Do parabens affect fertility?

Question

If parabens aren't bad for you then why do paraben-free products advertise the "paraben free" part?

I suspect they are bad for you is what I am saying.

Answer 1

you betcha-and a whole lot more! they mess up your endocrines, read on!

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their report "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?" reported that the chemical preservatives called parabens—methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates)—displayed estrogenic activity in several tests. This means that these chemicals mimic your body´s own hormones and can have endocrine-disrupting action when they are rubbed into your body or washed down the drain into your drinking water. These disruptors interfere with your body´s endocrine system: your hypothalamus, your ovaries, your thyroid—virtually every system in your body. The EPA also stated that "continual introduction of these benzoates (parabens) into sewage treatment systems and directly to recreational waters from the skin leads to the question of risk to aquatic organisms." Scientists in Europe found other endocrine-disrupting body care chemicals in the bodies of fish that humans are eating, and in human breast milk.

Dr. Elizabeth Smith has written that "It is a known medical fact that estrogen stimulates breast cancer" and that "anything absorbed through the skin may be as high as 10 times the concentration of an oral dose." (Think about how nicotine and birth control/hormone patches work—the chemicals are absorbed through the skin!) She also reported that, in one study, a paraben was injected under the skin and was found to have an "estrogenic response on uterine tissues." Scientists observing these harmful effects on the uterus remarked that "it is suggested that the safety in use of these chemicals should be reassessed."

The cosmetics industry insists that parabens, which are used as preservatives and are approved for use by regulators, are safe.

Dr Philippa Darbre and colleagues at the University of Reading carried out tests on samples of 20 different human breast tumours.

Writing in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, they say they found traces of parabens in every sample.

Parabens have a very, very good safety profile

Chris Flower,
Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association
Their tests suggested the chemicals had seeped into the tissue after being applied to the skin.

"This is the first study to show their accumulation in human tissues," said Dr Darbre.

"It demonstrates that if people are exposed to these chemicals (parabens), then the chemicals will accumulate in their bodies."

'Drive tumours'

Dr Darbre said there may be reason for people to be concerned about the findings.

"Their detection in human breast tumours is of concern since parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of the female hormone oestrogen," she said.

"Oestrogen can drive the growth of human breast tumours. It would therefore seem especially prudent to consider whether parabens should continue to be used in such a wide range of cosmetics applied to the breast area including deodorants."


Five Types of Parabens Detected Intact in Human Breast Tumors
http://www.eves-best.com/the-danger-of-parabens.htm