Xenoestrogensย are a type ofย xenohormoneย that imitatesย estrogen. They can be either synthetic or naturalย chemical compounds. Synthetic xenoestrogens include some widely used industrial compounds, such asย PCBs,ย BPA, andย phthalates, which have estrogenic effects on a living organism even though they differ chemically from the estrogenic substances produced internally by theย endocrine systemย of any organism. Natural xenoestrogens includeย phytoestrogenswhich are plant-derived xenoestrogens. Because the primary route of exposure to these compounds is by consumption of phytoestrogenic plants, they are sometimes called โdietary estrogensโ.ย Mycoestrogens, estrogenic substances fromย fungi, are another type of xenoestrogen that are also consideredย mycotoxins.
Xenoestrogens are clinically significant because they can mimic the effects of endogenous estrogen and thus have been implicated inย precocious pubertyย and other disorders of the reproductive system.[1][2]
Xenoestrogens include pharmacological estrogens (in which estrogenic action is an intended effect, as in the drugย ethinylestradiolย used inย contraceptive pills), but other chemicals may also have estrogenic effects. Xenoestrogens have been introduced into the environment by industrial, agricultural and chemical companies and consumers only in the last 70 years or so, but archiestrogens exist naturally. Some plants (like the cereals and the legumes) are using estrogenic substances possibly as part of their natural defence againstย herbivoreย animals by controlling their fertility.[3][4]
The potential ecological and human health impact of xenoestrogens is of growing concern.[5]ย The word xenoestrogen is derived from the Greek words ฮพฮญฮฝฮฟ (xeno, meaning foreign), ฮฟแผถฯฯฯฮฟฯ (estrus, meaning sexual desire) and ฮณฯฮฝฮฟ (gene, meaning โto generateโ) and literally means โforeignย estrogenโ. Xenoestrogens are also called โenvironmental hormonesโ or โEDCโ (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds). Most scientists that study xenoestrogens, includingย The Endocrine Society, regard them as serious environmental hazards that haveย hormone disruptive effectsย on both wildlife and humans.[6][7][8][9][10]
Mandatory FDA Disclaimer: Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Mandatory FDA Disclaimer: Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
