Toxicologist warns using common household product could cause infertility

Dr Yvonne Burkart explained the impact scented candles and other everyday products could have on your health and reflected on her own fertility struggles

A toxicologist has warned some household products you use daily could wreak havoc on your body without your knowledge. Dr Yvonne Burkart, a PhD Toxicologist and former Senior Toxicologist in the flavour and fragrance industry, shared a word of warning during an appearance on Steven Bartlett's podcast show, The Diary Of A CEO.

"Don't believe everything you see on a container, a bottle or a product that you're buying," advised the expert. "If you're believing in the marketing and what you see on the front of the label, instead of actually reading the ingredients, you could be exposing yourself to toxins.

"The risk is that we go about our daily lives not knowing what we're consuming or being exposed to. Then later on in life, unfortunately, fall ill and suffer from some chronic disease," she claimed.

READ MORE: Doctor shares 'number one' superfood in the world and importance of eating it

READ MORE: Doctor's advice to help common skin problem that's worse in winter

In the episode, the doctor warned that toxins in everyday products could be linked to conditions such as cancer and infertility. She also evaluated the safety of several common household products, including non-stick pans, antiperspirants, and candles.

For instance, she advised against burning paraffin wax candles or candles that don't specify the type of wax used, warning that you could be liberating carcinogens and ultrafine particles, which she described as 'some of the most hazardous substances that you can create in your home', as they could end up in your brain and lungs.

Instead, she recommended opting for low-emission candles made with beeswax, essential oils, and wooden or cotton wicks. It's a message she holds close to her heart, having previously struggled with infertility herself.

Dr Burkart believes her own struggles were connected to low-dose exposures to toxins and chemicals over her lifetime. "It wasn't until I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and research that I started to uncover the linkages between these low-dose environmental chemicals and products that we're using all the time and how they impacted my health," she said.

"When I started to remove them and replace them with safer options my health returned. My health recovered. I was actually able to conceive my own children without assistance."

However, it's worth noting environmental factors are just one of the many risk factors the NHS says can affect fertility. So while it's true that 'exposure to certain pesticides, solvents and metals has been shown to affect fertility, particularly in men', as per the NHS, there's a range of possible causes for other people struggling with fertility.