Without hormones, we would not be able to live. They are the messenger substances of our body, regulate things like energy and water balance, growth, digestion, metabolism and also control our emotional and sexual life. Together with the nervous system, they try to keep the body in balance.

Nevertheless, we should do without the hormones that are supplied from the outside.

In order to keep our organism in balance, the body finely tunes the release of hormones to its needs, because: The effect of hormones is strong and their concentration in the blood is therefore very low. Even the smallest additional amounts can upset the hormone balance and thus harm our health. For example, hypothyroidism, adrenal weakness, cycle problems, exhaustion or weight gain can be the result.

External influences have a major impact on the hormone system

Of course, those who take birth control pills supply their bodies with hormones. But it is not only the obvious things that disturb the hormone balance. Nutrition, environmental pollution, stress, diseases, lifestyle or the psyche can also influence the hormone profile. So it's a problem that affects men, too.

In our everyday lives, we are exposed to around 800 hormonally active substances, so-called endocrine disruptors - without realizing it or knowing what they really are. Many international studies show that they can impair metabolism, lead to infertility and trigger diseases such as breast and prostate cancer, as reported by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, for example.

For example, BPA and phthalates are among the biggest endocrine disruptors hiding primarily in plastics, harming not only the environment but also our health. Plastic bottles, packaging, food cans, plastic dishes, cling film... The list is endless. From them, BPA gets unnoticed into the food we subsequently eat.

But the endocrine disruptors are also found in our clothing, furniture, wall paints and cleaning products. Even some pesticides and biocides in the fields affect the hormone system. Although small amounts of endocrine disruptors are considered harmless, it is not taken into account that their effect adds up drastically if we consume a whole cocktail of these substances over long periods of time.

Natural hormones can also influence our bodies: About 60 percent of the estrogens and about 80 percent of the progesterone ingested daily through food come from cow's milk and foods processed from cow's milk. Yes, these female sex hormones are of natural origin, but they still mess with our bodies and their hormone balance.

If you think that the list ends here, you are unfortunately wrong.

Even cosmetics contain substances that can upset our hormone balance. This includes not only make-up and co., but also toothpaste, shower gel and hand soap. Things that everyone uses every day. Our skin is our body's protective shield - but unfortunately it cannot protect us completely from harmful substances. Cosmetic products that remain on the skin or hair for a long time, such as hair wax, sunscreen or moisturizer, are generally considered more risky than those that are washed off again after use, such as shampoo or shower gel.

But what is it in their formulations that is harming us? Particularly controversial are the

parabens used as preservatives: their chemical structure is similar to that of the body's own hormones. But other chemical substances in cosmetics - such as 4-methylbenzylidenecamphor, which is used as a UV filter in sunscreen, or resorcinol, which is found in hair dyes - can also become an invisible danger to the body.