An INSERM study on phenols and endocrine disorders
It is now certain, we “absorb” endocrine disruptors. Some phenols are found in our food, our cosmetics such as make-up but also soap, toothpaste, in water, in various materials such as Teflon and its compounds as well as plastic, in the air and in certain drugs. The list is long .
Paraben is detected in 95% of pregnant women according to an INSERM study (1) . Where do these harmful chemicals come from ?
Phenol Summary
The abuse of phenols is dangerous for health. This chemical compound is accused of creating disturbances in the hormonal system and causing more or less consequent disorders on the health of people and their descendants. Congenital malformations, obesity, the appearance of certain cancers , developmental and growth disorders in young children are expected, fears Rémy Slama, director of INSERM and environmental epistemologist at the University of Grenoble.
The scientist reveals that paraben and triclosan have a negative impact on the growth of the young child and also the fetus. No less than 520 pregnant women, as well as their children under the age of three, were the subjects of laboratory analyses. The result is a study that can be worrying insofar as everyone feels concerned by this information. On the “control subjects” the scientific team was able to observe that triclosan caused a delay in the growth of the cranial circumference of the fetus. As for paraben, present in 95% of cases, its high rate in the body of the pregnant woman, associated with a birth weight much higher than the average for her child with an inevitable overweight between two and three years. You should know that rapid growth in the first years of life increases the risk of obesity in future adults.
A study conducted within INSERM
A panorama has, for the first time, been woven. The team from the National Research Institute demonstrated the effects of phenols on growth, from the third month of pregnancy until the child is three years old. And the publication is chilling: the hormonal system would be disturbed during pregnancy by benzophenone-3 which is found in sunscreens, the presence of paraben in cosmetics, triclosan in toothpaste and even bisphenol -A, fortunately banned for three years in plastic bottles. Just that!
When the question is asked of the research director of INSERM as to whether paraben and triclosan should be banned in everyday products, he affirms that it is up to the public authorities to take their responsibilities and to define where, when and how the precautionary principle should apply.
For him, the study conducted does not constitute tangible proof of the impact of phenols on growth. He speaks of “suggestion” but not “affirmation” of the dangerousness of these molecules because it is the first study of its kind and it must be confirmed by further research on the subject.
Case to follow, especially when we know that in 2015, bisphenol-A will be removed from food products and that more in-depth studies will be carried out on little girls as well as on little boys who, it seems, have different sensitivities regarding these substances. And in the meantime, that pregnant women abandon or strongly limit the use of all non-essential products containing too high a rate of phenols. Phenol-free cosmetic brands are increasingly appearing on store shelves.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.