Phthalates are chemicals used in cosmetics, food packaging, plastics and many other modern materials. We don’t usually think of them in food, since they have no nutritive value. Indeed, they are considered endocrine disruptors that may interfere with hormones.
Fast Food Eaters Have Phthalate-Rich Urine:
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, show that Americans who eat more fast food have significantly higher levels of phthalates in their urine. Presumably some of these are coming from the processing or packaging.
There are many different phthalates. One, DiNP, was found at levels 39 percent higher in the urine of people who ate the most fast food compared to those who had not eaten any fast food recently.
Is This a Problem?
Researchers do not know whether this exposure is something we should all worry about, but it is another disadvantage to a diet heavy in fast foods. If you are interested in learning more about phthalates and other compounds of questionable safety, you may wish to read Toxin Toxout by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith. Or you could listen to our hour-long interview with the authors in our Show 974.
Environmental Health Perspectives, online, March 10, 2016
Here is CNN’s report on this research.