However, our bodies cannot break down such chemicals as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDT. They simply accumulate in our fat cells. Although these substances have been banned in the United States for many years, they are still being found in newborn infants. BTW, I don't believe those two chemicals were ever found in a natural state in the environment. To create them a lab tech had to mix various elements together.
Other endocrine disrupters include parabens found in makeup, phenols, alkylphenols, and bisphenol-A found in plastic food containers, as well as arsenic etc. There are also natural plant estrogens, known as phytoestrogens, that could cause bodily disruption if taken in large amounts.
I agree with you in one sense, whenever folks tell me something is safe because it is "all natural", I remind them that arsenic is all natural. Eating organically grown food is simply an attempt to lower the amount of pesticide residue ingested. Although I have argued that how can we prove that the ground these foods were grown in never experienced chemical altering in the past.
The current debate at the moment is the safety of hormone replacement therapy. For years women were told it was safe and would prevent cancer. But now researchers are discovering the estrogen can actually trigger breast cancer by turning on the growth of those cells. As a result many women are turning to plant phytoestrogens, although whether this is a safer alternative is still debatable. |
