Some chemical exposures are harmful enough to affect your hormones. At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, we frequently discuss the role of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the body. This is a group of chemicals that may contribute to the formation of obesity, infertility, and more. 

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are substances that can interfere with your body’s hormone system. They may act like hormones, disrupt normal hormone levels, or block hormones from doing their job, which can affect many aspects of health over time.

Unfortunately, these chemicals are scattered in our soils, air, and water – which means we can be in frequent contact with them. This fact sheet from our clinic explains how we’re exposed to endocrine disruptors, what they do to the body, and how they affect our wildlife.  

How Are We Exposed to Endocrine Disruptors?

EDCs are used for constructing everyday consumer products. Some chemicals have various reasons for their uses, such as to prevent degradation, control the production of weeds, lessen flammability, or maintain a shape (i.e. plastic toys). 

You might assume that its only excessive exposures are troublesome. However, scientists suspect that, “Even low doses of endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be unsafe. The body’s normal endocrine functioning involves very small changes in hormone levels, yet we know even these small changes can cause significant developmental and biological effects,” reports the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Endocrine disruptors can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or ingested. They’re commonly found in: 

• • Food containers 
  • Plastics (i.e. bags, zip-top baggies, toys, etc.)
  • Carpets
  • Pesticides
  • Cosmetics, shampoos, moisturizers, fragrances, etc.
  • Household cleaners and laundry detergents
  • Electronics
  • Processed foods
  • Furniture

Though we can’t fully avoid them, we can reduce our contact with them. In the next section, we provide a detailed understanding of EDCs for our health. (These facts may even inspire you to adopt new lifestyle modifications!)

Consequences of EDC Exposures on Human Health

In the human body, endocrine-disrupting chemicals can potentially cause: 

• • Infertility: Low sperm counts in North America are thought to be possibly linked to EDCs. Studies have also implied that embryo implantations in women may be reduced due to these chemical contacts.  
  • Neurodegenerative issues: Scientists have connected pesticide usage with the formation of neurological conditions. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, these chemical exposures can worsen oxidative damage, which can push for the disease to progress further. 
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders:Endocrine disruptors in a pregnant woman can affect the developing fetus by interfering with normal hormonal growth and development, potentially increasing the risk of chronic illness later in life, including reduced fertility, thyroid dysfunction, ADHD, learning disabilities, and more.
  • Obesity and metabolic issues: Endocrine disruptors can interfere with metabolic hormones and contribute to weight gain and obesity over time. According to a Current Obesity Reports article, “…some EDCs can also interfere with regulatory processes in metabolism and in the control of adipocyte function, resulting in imbalances in the regulation of body weight…”
  • Hormone-related cancers: Two-thirds of cancers potentially arise from frequent contacts with toxic environmental factors, such as EDCs. Endocrine disruptors have been found to potentially cause hormone-related cancers in humans, such as uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.  
  • Precocious puberty: Some personal care products use EDCs to make scents. Modern trends show that young girls are starting puberty early, and scientists posit this may be caused by fragrances in lotions, shampoos, etc. Further research is needed to confirm this link.  

As we briefly mentioned, lifestyle modifications can lessen your exposures to endocrine disruptors. You can try using glass or stainless-steel dishes instead of plastic plates for food. Also, wash your hands after touching thermal papers. Commonly used for printing receipts, thermal papers are known to carry these chemicals. Overall, making simple changes may not only affect your wellness – they may also improve the health of our planet.  

How These Chemicals Damage Wildlife

Scientists are aware that nature is affected by endocrine disruptors. A copious number of species have already been negatively impacted by these chemicals – but scientists say there are likely even more animals that have been affected! There are several ways wildlife can be exposed to endocrine disruptors:

• • Through water, which can contaminate aquatic creatures. In fact, “… the effects on species can be profound, from chemical castration of male frogs to intersex fish that can’t reproduce,” explains the Center for Biological Diversity. 
  • Leaky landfills, septic systems, and the agricultural runoff of pesticides and farm waste. 
  • Sewage sludge, which some farmers use as fertilizers.  
  • From air pollution, especially from factories that have the purpose of constructing chemicals.  As a result, our local use of chemicals can travel through the air, possibly reaching as far as the Arctic!

Endocrine disruptors lessen fertility rates in wild animals and, shockingly, EDCs are harmful to the food chain! Over time, these chemicals can accumulate in animal bodies; if an animal with EDCs is eaten by a more ‘powerful’ creature in the food chain, EDCs are then transferred into the predator’s body.

Truly, both humankind and nature are suffering from these endocrine disruptors. If you want to start taking measures to live eco-friendly and support your healing potential, you can book an appointment at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre. 

Suggested reading: The Pros of Supporting Healthy Longevity with Functional Medicine in Toronto

Why Visit Us for Functional Medicine Treatment Plans

Our integrative functional medicine therapies aim to tackle the root cause of your health concerns. Treating or managing this cause may support disease prevention, helping to enrich your long-term health. Here are some reasons to opt into our personalized integrative medicine services: 

• • We can tailor several detoxification therapies for your biology, such as adapting doses of vitamin C, selenium, or glutathione for IV therapy. Chelation therapy is also available for safely removing heavy metals from the body. 
  • We combine and personalize functional medicine treatments. Your treatment plan may contain an integration of conventional medicine with herbal supplementation, various natural therapies (i.e. naturopathic medicine), psychotherapy, IV drip therapies, and more. 
  • Our IV Lounge is available for our patients. We administer freshly blended IV nutrient infusions, which are safely supervised by our health team of naturopathic doctors, nurse practitioners and registered nurses. All doses are modified with the functional medicine model. When intravenous treatments are added to a routine of healthy living and additional therapies, they may support optimal wellness.  

What’s more, our clinical care is patient centered. This means you can collaborate with our health practitioners while your strategies are being customized. We also provide plenty of health education to patients, which can inspire them to make suitable health care decisions and stick to their treatments. 

Are you worried about your long-term wellness? We offer a wide range of strategies to help with health promotion. Don’t be shy – contact our clinic to request your Toronto area functional medicine consultation. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

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Darbre PD. Endocrine Disruptors and Obesity. Curr Obes Rep. 2017 Mar;6(1):18-27. doi: 10.1007/s13679-017-0240-4. PMID: 28205155; PMCID: PMC5359373.

Di Pietro G, Forcucci F, Chiarelli F. Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals and Children’s Health. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 31;24(3):2671. doi: 10.3390/ijms24032671. PMID: 36768991; PMCID: PMC9916521.

“Endocrine Disruptors” from the Center for Biological Diversity, viewed on May 3, 2025. 

“Endocrine Disruptors” from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), viewed on May 3, 2025. 

Godfray HCJ, Stephens AEA, Jepson PD, Jobling S, Johnson AC, Matthiessen P, Sumpter JP, Tyler CR, McLean AR. 2019 A restatement of the natural science evidence base on the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on wildlife. Proc. R. Soc. B 286: 20182416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.2416

Gugliandolo, E., Siracusa, R., Cordaro, M., Genovese, T., Peritore, A. F., Crupi, R., Interdonato, L., Paola, D. D., Cuzzocrea, S., Fusco, R., Impellizzeri, D., & Paola, R. D. (2022). Toxic Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors Worsens Parkinson’s Disease Progression through NRF2/HO-1 Alteration. Biomedicines, 10(5), 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10051073

Hilz, E. N., & Gore, A. C. (2023). Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Science and Policy. Policy Insights From the Behavioral and Brain Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322231196794

“Impact of EDCs on Neurological and Behavioral Systems” from the Endocrine Society, viewed on May 4, 2025. 

Lyons G. Viewpoint: Policy requirements for protecting wildlife from endocrine disruptors. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Apr;114 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):142-6. doi: 10.1289/ehp.8070. PMID: 16818260; PMCID: PMC1874188.

The Lancet Child Adolescent Health. EDCs: a threat to child health. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2024 Nov;8(11):773. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00263-3. PMID: 39419565.

Vessa B, Perlman B, McGovern PG, Morelli SS. Endocrine disruptors and female fertility: a review of pesticide and plasticizer effects. F S Rep. 2022 Apr 15;3(2):86-90. doi: 10.1016/j.xfre.2022.04.003. PMID: 35789730; PMCID: PMC9250118.

“Wildlife and the Environment: Endocrine Disruptors” from CHEMTrust, viewed on May 3, 2025. 

Yang S, Zhang L, Khan K, Travers J, Huang R, Jovanovic VM, Veeramachaneni R, Sakamuru S, Tristan CA, Davis EE, Klumpp-Thomas C, Witt KL, Simeonov A, Shaw ND, Xia M. 2024. Identification of environmental compounds that may trigger early female puberty by activating human GnRHR and KISS1R. Endocrinology 165(10):bqae103.