Seattle - It's said, eating too often outside food can increase the intake of unhealthy sugars and fats. The statement reinforced by a new study shows that there is another reason why this is really bad, namely a health threat nicknamed phthalates.
Reported by CNN on Friday (30/3/2018), phthalates are harmful chemicals found in hundreds of consumer products, including perfumes, hair sprays, shampoos, and plastics used in food processing and packaging.
The consumption of these chemicals has been linked to birth defects in infants, as well as behavioral and obesity problems in older children and adults.
Excessive exposure of these chemicals in the uterus, may alter the development of the male reproductive tract, resulting in an incomplete decline of one or both testicles.
Scientists also suspect that these chemicals can disrupt hormones, and can trigger fertility problems. These findings have been studied in those who are obese, asthma, neurological problems, cardiovascular problems, and even cancer.
The study, published in the journal International Environment on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, found that phthalate levels on food menu in restaurants, cafeterias and fast food outlets proved to be 35 percent higher than packaged food products.
"Phthalates is a type of synthetic chemical known to be an endocrine disrupter, which means it affects hormones in the body," says Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a childhood health professor at Seattle Children's Hospital and University of Washington.
Those who dine outside, may be exposed to chemicals through foods that have come into contact with plastic packaging, says Ami Zota, assistant professor of health at George Washington University.
"The main idea is that food made in restaurants and cafeterias may come in contact with phthalate-containing ingredients, in part because some portion of the food is made in a decentralized location," Zota said.
According to Zota, the sub-section of phthalates that most impact on health is the plasticizer, which is often used to soften plastics.
The material can be found on food packaging, eating gloves, as well as plastic tableware.
The study relies on data collected between 2005 and 2014 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is held every two years by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These included 10253 people who were asked about their eating habits during the last 24 hours, and who gave a sample of urine to evaluate the phthalate levels in the body.
The researchers found that about two-thirds of respondents admitted to eating at least once a day before. Those who ate dinner also had higher levels of phthalate metabolites in the urine.
This linkage is consistent across all ages, sexes and ethnicities. However, the strongest impact occurs in teenagers who often eat outside food. They have a phthalate rate 55 percent higher than those who eat at home.
Development of Similar Research which has been done in the past
This is not the first phthalate level associated with food sources. In 2016, Zota leads research that shows the relationship between phthalate exposure and fast food restaurants.
The new study extends the study, showing that relationships remain, even when eating in other places, such as restaurants and cafeterias.
"We first used this methodology to focus on fast food, and found some striking associations between recent fast food consumption and phthalate exposure," says Zota.
"And now, we're extending it to see if the findings are unique to fast food, or how are they compared to other food outlets, which might reflect other types of food processing and manufacturing systems?" he explained.
Last year, a report found high concentrations of phthalates in the menu of mac n cheese served in restaurants, and encouraged the addition of chemical substances in the diet.
Although FAO has been seriously monitoring phthalates levels in a number of cosmetics, it is not applied equally well to food or beverage products.
Meanwhile, the good news is that the old phthalate settles in the body, averaging no more than a day.
"Home food can be a good way to reduce unhealthy sugars, fats and salts, and this may not have as many dangerous phthalates as restaurant food," Zota advises.
"Another important thing is that these chemicals are everywhere in the environment," he added.
"So, to really reduce exposure to these harmful chemicals, we need a systemic change to how our food is produced and transported, and that will require changes in market-based policies and solutions."
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