8 Household Products that Can Affect Your Thyroid
Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that’s located at the base of your neck, which plays a very important role in the function of your body’s metabolic processes.
When there are changes in your thyroid gland, it can affect numerous organs in your body, even to the point of reducing your quality of life by triggering the onset of various diseases and disorders.
The accumulation of toxins in the body is one of the main causes for increased problems with the thyroid gland.
Certainly having a healthy diet can directly reduce the impact of toxins in your body, but there are other habits and factors that are often ignored that can also affect the function of your thyroid.
The use of certain household products has been found to influence the onset of thyroid problems, thanks to the heavy load of chemicals and toxins that they contain. Avoiding or reducing your use of these products can reduce your risk of suffering from these issues.
Pesticides
Several studies have determined that people who come into contact with pesticides have an increased risk of thyroid problems.
One study found that women who are married to men who use pesticides in their daily work environment exhibit a greater risk of thyroid problems.
Another study warned that 60% of the pesticides currently used today can cause changes in the thyroid gland.
There’s no doubt that frequent or regular exposure to pesticide products such as herbicides, insecticides, and antifungals is harmful to your thyroid.
Flame retardants
Flame retardants and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) can cause changes in the function of your thyroid.
These types of products are found on the screens of television sets and computers, in addition to the foam that’s used to pad furniture and carpet.
As if that weren’t enough, PBDE exposure is related to behavioral and developmental problems.
Plastic
One of the biggest health-related concerns is a particular chemical that leaches from plastic bottles into food and water, known as antimony.
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) found that the antimony levels found in fruit drinks and juices stored in plastic bottles were high. They claimed that they were 2.5 times higher than what scientists consider to be a safe level for tap water.
Please read: 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Drink Bottled Water
It’s also been found that some phthalates found in plastic bottles can affect thyroid function.
Nonstick surfaces
Manufacturers make nonstick compounds using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Manufacturers use this chemical when making Teflon, food packaging, and other common home products.
This chemical can affect your thyroid. That’s true even if you only come into contact with a moderate amount. Because of that, it’s best to avoid using any products manufacturers have coated with a nonstick surface.
Toothpaste with triclosan may affect your thyroid
Some of the more popular kinds of toothpaste today contain an ingredient known as triclosan, which affects the function of the thyroid. It may also affect testosterone and estrogen levels, as well as the efficacy of certain antibiotics.
Triclosan is a compound that interferes with the hormones that the thyroid produces. It also disrupts the normal development of your reproductive system and your metabolism.
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Antibacterial products
Triclosan acts as an antibiotic. It is supposed to control the bacteria that can proliferate in your feet, teeth, or other parts of your body. But as we mentioned above, it can be harmful to bodily functions like that of the thyroid.
Heavy metals
A lot of chemicals that people commonly use in the home contain quantities of heavy metals. Some examples of these are mercury, lead, and aluminum. The antibodies your body produces to fight them can lead to autoimmune disorders related to this gland. Some examples are Hashimoto’s and Grave’s diseases.
Soy
Soy products contain phytoestrogens among their proteins, which can inhibit the thyroid’s production of peroxidase.
When substances such as phytoestrogens interrupt the function of this gland, the body is unable to process iodine. The body requires this substance to produce thyroid hormones.
Another disadvantage of soy products is that the majority of them are genetically modified (GMO) these days. This may be harmful to human health.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- MedlinePlus. Enfermedades de la tiroides. 2018. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/thyroiddiseases.html. Accessed 12/01, 2018.
- MedlinePlus. Tiroides. 2018. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/druginfo/meds/a682475-es.html. Accessed 12/01, 2018.
- Wikipedia. Ftalato. 2018. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ftalato. Accessed 12/01, 2018.
- Wikipedia. Glándula tiroidea. 2018. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gl%C3%A1ndula_tiroides. Accessed 12/01, 2018.
- Wikipedia. Triclosán. 2018. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclos%C3%A1n. Accessed 12/01, 2018.