Environmental Estrogens
Environmental Estrogens are the same as xenoestrogens or chemical estrogens. Environmental Estrogens make your migraine headaches worse. These chemicals do NOT raise or lower your own estradiol. Instead these Environmental Estrogens are chemicals that masquerade as estrogen. Environmental Estrogens mimic your own estrogen. They do not chemically look like estrogen. So Environmental Estrogens do not show up on a saliva hormone test or blood hormone test. However, these chemicals fool your body into thinking that they are estrogen. Your body reacts to the chemicals as if they were estrogen. However, they are not estrogen in the strict chemical sense.
These chemicals were made for some other purpose but just by coincidence they happened to fool your body into thinking that they are estrogen. Preservatives like parabens and phenoxyethanol mimic estrogen. Nonoxynol -9 a common spermicide used on condoms metabolized by bacteria on the skin becomes a chemical that acts like estrogen. Herbicides like atrazine are implicated in feminizing frogs. Active components of sunscreen were tested and found to mimic estrogen. Even food plastic wrap heated in the microwave releases 500,00 times the minimum amount of xenoestrogens needed to stimulate breast cancer cells in the test tube. Laundry detergent when put into a tank with baby trout makes all the trout grow up and look like females. Xenoestrogens are ubiquitous.
Nevertheless, I believe that simple changes in what you put on the skin is the solution for breast tumor prevention, breast cysts, fibroids, premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and migraine headaches that vary with the cycle.
It is important to recognize that anything put on the skin is 10 times in potency compared to what is taken orally. This is because anything put on the skin goes directly into the body. However, anything taken orally is 90% inactivated by the liver.
So the thing to concentrate on is to get rid of garbage on the skin. This can be very expensive garbage. These xenoestrogens can be found in designer cosmetics and even expensive boutique shampoos and toiletries from the health food store. Most of the ingredients in these cosmetics are ok. However, there just happens to be one of these ingredients that happens to be estrogen mimicking. Cosmetics can cause headaches through their estrogen mimicking effects.
Let us talk about some scientific articles on environmental estrogens.
DDT
This was a classic experiment done in the 1950's. Two Syracuse University researchers injected DDT into young roosters for 2-3 months. The daily DDT doses made the roosters look like females. The combs and wattles were stunted. The bird's testicles were 18% of normal size.
Fry a University of California at Davis injected California gull eggs with DDT and DDE (a metabolite of DDT). There was feminization of the male's reproductive tracts. The chicks looked normal, but internally were scrambled.
DDT was banned for use in the United States, but DDT is still made in the United States for use in a third world country. The fruits and vegetables produced with DDT is imported into the United States for consumption.
I have had debilitating cramps for the last 5 years. Now, ... I am cramp free!
I have had debilitating cramps for the last 5 years. Before that, I didn't really have a problem. By "debilitating," I mean, I am usually in bed for about 8 hours and pain killers (even prescription strength) don't work (except to knock me out) even if I take triple the dosage.
I ordered progestelle 2 months ago, and my last period was 60% better. I was barely in bed at all, and the pain killers seemed to work. I wanted to wait and see one more period before I sent in my testimonial. But, to tell you the truth, the mere fact that I had an improvement at all was a miracle. So, I am in the middle of my second period (since taking progestelle) and I did not have to lay down at all. I didn't miss any classes. I have had virtually no pain, and the mild pain I did feel, I could really tell was coming from my intestines, rather than my uterus.
I don't know if this makes my story unique, but, I am a yoga teacher, I used to work for an acupuncturist, and have all always been extremely health conscious. My list of attempts over the past 5 years to affect my menstrual cramps are: acupuncture, exercise, arvigo uterine massage, chiropractic, therapy, supplementation, herbs, and diet. Nothing, and I mean nothing made a noticeable difference. Everyone would always say "have you tried _____?" And, I would go out and try it, but to no avail.
I adjusted my diet many times (Raw food, Gluten Free, Type O, Food Combining, juice fasting) to try and help my cramps, but nothing made a difference. I mean a good diet of course helps me feel better in general but no dietary change (and I was religious about following my plans) would actually affect my pain.
I have always used natural products without sulfates/parabens...but, I was a little more lax about detergent and I also discovered my shower soap (bronner's), and face soap had lavender and tea tree oil in them. So, I switched to natural bar soap and different laundry soap, as your materials suggested. I also finally broke down and spent the money on some paraben free eyeshadow/mascara.
This simple change, plus the use of progestelle (about 1-2 droppers, Days 8-28 or so), has been the biggest miracle--I mean, I think I am still a little in shock, waiting for the pain. But, like I said, 2 periods down, and...all I have to say is, take it from someone who has been around the alternative block...this will change your period! I can't tell you how much I spent both with my time and money to try and affect my period, amazing that $20 later, I am cramp free! And, I swear, I never, ever thought that I would be able to say that, after 5 years of struggle.
I almost wish my whole family could write a testimonial, too, just to attest that my pain was real, and my attempts to change it were numerous!
My deepest gratitude for you work!
Abbie P. (New York, NY)
Feb. 28, 2007
Plastic Tubes and Spermicide
Soto and Sonnenschein at Tufts Medical School in Boston in 1987 were surprised to find that the plastic tubes thought to be inert out gassed chemicals that stimulated breast cancer cells to grow. Initially, the plastic test tubes did not cause the breast cancer cells to grow. But midway through their experiments, the manufacturer changed the formulation of the test tubes adding p-nonylphenol to create a plastic more stable and less breakable. The p-nonylphenol acted like estrogen to make breast cancer cells to proliferate.
Nonoxynol-9 found in spermicide on condoms breaks down to nonylphenol. Breakdown products of detergents, pesticides
and personal care products all give rise to nonylphenol. Global production of alkylphenols polyethoxylate was 600 million pounds in 1990.
Although the products themselves are not estrogenic,
studies have found that the bacteria on the animal's bodies, in the environment, and in sewage treatment plants degrade
alkylphenol polyethoxylates into nonylphenols creating xenoestrogens. This means that spermicide on condoms can be
absorbed into body. The spermicide mimics estrogen. The spermicide makes a migraine worse. It would be better to
use a condom without spermicide.
Polycarbonate Bottles
Stanford University School of Medicine, Dave Feldman, professor of medicine in 1993 found that water used to wash lab ware was contaminated with bisphenol-A. The bisphenol-A was out gassing from the polycabonate bottles used as a source of water. These are the same bottles used to ship water for drinking. The manufacturer was aware that the bottles were leaking bisphenol-A especially if the bottles were exposed to high temperatures or caustic cleaners. The manufacturer thought that they had developed a washing regime to solve the problem.
However, Professor Feldman found that the manufacturer could not detect levels of bisphenol-A that were causing the breast cancer cells to proliferate. Feldman found that levels as low as 2-5 parts per billion of bisphenol-A were enough to cause the breast cancer cells to multiply. This level was lower than the manufacturer could measure.
Feldman noted that although bisphenol-A was 2000 times less potent than estradiol - it still has activity in the parts per billion range.
A Dartmouth University study found that plastic wrap heated in a microwave oven had 500,000 times the minimum amount of xenoestrogens needed to get breast cancer cells to grow. Yes, it seems that heating food in plastic in a microwave oven can easily make migraines worse. The heated plastic releases xenoestrogens into the food. So I recommend that my patients with headaches heat their food on ceramic dishes and cover it with ceramic dishes in the microwave oven.
Detergent Breakdown Products & Drug Metabolites
40% of the male bass in the Potomac River near Washington DC are producing eggs. In 2004, Colorado biologist John Woodling led a team of researchers to look at fish from the South Platte River.
Above the sewage outfall, the ratio of male to female white sucker fish was 1 to 1. However, below the sewage outfall, the ratio of males to females was 9 to 1 with 10% hermaphrodites (1/2 male and 1/2 female). Where is the sewage coming from? The sewage is coming from your house! Its is suspected that birth control pills, drug metabolites and laundry detergent is causing the feminization of fish.
Laundry detergent put in aquarium of baby trout causes the male trout to grow up looking like female trout.
Laundry detergent remains in the person's clothes and is absorbed directly into the body bypassing the liver's cleansing process. Changing to a better laundry detergent makes a big difference for my migraine patients. However, many of the laundry detergents, even the ones in the health food store have xenoestrogens in them. Alkyl phenols act like estrogen in the body. Alkyl phenols are present in many laundry detergents. Many health food store laundry detergents have herbs in them that mimic estrogen as well.
If a patient has migraine headaches, surprisingly, changing the laundry detergent makes a major difference in their health. It seems that the clothes still have residual laundry detergent in them. This is in the clothes that the patients wear. The patients are absorbing laundry detergent 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Fabric softeners and dryer sheets also have a multitude of chemicals. When my headache patients stop these softeners and sheets, they also seem to do much better.
Parabens and Phenolxyethanol
Parabens have been in use in the United States and Europe for decades. They are considered to safe in terms of cancer and toxicity. However, recently there has been concern that parabens mimic estrogen. John Sumpter from the Department of iology & Biochemistry, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, has found that alkyl hydroxy benzoate preservatives (namely methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben) are weakly estrogenic. John used a estrogen binding assay and found that butylparaben competed with estradiol for binding to estrogen receptors 1 or 2 orders of magnitude less than nonylphenol.
Taken orally, parabens were inactive. However, subcutaneous injection (injection just under the skin) of butylparaben produced a positive estrogen response from uterine tissue. Although 100,000 time less potent than estradiol, a person uses a lot of it on the skin and this may compensate for the lower potency.The researchers conclude, "Given their use in a wide range of commercially available topical preparations, it is suggested that the safety in use of these chemicals should be reassessed . . ."
The European Union queried the European Cosmetics and Toiletry Industry about these results and their implications for breast cancer. These parabens are even found in progesterone creams.
I usually find that migraine headache sufferers do better when they cut out all parabens in their shampoos and lotions. Sometimes parabens masquerade under a different brand name. The manufacturer may have thought that they took out all parabens. But the ingredients of a brand name preservative may just be made up of 3 different parabens.
In 2010, it became popular to advertise "paraben free" products. However, some manufacturers are using phenoxyethanol in place of parabens. However, phenoxyethanol is worse than parabens in mimicking estrogen. Yes, this means that phenoxyethanol will make migraine headaches worse in women as well.
My migraine headaches are better
Dear Sir,
I have used your product for two months and my symptoms are greatly improved. The cysts were gone after 3 weeks, but returned just before my period with much less force, then gone after 2 days, monthly bloating and mood swings is much improved, cramping is almost gone, periods went from 21 days to 25, and best of all my libido is back as strong as ever. My husband is as thankful as I am. My migraine headaches are better, not as severe, but I am hoping they will soon be gone. They were so bad I had blood in my eyes and face afterwards. The first month after your product the menstrual one sided migraine headache was barely there but lasted 2 days, the 2nd month I forgot and ate oregano and had a hard one but not near as bad as I have in the past, and it was gone the next day.
I just ordered more and I am hoping things will continue to get better.
My 8yr old daughter has been avoiding everything on your list, but so far there is no improvement. I got rid of everything beauty product wise, and I am trying to see that she gets the right foods, but with other people giving her things, when I'm not there, it's hard.
Thank you for your product, and the info.
Laura H.,
Wilson, Oklahoma
Herbicide
Tyrone B. Hayes of the University of California at Berkeley showed that atrazine, the most commonly used weed killer in North America, influenced frogs at doses as small as 0.1 part per billion.
Increasing the dose of atrazine increased the feminization of frogs to 20%. Feminization clues included frogs with both male and female sex organs and small female like larynxes. Hayes found that atrazine caused cells to produce more of the enzyme aromatase. The enzyme aromatase converts testosterone to estradiol. The concentration of atrazine that produced more aromatase in the frogs was 600 times lower than the level needed to produce more aromatase in human cells.
"I'm not saying it's safe for humans. I'm not saying its unsafe for humans. All I'm saying is it that it makes hermaphrodites of frogs," he said.
Stanley I. Dodson of the University of Wisconsin at Madison called the work "the most important paper in environmental toxicology in decades.
"It shows the effect of the most commonly used herbicide on amphibians in environmentally relevant concentrations," he said.
Asked if people should be worried, he also said: "We don't know."
Adult frogs exposed to atrazine had a decrease in testosterone to the same levels found in females.
A recent follow up study found more evidence for frog feminization. Critics of the study include an industry funded chemist that claims atrazine is safe. See the study here.
IV BAGs
The United States Food and Drug Administration warned that long term exposure to fluid in IV bags may affect testicle development in boys. DEHP, the nickname for a chemical, may leach from the plastic bags into the liquid in the IV bag. Animal studies with DEHP showed the chemical can affect testicle development and production of normal sperm. DEHP is in the family of chemicals that are labeled as phthalates. The FDA issued a recommendation that companies label their products as containing phthalates.
Chemicals in Sunscreen
Margaret Schlumpf and her associates at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Switzerland found that many widely-used sunscreen chemicals look like estrogen to the rat. These chemicals created developmental abnormalities in rats. Margaret's research group studied six common chemicals commonly used in sunscreens, lipsticks and cosmetics as UV blockers.
Six chemicals were tested. Five of them elicited a strong estrogen response in lab tests causing breast cancer cells to grow. These five chemicals were benzophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC), octyl-methoxycinnamate and octyl-dimethyl-PABA. There was only one UV blocking chemical that did not elict an estrogen response. The one chemical was butyl-methoxydibenzoylmethane (B-MDM).
The concentrations of the 5 estrogen mimicking chemicals were in the same range used in sunscreens.
Too much estrogen is linked to migraine headaches.
One common sunscreen 4-MBC was mixed with olive oil and applied to the rat's skin. 4-MBC caused a doubling of the rate of uterine growth well before puberty of the rat. "That was scary, because we used concentrations that are in the range allowed in sunscreens," stated Schlumpf. Three of the common chemicals used in sunscreens cause abnormal sexual development.
Zinc Oxide is probably a safer choice for sunscreen. But you must be careful that the sunscreen is entirely zinc oxide, and they are no other chemicals that are used for UV blocking in addition to the sunscreen. These other chemicals that are added to the sunscreen in addition to the zinc oxide typically mimic estrogen.
In my clinical experience, chemical sunscreens if used by patients with migraines is a major contributor to the cyclical headaches. It may take about 1 to 3 months for the chemicals to wash out of the body. So cause and effect may not be immediately apparent.
I'm back to my full of energy self (endometriosis)
Life with endometriosis was not easy! I began to get sick off and on about five years ago after my second pregnancy. My OBGYN didn't really want to listen to my complaints when pain was the only thing that was on my mind. I began to have so much pain in my pelvis I didn't want to go to work. Then I began to have nausea to the point where it was like having the flu three weeks out of the month. Then one night after three days of not being able to eat and feeling so sick I could not get out of bed; I thought to myself, "you can't go to sleep because you won't wake up. When I told my husband my thoughts he said, "we are going to find some help, I don't care what the OBGYN say's, your sick!" So my husband did the searching on the Internet for me. He came upon the Progestelle sight. Immediately he knew this was going to be my "cure". I thought he was nuts when I heard I had to change every product in the house with certain chemicals in them and use the Progestelle oil everyday. I didn't think that could change how ill I felt. But I had to do something, so I tried it for a few months. The first month I only was sick for about two weeks. the next month for about a week, the next about 3 days, until finally the nausea was hardly noticeable if at all. This is how good I should have felt when my OBGYN told me I should not have nausea with endometriosis. Me and my husband are so grateful to have found your sight. It changed both of our lives. I'm back to my full of energy self and the only pain I feel is when I work too hard!
Thank you
Sincerely,
Josh and Melissa S.,
Vernal Utah
Editors note: Before Melissa complained of pain 9 out of 10 with endometriosis(10 being the pain of child birth). 6 months after starting Progestelle and avoiding xenoestrogens, Melissa now claims to have pain 2-3 out of 10. She says now she has “ just a twinge” now and then as opposed to constant pain before.
Bisphenol-A or BPA
Bisphenol-A or BPA is a common building block for plastics and can leach out of polycarbonate plastic bottles. Recently, Canada banned the bottles that leach Bisphenol-A and Wal-Mart volutarily pulled plastic drinking water bottles from their shelves in the US.
The scientific data on Bisphenol-A is overwhelming. For instance, female mice exposed to Bisphenol A develop abnormal eggs.
BPA fits in the estrogen receptor, but simulates the receptor in such a way as to get an abnormal response.
Go to this website to see the newest research implicating BPA with cystic ovaries, breast cancer, prostate canter and insulin resistance. https://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/bisphenola/bpauses.htm
Air Fresheners containing phthalates
Studies using rats and human suggest that high exposure to some pthalates could cause cancer, developmental and sex-hormone abnormalities (that include lower testosterone, lower sperm counts, and malformed sex organs) in babies. Phthalates affect fertility. The US Food and Drug Administration currently has no regulations regarding the use of phthalates. There is no labeling requirement. The FDA does not require the quantities to which people are exposed to be harmful. But in 2004, the European Union banned two types of phthalates in cosmetics and bans these chemicals in children's toys.
Last October 2007, California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma introduced legislation to ban the use of phthalates in California. The law was passed by the California Legislature and will take effect in January 2009. Essentially, the new law prohibits any product made for young children that contains more than one-tenth of one percent of phthalates from being made or sold in California.
I cannot understand how phthalates can be possibly good for women with migraines.
Now mainstream medicine on the USA President's Panel agrees many of the chemicals in use in the United States are not good for you.
Fragrance may have Environmental Estrogens and hormone disrupters as well. Read about it here.
