You might be aware that EDCs, short for endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can be harmful to you, but did you know they may have lasting effects on future generations?
Infertility and developmental issues have been rising globally in recent decades. According to the U.S. CDC, infertility among married women aged 15–44 increased from 6.7% between 2011 and 2015 to 8.7% between 2015 and 2019 [1]. Additionally, the percentage of children with developmental disabilities grew from 7.4% in 2019 to 8.56% in 2021 [2]. With these trends continuing, it’s important to understand how we can improve our health and work towards a sustainable future. Research shows that EDCs can harm us and future generations, even in small amounts. Here’s how and why. Can the Effects of EDCs Impact Multiple Generations Cover Photo
What Are Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs?)
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are substances that interfere with your body’s hormone (endocrine) system. EDCs can affect the hormone system in several ways: they can mimic hormones, block their effects, or alter how hormones function.
Hormones function like keys, fitting into specific locks known as receptors. When a hormone binds to its receptor, it activates the receptor to carry out a particular function.
EDCs can disrupt this process because many have a similar shape to natural hormones and thus can bind to receptors, unnaturally activating or blocking them. When this happens, the real hormone cannot bind to the receptor and perform its intended function.[3].
10 Common EDCs:
EDCs can be found in products we use every day. They are found in plastics, food packaging, personal care items, cleaning products, and even furniture and electronics.
Here are some common EDCs and the products they are most used in:
- Pesticides including:
- Glyphosate
- Atrazine
- Lead (found in children's toys and paint)
- Bisphenols (found in plastics and cash register receipts)
- Phthalates (found in plastics and personal care products)
- Parabens (found in personal care products)
- Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs (in high-fat foods and the environment, from contamination from industrial products and electronics)
- Triclosan (found antibacterial soaps and toothpaste)
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS (found in nonstick cookware and clothing)
The widespread use of EDCs in everyday items is because they enhance product performance, durability, or shelf life. However, their potential health impacts have raised concerns among scientists and health professionals.
Potential Health Effects of EDCs
EDCs have become a growing concern in recent years, and researchers are working hard to understand their impact on our health. These substances can affect our bodies in various ways. It's a bit like these chemicals are throwing a wrench into the delicate machinery of our bodies.
For instance, EDCs have been linked to changes in behavior and problems with growth and development [4]. They can also mess with our metabolism, potentially leading to conditions like diabetes and obesity [5].
They've been associated with reproductive issues, making it harder for some people to have children. In some cases, these chemicals have even been linked to certain types of cancer.
While this might sound scary, it's important to remember that scientists are constantly learning more about EDCs and how to protect ourselves from their effects. By staying informed and making smart choices, we can all take steps to minimize our exposure to these potentially harmful substances.
How Are Chemicals Passed from the Mother to the Baby?
Some EDCs are chemicals that don’t easily leave the body. They are attracted to fat and organs, which means they can accumulate in the body over time. EDCs can accumulate in various parts of the body, including breast milk and the placenta in pregnant women.
Ingestion is a common way EDCs can be transferred from mother to baby. When EDCs enter the mother's breast milk, the infant is exposed to EDCs when they consume it. Even low levels of these chemicals can have greater health implications in infants than adults [6].
How Can Future Generations Be Affected By Your Chemical Exposure?
Genetics isn’t the only thing that can be passed from generation to generation. “Transgenerational health effects” refer to the impact your grandparent’s environmental exposures could have on your health. This also means that your exposures to EDCs can alter your DNA and have effects on your children or grandchildren [7].
EDC exposure can influence gene expression in various ways. First, they can interfere with the chemical makeup of DNA. This alteration can make genes easier or harder to read. Also, EDCs can affect RNA molecules that help control gene activity after the gene has been copied [8].
Lastly, these harmful chemicals can interfere with hormone signals in the body. This interference can change the way certain genes are turned on or off. That’s why avoiding EDCs is important not only for your own health but for the health of your future generations.
Can Chemical Exposures Be Passed from Father to Kids?
EDCs can affect a person's genes or “epigenome.” The epigenome is like a set of instructions that tells our cells how to behave. It’s like a light switch that can turn genes on or off, deciding which ones are active or silent.
These switches are made up of chemical changes that sit on our DNA and the proteins around it. They don't change the actual DNA but guide how our cells grow and function. This helps our bodies develop and work properly.
EDCs can alter the way genes express themselves in sperm and eggs. This change in sperm DNA means that these exposures and health effects can be passed on to children through the paternal side as well.
This is an emerging field in health research, and scientists are working to discover which exposures are most harmful and what effects they may have [9].
How Do EDCs Impact Fetuses?
The early stages of life, including fetal and infant periods, are when we are most vulnerable. During these times, we are especially sensitive to environmental impacts like EDCs.
Much remains unknown about the long-term effects of early life exposures. However, EDCs can significantly impact early development, leading to lasting effects into adulthood.
Reproductive and Developmental Effects
EDCs can have significant effects on early life and development [10]. This critical time in a person’s life can set the stage for their long-term health outcomes.
Interfering with reproduction and development could have lasting effects long term such as:
- Altered fertility, litter size, and sex ratios
- Changes in reproductive organ function and development
- Disrupted puberty onset and reproductive aging
- Impacts on fetal and organ system development
It's important to understand the risks to development in order to prevent these impacts and minimize harm to future generations.
Endocrine System Disruption
The endocrine system is responsible for hormones throughout the body and acts as the body’s “messenger system.” EDCs can influence different organs throughout the body through these hormones such as:
- Altering hormone levels and signaling pathways (Changing the amount of hormones in the body and how they send messages)
- Interference with hormone synthesis, transport, and metabolism (Messing with how hormones are made, moved around, and broken down in the body)
- Disrupting estrous cyclicity and sperm parameters (Affecting a female reproductive cycle and the health of male sperm)
That’s why it is important to minimize exposure to EDCs and reduce long-term exposure.
Systemic Health Impacts
One impactful study found that a woman can apply up to 168 chemicals to their body per day, while a man tends to use around 85 [11]. Therefore, EDCs are continually being introduced to their body, increasing the risk of health effects.
Since EDCs influence various systems through hormones, they can have long-lasting effects on your health, such as:
- Metabolic disturbances and obesity risk
- Brain development and behavioral changes
- Increased cancer and disease susceptibility
- Changes in the immune system
Even in low doses, EDCs can have significant impacts on our health, affecting our hormones and bodily functions. Become aware of EDCs so you can reduce your exposure where possible.
Gene Expression Changes
Pass along your good genes, not harmful chemicals. EDCs can even influence gene expression, which could have transgenerational effects in the future.
Gene expression determines how our cells function and how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
Some ways EDCs influence gene expression include:
- Epigenetic Mechanisms (Ways genes can be turned on or off without changing DNA)
- DNA methylation changes (Adding tiny chemical tags to DNA that can silence genes)
- Histone modifications (Changing the proteins that wrap up DNA, affecting which genes are active)
- Alterations in non-coding RNA expression (Shifts in special RNA molecules that help control how genes work)
EDC research is moving fast, and the more we avoid these chemicals, the less our health and genes will be impacted!
How to Reduce Chemical Exposures
There are lots of ways you can take control of your own health and avoid harmful chemical exposure from EDCs, such as:
- Find clean personal care products and look for labels such as “paraben free” when shopping
- Limit your use of plastic, especially when cooking or storing food.
- Avoid pesticide usage and find organic alternatives for your gardens.
- Select organic fruits and vegetables that are not sprayed with harmful pesticides.
- Check out more Million Marker Blogs for tips on how to avoid EDCs and find alternative products.
A great way to start is to order Million Marker’s Detox and Detect Test Kit. This at-home test measures your exposure to 13 hormone-disrupting chemicals. Get personalized feedback on where your exposures are coming from and lifestyle change tips that you can make at home!
It is important to remember of the numerous DNA mutations each person has, and only 1% might contribute to disease [12]. Most DNA changes make you tall or short or influence other parts of your appearance, and there are many other factors that influence whether you get certain diseases.
Only 30% of chronic diseases come from our genes. The other 70% comes from our environment [13]. Therefore, you can significantly impact your health and future generations' health by protecting yourself from harmful exposures.
Resources
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr202.pdf
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db473.htm#
[3] https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/edcs
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935118306911
[5] https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/what-edcs-are/common-edcs/metabolic
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7073082/
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02316-6
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928026/
[9] https://publichealth.uga.edu/how-chemical-exposures-can-be-passed-from-fathers-to-kids/
[10] https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/195/1/53/7227122?login=false
[11] https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2004/12/exposures-add-survey-results
[12] https://fortune.com/well/2024/02/02/how-toxic-chemical-exposure-grandparents-ancestors-affects-health-epigenome-obesity-prostate-kidney-disease-0ddt-fungicide-fuel/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9801363/