You may work hard to follow a nourishing diet, such as the Mediterranean or DASH diet. Perhaps you’re one of the 5% of Americans who get enough fiber each day.But food preparation is important for health—and toxicologists aren’t just concerned about frying otherwise lean or plant-based proteins or smothering a salad in a dressing loaded with saturated fat. Their pain points go beyond the all-important nutritional aspects of what we eat.
“Mitigating exposure to food-borne contaminants is just as critical to your health as the nutritional content of the food itself,” states Dr. Serah Oyewole, MD, a medical toxicologist at Houston Methodist. “Proper food preparation, such as washing and cooking to the right temperature, reduces the risk of microbial contamination.”Safe storage practices are also important.
“Storing cold or room-temperature food in durable plastics like polypropylene is safe,” Dr. Oyewole states. “Denser plastics tolerate standard temperature shifts without degradation.”Still, you’ve probably heard a lot about microplastics lately. While toxicologists say the research is still emerging, it’s worth considering simple swaps in how you store and prep food. For instance, Dr. Wells Brambl, MD, a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician with Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center, suggests avoiding takeout or disposable containers with a grease- and water-resistant sheen because “these likely contain PFAS.” Dr. Brambl also suggests replacing aging plastic items that come into contact with dishes, such as lids, utensils, sponges and cabinet liners, as another practical step.
But there’s another kitchen-related swap that can lower your risk of health concerns. Below, medical toxicologists explain why they’re urging people to stop preparing food in one specific way. ?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?
Toxicologists Are Urging People To Stop Preparing Food This Way
Toxicologists want people to reconsider microwaving food in plastic containers. “The classic adage ‘you are what you eat’ holds for dietary plastic intake,” Dr. Brambl tells Parade. “The more plastic surrounding food, inevitably means more plastic you consume.”
Importantly, he explains that long-term side effects of microplastics are still being studied, and current literature indicates that microplastics are already in our bodies.
Still, Dr. Oyewole says that heating plastic can disrupt chemical bonds and release microplastics, nanoplastics and chemical additives directly into your food. For instance, she says most food storage containers are made of polypropylene (plastic #5) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE, plastic #4).
“When heat is applied, the individual molecules within the plastic vibrate,” she explains. “As temperatures rise, this vibration disrupts the plastic polymer network. When these bonds break, they release polymer fragments, manufacturing additives like UV stabilizers, antioxidants, dyes and other contaminants from food containers.”
Dr. Oyewole adds that older hard plastics frequently used Bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor.
“Other containers relied on high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which was treated with fluorine to provide a nonstick surface,” she says. “Two compounds released during heating of HDPE are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and polyfluoroalkyl (PFOS), part of a larger group of perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals.'”
Dr. Oyewole adds that PFOA is now considered a group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic, or producing/tending to produce cancer) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Today’s plastic containers (modern polypropylene and LDPE containers) are free of BPA, phthalates, PFOA and PFOS. “Regulatory bodies like the FDA classify them as safe for food storage,” Dr. Oyewole says. “However, the long-term health effects of ingesting microplastics remain an active area of toxicological research.”
Evidence linking microplastics to cancer is still being examined. But some data suggest a correlational relationship (not necessarily causal or a proven direct link) between microplastics and inflammation, which can increase disease risk.
Related: Wait—What Happens if You Eat Expired Food?
What About Microwave Safe Plastics?
Dr. Brambl calls “microwave-safe” a “misleading label.”
Not all plastics are created equal, and he says higher-quality, multi-use plastic products are generally more durable and resistant to degradation. “A ‘microwave safe’ label on packages does not reduce risk from leached microplastics,” Dr. Brambl says. “Microwave safe simply means the plastic will not melt in the microwave.”
He also warns that no industry or government regulations or standards define what qualifies as a “safe” amount of microplastics leached into heated products (or whether there even is a “safe” amount).
Related: A Food Safety Expert Is Begging You To Stop Making This Mistake When Washing Your Fruits and Vegetables
Can You Ever Heat Food in Plastic?
Dr. Brambl understands people often heat food in plastic containers for convenience, but he doesn’t recommend it. “If a plastic container must be used, turn down the microwave power to the minimum necessary to heat the food,” he says.
That said, there’s no need to panic if you’ve been heating food in plastic. Instead, focus on what you can do now. “Switching to glass or ceramic for heat/re-heating food items is the solution for minimizing risk in the future,” Dr. Brambl says. “Reducing the amount of food-borne plastics in the diet will minimize exposure to potential harm.”
To lower your exposure to microplastics, he recommends that you:
Identify plastic used in your kitchen and remove it from service. Replace it with a non-plastic kitchen item. Identify grocery items that are packaged in plastic and find non-plastic-wrapped alternatives.“Microplastics contamination of the environment has already been well documented, so microplastics may already contaminate certain foods before any processing,” he adds.
Up Next:
Related: Oncologists Are Begging You To Stop Making This Microwave Mistake Immediately
Sources:
Dr. Wells Brambl, MD, a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician with Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center Dr. Serah Oyewole, MD, a medical toxicologist at Houston Methodist Detection of microplastics in human tissues and organs: A scoping review. Journal of Global Health. Bisphenol A and its replacement chemicals as endocrine disruptors and obesogens. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. IARC Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). World Health Organization. Microplastics: an often-overlooked issue in the transition from chronic inflammation to cancer. Journal of Translational Medicine.Hence then, the article about toxicologists are begging people to stop preparing food this way was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Toxicologists Are Begging People To Stop Preparing Food This Way )
Also on site :
- Global Times: China's innovation success is real global news, landing in the living rooms of Italian retirees who barely use a smartphone: Italian scientist
- “You Can Never Outwork Them”: Kenny Leon Reveals What Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Other Great Artists Have in Common
- Hudson Williams Shares How “Surreal” It Was for Him and Connor Storrie to Return to ‘Heated Rivalry’ Set