You’re on the Right Track?

You’re active. You go to the gym 4 days a week and play basketball every Saturday. You have a fairly clean diet and only drink on the weekends. You get your teeth cleaned twice a year. You visit your doctor once a year for a check-up. You consider yourself health conscious. You’re doing everything right. Right?

Not so fast.

There tends to be a large focus on the foods we put in our bodies and methods of physical activity appropriate for cardiac health and overall health and wellness.

What’s often overlooked and is just as important as what we put in our bodies, in the form of food, is what we put on our bodies. Namely our skin, hair, and teeth. Paying close attention to the grooming and cosmetic products that you use is very important to your overall well being.

You’re Smearing Cancer all over your Skin

Our skin is the largest organ that we have. It performs a variety of functions inclusive of keeping all of your gooey guts contained in their proper place.

One fun fact that I’d like to mention about our skin is that it is permeable. It has a low permeability, but it is permeable nonetheless. This means that stuff can seep in. A good example of this are the nicotine patches which help smokers kick their habit by providing them with a slow, steady, and diminishing dose of nicotine. You also have birth control patches, Icy Hot, deodorant, etc.

So, now that we now acknowledge the skin and it’s ability to let substances into our bodies. We must take a closer look at face/body lotion and their ingredients. The main ingredient that this article is the focus of, is controversial as it is considered to be carcinogenic by only part of the medical community. What we’re talking about are…

Parabens

Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in personal care products; they stop fungus, bacteria and other microbes from growing in your favourite creams and makeup, especially in the moist, warm environment of a bathroom.

Here’s a list of the different types of paraben and what you can commonly find them in:

Butylparaben: eye shadow, foundation, sunscreen, facial moisturizer
Ethylparaben: antifungal preservative, food additive
Heptylparaben: preservative, food additive
Methylparaben: used mainly as a fungicide on things which attract fruit flies
Propylparaben: water-based cosmetics, creams, lotions, shampoos, food additive

Why is a Paraben Considered Carcinogenic?

Well, now that you know how we commonly can get parabens into our bodies. We must address how they are argued to be carcinogenic.

When a woman/man feels a lump in her/his breast, it’s considered one of the most common indications of breast cancer.  After noticing said lump, the lump turns out to be cancerous and the next step is the surgical removal of it.

There have been numerous cases where the removed breast tissue was examined to reveal a high concentration of parabens.  Putting two and two together, one might conclude that the intake of parabens in any form is detrimental to one’s health and could be the cause of some cancers.

I don’t have a MD, but she does…

But if you want to hear more about this Paraben stuff from someone with the proper credentials.  Take a look at the video below (2.5 minute length).

This video snippet is from a much longer consultation that I had with WellnessFX doctor, Myiesha Taylor.  The WellnessFX service,  is identical to what you would imagine a virtual doctor to be.  I ordered a comprehensive wellness test, I went to my local lab to get my blood drawn, and a short time later I discussed the results with a WellnessFX affiliated doctor via phone. I think I’m done with traditional check-ups.

High Estrogen Level. WTF?

Without such a comprehensive test, I may have never learned about parabens and that my estradiol level was a tad high and more importantly, why it was high.

Estradiol is the most important form of estrogen found in the body¹. So since that showed high, it meant my estrogen level was high. And despite my estrogen level only being just a tad bit high, I solely attribute the results to the fact that I was able to look in my medicine cabinet, read some labels, and find some form of paraben in about 80% of my products.Such products that I (formerly) used were:

• Proactiv Skin Care
• Noxzema Face Wash
• Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion
• Head & Shoulders Shampoo

The above list reflects products that I used to use all on a near daily basis.

I can’t lie. Getting a test back stating that your estrogen is high, as a man…is a bit disturbing.  I mean seriously, I don’t want to start growing tities.

Well, What Now?

Now that you’ve been hipped to the game. I highly suggest that you check out all of the products that you keep in your bathroom. Read the labels and remember you’re looking for any of the following; butylparaben, ethylparaben, heptylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben.

If you have any products that contain parabens, you can continue to use it until you run out. I just suggest that you restock with something better for you. Begin reading labels next time you’re shopping in the toiletry isle. I’m certain you’ll begin to notice certain products boasting that they’re “Paraben Free”.

And if you don’t want to do all of that reading when shopping, you can take the easy route and just buy what products that your local Whole Foods Market has to offer. Whole Foods continues to amaze me as a brand. They only offer the best products for your body, whether it’s food or body care products.

Whole Foods has put together a comprehensive list of ingredients that they consider to be unacceptable. Thus, you’ll never find a product on their shelves that contain any of them.

And get yourself tested. As in, I suggest that you get a comprehensive blood test from WellnessFX. It’s highly convenient, and in my opinion this far exceeds the information that you are able to gather from a typical in-person visit to your regular doctor.

When’s the last time your doctor told you that your estradiol level was low, normal, or high? Chances are…never. Especially men.

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Footnotes. …or better yet Footloose