Reduce exposure to toxins

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, says, “Harmful chemicals can get into your body if you breathe, eat or drink them or if they are absorbed through your skin.” But, they add, we each respond individually depending on how much of the chemical we’re exposed to, how long contact lasts, how often we’re exposed, how the toxin enters our body and what kind of chemical it is.

We suggest being cautious (not paranoid) about controlling your exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals that upset the balance of microbes in your gut biome and cause metabolic, immune and neurological dysfunction.

So let’s look at three steps you can take to reduce those risks.

1. Stop microwaving plastic containers — of any kind. BPA and BPS, a substitute for BPA, are found in food containers, and phthalates are used to make plastics more pliable. They’re all hormone disruptors and are deposited into your food when you zap plastics.

Bonus: BPA is also found in register receipts and the lining of canned foods and drinks, and phthalates are in creams, makeups and shampoos, medical devices and even some timereleased medications.

2. Eliminate hormone-disrupting pesticides from your yard. Endocrine disruptors are found in two commonly used lawn pesticides: 2, 4-D and glyphosate. According to the Environmental Working Group, the side effects include disruption of brain development and problems with behavior.

For advice, check out the Beyond Pesticides Pest and Weed Database at www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/managesafe/choose-a-pest.

3. Drink filtered tap water, not bottled water. Unfortunately, one study found that virtually all bottled water is contaminated with bits of microplastic. One popular brand had 10,000 particles per liter.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.