Posted: May 3, 2016 Contributor: administrator
Study Finds Link Between Fast Food and Infertility
Looking for ways to increase your fertility? Well, this new study might second guess your food choices.
It comes as no real shocker that fast food is bad for us. Maybe some of us try the whole Big Mac with a DIET soda trick but guess what, fast food is simply not healthy for your body.
Fast food can potentially decrease fertility
The latest report, however, shows a chemical often found in fast food can be hurting your fertility. The chemical is called phthalates and it’s most commonly used when making industrial plastics…that ALREADY sounds like something you wouldn’t want to ingest! The report was recently published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Researchers had 8,877 people fill out questionnaires pertaining to their meals in the last 24 hours. In addition to providing this information, participants also provided urine samples which were tested for the chemical phthalates.
Looking at the data
Of those whose intake of fast food calories was roughly 35% or more of their total caloric intake, had levels of the chemical up to 40% higher than those who did not consume fast food.
So what’s the big deal? According to the EPA, pthalates are classified as “probably human carcinogens.” Other research conducted on the chemical has suggested that long-term health impacts include infertility. Certain children’s toys containing these chemicals were actually banned in 2008.
So how are these chemicals in fast food?
Researchers believe that these chemicals can actually leach from the packaging they are sold in, in to the food you eat. Of those tested, it appeared that meats and grains had the highest level of the infertility-causing hormone.]]>