tag:blog.goodguide.com,2009:/2009/10/15/endocrine-disruptors-and-food/comments Mephisto Drax 2009-12-22T19:01:14Z Logan tag:blog.goodguide.com,2009-10-15:14912:16870 2009-12-18T19:19:18Z 2009-12-18T19:19:18Z To answer Mirinda's question: The term "endocrine disrupting chemical" can be defined as any substance not produced by our bodies that can mimic (cause a similar effect as) the hormones our bodies naturally produce. Many of these "chemical" examples used in the above article, and in the media (e.g. pesticides, plants, animals, and BPA in plastic) are estrogen mimicking chemicals. The fear is that since many hormones in our bodies are balanced, "chemicals" that mimic estrogen in our bodies can "disrupt" our hormone regulatory system and cause this system to become unbalanced. The consequences of "too much" estrogen in our bodies is not completely understood but briefly includes harm to reproductive development in children, decreased fertility in adults, and a greater risk for estrogen based cancers (e.g. breast cancer). I believe that when the author suggests to "buy organic" he means that food under that organic label legally precludes pesticides (a common source of endocrine disrupting chemicals). :) For more detail see the authors link above to the CASCADE article on a similar topic. :) Cheers, Logan. University of California, Davis, USA marinda louw tag:blog.goodguide.com,2009-10-15:14912:14952 2009-10-16T16:43:06Z 2009-10-16T16:43:06Z "endocrine disrupting chemical" seems like a scary term, marketing fear as a means to move the masses to organic food? I would like to know what this term means, how these 'chemicals' work and what we should be looking for on food labels. I am in favour in consuming food in as natural state and produced as sustainable and packaged in recyclable and safe material, but using a very broad term without thoroughly explaining its use and possible dangers is a dangerous way of promoting an emotional response. food scientist, South Africa Logan Smith tag:blog.goodguide.com,2009-10-15:14912:14930 2009-10-15T19:03:37Z 2009-10-15T19:03:37Z The concentration effect up the food chain is a rational approach and a logical place to start on the subject of endocrine disruption in food however I feel you have left out alot of useful information the CASCADE group has published. Your article cites animal fats as likely source of potential endocrine disruptors but your exclusion of other sources in the food chain is an oversimplification of this group's research. Your article implies that animal products are the predominant problem and endocrine disruptors in other foods like organic plants is more dilute and safer. To the contrary, Some food examples like soy and broccoli also have relatively high levels of phytoestrogens that can act as significant endocrine disruptors and contradict the 'eat lower on the food chain' recommendation. I agree with your point that animal products should be consumed in moderation (for a variety of reasons) however to be more precise, holistic, and less bias one should also mention non-animal foods containing significant sources of endocrine disruptors. By focusing solely on animal products many of your vegetarian and vegan readers may not recognize the significance of this problem and may not have the opportunity to acknowledge the presence of endocrine disruptors in their own diet. Cheers, Logan Smith Davis, CA *P.s. Thank you for this fantastic resource. The Good Guide is a fantastic tool for building an informed democratic marketplace! :)