Eight Ways You Are Adding Hidden Toxins in Your Food
/
You already know that a surprising number of foods contain microplastics. Seafood is contaminated with microplastics for one.
But how you prepare, and eat your food is more important than the food itself.
Your kitchen is a top priority if you want to eliminate potential toxins and hazards to your health. Many kitchen items that you use every day, every meal, expose you to harmful chemicals.
Studies have shown that your daily intake of microplastics from food and drink is estimated to be anywhere from zero to 1.5 million microplastic particles per day.
1—You use tea bags
Those silken pyramid tea bags aren't silk. They're nylon and PET plastic.
When hit with boiling water, they shed billions of invisible plastic shards directly into your drink.
This 2019 Canadian study was the first to test nylon and polyethylene tea bags. The landmark study found that they release 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics directly into your cup of tea!
It depends on the exact material, temperature, brewing duration, and how you stir your tea. But that is too much detail when I just want to relax with my cup of tea.
Remember how foods such as seafood are held up as things to avoid further plastics exposure, but microplastics in so-called “filter feeders”, such as mussels, was just 0.2-0.70 microplastic particles per gram. This is far less than that 11.6 billion microplastics released when brewing a single cup of tea with a plastic tea bag!
2—You use plastic grinders
Herbs and spices come in such convenient plastic grinders, but you are also grinder plastics into your food. This study found how the grinding mechanisms made from plastic can wear down over time, releasing microplastics into ground spices.
This also sets up your pantry to always have handy herbs on hand.
3—You chew gum
Do you chew gum to freshen your breath or to reduce post-meal acid reflux?
A single gram of chewing gum can release up to 637 microplastic particles. Chewing gum is made from a gum base (plastics and rubber), to which sweeteners and flavourings are added. As you chew, the gum base releases microplastics.
Even natural gums made with plant polymers release a similar number of microplastics as the synthetic gum. This suggests that microplastics aren’t only coming from the gum base but from microplastics introduced during the production or packaging process.
4—You microwave food using plastic containers
Companies such as Rubbermaid and Tupperware make plastic storage containers without bisphenol A (BPA), well-researched for their toxic effects. But it’s hard to know exactly what chemicals are in all plastic storage containers.
Takeout containers are not usually designed for multiple uses, so definitely do not reuse them in the microwave.
Microwave-safe plastic containers might not melt, but that doesn’t mean they’re stable under heat.
Choose safe containers that have a microwave-safe symbol (usually a symbol of a microwave with a few wavy lines above it).
However, microwaves also emit EMFs, another toxin known to affect your health. Swap out your microwave for more healthful appliances.
5—You store food in plastic containers
As a mother, I understand—plastic containers are light, easy to use, and they don’t break and create (more) mess.
Plastics labeled 3 (PVC/vinyl), 6 (Polystyrene/styrofoam), and 7 (“miscellaneous plastics”, including BPA) are considered most risky. But the thing is, chemical compounds that make up plastic like to bind to fat molecules.
Choose inert materials such as glass, stainless steel and other safe metals, or porcelain and safe clay.
6—You prepare food with latex gloves
Commercial kitchens depend on latex gloves to ensure a level of hygiene and food safety, but people are starting to use at the home too?
Plastic gloves food (like the type used by service workers) worn during food handling has been found to transfer microplastics to the food too. When these disposable gloves end up in the trash, they also contribute to plastic waste and break down into more microplastics in the environment.
If you are preparing food at home for yourself, keep your hands actually clean. You’ll be cutting down a frequent use of plastic and your food might taste better, like how your mama did it.
7—You use nonstick cookware
Nonstick cookware can release PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), which are also known as forever chemicals if heated above 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don’t depend on the coating to stay perfect for long. They can get scratched, chipped, or worn down. Depending on the tools you use or how hard you go at scraping and cleaning the pan, nonstick layers will degrade.
They even emit toxic fumes that can cause polymer fume fever—causing flu-like symptoms.
Opt for ceramic pans, stainless steel or cast iron.
8—Your tools
Cooking utensils, especially those made from aluminum, copper, and lower-quality metal alloys, can leach toxic metals into food, posing serious health risks.
Cooking acidic foods, in particular, causes a heavier load of heavy metals like lead, nickel, cadmium, and chromium to leach into your food.
The Building Biology Perspective
The kitchen is central to how you feed and nourish yourself at home. Whether you are a chef who loves experimenting in the kitchen or you need to be quick and efficient in your daily eating habits, how you work in your kitchen is a big factor in whether you add or reduce common toxins to your body.
Many plastic containers and modern appliances of convenience come with specific usage and maintenance instructions, as they can otherwise leach toxic chemicals into your food. Always check the manufacturer’s directions for information if the container is safe how you use it.
If you are unsure or want to be safe, choose biologically safe materials.
Are you planning a new kitchen? Work with me to create your building biology kitchen.
Check out my guide to a tox-free kitchen with over 100 more ways to avoid hidden toxins in your food. It is free!
