This is the last of a three part article. Part one covered the toxins in personal care products.1 part two covered the toxicity of indoor air in homes.2 This part will cover the toxicity in food.
An apple a day… Imagine that you scored good-health points for eating healthful foods; but then had to subtract points for the toxins within them. There is no such formula, of course, but other aspects besides dietary food selection play a role in health: how the food is cooked, how it is packaged, and how it is grown and processed. Toxic elements can creep into these areas and diminish the benefits of healthful food.
Dietary selection plays an important role in health.
Nutrition can affect the microbiome, gut barrier function, inflammatory processes, and white blood cell function, all of which impact immune function.3
With knowledge and mindfulness of how toxicity seeps into your food, you can help improve the powerful impact dietary choices have on your health.
Cooking Methods
1. Grilling
Toxicants
Food from the grill has its own unique and special flavor. Food Network’s Chopped series extols the yummy virtues of the char. While there is virtually never a consensus, most research studies have discovered that toxic chemicals can not only be produced from the grill, but also come from one of its most enticing flavors — the charring of meat. Temperature and doneness seem to be key factors.
And grilled vegetables produce their own toxic chemicals.
What are these carcinogens?
- Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) — also known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs)
HAAs are chemicals that form from the reaction of proteins, sugars and creatine within meat, poultry and seafood that are cooked at a high temperature. Frying, broiling, and grilling produce the largest amounts of HAAs.”4 Laboratory studies have shown that HAAs are mutagenic, which means they cause changes in DNA that can increase the risk of cancer.
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS)
PAHs are chemicals that form when fat and juices from meat being grilled drip onto the heated surface or open fire, causing flames and smoke. The smoke contains PAHs that adhere to the surface of the meat. PAHs are also mutagenic. The process of smoking meats can also form PAHs.5
- Acrylamide
Acrylamide is the vegetarian counterpart to HAAs. It forms when asparagine, an amino acid, is heated in the presence of sugars. High-temperature cooking of potatoes, grains (like toast and cereal), and coffee produce this cancer-causing substance.
Simple Solutions
The good news is that some relatively simple adjustments can help minimize your exposure to these suspected carcinogens:
- Avoid exposure of the meat to an open flame or heated surface — don’t press burgers down where the juices can drip
- Monitor cooking times and temperatures — cook over a medium heat
- Microwave the meat first to shorten the cooking time
- Continuously turn the meat during cooking
- Remove the charred portions — marinades with little or no sugar help protect the meat from charring
- Don’t make sauces or gravy from the drippings
- Serve with cruciferous veggies — an interesting study in 2021 found that broccoli and other vegetables rich in phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEIT) were able to help the body detoxify HAAs6
2. Cooking with oil heated beyond its smoke point
The temperature at which a cooking oil starts to break down is called its smoke point. Heating an oil to this temperature and beyond produces free radicals, 7 which have the potential to damage healthy cells in your body by changing your cells’ DNA.8 I was aware of the discussion about which oil to use for cooking and mistakenly thought one should not cook with olive oil, which is not true. Olive oil has a lower smoke point than other oils, avocado oil is one example. Avocado oil can be used in dishes that require higher heat.
Becoming familiar with the oils and their smoke points is easy. Numerous websites provide that information, along with tips on using the right oil for your purpose. For example, one food-and-drink website provides a chart of smoke points taken from the Culinary Institute of America’s The Professional Chef.9
3. Ultra processed foods
Ultra processed foods is a category that includes packaged baked goods and snacks, soda, sugary cereals, ready-to-eat meals, fast food, canned soups, and reconstituted meat and fish products (sausage, turkey breast, chicken nuggets). They are toxic in nature; they contain little, if any, whole foods and are high in additives, added sugar, fat, and salt. They are often lacking in vitamins and fiber.
….[ultra processed] foods are made by deconstructing natural food into its chemical constituents, modifying them and recombining them into new forms that bear little resemblance to anything found in nature.10
Americans are eating more of these foods over the years. From 2001-2002 they accounted for 53.5% of calories and in 2017-2018 for 57%. Given that they increase the risk of the lethal comorbidities of diabetes and obesity associated with COVID, the consumption curve does not appear to be headed in the right direction.
Ultra processed foods are attractive for their convenience, but keep in mind that convenience is just one consideration; there is also their addictive nature. Food companies chemically engineer them to appeal to taste sensations in your brain, so it may almost feel like an addiction to be overcome. Begin with small steps to replace these foods with less processed or homemade substitutions, an “eat-this-and-not-that” approach. The Healthline website supplies a chart of sample substitutions.11
Food containers and other packaging
Toxicants
- BPA is a component of many plastics and has been on the radar as toxic for a long time. It is a suspected endocrine disruptor, which means it interferes with your body’s hormonal system and may also have links to cancer. You probably have seen food cans proclaiming to be BPA-free, especially in products for children. The FDA has yet to provide any federal regulation; however, it does recommend you judiciously avoid BPA, when possible. While the The FDA is sponsoring more research, some states have enacted their own regulations.12
- Forever chemicals are a class of chemicals that are toxic and hang around practically forever, both in the environment and human body. They have been linked to infertility, a suppressed immune system, and cancer. Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAs), one class of these chemicals, have a COVID link: elevated blood levels are correlated with increased risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.13 PFAs are found in plastic soda and water bottles, fast food wrappers, nonstick pans and pizza boxes.*
Simple Solutions
Reducing exposure from packaging toxins:
- Select packaging made of glass, stainless steel, and porcelain, rather than plastic — it is also a good idea to store leftovers in the same types of containers
- When plastic cannot be avoided, choose recycling codes 1, 2, 4, and 5, as these are less toxic
- Buy more fresh and frozen food
- Replace plastic water bottles with reusable stainless steel
- Buy in bulk
- Be wary of BPA-free plastics because they may contain substitutes just as harmful
- Look for the MADE SAFE seal on baby products and water bottles
- Research — check with Environmental Working Group (EWG) for updates — for example, California passed a law, effective in 2023, that bans forever chemicals in food packaging and straws14
Pesticides and additives and GMOs
A recent study highlighted the difference buying organic can make. A “massive” observational study tracked the fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, soy, grains and ten other categories of products in the diets of over 6000 people for four years. Those who ate the most organic foods had a 25% lower risk of cancer.15 Organic foods, by definition, should be non-GMO and grown without synthetic chemicals.
The most common pesticide in the world, Roundup’s glyphosate, has been linked to cancer and it is found in an abundance of food. A previous AMD article on GMOs explains how GMO crops were not, as one might assume, engineered to be more robust in their resistance to pests; they were engineered to tolerate being sprayed with higher levels of glyphosate.
In addition to pesticide residues, the FDA allows thousands of additives in processed food – caking agents, preservatives, ph control agents, stabilizers, thickeners, food colorings, humectants, the list goes on. Additives are used for purposes such as to improve or preserve taste, nutrition and appearance, prevent food borne illness, extend shelf life. Food additives are not necessarily bad, but a diet rich in heavily processed foods leads to chronic disease, so says Cleveland Clinic:
Consuming small amounts of additives may be safe, but the health risks add up if you rely heavily on processed foods. A diet rich in processed foods is linked to chronic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer.16
I wonder, what constitutes small amounts? And when do small amounts add up to big?
So, if you are not ready or able to dig up your yard and plant an organic garden, there are steps you can take to make your food choices more healthful.
- A good place to begin is with the EWG list of the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen fruits and vegetables, rated for pesticides. Select the organic options whenever possible, but especially prioritize those highest in pesticides.
- When buying processed foods read the labels. Cleveland Clinic also recommends five additives to avoid: they are sodium nitrite, nitrites, trans fat, MSG, and FD&C yellow n0. 5 and no. 6 food colorings.
- On the bright side – a promising trend in cities are urban gardens – the setting aside of areas where residents grow their own food in their own or community spaces. Locally grown food is more nutritious, tastes better, and does not require the additives needed to transport it. Consider starting small in whatever space you have available.
*Forever chemicals are not only found in food packaging but water, cosmetics, etc. and deserve an article all to themselves — coming soon.
The final article in our 2024 Healthier You Series will cover the topic of mental health. We started at the beginning of the year investigating the areas of most concern based upon New Year Resolutions. We will finish as the end of the year is not that far away, with a final topic that has been, at least by one survey gaining in attention on that list: mental health.
I hope you found this article informative, I certainly did! As always, If you have any thoughts or comments, I would love to hear from you. My email is barbara@amajordifference.com
