Life in Plastic…NOT Fantastic

with Dr. Anthony Jay

Plastics pervade our lives. From water bottles, toys, food containers, cars, to our cars and clothing, plastic seems to be in everything and just about everywhere! We know that plastic particles pollute the ocean, but they also impact our individual health, as well.

Today, Dr. Anthony Jay from the Mayo Clinic explains the hormone-disrupting effects of plastic on the human body. He talks about its sources–leaching into our food from packaging, for example–and how it can lead to apathy, depression, hormonal dysfunction, and more. He offers ideas for how to minimize our exposure to it and how to detoxify from its buildup in the body.

Notes:

Highlights from the conversation include:

The prevalence of plastics and their estrogenic effects on our bodies
How plastics trick our body systems and alter our sex hormones
Children with high levels of BPA in their urine have higher rates of clinical depression
How the medical industry wants to lower the normal age range for puberty because children are entering this stage younger and younger
How phthalates leach into fruits, vegetables, and meats from plastic packaging
How you can ask your farmer if he can wrap your meat in butcher or freezer paper
The importance of avoiding liquids in plastic and particularly liquids that are hot
How Anthony became curious about hormone-disrupting estrogenic toxins
How you don’t see the impact from the toxins for decades or even just some years
Studies have shown that daycares and schools in California have polluted air from plastics that exceed the government’s own cancer limits
Why the government’s recommended limits set the bar so low in the first place
Why children are particularly susceptible to plastic’s toxic influence
How shower curtains, linoleum floors, dishes, utensils & such increase our exposure to plastic
Children’s mattresses made of vinyl are problematic, as well
How the “new car smell” is really plastic off-gassing into the air
How plastic face masks cause us to breathe in plastic toxins & compromise C02 balance
How clothing from plastic water bottles is problematic for the planet
The importance of lowering your toxic burden, esp. if you have a predisposition for breast cancer, PCOS, low testosterone, etc.
Apathy increases and sex drive and motivation decrease with plastic exposure
Plastic acts like estrogen in the body which alters how our brains function
If you have trouble, genetically, clearing the estrogen genes, glutathione and NAC & other supports may help
How sweating can help detoxify our bodies from plastic buildup
Science that shows that all-cause mortality lowers with sauna use
How scientists researched BPA as a birth control, before they decided to sell it for plastic use