Toxins can be found in everything - cleaning products, food, cosmetics, water, air. Most people are exposed to these chemicals daily, through ordinary products, and many environmental toxins can build up in the body over time. Health effects are varied, but some of the main risks of toxin exposure are hormonal changes, reproductive harm, cancer, and damage to other organs.

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Some toxins can disrupt hormones. These kinds of toxins, called endocrine disruptors, can imitate hormones, increase production of certain hormones, decrease production of other hormones, interfere with hormone signaling, accumulate in organs that produce hormones, or bind to essential hormones.

 

Many toxins can harm the reproductive system. Sex hormones can be disrupted by some toxins, which can alter the reproductive system. In addition, some of the effects of reproductive toxins include early puberty, infertility, premature ovarian failure and ovarian dysfunction, miscarriage and stillbirth, premature birth, decreased sperm quality, lower sperm count, less sperm mobility, early menopause, abnormalities and diseases in fetuses, low birth weight, growth and development issues, egg production harm, and disrupted reproductive cycles. These toxins are especially relevant as fertility is decreasing, and likely part of the cause.

 

Many toxins in everyday products are also carcinogens. Some toxins can contribute to cancer risk by altering or damaging DNA or DNA repair. Others can cause cells to grow and reproduce uncontrollably or become immortal, leading to cancer. A wide variety of cancers have been linked to environmental toxins. These include colorectal, breast, thyroid, blood, ovarian, and prostate cancers, among many others.

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Some other examples of health harm resulting from environmental toxins include early cell death, obesity, diabetes, thyroid issues, skin irritation, allergies, various autoimmune conditions, ADHD, dementia, autism, immune system damage, depression and anxiety, cardiovascular problems, asthma, liver damage, kidney disease, nervous system damage, and altered metabolism.​​

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Luckily, you can always take steps to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins and your toxin burden, which is the amount of toxins in your body. The human body is resilient - one study found a 27.4% to 45.5% decrease in concentrations of some toxins in urine after only 3 days of not using products containing those toxins. So no matter how long you've been using toxic products, you can improve and make a difference in your health by switching to products with less toxins.

 

I hope to help you learn more about toxins and safer products through Drop the Tox! Feel free to take a look around the website. The Toxins Info tab contains articles discussing various toxins, groups of toxins, or toxins in a type of product. The Ditch & Switch page has articles about less toxic alternatives to products that often contain toxins. If there's anything else you'd like me to offer, a new product type you'd like me to make a recommendation on, a product you'd like me to take a look at, or anything else that I could do to help, feel free to leave a message or comment!​

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