The Dangerous Chemical That’s In Your Pizza

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The American Chemical Council says your testosterone is safe. But medical scientists are worried that pollutants found in pizza may interfere with that important hormone and present other health dangers.

These chemicals, called phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), are synthetic endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Studies have linked prenatal exposure to phthalates to abnormalities in the male reproductive system. Associations have also been shown between fetal exposure to BPA and hyperactivity, anxiety and depression in girls.

When researchers at University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute looked at the BPA levels of families who were trying to limit their exposure to this toxin, they uncovered troublesome results. An analysis of their diets showed that one of their biggest sources of BPA was dairy products like the cheese on pizza.

“Chemical contamination of foods can lead to concentrations higher than deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” says researcher Sheela Sathyanarayana. “It’s difficult to control your exposure to these chemicals, even when you try. We have very little control over what’s in our food, including contaminants. Families can focus on buying fresh fruits and vegetables, foods that are not canned and are low in fat, but it may take new federal regulations to reduce exposures to these chemicals.”

Aside from dairy products, the researchers found high levels of BPA in spices like coriander.

In response to this study, a spokesman for the American Chemical Council insisted: “The exposure values reported are below the typical values for the U.S. population . . . The study results are very reassuring, and don’t raise any alarms for BPA.”

But studies show that BPA is linked to heart disease, male reproductive impairment, asthma, hyperactivity and diabetes.

Carl Lowe

By Carl Lowe

has written about health, fitness and nutrition for a wide range of publications including Prevention Magazine, Self Magazine and Time-Life Books. The author of more than a dozen books, he has been gluten-free since 2007.

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