{"id":18672,"date":"2024-01-02T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/?p=18672"},"modified":"2023-12-27T10:08:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-27T15:08:53","slug":"pfas-study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodmedcenter.org\/zh_cn\/pfas-study-spotlight-take-away-with-chef-dr-mike\/","title":{"rendered":"PFAs Study Spotlight Take-Away with Chef Dr. Mike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Lasting Sadness: The Hidden Dangers of PFAs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe sadness will last forever.\u201d<\/em>
~Vincent van Gogh<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vincent may have changed his conclusion if he knew about PFAs, perhaps the only thing capable of outlasting his sadness, except Keith Richards. PFAs are a modern industrial creation and comprise a group of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are commonly referred to as \u201cforever chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All members of this group, which contain a carbon-fluorine bond in their structure, share four common characteristics: they are resistant to water, fats, and degradation and are thermally stable. They are a key component of many fire retardants, and individuals who have high occupational exposure to PFAs, like firefighters, have a significantly higher risk of certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PFAs are also commonly used in the manufacture of many household items such as cleaning products. Because they resist decay and accumulate in the environment, they are frequently detected in such commonly encountered substances as drinking water and indoor dust. They enter into the food-health discussion because they have been approved by the United States Food And Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food contact applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two PFAs, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are particularly concerning. Food sources of PFOS and PFOA include fish, seafood, meat, meat products, eggs, egg products, milk, dairy products, and drinking water \u2013 which means you can find it in just about every available food product. That includes agricultural products like corn exposed to PFA-contaminated soil, water, or biosolids. These compounds are rapidly absorbed from the human gastrointestinal tract, are not metabolized, and are excreted through the urine and feces. They have a human half-life of five years for PFOS and two to four years for PFOA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As noted in a European report<\/a>, \u201cContamination of food with PFOS and PFOA is thought to occur mainly through two different processes (i) from bioaccumulation in aquatic and terrestrial food chains and (ii) as a result of [the] transfer of PFOS, PFOA and their precursors from contact materials used in food processing and packaging. Contamination can also arise when food-producing animals are exposed to sources of pollution, such as wild boars feeding at dumpsites.\u201d The report went on to note that these compounds \u201cwere detected in blood samples of almost all individuals [humans] assessed, demonstrating ubiquitous exposure.\u201d Both PFOS and PFOA were also found in human breast milk, in newborns, and in residents living in remote sub-Arctic indigenous communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second most prevalent cause of cancer death worldwide. Approximately 80 percent of CRC cases are thought to be related to environmental exposure of some kind. The current study observed that CRC cells immersed in a PFA solution demonstrated increased cell motility and metabolic changes consistent with cancer metastasis. The magnitude of the effect appears \u201cdependent not only on concentration [of PFAs] but also on the exposure time and genetic profile [of the cancer cells].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Study:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n