What Are Phthalates?
Any plastic product you encounter, whether it is the new vinyl flooring in your laundry room or your favorite lunch box, likely has phthalates in it. These chemicals can also be present in the hose you use to water your flowers and the lubrication oil for your car. These chemicals, sometimes called plasticizers, are typically employed to make products more durable.
Phthalates are present in nearly every area of life, so you may consume them after eating something from a plastic container. Worse, your child may consume them when they put their favorite plastic toy in their mouth. The NIH has found that because they often use a variety of beauty products like shampoo and body wash, women often have higher levels of phthalates in their system, which could lead to problems.6 In most cases, these chemicals are able to break down in your body because they are converted into metabolites and then exit your system in the urine.
You are likely exposed to several phthalates during the course of an average day without realizing it. If you carry a handbag or briefcase made of artificial leather, then you will encounter Mono-2 (Ethylhexyl) phthalate or MEHP. Diethyl phthalate, or DEP, is found in everything from your toothbrush to the aspirin you take for a headache. These chemicals and more are relatively harmless in small exposures, but over time a high concentration may build up in your body, which could lead to phthalate toxicity.
Effects of Phthalate Toxicity
Evidence shows that your endocrine system, which controls the hormones released into your bloodstream, can suffer if there are high concentrations of phthalates in your body. Your thyroid is the system responsible for regulating your metabolism and helping your body grow. If you have a significant amount of the phthalate DEHP, or diethylhexyl phthalate, in your bloodstream, it can lead to hyperthyroidism, reduce your metabolic function, and cause you to gain weight rapidly.
The reproductive system is also at a high risk of experiencing phthalate toxicity. High concentrations of phthalates in the bloodstream during pregnancy could cause the fetus to develop abnormally or experience birth defects. Some infants are diagnosed with phthalate syndrome, which is marked by malformations to their genitals.
Extreme exposure to phthalates over time can also have an impact on a man’s testicular health, a woman’s fertility, and respiratory health. Evidence suggests that MBzP, a phthalate metabolite found in urine, could also be connected to asthma and behavior problems in children.7 The effects of phthalates and other chemicals found in plastic can be devastating if left unchecked.
What Is Environmental Medicine?
One way to reduce the impact of plastic toxins and microplastics on your physical and mental health is to take an environmental medicine approach. Environmental medicine recognizes that there are countless things in the world around you that can impact all aspects of your health. In its most general sense, environmental medicine attempts to prevent or mitigate the physical and mental health affects the environment has upon you.
When you are being treated with an environmental medicine approach, you and your medical team recognize all sources of toxins, including the chemicals that may be present in medication, food treated with pesticides, the potential for heavy metal and plastic toxins in the water you drink, and even the plastics you encounter in daily life. Each of these sources of toxins can make you feel unwell. Individually or taken together, those toxins may also lead to increased anxiety, poor mood, a tendency toward substance use disorder, suicidal ideation, and other mental health symptoms.
Treatment plans look at every part of your surroundings, from potential pollutants in your food and water sources or the medications you are taking to chemicals that may be present in your home. Together, these aspects can be used to determine the best course of action. It is important to understand that your brain can be seriously impacted by toxins that can pass through your blood-brain barrier and cause problems with your mental and physical health. Taking multiple health factors into account and considering how the biochemical functions of your brain can impact your physical and mental health allow environmental medicine practitioners to create a comprehensive plan to meet your needs and help you heal.
Treating Exposure to Toxins with Environmental Medicine
As mentioned, environmental medicine considers the full scope of your life when creating a treatment plan. For example, if you have asthma, rather than just prescribing an inhaler to treat the symptoms, an environmental medicine practitioner will evaluate your environment to determine if that is a factor in your illness. If you exhibit mental health symptoms like anxiety or depression, instead of looking for an additional chemical – a psychotropic drug – to address the issue, an environmental medicine practitioner will evaluate all potential sources of those symptoms.
Toxins like phthalates, radiation, or dioxins in your daily life can lead to mental health problems like anxiety, depression, or hyperactivity. These toxins can negatively impact your physical health by contributing to chronic fatigue, lowered metabolism, and more. With proper testing, the team at Alternative to Meds Center can determine whether environmental factors like plastic toxins are contributing to your symptoms, work to reduce the buildup of toxins in your system, and help you find ways to eliminate or minimize your exposure.
Reducing Plastics in Your Environment
When you are in direct contact with phthalates, mercury, and arsenic in plastic products, the regulation, expression, and communication of neurotransmitters in your brain can be impacted. As mentioned, neurotransmitter disruption could contribute to symptoms like paranoia, depression, or an inability to concentrate. Thus, working to minimize your contact with these substances may be a way to address your symptoms. You may not be able to entirely eliminate plastics from your life, but limiting your exposure to them in your personal life can help.
There are plenty of ways to reduce the amount of plastic in your life. See if these solutions may work for you:
- Use chewable toothpaste tablets
- Use a filter to reduce microplastics in your water
- Use cloth produce bags when you grocery shop to protect your produce from the chemicals in plastic bags
- Use cloth or paper bags to carry groceries from the store to your home
- Store leftovers in glass containers to keep them fresh while also keeping harmful plastic chemicals away from them
- Avoid heating food in plastic containers
- Switch to a glass or metal water bottle
Alternative to Meds Center for Holistic Detox Treatment
Toxins from plastic can seriously impact your mental and physical health. If you want to combat these toxins and improve your health, the experienced team at Alternative to Meds Center can help. Via a comprehensive evaluation and thorough testing, we can determine which environmental factors and which toxins may be impacting your health — and create a personalized plan to reduce the levels of toxins in your system.
Modern living exposes us to an alarming plethora of toxins, enveloping our air, water, food, fuels, solvents, drugs, heavy metals, hygiene products, dry cleaning substances, plastics, and even the materials used in our homes and furniture. Almost every aspect of our lives is tainted with chemical poisons that demand our bodies’ attention and resilience. Hence, implementing effective detoxification measures becomes imperative to support our well-being and counter the toxic onslaught we face daily. Reducing contact with plastic toxins like phthalates can limit your toxin load and allow your body to begin flushing toxins from your system. However, holistic detoxification may still be necessary.
