I recently stumbled onto a video uploaded on Facebook by renowned singer Kofi Kinata complaining about how traditional fante kenkey is now wrapped in plastic rubber before being covered in plantain leaves and cooked over a fire.
He was worried that this might make people more susceptible to various illnesses. This is a valid concern, in fact. Ga Kenkey, it is true, is also a victim of this fate. Additionally, the majority of the meals we prepare at home, like banku, are all wrapped in plastic.
My younger sister, who was majoring in catering, needed to be taught not to wrap hot food and banku in plastic wrap. The risky part is that these plastic rubbers are used to further boil the residual banku in hot water.
I’m constantly wondering if we eat to prolong life or hasten death. This is because the food we cook and the way we store it predisposes us to certain health problems.
When I went to see my aunt in the hospital, I was upset to see a nurse eating hot porridge out of a plastic rubber. I pondered how a nurse or other healthcare professional would instruct a patient on good eating if they were acting in such a way. I observed a lot of the hospitalized patients enjoying their hot food while wearing rubbers, which is the harsh reality.
Our decisions in life are killing us! We have resembled the parable of the boiling frog. In a recent study, Völker et al. (2022) connected plastics to obesity. This suggests that plastic food containers and other common items may be contributing to increased waistlines.
Stop preparing banku and kenkey with plastics; it is lethal.
Numerous other plastic components that may contribute to obesity that are present in packaging and our houses are examined in the new study. Researchers analysed the compounds present in 34 common goods, including the following, to better understand.
- Yogurt cups
2. Soda bottles
3. Refillable plastic water bottles
4. Plastic cups
5. Shampoo bottles
6. Oven bags
7. Vegetable trays
And more
“Considering the chemical complexity of plastic consumer products, bisphenols, and phthalates represent only the tip of the iceberg,” researchers wrote.
Although the type of plastic in your plastic container may be indicated by a number (#5 or #2, for example), the study’s authors note that a plastic bottle is normally constructed of one or more polymers and frequently contains fillers or additives as well as unintentional production residues.
However, when researchers examined 34 common plastic goods in a lab setting, they found more than 55,000 distinct chemical constituents.
According to Martin Wagner, an associate professor in the Department of Biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, “our experiments show that ordinary plastic products contain a mix of substances that can be a relevant and underappreciated factor behind overweight and obesity.” Eleven of them—known as metabolism-disrupting chemicals—are known to affect our metabolism.
According to a recent study, one-third of plastic products studied aided in the formation of fat cells during lab tests. In essence, the chemicals in plastic reprogrammed cells to become fat cells, which multiplied more and gathered more fat.
“It’s very likely that it is not the usual suspects, such as bisphenol A, causing these metabolic disturbances. This means that other plastic chemicals than the ones we already know could be contributing to overweight and obesity.”
Thus, plastics may include as-yet-unidentified compounds that affect how our bodies store fat.
Consuming food packaged in plastic is dangerous
Keep hot soups out of plastic.
Chemicals called phthalates are frequently added to plastics to improve their pliability, transparency, toughness, and longevity. Phthalates are emitted into the environment and employed in a variety of cosmetic and food items. Because fatty foods like milk, butter, and meats are frequently packaged or stored in plastics containing this toxic substance, diet is thought to be the main source of phthalates. Consequently, eating or cooking in plastic rubbers is even dangerous.
We now have even more justification to pay attention to this ongoing threat thanks to a 2018 study that was published in the academic journal Environment International.
Phthalate levels were examined between individuals who usually ate out at restaurants, cafeterias, and fast food joints and those who typically made their own meals. They discovered that on average, those who consume meals made outside of the home have phthalates circulating in their bodies that are about 35% higher.
As a result, their bloodstreams contain far more hormone-disrupting substances. And a vast number of health problems, including infertility, difficulty losing weight, childbirth defects, and even some malignancies, have been linked to these substances.
While we’re talking about eating fast food on the road, you should be aware of the following: Additionally, nonstick chemicals that promote fat and harm the thyroid are found in one-third of fast food packaging. We now need to be concerned about more than just calories.
When phthalic anhydride and the proper alcohol are combined, phthalates are created, which are colorless and odorless liquids. Additionally, testing conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that the majority of Americans had several phthalate metabolites in their urine.
Although our greatest exposure to these poisons is thought to come from our diet, they can also be taken in through the skin and the air. inside air pollution can be worse than outdoor air pollution, with inside concentrations appearing to be much higher than outdoor ones. Furthermore, phthalates are present in the air in greater quantities at higher temperatures.
A 2021 study discovered a connection between phthalates and the 100,000 early deaths every year in America. According to researchers, these early deaths cost the US economy up to $47 billion in missed income per year.
According to Duty et al.’s 2003 study, decreased DNA integrity in human sperm may be related to ambient phthalate levels. 168 guys from the Massachusetts General Hospital Andrology Laboratory participated in the study and gave semen and urine samples. The findings show that monoethyl phthalate, which is prevalent in urine, does worsen sperm DNA damage.
A scholarly review conducted by Hauser and Calafat in 2005 examined a number of studies on the effects of exposure to phthalates on reproductive development in both humans and animals.
Epididymal malformations or absence of the epididymis, increased incidence of hypospadias (opening of the urethra in males), a smaller distance between the genitals and anus, a delayed preputial separation (pubertal milestone), retention of thoracic nipples, and testicular lesions were some of the reproductive tract developmental issues caused by some phthalates in experimental animal studies, mostly in rodents.
According to certain studies, testicular toxicity and phthalate exposure in adolescence and adulthood are related. Additionally, studies have shown that exposure to phthalates lengthens the cycles of reproductive hormones, inhibits or delays ovulation, causes smaller pre-ovulatory follicles due to smaller granulosa cells, and lowers the amount of circulating serum oestradiol, another reproductive hormone.
Researchers concur that action had to be taken to address this toxic substance. The market was still dominated by high-phthalate plasticizers in 2010, but companies are being compelled to employ non-phthalate plasticizers more and more as a result of current legislative restrictions as well as rising environmental awareness and perceptions. It is our responsibility as consumers to look for phthalate-free goods and steer clear of anything that contains this dangerous chemical.
Foods in cans and baby bottles are also at risk because they contain BPA, a synthetic substance with a carbon base that is pervasive in modern life. It is utilised in a wide variety of products, including cash register receipts, canned food and drink liners, and shatter-resistant plastic water bottles and food storage containers.
A groundbreaking study by DeLuca et al. (2018) found a new risk factor for a variety of digestive health issues, which is extremely important. They discovered BPA to be an inflammatory bowel disease risk factor.
According to a study from the University of Buea in Cameroon, BPA’s impact on infertility is another significant problem (Manfo et al. 2014). Researchers found some excruciatingly surprising facts:
1. By changing adult hormones, BPA has an impact on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, which has been related to sperm failure. Because BPA causes oxidative stress in the testis and epididymis, antioxidant supplements may be able to mitigate some of the negative effects BPA causes.
2. BPA also hinders healthy thyroid development in the developing fetes.
Men who were exposed to BPA at work exhibited aberrant semen parameters and elevated blood/urinary BPA levels.
Men who were exposed to BPA also showed decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. How foods covered in plastic sheets are related, among other things, to breast and prostate cancer
An earlier investigation conducted in China by Yan et al. (2013) also shown that “long-term exposure of female mammalians to BPA can lead to endocrine disorders in women, followed by the morphological and functional changes in ovary, uterus, vagina, and oviducts,” which have been associated to producing fertility problems. And both women who become pregnant naturally and those who use in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) have these adverse effects.
The Shelby(2008) study acknowledged that it is concerned about the current levels of BPA exposure to humans. The key issues were effects on the brain and behavior at dosages that most people are exposed to every day, as well as effects on the prostate gland in fetuses’, infants, and children.
BPA exposure in female patients interfered with the oocyte, which is the early stage of the female ovum before it is released, according to a different study from the University of California, San Francisco. During IVF, the oocyte’s health was compromised, which can interfere with successful implantation and pregnancy.
According to a ground-breaking study by Johns et al. (2016), BPA exposure may cause reduced blood levels of vitamin D. Another dangerous hormone-disrupting toxin, phthalates, appears to reduce the body’s amounts of vitamin D. Although the association was not statistically significant in men, there was a correlation between exposure to greater levels of BPA and lower levels of vitamin D in women.
1,326 school-aged children from Shanghai had urine BPA levels analyzed as part of Li et al.’s (2013) study, which connected BPA to obesity. In comparison to the average of the other kids, they discovered that females with greater urine BPA levels were twice as likely to be fat.
Yan et al.’s (2011) troubling study discovered that BPA altered the natural cardiac signaling in female rates. This resulted in arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat that can occasionally result in sudden cardiac death.
In their 2013 study, Sabanayagam et al. write that “higher urinary BPA levels are found to be associated with pre-diabetes independent of traditional diabetes risk factors.” This study is intriguing since it shows unequivocally that BPA has been demonstrated to alter glucose metabolism through insulin resistance, pancreatic beta-cell malfunction, adipogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, regardless of your diet and degree of fitness.
According to a 2013 study by Jedeon et al., daily BPA exposure weakens dental enamel. Despite the fact that this was a rat study, the results imply that early exposure to BPA may be the cause of the unfavourable changes that dentists observe in 18% of children (white spots on the teeth and fragile enamel).
Despite the fact that some plastic producers are choosing to use bisphenol S (BPS) and other compounds, recent research have shown that this new strategy is just as harmful as the original BPA, if not worse.
More than 80% of Americans, according to recent investigations, have measurable BPS levels in their urine. Lead author Professor Cheryl Watson claims:
‘BPA-free’ is a claim made by manufacturers, and it is accurate. The substitution for BPA has not been studied for the same kinds of issues that BPA has been demonstrated to create, which they forgot to mention. It’s a little sly, that. The same outcomes were reported by other research.
Take home
Since these chemicals are so prevalent in our daily lives—they can even be found in plastic water bottles, sachet water, baby meals, etc.—it is difficult to completely eliminate them. The riskiest of all is to eat hot food while wearing a plastic rubber. You must stop cooking these things in rubber wrappers that are wrapped in flames since doing so will ruin your health. It is advised to do the following:
- Eat your waakye and others in plantain leaves;
- You can take personal action to eat fresh and avoid plastic food packaging, but overall better chemical safety regulations are needed to protect consumers;
- Avoid all foods wrapped and heated in plastic rubbers;
- Avoid heating or freezing food in plastic containers;
- Opt for food and drink containers made of glass or food-grade stainless steel;
- Consider an “obesogens detox” or “obesogens diet;
- Use microwave-friendly bowels; and
- Detox your system by drinking herbal teas daily
NB:
Prof. Nyarkotey has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations to justify his write-ups. My articles are for educational purposes and do not serve as Medical advice for Treatment. I aim to educate the public about evidence-based scientific Naturopathic Therapies.
The writer is a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare, President, of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine & Technology (NUCHMT)/African Naturopathic Foundation. E-mail: professor40naturopathy@gmail.com.
