Western diet mainstays laced with TOXINS! (Study)
Friend, the perils of the Western diet are jaw-dropping.
But if you STILL find yourself drawn to eating the processed CRAP, there’s are findings about these meals that are going to make you want to run for the hills!
Here’s what you need to know.
According to a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, chemicals known as phthalates have been detected in foods from popular fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Chipotle, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and more.
What exactly are phthalates?
In a nutshell, they are industrial chemicals used to make plastics more durable.
They found that over 80% of the foods contained a phthalate called DnBP, and 70% contained the phthalate DEHP—both of which have been linked to health problems like obesity, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
It’s important to note that the detected levels of phthalates in the study are below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) health protective threshold… but finding any amount of this chemical in food should be a huge concern!
What can you do to avoid ingesting phthalates?
Don’t eat the junk in the first place is a good start!
But, if you’re still in need of convenient, ‘quick’, meals, there are healthy options out there.
Online food delivery services like HelloFresh or ButcherBox offer convenient (and organically sourced) meal kits that are made with only natural ingredients… and require very little prep work.
You can also make your own meal prep schedule. Pick a day, like Sunday, and set aside a chunk of time to cook meals for the week.
In Your Corner,
Dr. Allan Spreen
Sources:
Mozes, Alan. “Would You Like Phthalates With That? Fast Food Contains Industrial Chemicals: Report.” https://consumer.healthday.com/10-27-would-you-like-phthalates-with-that-fast-food-contains-industrial-chemicals-report-2655365090.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Phthalates Factsheet.” https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html
Pitofsky, Marina. “Phthalates on the fast-food menu: Chemicals linked to health problems found at McDonalds, Taco Bell.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/10/27/dominos-mcdonalds-chemicals-plastics-detected-fast-food/8574237002/
