First study investigating possible link between sunscreen ingredient and endometriosis

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=223&content_id=CNBP_029903&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=be48986e-3f94-47c2-ab5c-844e31567583

[font face=Serif]ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: May 9, 2012
[font size=5]First study investigating possible link between sunscreen ingredient and endometriosis[/font]
[font size=4]“Urinary Concentrations of Benzophenone-type UV Filters in U.S. Women and Their Association with Endometriosis”
Environmental Science & Technology[/font]
[font size=3]Scientists are reporting a possible link between the use of sunscreen containing a certain ingredient that mimics the effects of the female sex hormone estrogen and an increased risk of being diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful condition in which uterine tissue grows outside the uterus. They describe the report, published in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology, as the first to examine whether such a connection may exist.

Kurunthachalam Kannan and colleagues explain that some sunscreens and other personal care products contain benzophenone (BP)-type ingredients that are very effective in blocking potentially harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Small amounts of BPs can pass through the skin and be absorbed into the blood, where they mimic the effects of estrogen. Endometriosis, which affects up to 1-in-10 women of reproductive age, needs estrogen to develop. Despite those facts, scientists until now had not checked for a connection between the use of BP sunscreens and the likelihood of being diagnosed with endometriosis.

To fill that knowledge gap, the scientists analyzed BP levels in the urine of 625 women who underwent surgery for endometriosis. They found that high levels of one BP called 2,4OH-BP were associated with an increased risk of an endometriosis diagnosis. Women tended to have higher levels of BPs during the summer months and if they lived in sunny California, further suggesting a link with sunscreens. “Our results invite the speculation that exposure to elevated 2,4OH-BP levels may be associated with endometriosis,” say the researchers.[/font][/font]

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es204415a

[elleng]

1. Damn.

Thanks for the info, tho.

[truedelphi]

2. As someone with vitaligo, I learned a while ago to forego

Sunscreen. The screens that had stuff in it that didn't lead to people cancers led to the death of coral reefs. And the "organic' products like the ones from Aubrey, don't proivide any protection at all for your skin (Those of us with vitaligo are perfect testers for sunscreens.)

i will say that the Aubrey sunscreen products made great moisturizers, but my skin burned if used as sunscreens.