Researchers discover alarming new side effect of fast food
Researchers at George Washington University have linked fast food consumption to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals, a connection which they argue could have "great public health significance."
Research has shown that those who eat fast food tend to have significantly higher level of certain phthalates in their body, which are commonly found in products such as soap and make-up to make them less brittle. The presence of them in humans has been found to cause higher levels of infertility, especially among males.
The researchers believe the danger comes from how the food is prepared. For the purpose of the study, any food eaten at or from restaurants without waiters or waitresses was considered fast food. Everything else-food eaten at sit down restaurants and bars or purchased from vending machines-was not.
The researchers found that those participants who said they had eaten fast food in the last 24 hours tended to have much higher levels of two separate phthalates – DEHP and DiNP. People who reported eating only a little fast food had DEHP levels that were 15.5 per cent higher and DiNP levels that were 25 per cent higher than those who said they had eaten none. For people who reported eating a sizable amount, the increase was 24 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively.
The connection held true even after the researchers adjusted for various factors about the participants' habits and backgrounds that might have contributed to the association between fast food consumption and phthalate levels.
A 2012 study found a strong association between the presence of DEHP and diabetes, as well as high blood pressure. A 2013 study found that exposure to the industrial chemical can increase the risk of various allergic diseases in children, and a 2016 study concluded that it can also negatively affect child behaviour.
However, just because you opt for a pre-packaged sandwich in the grab and go section of a supermarket instead of a big mac, doesn’t mean you are necessarily safer.
The more machinery, plastic, conveyor belts, and various forms of processing equipment food touches, the more likely it is to contain higher levels of phthalates. All fast food tends to touch a good deal more of these things than fresh produce from a local farmer’s market.
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