Eating more fast food increases the levels of chemicals in the body, says study
Posted on: 19/Apr/2016 3:14:04 PM
A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives says that consuming more fast food exposes the eater to higher levels of potentially harmful chemical called phthalates. The study was conducted by researchers at the George Washington University in the US.
Speaking about this, one of the researchers said, People who ate the most fast food had phthalate levels that were as much as 40 per cent higher. Our findings raise concerns because phthalates have been linked to a number of serious health problems in children and adults.
Phthalates are part of a class of industrial chemicals that are used to make materials for food packaging, tubes for dairy products and other such materials. These can leach out of the food packaging and contaminate highly processed foods.
8877 participants answered detailed questions about their diet, including the consumption of fast food. They also submitted a urinary sample that was tested for the breakdown of two phthalates - DEHP and DiNP.
Results showed that the participants who ate more fast food were more exposed to phthalates. Those who had the highest consumption had 23.8 percent higher levels of DEHP, and 40 percent higher levels of DiNP metabolites in their urine sample.
Say the researchers, Grain and meat items were the most significant contributors to phthalate exposure. The grain category contained a wide variety of items including bread, cake, pizza, burritos, rice dishes and noodles. Other studies have also identified grains as an important source of exposure to these potentially harmful chemicals.
