The Harmful Effects of Plastic on Our Health and Our Environment




The fact is that plastics have become part of our daily lives. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean they are safe or responsible. A closer understanding of the harmful effects of plastic will empower us to improve their toxic footprint.

  • Most Plastics Leach Hormone-Like Chemicals
  • There are 46,000 pieces of plastic in each square mile of the ocean
  • Between 60 and 90 percent of litter that accumulates on shorelines is made up of plastic polymers.
  • Under marine conditions, some additives present in plastics become toxic to marine life and humans.

Most plastic products, from sippy cups to food wraps, can release chemicals that act like the sex hormone estrogen, according to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study found these chemicals even in products that didn't contain BPA, a compound in certain plastics that's been widely criticized because it mimics estrogen.

Plastics are everywhere we turn and even in hidden sources like lining canned foods, to-go coffee cups, and grocery store receipts. With almost everyone being exposed to some form of plastic on a daily basis, our bodies can become burdened with their toxins.

Unfortunately,plastics are xenoestrogens, meaning they mimic estrogens in the body.An excess of estrogen causes a long term disruption of hormonal balance, which is something we really want to keep in balance. Plastics, even BPA free, leach estrogen mimicking compounds(xenoestrogens) into what they contain. This means when you drink water from a plastic bottle or microwave your food in plastic you are loading your body with xenoestrogens. According to the latest studies “almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled—independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source—leached chemicals having reliably detectable EA (estrogenic activity), including those advertised as BPA free.”

What does all this mean for us?

It means avoid plastic, any and all forms in every way that you can. 

This is especially important for women of childbearing age, infants and teens. However, for everyone else it is also important because estrogen mimickers throw our body into estrogen dominance. This means our progesterone and estrogen ratio is imbalanced. Often there is little to no progesterone and estrogen is high or even normal. This will affect anyone and everyone, even males, even post-menopausal women, even unborn babies. 

When estrogen dominance occurs, our body is not happy! Living with a temporary fluctuation of hormones is tolerable, but when this occurs for a long period of time there will ALWAYS be symptoms. Our bodies simply cannot put up with a constant imbalance.

CleanSeas, which was launched in February of 2017, aims to target the causes of marine litter by limiting the production and consumption of non-recoverable and single-use plastic such as bottles, bags, and straws. The initiative encourages government, corporate, and community involvement to achieve this goal.

PURE INTEGRATIVE PHARMACY will phase out single use plastic bags from all of its locations and online shopping by the end of 2018. We will move from plastic bags to recycled paper or reusable bags. This move will prevent hundreds of thousands of plastic bags from entering the environment.

Here are some of the ways you can join PURE INTEGRATIVE PHARMACY and be a protector of our beautiful planet:

  • Remember to use your re-usable bags
  • Purchase re-usable or paper straws and carry them with you
  • Avoid products with microbeads
  • Invest in glass or stainless-steel containers with lids for leftovers
  • Choose products with no or less plastic packaging
  • Bring your own take-out containers or ask for paper ones
  • Use wax paper, cloth, or re-usable silicon bags for food and snack storage
  • Use biodegradable bags for cleaning up after your pet
  • Use refillable water bottles
  • Use cloth diapers or biodegradable ones (there are a few out there)

Love your planet,

Bob Mehr