Wednesday's Word - Phthalates
Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, we are focusing on ways we can reduce exposure to cancer causing toxins. Reading labels can be pretty overwhelming so we're breaking it down by going over some of the most commonly used offenders. What are phthalates? It's a group of chemicals used as solvents or stabilizers in products. They're also used to soften and improve the flexibility and durability of plastics. Why should phthalates be avoided? They are known to be endocrine disruptors affecting the estrogen and androgen hormone systems, and exposure to phthalates has been linked breast cancer, asthma, obesity, decreased fertility, diabetes and developmental issues. Some examples in studies are decreased fertility in men and women, early development of breasts in young girls, tumor formation, increase in growth of breast cancer cells, exacerbation of asthma and physical abnormalities in male offspring of exposed mothers, such as undescended testes...