Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - Phthalates linked to metabolic diseases

This article is not specifically about LC, but it does seem to implicate everyday products we use as potentially having a role in developing metabolic problems with children most impacted:

Quote:

Children who use more personal care products like sunscreen, lotion, soaps and haircare items have higher levels of toxic phthalates in their bodies, new research finds, and the highest levels were found in Black and Latino children.

The study checked more than 600 urine samples from four- to eight-year-olds for phthalates, which are highly toxic endocrine disruptors that can alter hormone production, and are linked to reproductive, immune system and metabolic diseases. They are also considered developmental toxicants that impact children’s behavior and learning ability.

Quote:

Phthalates are common plasticizers used in plastic containers across the economy, and many companies also add them as ingredients to personal care products to help stabilize them or carry fragrances. Phthalates can migrate from plastic containers into personal care items, and recent testing has also found them widely contaminating food and medications.

Children are especially vulnerable when absorbing phthalates because they have a greater area of skin surface relative to their body weight, and because their metabolic systems may not be fully developed to help process the compounds. Still, little research on children’s exposure to the chemicals in personal care products exists, Bloom said.

Though the body eliminates the chemicals quickly, humans are exposed to such a high level of them and via so many routes that the consistent exposure presents a health risk.

“The habits that predispose us to exposure to these chemicals, like use of lotion, tend to be routine, so we often end up with a scenario in which by the time we eliminate one dose … we’re putting on lotion the next morning, and this state of pseudo persistence can emerge,” he said.

The use of lotions like moisturizers or sunscreens, as well as oils, were associated with the highest levels in children. Those who reported using lotions in the previous 24 hours showed higher levels of the type of phthalate that migrates from plastic into products, while hair oil usage was strongly associated with the type of phthalates intentionally added to products.

The study found boys tended to have higher levels than girls, and the varying levels among racial groups may have to do with socioeconomic factors, brand preferences, accessibility, methods of product application or frequency of use, Bloom said.

Full article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...hthalates-study