It’s highly likely that you have one or more of these in your house.
However, because key kitchen goods are increasingly linked to cancer, a specialist is advising people to discard them.
More and more studies reveal that microplastics, which are tiny substances released by bigger plastic objects, enter our bloodstream, build up in our organs, and do irreversible harm.
They have been connected to heart disease, dementia, and a number of malignancies. They also contaminate the food we consume, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.
Many of the things that are causing this chain reaction of health problems may be found in your kitchen, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a family medicine osteopathic physician and author of Your Guide to Cellular Health, who spoke to DailyMail.com.
He said: “Many common kitchen items that you use every day either contain or release microplastics during food preparation and consumption.”
First, Dr. Mercola mentioned the obvious: plastic utensils and non-stick cookware. They pose a risk because they come into close touch with the food we eat and because heat accelerates their deterioration.
It has been demonstrated that the most harmful compounds are found in black plastic cutlery.
However, Dr. Mercola lists additional necessities such as Tupperware, plastic cutting boards, coffee and tea pods, and salt and pepper grinders.
To prevent hormone-disrupting microplastics from contaminating meat and vegetables, he suggests switching to a wooden chopping board.
Additionally, he advises consumers to use loose spices and grinds to reduce the amount of plastic that coffee makers and grinders use.
Dr Mercola said: “Microplastics represent a significant long-term danger to your health because they contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). “
“These chemicals mimic estrogen and have been linked to infertility and hormone-driven cancers.”
“Research suggests that, once you ingest or inhale microplastics, they can accumulate in your tissues producing chronic inflammation and an elevated risk of heart attacks and strokes.’”
The reproductive issue in America has been attributed in part to the increased incidence of EDCs.
Phthalates, which are added to plastics like food storage containers to make them malleable and soft, are mostly responsible for this.
For instance, a study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences discovered that female mice exposed to the same phthalate combinations observed in pregnant people during pregnancy developed infertility at birth, which they then transferred to their female progeny.
According to more studies, women who have greater urine phthalate levels may have a lower chance of becoming pregnant and a higher chance of losing their pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation.
Higher urine phthalate levels were also linked to a 32 percent higher risk of breast hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research.
According to a Polish study, males who were exposed to phthalates had poorer sperm counts and quality, which decreased their chances of getting pregnant
Dr. Mercola advises moving to glass storage containers, which are non-porous and stop chemicals from leaking into food, to reduce exposure to phthalates.
