Endocrine disruptors: the invisible threat

Living to 120? The idea is in the air. Unfortunately, the air is becoming increasingly polluted. Among the main obstacles to humanity's oldest dream is a new scourge: endocrine disruptors.
50 years ago, mortality was mainly due to infectious diseases. Today, chronic diseases are responsible for two out of every three deaths. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory illnesses, obesity, diabetes, neurological diseases and reproductive disorders are literally exploding. Why such an explosion? For Charles Sultan, the answer is clear: this increase is directly linked to environmental degradation. The main culprits are endocrine disruptors, substances that upset our hormonal balance and have a major impact on our health.
Pesticides, drugs, food, plastics, cosmetics, water - these chemical compounds are almost everywhere. And Charles Sultan knows all about endocrine disruptors: as early as 2002, the professor of pediatric endocrinology at Montpellier University Hospital was one of the first to denounce the impact of pollution on the development of puberty. "Today, the World Health Organization estimates that 5 million people die every year as a result of endocrine disruptors".stresses the specialist.

In utero exposure

These substances act everywhere, on the nervous system, the glandular system, the liver, fats, immunity and the development of cancer," explains Charles Sultan. Many chronic diseases that affect quality of life and lifespan are the result of contamination by endocrine disruptors". Contamination that starts early, very early. Even before birth. The endocrine disruptors to which pregnant women are exposed have a direct impact on the fetus. "Any aggression during foetal life has repercussions for the newborn, child, adolescent, adult and the elderly. In fact,the majority of chronic diseases originate during foetal life", explains Charles Sultan.
Another major concern is that these endocrine disruptors not only affect the children of women exposed during pregnancy, but can also affect their grandchildren. "We're talking about a transgenerational effect", stresses the endocrinologist. In particular, he has studied the case of Distilbene, a drug prescribed to women before 1976 to limit the risk of miscarriage.We knew that the daughters of women who had taken Distilbene were at greater risk of genital malformations and cancers," explains Charles Sultan, "but we realized that their grandchildren also had a higher risk of suffering from these same disorders!

Toxic legacy

A legacy of endocrine disruptors for future generations? "In animals, modifications that affect certain genes last up to the seventh generation," explains Charles Sultan. What about in humans? For the specialist, we shouldn't wait until the birth of future generations to verify the impact of these substances.We need to reduce by 100% the use of pesticides and chemical pollutants that act as endocrine disruptors," advocates Charles Sultan. We're on the verge of a health scandal that calls for political decisions and public awareness".

Protecting future babies

While endocrine disruptors are everywhere, there are a number of protective measures to be taken during pregnancy to limit exposure of the fetus and the risk of illness in later life. Charles Sultan's advice:

• Eat only organic food to reduce pesticide residue consumption
• Ban plastics from the microwave to avoid bisphenol A and phthalates
• Do not paint
• Air rooms frequently
• Live away from vineyards and fruit-growing areas to avoid pesticides
• Avoid tap water in favor of bottled water, which should be drunk during the day.
• Avoid coloured underwear, as the dyes used may contain toxic products that migrate through the skin.
• Ban cosmetics and make-up
• Use only household products bearing the organic label
• Limit exposure from daily activities, in particular by systematically showering after swimming to eliminate chlorine residues.

Breathe in, breathe out
48,000 people die every year as a result of air pollution, which is thus responsible for 9% of mortality in France, according to a survey published in June 2016 by Santé publique France. Fine particles that penetrate deep into the respiratory system cause numerous illnesses. Researchers estimate that pollution can lead to a significant reduction in life expectancy, of up to 2 years in the most polluted cities.