RSS
Home
Your nail polish can make you fat
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
Chemicals in nail polish can make you fat (AP/S Senne
Phthalates, chemicals used in nail polish, cosmetics and plastics may disrupt your horomones and make you gain weight. Research at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City shows that young girls who have the highest levels of phthalates in their blood weigh the most. A study of adult men at the University of Rochester Medical Center also demonstrates that exposure to phthalates is linked to being overweight and can make you more prone to type 2 diabetes.
Frighteningly, these nasty chemicals can lower testosterone levels in men and destroy sperm. As researcher Richard Stahlhut, M.D., M.P.H warns, "Substantial declines in testosterone levels and sperm quality have been observed in the United States and other countries over the last several decades which and it urgently requires explanation. While we can’t say yet that phthalates are a definite cause, I am certain they are on the list of chemicals that demands careful study."
Phthalates, unfortunately, are ubiquitous in American consumer products. They are used in shampoo, cosmetics, lotions, soaps, paint, lubricants, pesticides, and plastic. Phthalates are used to make plastic softer, are in PVC and may be found in coatings on a variety of time-release medicines.
The Rochester researchers have found that 3 of 4 Americans have measurable levels of several phthalates in their body. That last time you peed, chances are you peed out phthalates.
"Unfortunately, there’s still a lot to learn about phthalates," Dr. Stahlhut says. "The more difficult issue is what combinations of common low-dose chemical exposures might be contributing to these (weight and hormone) problems."
How do you avoid phthalates? Good luck. Any product that lists “Fragrance” on the label may contain a dose of these undesirable chemicals.
Still, the group Pollution in People (http://www.pollutioninpeople.org/toxics/labels) recommends that you:
• Check ingredients and don’t use a product if the ingredients list DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) or DEP (diethyl phthalate) which are often contained in deodorants, perfumes, aftershaves, shampoo, hand lotion, hair gel, nail polish or colognes.
• Be wary of BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) found in car products, flooring and the occasional personal care product.
• Watch out for insect repellants containing DMP (dimethyl phthalate)
• Don’t use products that list the mysterious ingredient “Fragrance,” unless they specifically say they are “Phthalate free.”
• Use products marked with the recycling numbers 1, 2 or 5. Avoid those with the recycling numbers 3 and 7 which more probably include or phthalates or bisphenol A, another undesirable chemical.
Sources: Environ Health Perspect. 2009 February; 117(2): 159–166
Environ Health Perspect. 2007 June; 115(6): 876–882
For more info on staying healthy in an unhealthy world see:
What gluten can do to your brain
This is your brain on soft drinks
Is bread destroying your liver?
When gluten attacks your nerve cells
Related Articles:
Comments
