Dear Dr. Feigenbaum and Dr. Baraki,
What are your tips for avoiding xenoestrogens in your respective lives? Are they a matter of serious concern?
I’ve heard that xenoestrogens have a negative impact on testosterone levels in men, and they are ubiquitous in products we use daily — plastics, shampoos, gasoline, beef, toothpaste, etc.
I’ve also heard that eating organic food and using natural grooming products can diminish our exposure to xenoestrogens, as pesticides in food and parabens in grooming products are both types of xenoestrogens.
Should I be worried about these estrogen imitating chemicals?
Sincerely,
Eddie Mun
P.S. Below is the source from which I extracted the information. For the sake of privacy of the original owner and to avoid any internet disputes, I chose not to divulge the source.
In general, I wouldn’t recommend spending another minute of your life worrying about your testosterone or estrogen levels or anything in the environment that may be contributing to them.
Each minute you spend thinking about these things, your squat gets weaker.
5 Likes
Hahahahaha I actually got a good laugh over this reply xD.
But the original source came from the following link: https://www.artofmanliness.com/artic…one-naturally/
I may have been feeling a little ashamed to cite something that wasn’t necessarily peer-reviewed 
[Avoid Xenoestrogens and Other T-Lowering Chemicals
Many endocrinologists are sounding the alarm about the damaging effects that come with exposure to common household chemicals. Called “endocrine disruptors,” these chemicals interfere with our body’s hormone system and cause problems like weight gain and learning disabilities. One type of endocrine disruptor is particularly bad news for our testosterone levels.
Xenoestrogen is a chemical that imitates estrogen in the human body. When men are exposed to too much of this estrogen-imitating chemical, T levels drop significantly. The problem is xenoestrogen is freaking everywhere — plastics, shampoos, gasoline, cows, toothpaste. You name it and chances are there are xenoestrogen in it. The ubiquitous nature of this chemical in our modern world is one reason some endocrinologists believe that testosterone levels are lower in men today than in decades past. It’s also a reason doctors say the number of boys born with hypospadias — a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis and not at the tip — has doubled. Note to expecting parents: make sure mom stays away from xenoestrogens during the pregnancy.
Despite the stacked deck, I did my best to avoid products that contained xenoestrogens during my 90-day experiment. Here’s what I did:
-
Stored food in glassware and never, ever, ever heated food in plastic containers. Most modern plastics contain phthalates. Phthalates are what give plastic their flexibility, durability, and longevity. But they also screw with hormones by imitating estrogen. Because I didn’t want any of those T-draining molecules in my food, I kept all my food in glassware. I also made sure to never heat food in plastic containers, as heat increases the transfer of phthalates into food.
-
Avoided exposure to pesticides and gasoline. Sure the smell of gas is manly, but it contains xenoestrogen. Same goes for pesticides. Limit your exposure to these products. If you do come in contact with them, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
-
Eat organic when possible. Pesticides and hormones that are used in our food can imitate estrogens in our body. When possible, eat organic. If budget doesn’t allow, at least make sure to wash your fruits and veggies before eating and find meat and milk that comes from cows that haven’t been treated with hormones.
-
Use natural grooming products. Most grooming products these days contain parabens, another type of xenoestrogen. And by most, I mean more than 75% of all products. To reduce my exposure as much as possible, I became a hippy during my experiment and started using all natural, paraben-free grooming products. You can find most of these items at most health food stores:
-
Jason Shampoo
-
Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap
-
Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste
-
Crystal Rock Deodorant (This deodorant smells good and works pretty well. But by the end of the day you’re going to be kind of stinky. And if you work out the following morning, you’re going to be really stinky. I eventually made the switch back to regular deodorant/antiperspirant post-experiment. Everybody makes trade-offs.)
- Avoid BPA. Studies suggest that BPA, a chemical that lines food cans and thermal printer paper, may reduce testosterone. I reduced my exposure to BPA as much as I could.]
Yea, I wouldn’t use AoM as a scientific source. Brent is a good dude, but please for the love of God stop worrying about your testosterone levels.
Also, hypospadias is not due to environmental estrogenic compounds. Jesus.
2 Likes
Thanks again for the clarification, doc!!