Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in cosmetics, food and beverage packaging, toys, carpeting, pesticides, and some flame retardants may mimic or interfere with your body's hormones. This can cause malfunctioning of systems that control metabolism, heart rate, normal growth, fertility, and reproduction.

While you can’t avoid these chemicals completely (they're in air, water, and food), you can make choices that reduce your health risks.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has developed an Expert Consensus Statement and the National Institutes of Health recently gathered 300 experts to identify what we know about these chemicals and how to avoid them. Here’s what they learned:

• Eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, that’s also low in sugar, along with getting regular physical activity and sufficient sleep may reduce EDCs' effects. It’s also important to avoid ultra-processed foods — and their packaging.

• Probiotic and fermented foods may strengthen your intestinal microbes' ability to keep harmful chemicals — and metals — from entering your body. Folate and fish oil (omega-3s) in salmon and supplements also appear to be protective.

• You can also strengthen your gut biome's ability to protect you by practicing stress management, doing meditation, and following a healthy sleep routine. One study also found that sweating frequently can reduce the level of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in your body.

We also suggest you avoid EDCs in personal care products. These include phthalates (plasticizers in cosmetics, especially some nail polish, as well as fragrance mixtures), parabens (in shampoos and toothpastes), and PTFE (in eye shadow, foundation, shampoo, and sunscreen).