Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or so-called “forever chemicals”, have been linked to a number of diseases and have been found to be harmful to health. Although it is “almost impossible” to eliminate them from your diet, we have some tips for you.
In fact, The Guardian has compiled some tips for avoiding the “forever chemicals” in your diet, saying it’s “almost impossible” to eliminate them completely. In fact, we’ve already mentioned that even rain carries PFAS.
This type of toxic substance is found in products such as eggs and rice, as well as in a number of other basic foods, as research carried out in recent years has discovered and warned. In addition, it has been widely associated with cancer, kidney disease, and other health conditions.
What are PFAS?
These "forever chemicals" are a large collection of thousands of synthetic chemicals, about 15,000, used throughout society, typically in the manufacture of products that resist water, stains and heat.
In addition to being easily transported in the environment, covering long distances from the source of release, they resist degradation and persist in the environment. Furthermore, cleaning up polluted sites is technically difficult and expensive.
According to Sarah Woodbury, vice president of policy at Maine-based Defend Our Health, which has worked on issues related to PFAS in food in the state, quoted by The Guardian, “it’s almost impossible to avoid contamination.” In her view, “there’s no way to know 100 percent” what consumers are getting into when it comes to contamination.
While regulators have focused on reducing PFAS in water, there is a consensus that Food represents the largest route of exposure. No food is completely safe from contamination, because PFAS are used in thousands of consumer products and industrial processes, pollution is widespread, and there are numerous points of entry into the food system.
In fact, although the Food and Drug Administration monitors chemicals, it uses a methodology that, according to public health advocates, makes it seem that food is much less contaminated than it actually is, and does not set limits for PFAS in food.
Among the researchers’ most serious concerns is sewage sludge, which is used as a cheap alternative to fertilizer on farmland and is universally considered to be rife with PFAS. Farms that use the substance have been found to have worrying levels of the chemical in their meat and produce, as crops can absorb the compounds.
Water used for crops or livestock can be contaminated, as can animal feed, while most pesticides contain PFAS.
Processed foods tend to have more PFAS than less-processed foods, in part because there are more entry points for the chemicals. Bulk food storage bins are often treated with PFAS, potentially contaminating widely used ingredients. Plus, some single-serve plastic food containers sold in stores are treated with the chemicals.
"Forever chemicals" are widely used in kitchenware to prevent food from sticking to pans, utensils, coffee filters, and more.
How to get around the "forever chemicals"?
Change your consumption habits
Studies have shown that people who generally eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables may have lower blood levels of PFAS. Food products require less packaging and processing, reducing entry points for the chemicals. Eating less meat, especially red meat, is also advisable.
What I've been telling people from the beginning is don't eat blood products, and meat and dairy will have more blood than vegetables.
Sierra Club Michigan researcher Stephen Brown advised.
Some vegetables, especially leafy greens, absorb the chemicals, and those grown near sources of PFAS pollution or in sewage sludge may be contaminated.
According to the scientific literature, The Guardian says there is no way of knowing which farms are using sewage sludge. Even if there were, there is often no way of knowing which milk ended up in the carton you buy at the store.
Prepare food at home
Some public health advocates told The Guardian that they bring their own glass containers to restaurants to take home leftovers and avoid toxic packaging. After all, studies have found an association between higher blood levels of PFAS and frequent eating out, because takeout foods require more packaging and are typically more processed.
When shopping, choosing products packaged in glass containers instead of plastic can also help you avoid "forever chemicals."
Moderate your consumption of seafood and fish
Recent studies indicate that saltwater fish may be safer than freshwater fish, specifically in the United States, because PFAS are more diluted in the ocean than in rivers or lakes.
For example, recent tests of 26 types of largely saltwater shellfish sold fresh at a market on the New Hampshire coast found PFAS in all, with the highest concentrations in shrimp and lobster.
Saltwater shellfish near urban areas and military bases have also been found to have alarming levels of PFAS, including crabs, sea bass, oysters and Chesapeake Bay clams.
Despite the focus on the United States, in 2023, DECO PROTeste warned that it had found excessive levels of mercury in some species of fish, advising that they be consumed exceptionally.
Remember the European map of "eternal" chemicals:
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
