Ladies, this one is for you.

Certain types of pads and tampons contain chemicals that may worsen period pain, cause allergic reactions and irritation, lead to pelvic inflammatory conditions and even fertility problems.  They have a huge impact on our environment, as some of their ingredients never break down.  In this article I will look at what these synthetic products are doing to our body, and discuss some of the alternatives that are available to us.

Tampons – Is this the most important item to choose organic?

Chances are, if you’re interested in your health and wellbeing you have decided to ‘go organic’ – you shop for organic fruits and vegetables, you limit your use of house hold chemicals, you might also use organic body products.  But for women, an often overlooked source of chemicals is through our sanitary items – pads and tampons.

Most conventional pads and tampons use a variety or blend of rayon (wood pulp), viscose (synthetic product) and cotton.  Some tampons are also coated in polypropylene (a crude oil derived plastic) to make them ‘slippery’ as well as to bind and contain the synthetic fibres together (pure cotton tampons are much stronger so will not disintegrate).   Cotton is actually quite a ‘dirty’ crop – it is the most heavily sprayed crop in the world (26% of the world’s pesticides are used on cotton!) so cotton products contain a whole host of pesticides.  These cotton products are then bleached with chlorine, which as a result leaves a by-product called dioxin.  Most sanitary products also have added chemicals to absorb odour or create fragrance, however these are also derived from crude oil products.

This may in fact be one of the most important items with which to choose organic, as our ‘lady bits’ are actually extremely capable of absorbing chemicals.  This is not good news for the health conscious, and to make matters worse these chemicals can actually increase period pain!

The pesticides from cotton, the polypropylene that coats and exists within the tampon and the dioxin from bleach combine to create a hectic combination of chemicals that increase inflammation in our ‘lady parts’ and can also lead to other health problems such as endometriosis and infertility.  These chemicals are also commonly responsible for causing irritation and allergic reactions down there, so going organic can result in a much pleasanter time of the month.

Consider this rough equation:

• A woman with a regular cycle will have 11-13 periods a year.  Assuming she has a standard menarche from 13, and enters menopause at 51, that’s 456 periods.
• Take out about 42 periods for an average of 3 children (9 months pregnancy, approx 5 months of no periods during breastfeeding) to reach 414 periods.
• The average women has a period for 3-7 days (so let’s say 5), and can use anywhere from 3-6 tampons or pads a day (so let’s say 5).  That’s 25 pads and/or tampons a period.
• 25 pads/tampons a period x 414 periods = 10,350 pads/liners in a lifetime (oh and don’t forget the thousands of liners we’re probably going to use as well!)

That’s a lot of pads and tampons, and cumulatively, a lot of exposure to chemicals that you don’t want down there!

Photo by Karl Wiggers on Unsplash

GOING ORGANIC

Nowadays, many people are making efforts to reduce their exposure to chemicals – for good reason.  Good quality research papers have shown that many pesticides in our food can disrupt hormones, nervous system health and our immune system, and in addition can lead to several cancers and conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Going on from this, we can extrapolate from the knowledge that eating chemicals is bad for us, so therefore applying chemicals to our skin is bad as well.  (Cue an abundance of body creams and lotions with ‘organic’ labels, and another booming industry fraught with misinformation that misleads consumers (organic body products are not regulated in the same way that organic foods are, and many products labelled as organic may still contain harmful chemicals) – regardless of whether it is labelled as organic we should still diligently check ingredients of products we choose, and buy from reputable companies/suppliers).  Using (actual) organic body care products is another good move; in fact it may be even more important than using organic food as our digestive system, when working properly has a lot of acids and enzymes (e.g. in our saliva and stomach) that help to break down and eliminate chemicals.  Our skin is an amazing organ, and it has a great capacity to absorb anything that we apply to it, particularly when it is rubbed on in an oily based i.e. a cream.  This comes in very handy when we want to apply therapeutic creams, however not so good when the creams contain nasties.

The mucous epithelial membranes that exist within regions such as the rectum, nose, lungs and vagina have an even greater absorptive ability than the skin, which is why pessaries and suppositories have such a fast and effective action.  In addition to this the blood supply from the vagina goes directly into the pelvic plexus (the same veins the ovaries normally empty into), so when certain hormones and chemicals are applied to the vaginal mucous membranes they are directed towards the uterus before they are assimilated into the rest of the blood stream(1).

Pads and tampons are a major source of chemicals, due to the excessive spraying of cotton crops.  Tampons that contain other fibres, such as rayon, can leave trace amounts of fibre and chemicals on the vaginal wall after removal – this is an issue for not only chemical exposure, but greater risk for toxic shock syndrome.  According to Dr. Philip Tierno, a Clinical Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU Medical Centre, 100 percent cotton tampons “consistently test under detectable levels for TSS toxins.”(2)  This is because non-cotton products have a structure that is more likely to shed fibres.  In the attempt to bind these fibres together tampons are coated in a type of plastic coating called polypropylene.

Check out this video to see the different tampon types hold their fibres together.  These polypropylene chemicals do not break down or decompose.  Remembering how many tampons are used in a life time this could accumulate, potentially contributing to health concerns, but it the immediate sense it can also cause irritation of the sensitive vaginal area.  Vulvovaginitis is a problem that many women experience and if it is worsened by sanitary items, it can make that time of the month a very uncomfortable time.

I have experienced in both myself and my patients a significant reduction in period pain with the use of organic sanitary items.  While there is limited research on this matter, I theorise the pain reduction to be due to a few reasons:

• By avoiding the polypropylene there is less of a topical irritation, creating less inflammatory chemicals in the area.
• Insertion and removal of tampons cause micro-tears in the vaginal wall, in which tampon residue can remain.  Synthetic tampons have a greater likelihood of leaving residue and the nature of their fibres can be more irritating.
• The removal of chemicals which can mimic oestrogen can both reduce prostraglandin production as well as reduce the exacerbation of conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory syndrome and fibroids.

WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS?

Organic pads and tampons

There are several brands that use organic products, and organic cotton tampons.  While they are usually a little pricier than conventional brands, I personally consider it to be worth it.

Organ(y)c, TOM Organic and Natracare are good options.  TOM Organic is an Australia based company, and also offers ‘subscription’ service, a novel idea considering this is something we use on a regular monthly basis (ooh and they’re pretty!).  Other less widely available brands include Seventh Generation.

Reusable pads.

Reusable pads usually consist of organic cotton and come in a variety of shapes and colours.  They are clipped onto the bottom of the panties and when used, need to be soaked overnight then washed as per normal.  This is considered to be more environmentally friendly than disposable pads and tampons, and many women consider this to be more comfortable as well – they feel like normal underwear and are silent (no plastic crinkling sound).  While the need to wash these pads may turn some women off, the environmental benefits are good and these are a viable option for those who do not wish to use an insertable product.

Wemoon is an Australian based company that offers a variety of reusable pads.  Lunapads also offer products online in a variety of fun colours, and also stock liners.

Menstrual cups.

Menstrual cups are bell shaped silicon or latex cups that are inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual flow.  This is a concept that has been around for a long time, however it is not commonly used or known about these days, perhaps due to a perceived ‘ick factor’?

According to the Diva Cup website, once you have tried menstrual cups you realise that most concerns are unwarranted – i.e. a typical flow is only 30mL per day, therefore removing the cup really isn’t going to be like a scene from a horror movie, and menstrual blood only smells once exposed to oxygen, so using the cup isn’t going to create more of an odour (in theory it will be less so!).  They can take a few cycles to get the hang of, to ensure they are positioned correctly.

Menstrual cups do have an impressive list of benefits – they are good for the environment, they can be kept in for 12 hours, reduce period pain (see above) and save money in the long term (while they cost about $60 to buy outright, they can save you up to $150 a year compared to buying disposables).

A good brand is the Diva Cup, which is approved by TGA in Australia.  Other brands include JuJu, Lunette, The Keeper (made from rubber) and The Moon Cup (made from silicon).

EDIT 3/10/17: I wanted to share my personal experience with a menstrual cup. Not long after writing this article I invested in a Diva Cup, and I can share with you that it has made my time of the month much easier, as having to change the cup only once in the morning and night means I can essentially forget about my period while I am out and about. I also have not had to buy any tampons, and only bought about 2 packets of pads (excluding maternity pads for post-partum) in the 4 years since getting the cup. I used to experience a lot of period pain, and when starting to use this I did notice there was some discomfort on the days I was worse, so I chose to use a pad on those days, however as time has gone on I now don’t have any period pain (I think due to improving my chemical exposure, using herbs, exercise, yoga and having a baby) so I can use the cup for my whole period. I used to have to wear a liner with it during the night and on day one of my period, but not at the moment. I found that it took a few cycles to get practiced enough to insert it confidently, having to learn the right angle to put it in and how to hold it so I could twist it into position, but now I can do it easily. I have on occasion had to change it whilst away from home but it is easy enough to do, I just tidy it up with some toilet paper and give it a good clean when I get home. I did read some reviews that the cup stains, but I haven’t found that to be the case, and this is 3+ years later. I also have been fine to exercise with it in, as long as it is inserted correctly to begin with. So essentially, I would definitely recommend getting a menstrual cup!

Absorbent Underwear

Companies such as Modibodi and THINX offer underwear that has absorbent section where a pad would be. They can be worn as a back up for menstrual cups or tampons, or on their own for those with a moderate-light flow. You can choose the type of absorbency that’s right for you – the range goes from 2.5ml absorbency (1/2 tampon) to 10-20mL (2 tampons).

They are reusable, so great for the environment, and save money for you over time. For athletes who don’t like wearing pads, tampons and cups during exercise, this is a great option.

Other options (that I haven’t research too extensively…)

• Reusable tampons (hard to find, most I’ve seen appear to be knitted, could that could be your next craft project?)
• Sea sponges (think re-usable tampons from the sea)
• Free bleeding (you were just going to wash those clothes anyway, I guess?)

Have you tried some of the less conventional options?  Or have you noticed a change from using organic pads and tampons?  Let me know your thoughts.

Works Cited

1. Touitou, Elka and Brian, W Barry. Enhancement in drug delivery. Boca Raton, Taylor & Francis Group : CRC Press, 2007.

2. Women Beware: Most Feminine Hygiene Products Contain Toxic Ingredients. Mercola.com. [Online] 22 May 2013. [Cited: 6 November 2013.] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/feminine-hygiene-products.aspx.

The post Choosing the right products for that time of the month. appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

What does organic mean?

The word ‘organic’ is used to describe food that has been grown without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, growth regulators and hormones, antibiotics, and livestock feed additives. This means working with nature rather than against it, by recycling natural materials, maintaining soil fertility and encouraging natural methods of pest and disease control, rather than relying on chemicals. Crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, green manures, legumes, organic wastes, mineral-bearing rock, and biological pest controls are used by organic farmers to raise whole, natural foods.

Benefits of Organic Foods

Nutrient content

It’s often claimed that a large number of studies have found no difference in the nutrient content of organic and non-organic crops. It’s true there have been more than a hundred studies comparing the nutrient content of organic and non-organic foods and the results are inconclusive. But this is because the majority of studies are of poor quality, being either agriculturally or analytically flawed.

Official food composition tables, including data compiled by the US Department of Agriculture, reveal that since the 1940s the mineral levels in fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy have declined substantially in conventional foods. Combine this with earlier (pre-ripened) picking, longer storage, and more processing of crops, and it’s not surprising that we may be getting fewer nutrients in our food than we were 60 years ago.

The artificial fertilization associated with conventional crops produces lush growth by swelling produce with more water. On a pound-for-pound basis, organic food has more “dry matter” (i.e. food). Partly because of this (and for other reasons too), there are higher levels of nutrients in organic produce.

We can expect also that phytonutrients, many of which are antioxidants involved in the plant’s own defense system, will be higher in organic produce because crops rely more on their own defenses in the absence of regular applications of chemical pesticides. Evidence is emerging that confirms this expectation. Higher levels have so far been found of lycopene in organic tomatoes, polyphenols in organic potatoes, flavonols in organic apples, and resveratrol in organic red wine. A recent review of the subject estimated that organic produce will tend to contain 10-50% higher phytonutrients than conventional produce.  These phytonutrients have important roles in our body protecting us from disease and promoting healthy aging.

Recent research has showed that:

• Conventionally grown fruit and vegetables in the USA have about half the vitamin content of their counterparts in 1963.
• On average organic foods contain about one-third higher in antioxidants than comparable conventional produce.

Two independent, comprehensive reviews of (around 40) studies that compare the differences between organic and conventional foods came up with similar conclusions showing that there is overwhelming evidence that organic food is more nutritious than conventional food. Heaton stated: ‘On average our research found higher vitamin C, higher mineral levels and higher phytonutrients – plant compounds which can be effective against cancer.’

Food additives

The use of antibiotics, anti-microbials, hormones and other growth promotants are prohibited in organic production. If animals are treated with veterinary chemicals, they are not allowed to be sold as organic. Similarly the use of synthetic chemicals as preservatives, colourings, antioxidants etc are prohibited in the processing of organic foods. There is an increasing body of concern about these synthetic compounds in the diets of humans and animals used for human food.

Research from the University of Hawaii has found that people who consume processed meats have a 6,700% increased risk of pancreatic cancer over those who consume little or no processed meat products. The researchers concluded that sodium nitrite, a chemical used in nearly all non organic processed meats was the cause of the  very alarming cancer rates.

Chemicals

It’s regularly claimed by the mainstream food industry that pesticide residues in foods are known to be safe on the basis of total diet surveys that supposedly find the levels of pesticide residues in our food to be very low and within acceptable safety limits. But monitoring programs consistently show that around one in three non-organic food samples tested contains a variety of pesticide residues, with far lower levels being found in and on organic produce. Conventional-food proponents also claim that rigorous safety assessments show that pesticide residues are no threat to human health. Yet consumers intuitively know this is a false assurance.

Photo by Thomas Le on Unsplash

The problem is that most pesticide-residue safety levels are set for individual pesticides, but many samples of fresh produce carry multiple pesticide residues. Rules often do not take into account the “cocktail effect” of combinations of pesticides in and on foods. Research is emerging confirming the potential for such synergistic increases in toxicity of up to 100-fold, resulting in reproductive, immune and nervous system effects not expected from the individual compounds acting alone.

Israeli researchers have linked symptoms such as headaches, tremor, lack of energy, depression, anxiety, poor memory, dermatitis, convulsions, nausea, indigestion and diarrhoea with dietary intakes of pesticides. Belgian research has found that women diagnosed with breast cancer are six to nine times more likely to have the pesticides DDT or hexachlorobenzene in their bloodstreams compared to women who did not have breast cancer.

The British Medical Association appears to agree:

“Until we have a more complete understanding of pesticide toxicity, the benefit of the doubt should be awarded to protecting the environment, the worker, and the consumer—this precautionary approach is necessary because the data on risk to human health from exposure to pesticides are incomplete.”

Peer reviewed published research has demonstrated that many of these types of chemicals are known to disrupt the hormone, nervous and immune systems. The escalating increase of certain types of cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, breast, uterine and prostate cancers are linked to agricultural and other synthetic chemicals. Similarly, a good body of scientific research also links these chemicals to the dramatic increases in disease like chronic fatigue syndrome. Cancers such as Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma have gone from being one of the rarest cancers to one of the fastest growing cancers amongst people exposed to agricultural chemicals.

A detailed scientific analysis of organic fruits and vegetables in the USA, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants, showed that organic foods have significantly less pesticide residues than conventionally grown foods.

Children’s immature and developing organs, brains, detoxification and immune systems, plus their larger intake of food per kilo of body weight combine to make them even more susceptible to toxins than adults. Research has shown repeatedly that organic food significantly lowers children’s dietary exposure to pesticides, lowering their exposure from above to below recognized safety levels.

The facts show that organic foods have health benefits because of higher nutritional values. They excel in the antioxidants that prevent heart disease, cancers, anti-inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

How to buy ‘organic’

• Look for the certification stamp on the labeling of the products; In Australia, any organic food or product that is sold must display a certification symbol or number by law. The symbol means that the product meets government standards.
• Buy from a reputable retailer;
• If there is no stamp, question the retailer on the authenticity of the products until you are satisfied that it is the ‘real deal’.
• Remember that Organic foods have a shorter shelf life when compared to conventional foods, as they contain no chemical food preservatives as conventional foods do.  This means that you should plan your meals out so that food doesn’t get wasted (which would be a shame, as it’s more expensive).

Organic foods may be found and purchased from your local health food shop, organic fruit and vegie store or farmers markets or online.

Organic Shops and Sites

Abundant Organics

http://www.abundantorganics.com.au/

Bare Roots Organic & Health

Shop 4 7 Ward Place, Dural
02 9651 5561
http://www.bareroots.com.au/

Blue Mountains Food Co-op

Shop 1-2 Ha’Penny Lane,  Katoomba
(under the PostOffice shop)
02 4782 5890
http://www.bmfoodcoop.org.au/

Doorstep Organics

28-30 Meeks Rd Marrickville, Sydney, NSW.
(02) 8399 1666
orders@doorstep.com.au
http://www.organicdeliverysydney.com.au

Green Hills Organics

Shop 4/328 Windsor St, Richmond
02 45885377 or 0412180749
http://www.greenhillsorganics.com.au

Hawkesbury Organic Food Co-op

23 Bosworth St, Richmond
Operates every Thursday evening from 5pm-6.30pm
http://sites.google.com/site/seasonscoop/home

Honest to Goodness

http://www.goodness.com.au/

In Harmony Health Baulkham Hills

Shop 59 Stockland Mall, Baulkham Hills
02 9688 6797

Lettuce Deliver

http://www.lettucedeliver.com.au/

The Organic Grocer

http://www.theorganicgrocer.com.au/

OrganicFood.com.au

http://www.organicfood.com.au/

Penrith Organic Health

437 High St
Penrith NSW 2750

Real Good Food

http://www.realgoodfood.com.au/product-information/

Warrah Farm

Dural
http://www.warrah.org/farm.htm

If you know of an organic shop or site that’s not listed here, please let me know!

The post Organic Food appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.