Sticky Situation With Nonstick Cookware Linked To Thyroid Disease
Health threat linked to thyroid disease comes from nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets.
Recent research has found links between perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and female infertility, low sperm count, and even high cholesterol.
The substance, used to make nonstick cookware, stain-resistant furnishings and greaseproof wrappers, is believed to get into the body through contaminated food or household dust. Once in the body it accumulates in organs and other tissues.
People with high levels of the chemical in their blood were found to be twice as likely to have thyroid problems as those with the lowest levels, according to a survey of medical records of nearly 4,000 otherwise healthy US adults.
The thyroid gland produces hormones that control the body’s metabolism and are vital for regulating heart rate and temperature.
Thyroid disease can make the gland produce too much or too little hormone. An underactive thyroid can cause exhaustion, depression and weight gain. And,If the gland is overactive, it can cause weight loss and a rapid heartbeat. Women are 10 times more likely to have thyroid problems than men.
You can do your health a great service by getting rid of any nonstick cookware immediately.
Teflon pans quickly reach temperatures that cause the non-stick coating to begin breaking down, releasing toxins into the air surrounding you.
When your Teflon pot or pan reaches 680 degrees F (which takes about three to five minutes of heating), at least six toxic gases are released. At 1,000 degrees F, the coatings on your cookware break down into a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB.
Even studies done by DuPont have found that Teflon and similar nonstick services emit six toxic gases under high heat.
Environmental Working Group’s testing has found that some nonstick surfaces break down under just medium heat (325 degrees).
These heated nonstick surface fumes have been known for years to kill pet birds, according to the ASPCA. Perhaps you’re familiar with the expression, “canary in a coal mine?
These chemicals are easily absorbed by your body, and have been linked to a growing number of health concerns (thyroid disease included). That healthy, home-cooked meal becomes toxic when prepared in unsafe cookware.
Now, about 70 percent of cookware sold in the U.S. contains a non-stick coating … and most Americans test positive for PFOA in their blood.
Aside from potentially harming your thyroid, these nasty chemicals have also been linked to lower birth weights among newborns, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that PFOA “poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans” — an extreme understatement.
PFOA was linked to a 60 percent to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.
What you can do
If you already own nonstick pans, cook with them only on low heat and, when it’s time to replace them, avoid Teflon dangers with stainless steel or cast iron cookware.
My personal choice is ceramic cookware, because it’s very durable and easy to clean, and there’s absolutely no risk of exposure to harmful chemicals.
If you do have nonstick that isn’t scratched, you can still use it until it’s time to replace it, just cook with it using low heat.
Once you’re ready for new cookware, choose a ceramic or other non chemical nonstick surface for those times when you just can’t cook without a nonstick pan.
Want to know more about nonstick cookware and thyroid disease? Then, post your question below.
Yours truly for great health, mind and body,
Michelle, natural health advocate
February 14 2010 06:22 pm | Fitness and Green Living and Healthy Eating
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