Young Girls Hijacked: The Destructive Domino Effect of Endocrine Disruptors

For decades, significant evidence has existed regarding the connection between endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and early puberty in girls. Also called precocious puberty, this means puberty starts before age eight in girls. Concerns about the effects of EDCs on hormone regulation began to emerge as early as the 1970s, and the direct link between EDCs and early puberty in girls became more straightforward in the 1990s and early 2000s. Yet, here we are in 2024 and little headway has been made to address this critical issue. Despite knowing for nearly half a century the dangerous role EDCs play in impairing our young girls—and over 4,500 taxpayer-funded studies on endocrine disruptors—apparently, we continue to loop back to square one, and here’s an example. An article published on September 13 in the Environmental Working Group (EWG), titled “New study suggests environmental chemicals can trigger early puberty in girls,” sounds like it is warning us for the first time. The first paragraph announces:

“A worrying trend of girls starting puberty earlier is raising questions about whether chemical exposures play a role. Now, a new study suggests a link between certain chemicals in everyday products like fragrances and cleaners and how they can disrupt the hormones in the brain involved in puberty.”

The study, led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Northwestern University, tested over 10,000 environmental compounds on human brain cells to see if they affected the hormones that ignited puberty. However, numerous previous studies have confirmed this, including a 2010 article in Toxic-Free Future titled “Recent Findings on Early Puberty in Girls Highlight Urgent Need for New Chemicals Policy.” Citing a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, the article explained that “girls are developing breasts earlier than ever,” adding that “exposure to chemicals that disrupt hormones, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), some preservatives, and plastic additives may be among contributing factors. You think? As more time passes, the evidence builds that we are poisoning our kids. And make no mistake, it’s not just endocrine disruptors—it’s toxic food and lethal vaccines. A 2012 study in PubMed titled “Puberty in Girls of the 21st Century” announced:

“Several studies have noted contemporary girls are undergoing pubertal maturation at younger ages. During this same time period many Western nations have experienced an obesity epidemic, prompting investigators and public health officials to consider the association of these two events, and if other exposures might impact this relationship. There are several potential mechanisms that could impact the relationship of pubertal timing in girls with greater body mass, including direct effects of obesity on pubertal timing as well underlying exposures that impact body mass as well as timing of pubertal maturation. These underlying conditions include chemical compounds that could impact synthesis or action of sex hormones, called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDs).”

Why are endocrine disruptors dangerous? The reason seems glaringly apparent given the nickname, but besides being highly toxic, they mimic estrogen. Puberty is controlled by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which regulates hormones like estrogen. The hypothalamus releases hormones, including estrogen, in the brain that cause physical changes like menstruation and breast growth. In addition, understanding that EDCs mimic estrogen and interfere with hormones in general, it makes sense to recognize that they also contribute to obesity, which has been discussed as a cause of early puberty in girls.

Going a step further, it is well-known that microplastics are endocrine disruptors. We also know that the ultra-processed foods being peddled to our children in schools, commercials, grocery stores, and the like are laden with microplastics. Early puberty is associated with a higher risk of severe long-term health problems, such as decreased fertility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer. And, as to be expected—despite causing the onset of early puberty—EDCs have also been linked to an increased risk of certain types of gynecological cancers. Remember, EDCs interfere with the body’s hormone balance. They also promote inflammation and cause genetic and epigenetic changes. The cancers linked to EDCs influence the female reproductive organs, including the cervix, ovaries, and uterus.

Indeed, study after study has connected EDCs with early puberty in both girls and boys. A 2017 article in Wellness Resources, titled “Precocious Puberty—A Growing Dilemma for Today’s Children,” reinforced the significant role that endocrine disruptors play in early puberty. The article describes that there are two types of early puberty—central and peripheral precocious puberty. In central precocious puberty, the process simply starts too soon. Something in the brain, genetics, or even hypothyroidism triggers a flood of hormones and the early onset of puberty. In this case, doctors often consider early puberty to be idiopathic—the convenient medical lingo for “we don’t know.” Peripheral precocious puberty is less typical. It occurs because the ovaries, testicles, adrenal glands, or pituitary glands are secreting too much estrogen or testosterone. Outside sources of estrogen and testosterone are causes (think EDCs), but the mainstream medical establishment only considers prescription drugs and ignores environmental concerns.

Read that again—the mainstream medical establishment only considers prescription drugs and ignores environmental concerns. Why? After all, the 2010 article in Toxic-Free Future had solid evidence, as stated by the journal Pediatrics, that exposure to endocrine disruptors causes early puberty in girls (and boys). Without question, unmistakable evidence has existed for decades linking EDCs to the onset of both central and precocious puberty. Moreover, exposure to EDCs (such as BPA, phthalates, DDT, pesticides, etc.) during pregnancy, specifically while the unborn child’s reproductive tract is under development, has been shown to affect the body well into adulthood and is evident in children with precocious puberty. However, the dangerous domino effect continues into adulthood with, as we touched on above, issues like prostate problems, uterine fibroids, PCOS, premature ovarian failure, and various cancers.

In today’s post-COVID world, where the egregious disregard for our children’s health is on full display, the answer to “why” this is allowed is unmistakable. Simply, Big Pharma, aided by our taxpayer-funded Big Government, is in the business of keeping us sick. On that front, fueled by greed, they are certainly succeeding. Meanwhile, despite millions spent on studies, the bombardment continues, leaving pregnant mothers, young boys, and young girls vulnerable to being hijacked by EDCs. Thankfully, many are aware of this and have directly taken over caring for their health and the health of their children. Doing so is critical because, unchecked, these toxins are free to reprogram our children’s genetic and hormone enzymatic pathways in the most harmful ways.