Study links exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals with sleep deprivation and vitamin D deficiency

In a recent study published in the journal nutrientsresearchers are investigating whether exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment contributes to vitamin D deficiency and negatively impacts sleep duration.

study: Vitamin D deficiency exacerbates poor sleep due to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: a large American population study. Image credit: Savanevich Viktar / Shutterstock.com

Health effects of EDC exposure

EDCs include a wide range of substances such as pesticides, phenols, industrial chemicals, and plasticizers that can disrupt hormone regulation, production, and metabolic processes. These chemicals can significantly alter your circadian rhythm, impacting the quality and duration of your sleep. These chemicals pose a significant threat of exposure as they are commonly found in a variety of products used in daily life.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, common EDCs used in human activities, affect sex hormone levels and affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenergic axis, resulting in , has been shown to cause widespread sleep disturbances. Changes in sleep quality and duration can increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular disease, immunological and neurological problems, and mental health disorders such as anxiety.

Vitamin D plays an important role in musculoskeletal health. However, new evidence shows that this vitamin is also important for sleep-related health outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to understand whether EDC exposure can interfere with vitamin D metabolism to improve overall sleep outcomes.

About research

In this study, researchers used six statistical models to assess whether exposure to EDCs was associated with disturbed sleep duration in adults. These models include elastic nets, quantile G calculations, weighted quantile sum regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression, and generalized linear models.

Study participants were recruited from among individuals enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which assesses population-wide nutrition and health through surveys.

Data used in the analysis included urine test results for phthalates and BPA, as well as smoking behavior, alcohol intake, thyroid-related health concerns, race, education level, body mass index (BMI), and household Information about income, marital status, and physical status was included. activity level, age, and occurrence of endocrine disorders.

In this study, phthalates and BPA were considered as common EDCs. Nevertheless, the urine samples were further analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry to detect other environmental EDCs.

The Munich Chronotype Questionnaire was used to obtain data on sleep duration. In addition, blood samples from all participants were used to measure serum vitamin D levels through liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Study participants with vitamin D levels below 30 nmol/liter or 12 ng/mL were classified as vitamin D deficient. Age, gender, ethnicity, education level, household income, smoking status, BMI, and alcohol intake were considered as covariates in the analysis. . Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between the different EDCs found in the urine samples.

research result

People with vitamin D deficiency slept less than people with normal vitamin D levels. Furthermore, his single or simultaneous exposure to EDCs such as triclosan, monoethyl phthalate, and monobenzyl phthalate was associated with both reduced sleep duration and vitamin D deficiency.

People with vitamin D deficiency slept less after being exposed to triclosan compared to people with normal vitamin D levels. Exposure to benzophenone-3 and mono-(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate was also associated with decreased vitamin D levels.

A mixed exposure assessment found that both triclosan and monobenzyl phthalate exposure had significant effects on sleep duration, with people with vitamin D deficiency sleeping longer. This finding was similar to previous reports that exposure to high levels of his EDC was associated with delayed sleep onset and prolonged sleep duration.

conclusion

Exposure to EDCs, both alone and in combination, has a significant impact on sleep duration. Exposure to EDCs can also contribute to vitamin D deficiency, further exacerbating the negative effects on sleep.

These findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation may help reduce the negative effects of EDC exposure on sleep duration. Sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders such as depression. Therefore, the findings of this study also provide a new approach that can be used to prevent and treat the effects of EDC exposure that can exacerbate existing psychiatric disorders.