Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Is my hormone balance now disrupted?

May 10, 2016 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

Today I read that my current toothpaste contains the substance Methylparaben and that this substance is hormonally active and acts like female hormones. Now I am afraid that I may have harmed myself, because I am a man, and it would be far from ideal if I were to somehow become "more feminine" as a result.

However, I have not used the toothpaste often, as I usually use a different toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth. I think I have used it a total of about 5, maximum 10 times. Over a period of about two months, roughly.

What do you think? Is this amount enough to disrupt my hormone balance? What symptoms can I expect? And if it really does have hormonal effects on me, can it be reversed if I stop using it from now on? Will my previous hormone balance be restored?

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Good morning,

Methylparaben has a negligibly weak hormonal effect, which is why it is approved for use in cosmetics. It falls under the category of female hormones that your adrenal glands already produce, so it doesn't have any significant impact. Compared to soy, which you can also consume without any issues, even though it has hormone-like effects.
So there is nothing to worry about.

Best regards, Dr. Höllering