There is a long list of foods women are urged to avoid eating while pregnant. However, a new study has found that ultra-processed foods should now be added to this list. Interestingly, the study is focused not on the foods themselves but rather on the food wrappings.
The plastic wrappings that encase fast food products and pre-packaged goods or even the plastic gloves that fast food workers wear to prepare food can leach chemicals into the foods themselves. One of these chemicals is known as phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that are used in the synthesis of plastics and various commercial products, giving them their durability.
Phthalates can be found in anything from fast food wrappings to prepackaged pastries and snacks.
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A recent study published in Environmental International focused on the effect of ultra-processed food consumption on phthalate levels in the body. Just over 1000 pregnant women participated in the study in which they completed a questionnaire and provided urine samples during their second trimester. The researchers used the urine samples to identify traces of phthalates, which were higher in concentration with greater consumption of ultra-processed foods.
The risk presented is that phthalates can make their way into the mother’s bloodstream, affecting both the mother and the fetus’s blood stream through the placenta. The presence of phthalates can lead to a variety of health issues for the mother and/or fetus such as dysfunctional reproductive development, a low birth weight, or preterm birth. Therefore, the research team suggests that the best thing a pregnant woman can do to avoid these chemicals is to hold off on the ultra-processed food. A healthier diet would benefit not only them but also the fetus.
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