A category of environmental toxins are the Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals or EDCs. As the name implies, this group of chemicals change the way our hormones work. The hormones affected include all reproductive hormones — oestrogens, progesterone, testosterone — as well as other chemicals produced in our body. This also includes thyroid hormones.
The first trimester of pregnancy is the time when outcomes are most significantly impacted by EDCs, especially if certain nutrients are deficient.
In my book I explain the importance of pre-conception preparation, in particular with reference to the wide range of environmental toxins we are exposed to in our modern lives. While EDCs can affect fertility, they also affect the unborn foetus during its development in the uterus.
The science
A study published in June 2022 explored the impacts of good nutrition on reducing the negative impacts of environmental chemicals, in particular EDCs. Endocrine disrupting chemicals have harmful effects on reproductive, perinatal, and obstetric outcomes.
The study identified ways to reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors included avoidance of canned/processed or plastic‐packaged foods. In addition, increasing consumption of fresh organic foods provided added protection from EDC damage.
How EDCs affect fertility outcomes
- Fertility: pregnancy rate, both male and female. Fertility parameters and assisted reproduction.
- Pregnancy outcomes: placental bioaccumulation, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, adverse obstetric outcomes including preterm birth (PTB), pre‐eclampsia, gestational diabetes (GDM), and foetal growth restriction.
- Foetal development: neurocognitive morbidity linked to thyroid dysfunction, HPA axis alteration and steroidogenesis, congenital foetal anomaly.
- Maternal health: thyroid metabolism, insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity.
Recommendations
- Altering diet content: fruit/vegetables, organic foods, variety, avoidance of processed foods, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Mediterranean diet, high fibre diet, high protein diet, anti‐oxidant diet.
- Minimizing exposure to EDCs: avoidance of pesticides, limiting exposure to phthalates, breastfeeding, avoidance of processed baby food/canned foods, altering methods of food preparation.
- Iodine replacement.
- Nutraceuticals: dietary supplementations including anti‐oxidant supplements (vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, melatonin).
- Microbiome: probiotic therapy or correction of dysbiosis.
You can read the full paper here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9305939/
Corbett GA, Lee S, Woodruff TJ, Hanson M, Hod M, Charlesworth AM, Giudice L, Conry J, McAuliffe FM; International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Committee on Climate Change and Toxic Environmental Exposures. Nutritional interventions to ameliorate the effect of endocrine disruptors on human reproductive health: A semi-structured review from FIGO. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 Jun;157(3):489-501. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14126. Epub 2022 Feb 23. PMID: 35122246; PMCID: PMC9305939.