP - Trisodium phosphates are found in washing detergents and fabric softeners.
- OCP (oral contraceptive pill)
- Premarin
- Cimetidine
- HRT
- Progesterone creams with parabens (methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben)
How to Increase Fertility by Avoiding Xenoestrogens? Stick To a Simple Rule!
- Eat only organically grown food.
- Use natural personal care products, cosmetics and household cleaning products.
- Avoid plastic, don't store food in plastic containers - use glass instead.
- Avoid canned food (cans are lined with plastic inside).
- Avoid Teflon cookware and use cast-iron cookware.
- Avoid commercial pesticides and herbicides.
- Drink and shower in filtered water only.
- Avoid dairy as dairy is made from animal breast milk which is loaded with estrogens, whether it's organic or non-organic. Non-organic dairy has even more estrogens due to all the hormones, drugs and pesticides animals are exposed to in farming.
- If male-factor infertility is present avoid: soy, flaxseeds, canola oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil and alfalfa sprouts.
I would love to hear your thoughts on how to increase fertility and avoid xenoestrogens. Were you already aware of these substances or was this the first time you heard of them? What do you think about our manufacturing standards and testing methods when it comes to household cleaning products and personal care products?
