Consuming too much fast food may just turn out to be your ticket on the express lane to health problems, or even death, as recent studies show that many fast food products contain different industrial chemicals that are linked to cause adverse effects on the body.
This was recently revealed in a research report presented by the Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) where some 8877 test participants from the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2003 up to 2010 showed evidence of increase levels of an industrial chemical called Phthalates in the body,
Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that are commonly used to soften or increase flexibility of plastic, as well as vinyl products.
Phthalates have many uses in various industries like cosmetics, insecticides, plastic packaging and plastic wrap, among others.
These chemicals are also actively used in the manufacturing of detergents, plastic plumbing pipes and a lot of other industrial materials that are not even directly associated with food.
The study was intended to show a perspective on the possibility of how fast food fare may expose the consumers to chemicals that are not usual ingredients for edible food products.
The Center for Disease Control, on the other hand, released a separate report supporting the previous research where people are exposed to phthalates for consuming food that come in contact with containers made with the chemical.
While adults usually get the chemical into their system either through food or breathing it in when surrounded by phthalate-rich materials, children are more likely to have increased levels into their system due to their hand-to-mouth behaviours.
Furthermore, females have a higher risk of having phthalates in their system through the use of cosmetics like hair, skin and other beauty products.
Once it enters into the body, the chemicals are then converted to broken-down products called metabolites that pass out with urine from the system.
Although the extent of effects of phthalates on humans are still being worked on by science, animal testings have shown that certain types of phthalates adversely affected their reproductive systems.
Evidence of these impacts have been tested positive for humans as well. Studies conducted by the American Chemistry Council revealed that while phthalates pose no health risk within tolerable levels, however, several quarters that with the current increase in consumption of foods exposed to these chemicals, further research needs to be conducted to determine its effects.
The post Fast Food May Subject The Body To Toxic Chemicals appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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