During the past two years, parabens have received vast attention. This is principally due to a paper published by
Darbre et. al. describing measurement of parabens in breast cancer tissue. Of course this set off sirens and lights in the popular media, which immediately jumped to the conclusion that parabens
cause breast cancer. Based on many other studies we know parabens are compounds to avoid, but this study's design and the data it generated did not support such a conclusion. Since causal relationships are generally impossible to prove in science since all results have some uncertainty, KLRC will present the data so you can understand the reasons parabens shouldn't be a daily part of your personal care routine.
Estrogens have been demonstrated to drive breast cancer tumor growth. Literally hundreds of toxicology papers have demonstrated this effect, and the scienfic and medical community accepts this as fact.
Parabens mimic estrogen. More than a dozen papers have described this effect in cells or animals. These compounds bind to estrogen receptors and elicit cellular signalling as does estrogen, except parabens are metabolized differently and can reside in tissue for extended periods. The longer the ester hydrocarbon chain, the more estrogenic it is: isobutyl > isopropyl; butyl > propyl > ethyl > methyl. Read the ingredients - parabens are generally the last on the ingredient list, the side chain is described first such as "butyl"paraben.
Parabens are approved for use in skin and cosmetic formulas up to 0.8%. This means that in your typical mass produced 16 ounce bottle of lotion, there may be 3.8 grams of this compound. Obviously you aren't exposed to all of it at once, so in order to compare apples to apples, we have to look at relative concentrations. Depending upon the concentration, exposure to parabens in a lotion may range from 500x (0.02%) to 20,000x (0.8%) the concentration that this study determined to produce tumor growth in cell-based experiments .
90% of breast cancers are environmental in origin. Although our genetics can make us more susceptible, choices we make do influence the chances of getting the disease. It is therefore crucial to minimize risk which demands understanding suspicious factors and limiting our exposure to them. Choosing to avoid breathing smoke reduces cancer risk. Using sunscreen regularly reduces cancer risk. Limiting xenoestrogen exposure through skin formulas is yet another easy way to reduce your cancer risk.
The key to being a well-informed consumer is to understand what ingredients are in products you use every day, and what effects they can have in your body.
You must ask yourself, "it is worth the added risk?", particularly when quality alternatives, such as Kabana, are available?
KLRC wishes you Happy Holidays! Read those ingredients, particularly on all the products you buy your loved ones this holiday season.
