In a study, the consumption of fast food and ultraprocessed foods were associated with higher levels of phthalates in pregnant persons.
In a study, the consumption of fast food and ultraprocessed foods were associated with higher levels of phthalates in pregnant persons.
If you’re pregnant, you may want to think twice before making a hamburger run or reaching for a prepackaged pastry, according to research published last month in the journal Environmental International.
Oddly enough it’s not the food that the report targets — not the fries, burgers or even the shakes and cakes — but what touches the food before you eat it.
Research shows that phthalates, a class of chemicals associated with plastics, can shed from the wrapping, packaging and even from plastic gloves worn by food handlers into food. Once consumed during pregnancy, the chemicals can get into the bloodstream, through the placenta and then into the fetal bloodstream.
Read more at University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine
Photo Credit: leppäkerttu via Pixabay
