Coffee, Eggs and White Rice Linked to Higher Levels of PFAS in Human Body

New research has found that people who consume more white rice, coffee, eggs, and seafood tend to have more toxic chemicals in their plasma and breast milk. The study, which examined samples from 3,000 pregnant mothers, is among the first to suggest coffee and white rice may be contaminated at higher rates than other foods. It also identified an association between red meat consumption and levels of PFOS, one of the most common and dangerous PFAS compounds.

PFAS are a class of about 16,000 compounds used to make products that resist water, stains, and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down and have been found to accumulate in humans. The chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, plummeting sperm counts, and other serious health problems.

Food is thought to be the most common exposure route to PFAS, but the Food and Drug Administration has drawn criticism for its failure to protect the nation’s food supply. Researchers suspect that contaminated rice stems from contaminated soil or agricultural water, non-stick cookware often contains the chemicals, or it could be in water used for cooking. Higher levels of PFAS are associated with eggs from backyard chickens, which could be attributed to the birds more commonly being fed with table scraps.

In coffee, researchers suspect that beans, water used for brewing, or soil could be contaminated. Previous research has also found coffee filters to be treated with PFAS, and paper cups or other food packaging also commonly contain the chemicals. Seafood has regularly been found to be contaminated with PFAS due to widespread water pollution.

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