Endocrine disrupting chemicals: impact on obesity/diabetes pathways and intervention via dietary nutrients

In recent decades, the increasing rate of obesity and diabetes across the world have been linked to ubiquitous exposure to EDCs. EDCs with obesity inducing and energy metabolic disrupting properties have been defined as obesogens. Obesogens can alter energy homeostasis by disrupting the endocrine system.

Moreover, obesogens can induce direct alterations in metabolic targets such as adipose tissue and the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Although regulation and legislation has helped to use synthetic compounds wisely, ubiquitous exposure to EDCs is difficult to be eliminated. The understanding of mechanisms of EDCs in obesity and diabetes pathogenesis is needed to be thoroughly studied.

Methods to compensate for the detrimental effects after EDCs exposure also require further explorations.