Why I eat healthy by eating no "healthy foods"

The holidays are just about past us. They’re a particularly difficult time for me, not just as an autistic person who like their routine and dislikes all of the sensory problems that the holidays often cause. No, for me, the traditional foods and the gluttony are particularly problematic. You see, I can’t eat anything on offer at traditional feasts. Plus, my turning down food often leads to probing questions and disbelief … and gaslighting from people who have no knowledge of nutrition or even how the human body works.

In previous posts, I’ve explained why I eat the way that I do (link), why animal fats are a vital part of the human diet (link), why “leaky gut” happens and what to do about it (link), as well as what is really behind “nutrition science” (link).

Before we begin today, a bit of disclaimer. Among the many certifications that I hold, I am a Certified Exercise Nutrition Coach under Precision Nutrition in Toronto, Ont. It’s part of a suite of certifications around my athletic coaching practice (USATF Level 1 Track / Field Coach, NFHS Accredited / Certified Coach, Systema Instructor under RMA HQ …). For purposes of this article, I am not offering medical advice. I will only present what I do within my own life and coaching practice as well as the science behind my decisions. I am not a medical doctor or a nutritionist as defined anywhere in North America. Thus, do your own homework to verify what I will present to you below. If you need more research help beyond the offered links and end note references, drop a note in the discussion below.

Modern advice about eating healthy

Ask the average westerner what it means to eat healthy and you’re likely to hear about eating five small meals per day, restricting fats, sugar, and salt, as well as eating more vegetables and less meat. A healthy diet in the West have long meant limiting supposed “artery-clogging” foods whilst favouring wholesome fruits, veg, grains, and the like. Salad over steak. Porridge instead of fry up. And, of course, loads of fibre to “reduce heart risks.”

Messages about healthy eating permeate government advice, medical counsel, and are echoed by advocacy groups far and wide. And these pronouncements aren’t unfounded — study after study (often funded by parties with an interest in positive results) links diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to benefits like lower rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Most “experts” contend that adherence to the oft touted principles of balance, variety, and moderation enables people to stay trim and reduces disease risks.

Yet, for all the research and awareness around healthy eating, rates of diet-related ills continue rising whilst the average citizen struggles implementing said diet into daily life. Confusion, frustration, and feelings of failure to achieve a “healthy diet” are commonplace. And some even challenge the notion that plentiful salads and bowls of muesli keep everyone thriving in the face of so much chronic disease. Perhaps not all healthy diets are created equal — even those with the best intentions. There may be more complexity at play regarding how diet impacts unique individuals.

A closer look at what’s considered “healthy”

In my quest for health, I’ve been advised by medical doctors and other “smart people” to eat vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and the like. Lately, the trend is towards the vegan. To my mind, and I might offend a few by saying this, vegans have more faith and less facts about their lifestyle choice. Much of what they believe is simply not supported by science.

You see, whilst vegans, who eschew all animal products, may have well-intentioned aims for themselves and the planet, many in their zeal neglect to remember that the leafy green diet they so cherish isn’t necessarily all sunshine and rainbows. The often touted salad bar has its own share of undesirable elements that may undermine good health, especially for those uniquely susceptible — natural plant chemicals.

Far from being inert fuel sources comprised only of nutrients and fibre, much of vegetarian fare actively resists being eaten. Compounds like oxalates, salicylates, lectins and phytates serve the evolutionary role for plants as toxins, growth retardants, digestive irritants, and weapons against fungi. Some defend against pests directly, whilst others alert a plant’s internal “army” that an attack is underway. Most were designed just for this purpose, rendering attacking organisms ill. Yet vegans will happily munch on beans, spinach, whole grains, nuts, and more without considering that they are in fact ingesting an arsenal of complex chemicals. Despite being “plant based,” these agents often antagonise and inflame for sensitive individuals - like me.

So whilst it is brilliant that vegans seek sustainable, ethical lifestyles that refrain from harming animals, dining on plants blindly comes with its pitfalls too. Vegans with chronic illness or food sensitivities may actually be unwittingly fuelling symptoms through healthy eating norms like salads and pulses believed to be harmless. It’s not all faultless on the plant side either. The best, most compassionate “healthy” diet may need more nuance for some than current activism accepts. For without such sophistication in the vegan diet, harm may yet still occur to some animals—humans themselves.

Eating plants = chemical warware?

Indeed, many plants contain a variety of chemical substances meant to deter pests and pathogens. However, there is a growing realisation that some of these so-called defensive compounds may cause issues when consumed in abundance by humans. For individuals with sensitivities (like me), guidance around eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans and the like may actually trigger physical distress.

Compounds like lectins, phytates, saponins, and oxalates play protective roles in plants, but may wreak havoc once ingested by sensitive persons. Reactions span from digestion troubles like bloating and stomach pain to skin conditions, joint issues, and fatigue. The ubiquity and variability of these plant chemicals means reactions manifest differently across people. Whilst most human “tolerate” normal exposure through moderate plant-based eating, those predisposed react adversely even to supposedly healthy fare like salads, pulses, or wholegrain cereal.

Ironically for those of us affected, embracing popular nutrition advice to load up on plants, especially antioxidant-rich selections, only intensifies our suffering. The sad truth is that not everyone thrives on kale smoothies, chickpea curries, or quinoa tabbouleh. In a foodscape emphasising plants, the predicament and frustration for the plant sensitive abounds.

Let’s look at these defensive chemicals.

First off, we’ll visit one of the most prolific of these defensive chemicals, lectins. Lectins are proteins that can bind to carbohydrates. They are found in many plants, especially in seeds, nuts, legumes, and grains. Some key things to know about lectins:

• They serve as a natural defense in plants, helping to ward off insects and other predators.

• There are many different types of lectins that can bind to different sugar structures.

• Not all lectins are problematic for human health, but some can cause issues when consumed. For example, a lectin found in raw kidney beans can cause food poisoning symptoms.

• Cooking and sprouting can help reduce lectins in foods that contain them. The level of lectins in plants also varies depending on ripeness, storage, processing, etc.

• Some people advocate lectin-restricted diets, especially for those with autoimmune diseases or sensitivity issues. However, the evidence for benefit is still considered preliminary by most experts.

In order to provide plant foods with reduced lectins, manufacturers select low-lectin crop varieties, then employ traditional processing techniques on a commercial scale - soaking grains before milling flour or sprouting beans prior to canning to activate native enzymes that degrade lectins. Harsh industrial heating during baking, extruding, boiling, or canning also denatures lectins effectively. And controlled fermentation of certain products facilitates early lectin reduction as well. By consistently testing and adhering to quality standards, companies can reliably deliver finished plant-based goods to consumers with attenuated lectin content, accommodating those aiming to limit dietary exposure.

Though techniques like selecting low-antinutrient cultivars or soaking plus mechanical processing can appreciably diminish amounts, industrial methods seldom eliminate troublesome compounds entirely. Residual traces persist even after harsh factory treatment. Whilst insufficient to impact the majority, lectins and similar defensive agents may nonetheless remain adequate to trigger symptoms for those of us that are highly sensitive. Complete lectin eradication in plant foods proves rather elusive. Mitigating risk depends eliminating the sources of lectins altogether.

Oxalates

Oxalates are substances found in some plant foods like spinach, almonds, beets, rhubarb, strawberries, wheat bran, tea, chocolate, and beans. Key points about oxalates:

• They bind to calcium and can form hard crystals / stones in the body, leading to issues like kidney stones or gout.

• Cooking and leaching can help reduce soluble oxalates that are absorbable, but don't affect less soluble forms as much.

• Oxalates can also impair absorption of some minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc.

• Most people's bodies can handle normal amounts from a varied diet. But for those prone to kidney issues, gout, or vulvodynia, an oxalate-limited diet might be recommended.

Similar to lectins, current industrial food processing methods used for mass production do not completely eliminate oxalate compounds, even though levels may be reduced significantly.

Ultimately, all plant-derived foods - whether raw ingredients or packaged products like baked goods, cereals, oils etc. - will still contain measurable amounts of oxalates to some degree. Processing can lower concentrations, much like with lectins, yet total elimination is not a claim major food companies are able to make. Many oxalate compounds withstand even harsh manufacturing conditions like high heat extrusion or baking. And trace residues endure across the entire food supply relying on crops prone to oxalates like grains, soy, nuts, vegetables and more.

For most individuals, “science” advises that the low to moderate oxalate intakes resulting from a typical mixed diet of processed plus whole foods poses little concern. However, those of us with specific sensitivities or risks for oxalate-related conditions still need to pursue additional steps at home like soaking, extended boiling, or seeking out low-oxalate alternatives altogether. Complete oxalate avoidance is challenging without extremely restrictive eating. As I need to avoid oxalates completely, all oxalate-containing foods are gone from my diet.

Saponins

Saponins are natural compounds found in plants that have detergent-like foaming properties. Here are some key facts about saponins:

• They are found in foods like quinoa, oats, spinach, alfalfa, soybeans, and some beans.

• Saponins likely have defensive roles in plants against microbes and fungi.

• They derive their name from soapwort plants historically used as soap.

• Their chemical structure allows them to form foam in water, similar to how soap works.

• At high doses, certain saponins may have toxic effects by interacting with cell membranes. But most foods contain “safe” levels.

• Common preparation methods like soaking, leaching out in water, or fermentation can reduce saponins in foods that contain high amounts.

The categorisation of saponins as anti-nutrients relates to their capacity to actively interfere with nutrient absorption and irritate the digestive tract. Possessing detergent-esque properties, these compounds can latch onto vitamins, minerals, and other food molecules in the gut, preventing uptake across the intestinal lining. Their soap-like qualities also make them gut irritants, able to spark inflammation, and compromise the critical gut barrier. Moreover, by inhibiting certain digestive enzymes and decreasing gut wall permeability, saponins reduce digestibility overall and the availability of nutrients for body’s use.

Phenolics

Phenolics are a large, diverse group of phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that are produced as secondary metabolites in plants. Here are some key things to know about them:

• They contain aromatic rings with hydroxyl groups and are named for their chemical structure.

• Major subgroups include phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, coumarins, tannins, lignans, and lignins.

• They serve protective roles in plants against stressors like radiation, pathogens, predators, etc.

• Dietary sources include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, coffee, tea, olive oil, and red wine.

Unlike more clear-cut digestive inhibitors like lectins or phytates, phenolics are not as definitively deemed universal “anti-nutrients,” per se. However some neutrophilic compounds can bind minerals like iron, inhibiting uptake at very high supplemental doses. More established is that certain phenolic-rich foods may irritate sensitive bowels, exacerbating conditions like IBS. And when consumed in extremes, some phenolics also demonstrate cytotoxic impacts that can injure gut tissue. So whilst abundant polyphenols in fruits and vegetables are beneficial for some, context matters - excessive phenolic exposure for susceptible folks like me do indeed elicit detrimental effects that impair nutrient use. For us, astringent teas, spice mixes, or high cacao chocolate shift from help to hindrance.

Glycoalkaloids

Glycoalkaloids are chemical compounds found in plants of the nightshade family, especially in potatoes and tomatoes. Here are some key facts:

• They likely serve a defensive role in plants against bacteria, fungi, insects, and animals.

• The two main glycoalkaloids in potatoes are solanine and chaconine.

• All potatoes have some glycoalkaloids, but levels vary by variety and can increase when tubers are exposed to light, damaged, or sprouting.

• Cooking does not destroy these compounds, but can inactivate the toxicity. Please avoid eating potato shoots or green areas.

• Glycoalkaloids can negatively impact digestive and nervous systems in high amounts, but typical potato intake provides safe levels to most.

Glycoalkaloids like solanine and chaconine function as ingested pest deterrents, disrupting digestive membranes from mouth to gut. Beyond destroying hungry predators’ intestinal lining at high concentrations, they bitterness deters feeding whilst systemic interference of neurotransmitters brings disorientation. For plant-protection purposes, glycoalkaloid toxicity triggers avoidance behaviour in would-be consumers. Unfortunately for more sensitive humans, gastrointestinal, nervous system and energy production disruption ensues from excess exposures as well, albeit temporarily. Thus, the very anti-nutrient characteristics that ward off pests also serve to bind enzymes and damage human tissue vital to absorption, constituting digestive inhibiting properties.

Cyanogenic glycosides

Cyanogenic glycosides are a group of chemical compounds produced by some plants for defense against insects, pests, and disease. Here is an overview:

• They are present in foods like cassava root, lima beans, almonds, spinach, and bamboo shoots.

• The name comes from their potential to release toxic hydrogen cyanide gas if the cell structure is disrupted.

• In the intact plant, they are held separately from precursor enzymes needed to form hydrogen cyanide.

• But when the plant is damaged through injury, chewing, wilting etc, these precursors can combine to release cyanide which deters threats.

• Cooking and food processing like soaking, fermenting, or heating helps remove cyanogenic glycosides from food safely prior to eating.

• In processed foods and normal food amounts, toxicity is rare. But improperly prepared high risk foods may pose dangers without deactivating compounds first through cooking.

Cyanogenic glycosides embed within plant tissues as inactive time bombs, awaiting the crunch or tear that brings cell rupture enabling their weaponising. For this delayed defensive purpose, preprocessing activation gets barred. Yet maturation inevitably brings tissue damage through predators’ jaws, insects’ mandibles or the grind of food processing. Thus toxicity surfaces, as chewing releases hydrolyzing enzymes from within the plant cell to unlock lethal hydrogen cyanide from its chemical cage. What ensues is blocked cytochrome oxidase and cellular suffocation fatal to most species, thwarting feeding. For less hardy humans, sickness comes too from small doses. So cyanogens’ categorization as anti-nutrients owes to this mechanism stymieing digestion via tissue toxicity that broadly attacks consumers’ physiological capacity to gain benefit from food, decreasing nutrient availability at intake’s source.

Phytic acid

Phytic acid is a natural compound found in plant seeds and grains. Here are some key facts about it:

• Also known as phytate, it's the storage form of phosphorus in many plants. It gets broken down for the plant to access the phosphorus.

• Sources in the human diet include beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

• Phytic acid can bind to minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium and prevent optimal absorption of them.

• This may contribute to mineral deficiencies when relying too heavily on high phytate foods for calories, especially in developing countries.

As the principal storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds, phytic acid's anti-nutrient reputation stems from its pesky binding affinity to mineral cations like iron, zinc and magnesium within digestion. This sequestering action forms near insoluble phytate complexes that prohibit mineral uptake and contribute to deficiencies for those heavily reliant on high-phytate grains and legumes for sustenance. The dose and source food determines impact severity. Whilst most diets tolerate moderate phytates spread across diverse vegetation just fine, overexposed vegetarians or developing world staple-eaters experience blocked mineral absorption that impairs nutritional status.

Endocrine disruptors

Several groups of foods have been studied for their potential to act as endocrine disruptors:

1. Soy-based foods - Soy contains isoflavones that can mimic estrogen in the body.

2. Canned foods - Food cans are lined with BPA plastics that may leach into foods, especially when heated or acidic. BPA acts like estrogen.

3. Fast foods/processed foods - Often contain phthalates in packaging, which disrupt hormone function, as well as added hormones or antibiotic residues that may impact endocrine regulation.

4. Farmed fish - May have higher PCB contaminants that disrupt thyroid and sex hormones compared to wild-caught fish.

Whilst not anti-nutrients in the traditional sense of inhibiting digestion and absorption per se, endocrine-disrupting compounds prompt classification as anti-nutrients owing to their downstream capacity to dysregulate and impair optimal nutritional utilization. Certain pesticides, packaging chemicals, hormonal growth promoters and fat-soluble pollutants accumulate in animal fat from factory farms and commonly eaten plants, wreaking metabolic havoc. By agonising hormone receptors or altering signaling pathways, these chemical imposters fool the body, tricking endocrine sensors that regulate digestion, glucose control, and nutrient partitioning crucial to growth and maintenance. Resulting displacement or blockade of vital nutrients undermines nutrition at a systemic level. So through intimate meddling with nutrient fate once consumed, EDCs exhibit an insidious form of anti-nutritional action despite initial absorption, earning them a place amidst recognized dietary anti-nutrients. The distinction rests in mechanism rather than endpoint; their means operate via deception versus straightforward binding or destruction. But the nutritionally detrimental outcome persists all the same.

Summarising

A variety of defensive chemicals produced in edible plants Fall under the banner of anti-nutrients due to their capacity to directly or indirectly interfere with nutrient absorption and utilization upon consumption. From lectins to phytates, oxalates to saponins and beyond, many play imperative protective roles in plants whilst proving problematic in humans. By binding to minerals, irritating digestive tissue, inhibiting uptake transporters, and disrupting digestion itself, these compounds reduce nutrient bioavailability or down-regulate its optimal processing once obtained. Some anti-nutrients even operate at a systemic level, like endocrine-disrupting pesticides that inappropriately agonise hormonal pathways, confusing signals that govern nutrition and metabolism. Regardless of where across the ingestion-to-excretion continuum they enact detriment, the endpoint remains comparably compromised nutritional status from ingesting foods housing digestive-impairing entities.

Then, there’s the fibre thing

With calls to increase fibre intake pervading diet advice worldwide, the notion persists that ample roughage keeps bowels moving whilst feeding friendly gut flora that bestow health bounties upon us. However, human digestive architecture ill-equips us to extract nutrients from the fibrous fare on offer. Lacking both sufficient fermentation equipment as plant-eaters like gorillas boast and the enzymes to digest fibre outright, the oft-touted benefits fail to transpire in those following high-fibre diets.

Unlike grazing herbivores designed to break down grasses, leaves, and stalks, human gastrointestinal tracts lack an expansive hind-gut fermentation chamber where cellulose-loving microbes could theoretically flourish. Our microbe-filled chamber (the colon) constitutes a mere fraction of total volume compared to true plant processing pros. Likewise, mammalian omnivores produce scant cellulase, the enzyme which unlocks sugars in fibre’s complex matrix regularly. Instead, human bowel terrain and contents enable partial fermentation of non-cellulose fibre only into gases (farts) and short-chain fatty acids via certain bacteria. Colon conditions cannot support complete breakdown of the robust structure.

Thus, whilst varietal fibre plays prebiotic and structural roles in plants, human digestion falls flat unlocking calories or nutrition from even the healthiest fibre-filled fare. What remains passes through largely unused other than as digestive bulking agent or nourishment for limited bacteria with preferences beyond hardcore cellulose.

Problems with fibre can lead to / exacerbate colitis

Fibre may contribute to the development or worsening of colitis (inflammation of the colon) through a few potential mechanisms:

• Irritation of the mucosal lining - Coarse particulates from fibrous foods and grains can mechanically scrape and irritate the intestinal lining, triggering immune inflammation.

• Excessive fermentation - When bacteria ferment certain fibres, gas and short-chain fatty acids are produced. Overabundant fermentation can cause bloating, pain and propagate inflammatory factors.

• Altered gut microbiota - A high fibre diet may preferentially feed certain bacteria that release metabolites contributing to intestinal immune dysfunction and linning permeability that promote colitis flares.

• Binding luminal nutrients - Fibres can bind bile acids, fats and other nutrients creating deficiencies that negatively impact gut lining cell health and immune regulation.

• Stimulating histamine release - Mast cells in the colon responding to fibre particulates or metabolites may release inflammatory histamine further driving colitis pathology.

The key point is that unlike with healthy guts, the stressed lining and hyper-sensitized state of a colitis colon will perceive excess fibre as an irritant struggle to cope with. Fibre burdens and augments inflammation instead of conferring benefits. Reduced intake alongside other gut-restorative measures usually helps ease colitis symptoms.

Wrapping it all up

I hope by now I’ve made the case about why what we’ve been sold as a “healthy diet” may be anything but. My journey to health lead to all of these discoveries. Eventually, I had to find a way to get my total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) satisfied in a way that didn’t try to kill me. As noted previously (link) (link), the bulk of my calories and nutrition come from glorious, tasty animal fats and proteins. And, yes, my blood chemistry and heart are just fine. :)

References

Lectins

• Ji, S., 2009. Opening Pandora's Bread Box: The Critical Role of Wheat Lectin in Human Disease. Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. Source

• Gong, T., Wang, X., Yang, Y., Yan, Y., Yu, C., Zhou, R. and Jiang, W., 2017. Plant lectins activate the NLRP3 inflammasome to promote inflammatory disorders. The Journal of Immunology, 198(5), pp.2082-2092. Source

• HV, A.K. and Muralidhar, T.S., Beneficial and harmful properties of Lectins. Source

• Meiers, J., Siebs, E., Zahorska, E. and Titz, A., 2019. Lectin antagonists in infection, immunity, and inflammation. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 53, pp.51-67. Source

Oxalates

• AbuKhader, M., Al Salti, S. and Al Lawatia, A., 2022. Investigating the Health Impacts of Plant-based Milk Ingredients: Additives and Oxalate. Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research, 41(4), pp.390-394. Source

• Bsc, S.N. and Bsc, G.S., 1999. Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 8(1), pp.64-74. Source

• Siener, R., Seidler, A. and Hönow, R., 2020. Oxalate-rich foods. Food Science and Technology, 41, pp.169-173. Source

Saponins

• Oakenfull, D., 1981. Saponins in food—a review. Food chemistry, 7(1), pp.19-40. Source

• Lásztity, R., Hidvégi, M. and Bata, Á., 1998. Saponins in food. Food Reviews International, 14(4), pp.371-390. Source

Phenols

• Michałowicz, J. and Duda, W., 2007. Phenols--Sources and Toxicity. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 16(3). Source

• Abd Gami, A., Shukor, M.Y., Khalil, K.A., Dahalan, F.A., Khalid, A. and Ahmad, S.A., 2014. Phenol and its toxicity. Journal of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, 2(1), pp.11-23. Source

• Nambudripad, D.S. and DC, L.A., Sensitivity to Phenolics May Trigger Food Allergies. Source

Glycoalkaloids

• Friedman, M., McDonald, G.M. and Filadelfi-Keszi, M., 1997. Potato glycoalkaloids: chemistry, analysis, safety, and plant physiology. Critical reviews in plant sciences, 16(1), pp.55-132. Source

• Gee, J.M., Wortley, G.M., Johnson, I.T., Price, K.R., Rutten, A.A.J.J.L., Houben, G.F. and Penninks, A.H., 1996. Effects of saponins and glycoalkaloids on the permeability and viability of mammalian intestinal cells and on the integrity of tissue preparations in vitro. Toxicology in vitro, 10(2), pp.117-128. Source

Cyanogenic glycosides

• Vetter, J., 2000. Plant cyanogenic glycosides. Toxicon, 38(1), pp.11-36. Source

• Bolarinwa, I.F., Oke, M.O., Olaniyan, S.A. and Ajala, A.S., 2016. A review of cyanogenic glycosides in edible plants. Toxicology–New Aspects to This Scientific Conundrum. Source

• Appenteng, M.K., Krueger, R., Johnson, M.C., Ingold, H., Bell, R., Thomas, A.L. and Greenlief, C.M., 2021. Cyanogenic glycoside analysis in American elderberry. Molecules, 26(5), p.1384. Source

Phytic acid

• Feizollahi, E., Mirmahdi, R.S., Zoghi, A., Zijlstra, R.T., Roopesh, M.S. and Vasanthan, T., 2021. Review of the beneficial and anti-nutritional qualities of phytic acid, and procedures for removing it from food products. Food Research International, 143, p.110284. Source

• Abdulwaliyu, I., Arekemase, S.O., Adudu, J.A., Batari, M.L., Egbule, M.N. and Okoduwa, S.I.R., 2019. Investigation of the medicinal significance of phytic acid as an indispensable anti-nutrient in diseases. Clinical Nutrition Experimental, 28, pp.42-61. Source

• Thakur, A., Sharma, V. and Thakur, A., 2019. An overview of anti-nutritional factors in food. Int. J. Chem. Stud, 7(1), pp.2472-2479. Source

Endocrine disruptors

• Gálvez-Ontiveros, Y., Páez, S., Monteagudo, C. and Rivas, A., 2020. Endocrine disruptors in food: impact on gut microbiota and metabolic diseases. Nutrients, 12(4), p.1158. Source

• Muncke, J., 2009. Exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds via the food chain: Is packaging a relevant source?. Science of the total environment, 407(16), pp.4549-4559. Source

• Monneret, C., 2017. What is an endocrine disruptor?. Comptes rendus biologies, 340(9-10), pp.403-405. Source