Phthalate - hard to even begin to pronounce, so what is it?

"The Phthalate Syndrome"

Most of us by now (I hope) have heard of BPA (Bisphenol A) a toxic chemical used in plastics, including, of all things babies bottles, which I'm pleased to announce Canada has actually done something about, banning BPA from babies bottles (Go Canada!). Australia on the other hand, "keeps a close eye on issues related to the migration of chemicals from packaging and into food" (Food standards Australia New Zealand, link - http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/factsheets/factsheets2008/bisphenolabpaandfood3898.cfm)

BPA is an "endocrine disruptor" - something that mimic's the bodies hormones and has been shown to cause reproductive and neurological damage.

Phthalates (Pronounced - THAL-ates) are organic chemicals produced from oil and predominantly used in PVC to make it soft and flexible (think children's toys, the soft, squidgy plastic type). Phthalates look like a clear liquid, much like oil, and have little or no smell and as such are ideal for adding to nail polish to help reduce chipping, perfumes to help the aroma linger longer and are, disturbingly, also used in pharmaceuticals to create an enteric coating on capsules or tablets, and this is just a few examples.

So you may be asking why I'm telling you about Phthalates? Mainly because, like BPA, phthalates are believed to be "gendeer bending" chemicals, chemicals that alter the hormone balance in our children and especially our little boys. See below for a description on phthalates;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICaUTRXn9P4

Also please have a read of the following two articles written about phthalates and the effect these chemicals are having on our boys, basically feminising them;

http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-men/2009/11/17/phthalates-threat-less-boy-more-girl.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/027514_phthalates_feminization.html

The reason I write about these things is to help make people aware of the detrimental affects of the "Industrial age" not only on the environment but on us humans. Knowledge gives us power, power to make choices. Choices that are definitely better for our children. Of the 80,000 chemicals we use today, 85% of them have NEVER been tested on the human body. That's staggering, and as a result we're starting to see the effects of that. The largest effect will be on us as a species, already there's a significant decline in male fertility, in women having male children and an increase in male babies being born with genital defects.

So please, if you have a male in your life (and we all do), watch the doco "The disappearing Male" it's FREE to watch online - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7530701744597358451#

Thanks Rachael