Consumption of the "fast food" type can expose us to harmful chemicals , researchers warn.
In this case, "fast food" means the definition on the part of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, according to which these are all foods that are not served on a plate. Typical examples of them are pizzas, burgers , tacos, sandwiches - in fact, what is categorized as "ready meals".
U.S. researchers have found that those who consume large amounts of this type of food are exposed to higher levels of potentially harmful chemicals known as phthalates .
Nearly 9,000 volunteers from all age groups took part in the study. The data show that among those who consume the largest amounts of fast food for a period of 24 hours, between 20% and 40% higher levels of phthalates are found in their body. The comparison is with people who do not consume such food.
Phthalates can be found in a variety of products, from plastics to perfumes. Numerous studies have focused on their relationship to infertility , complications during pregnancy , reproductive problems, cognitive and behavioral disorders and more.
Phthalates are banned from use in toys due to the risks they pose to the health of the youngest.
However, there are many other sources of these harmful substances, including food processing.
Studies have shown that the amount of phthalates increases 100% after packaging. Another possible source of these substances are the gloves used to process food . For example, in Japan, vinyl gloves are banned for use in food preparation due to their phthalate content .
Researchers from the School of Public Health at George Washington University in the United States believe that these data should raise public awareness.