Endometriosis and pesticides. The risk of endometriosis has been correlated with the use of two pesticides in agriculture, which are therefore harmful not only to the environment, but also to women's health. Endometriosis is a disease that affects the uterus, leading to the formation of tissue composed of uterine cells outside the organ, in the area of the ovaries and tubes.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
The risk of endometriosis has been correlated with the agricultural use of two pesticides, which therefore result harmful not only for the environment, but also for women's health. Endometriosis is a disease that affects the uterus, leading to the formation of tissue composed of uterine cells outside the organ, for example in the area of the ovaries and tubes.
The most well-known symptoms of the disease, which affects 10% of women in the world, they consist of abdominal bloating and severe menstrual pain, but endometriosis can also cause serious problems infertility. Under accusation we find two pesticides, which could be among the causes of endometriosis, not yet fully clarified up to now: mirex e beta-esaclorocicloesano (beta HCH).
The most recent research on the subject was conducted by experts from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The results of the study, which bears the title of "Organochlorine Pesticides and Risk of Endometriosis: Findings from a Population-Based Case – Control Study" have been published online in the pages of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
"The chemical substances that remain in the environment, even those used in the past, can affect the health of today's women, who are in the reproductive age "- said Kristen Upson, one of the authors of the study. In her words, the association between pesticides and endometriosis is not yet fully understood, but these substances are capable of interfering with the normal action of estrogen.
The research was conducted on a group of 248 women with confirmed endometriosis and on a set of 538 gives sane which formed the control group. The experts measured the levels of the two pesticides in the volunteers' blood. The substances under indictment persist in the fish and in dairy products, such as XNUMX cups milk e dairy product, although in the United States the two pesticides have been banned for decades.
The researchers found that women with the highest levels of exposure to the pesticide mirex present a increase of 50% of the risk of contracting endometriosis, while those who were more exposed to the pesticide beta HCH they ran a 30 to 70% higher risk to run into the disease.
Exposure to pesticides harmful to health could therefore represent one of the possible explanations for the appearance of the disease in some patients and not in others, who could, without knowing it, be lucky enough to live in a healthier environment and to be able to avoid contaminated food from unwanted substances.
At the conclusion of the study, the experts confirm the correlation between cases of endometriosis in US women of the Pacific Northwest and presence of the pesticides mirex and beta HCH in the blood. In their opinion, theintensive use of pesticides under accusation in the past in the United States, and elsewhere in the world in the present, could have a non-negligible impact on the health of women of childbearing age.
Marta Albè
READ also:
The 12 foods with the most pesticides
