Should You Worry About Parabens?

When food and personal care products last longer, it makes life easier. You save money and don’t need to shop as often. But it’s not magic that extends the shelf life of your favorite products — it’s chemicals.

Parabens (short for p-hydroxybenzoates) are one of the most common preservative chemicals. If you’re wondering how those chemicals affect your health, you aren’t alone. But the answer isn’t cut and dry.

“Parabens have been used as preservatives since the 1920s,” says internal medicine physician Anthony Taylor, DO. “There are theories about how they affect humans, but we don’t have definitive answers. There hasn’t been much testing on humans.”

To help you better understand the impact of parabens on your life, Dr. Taylor shares what we know about how they affect your health.

What are parabens?

Parabens are chemicals known for their preservative and antimicrobial properties. They protect products from the things that shorten shelf life, such as yeast, bacteria and mold.

Parabens occur naturally in some plants and fruits, but most of the parabens you’re exposed to are manufactured and have been used by industries for over a century.

You’ll commonly find parabens in:

• Personal care products: Companies use parabens to make skin care, hair care, cosmetics and shaving products last longer. Some wound ointments and creams also contain parabens.
• Processed foods: Parabens stop the growth of microorganisms in most packaged foods, including cereals, candy, dried meats, jarred food, beer and frozen dairy products.

Paraben usage keeps increasing. Almost all canned or packaged foods contain them. Because parabens are so widely used, experts have found a small amount of these chemicals in the environment.

“Parabens are everywhere,” Dr. Taylor states. “You see them in packaging and products, but they’re also in dust, river water and air.” Experts say parabens can also be detected in more than 90% of humans in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Common parabens

Look at the ingredient lists on packaged food and personal care products, and you may see these parabens:

• Butylparaben
• Ethylparaben
• Isobutylparaben
• Isopropylparaben
• Methylparaben
• Propylparaben

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that personal care products sold in the U.S. list their ingredients. The most common parabens found in those care products are butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben.

Are parabens bad for you?

Parabens are called hormone- or endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They interfere with your endocrine system, which includes glands and the hormones they send out to tell organs and tissues what to do.

Different EDCs affect your body and hormones in various ways. Parabens enter your body through your skin and when you consume food and drinks. Once there, they mimic the hormone estrogen, and the disruption may affect your entire hormonal system.

“The good news is that parabens don’t stay in your body long,” Dr. Taylor notes. “They go through your liver and leave through your urine within 24 to 48 hours.” Experts haven’t identified any immediate toxic effects, but they’re concerned about chronic (ongoing) exposure.

Most paraben research has been on nonhumans and cells, with limited studies on humans. But early research suggests that possible effects of parabens may include:

Disrupts the female reproductive system

Parabens imitate estrogen but are less strong than the natural estrogen your body makes during your reproductive years. Still, parabens may affect various aspects of female reproduction, including:

• Birth outcomes, possibly causing preterm birth
• Fertility, by affecting your menstrual cycle
• Fetal development, when EDCs pass from parent to fetus
• Onset of puberty, possibly causing it to occur earlier

Researchers measured paraben exposure and hormone levels in more than 350 girls and female adolescents. Their findings linked parabens to lower amounts of female reproductive hormones. This suggests that parabens may affect the hormonal balance in females.

“Many endocrine disruptors affect female reproduction,” Dr. Taylor says. “But we don’t yet know whether parabens play a significant role in causing those negative effects.”

Increases cancer risk

Parabens affect estrogen, which can sometimes fuel the growth of breast cancer. Experts have detected parabens in breast tissue. So, it makes sense to look for a connection between breast cancer and parabens.

“There’s not enough data yet to prove a link between parabens and breast cancer,” Dr. Taylor says. “But early in vitro (cellular) research suggests that parabens interfere with how your cells work, which may eventually lead to cancer.”

Negatively affects sperm health

Parabens mimicking estrogen may also interfere with normal reproductive hormone function in men.

A recent study of almost 800 adult males looked for an association between paraben levels in urine and sperm health. The results showed that higher levels of parabens — specifically butylparaben and methylparaben — are connected to a decrease in sperm concentration, count and motility (ability to move).

“Earlier studies didn’t involve humans. Until now, human studies haven’t shown a strong correlation between parabens and sperm health,” Dr Taylor shares. “This area requires more research.”

Other health concerns and parabens

Researchers continue to study parabens to understand their effects on the body. Some studies suggest a potential link between parabens and:

• Gestational diabetes: In a study of more than 240 pregnant women in their first and second trimesters of pregnancy, researchers saw a connection between higher levels of some parabens and a higher risk of gestational diabetes.
• Obesity: A small study of females found an association between body mass index (BMI) and paraben exposure. Those with a higher BMI had higher levels of methylparaben and propylparaben in their blood. Participants with BMI in the normal range had a greater variety of paraben types in their blood but a lower concentration of each.
• Thyroid function: Some research suggests that exposure to parabens may decrease thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, which are critical to controlling your weight, body temperature and mood. Nonhuman studies show an apparent decrease, while studies on humans are inconclusive.

Do you need to worry about parabens?

In addition to your reproductive system, EDCs like parabens may cause issues for your entire hormonal system, possibly affecting your:

• Glucose levels
• Immune system
• Thyroid function

More good news is that reducing your paraben exposure can provide almost immediate results. A 2016 study had 100 female adolescents switch to personal care products whose labels stated they did not contain parabens and other hormone-disrupting chemicals. After just three days, some paraben concentrations decreased by more than 40%.

“Most healthcare providers agree that typical amounts of parabens are unlikely to cause health issues,” Dr. Taylor says. “But it’s always good to be aware of what’s in your hygiene products and food. Reducing your exposure to chemicals is better for your health.”