Dining out increases health-harming phthalates
According to a study, dining out often at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets may increase levels of potentially health-harming chemicals called phthalates in the body.
Phthalates, a group of chemicals used in food packaging and processing materials, are known to disrupt hormones in humans and are linked to a long list of health problems.
Products that contain phthalates include take-home boxes, gloves used in handling food, food processing equipment and other items used in the production of restaurant, cafeteria and fast food meals. An earlier research has suggested that these chemicals can leach out from plastic containers or wrapping into food.
‘This study suggests food prepared at home is less likely to contain high levels of phthalates, chemicals linked to fertility problems, pregnancy complications and other health issues,’ says senior author Ami Zota, ScD, MS, an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University. ‘Our findings suggest that dining out may be an important, and previously under-recognized source of exposure to phthalates for the U.S. population.’
The study is the first to compare phthalate exposures in people who reported dining out to those more likely to enjoy home-cooked meals. People who reported consuming more restaurant, fast food and cafeteria meals had phthalate levels that were nearly 35 percent higher than people who reported eating food mostly purchased at the grocery store, according to the study.
The study found that people who ate the most fast food, burgers, fries and other foods, had phthalate levels that were as much as 40 percent higher than people who rarely ate such foods.
‘Pregnant women, children and teens are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals, so it’s important to find ways to limit their exposures,’ says Varshavsky, who is now a postdoctoral scientist at the University of California, San Francisco. ‘Future studies should investigate the most effective interventions to remove phthalates from the food supply.’
If verified by additional research, the findings from this study suggest that people who love dining out are getting a side of phthalates with their entrée.
Home-cooked meals may be one way to limit exposure to these harmful chemicals. “Preparing food at home may represent a win-win for consumers,” adds Zota. “Home cooked meals can be a good way to reduce sugar, unhealthy fats and salt. And this study suggests it may not have as many harmful phthalates as a restaurant meal.”
At the same time, phthalate contamination of the food supply also represents a larger public health problem, one that must be addressed by policymakers. Zota and Woodruff’s previous research shows that policy actions, such as bans, can help reduce human exposure to harmful phthalates.
