In episode 65 of his video series, Dr. Larson discusses:
Different environmental stressors can significantly influence a person’s health. There are three main categories that environmental stressors fall into: dietary, pathogen and chemical. When a person losses tolerance for the environmental stressor, it can lead to chronic inflammation and immune activation, which can lead to dysregulation, chronic symptoms, and disease.
Adolescent men who ate out regularly had a 55% increase in the amount of phthalates than those who ate from home. That type of increased exposure can disrupt hormone production. DR. CHAD LARSON
One chemical that everybody is exposed to is phthalates. Phthalates are found in plastics and rubber. They are the chemicals that provide the flexibility and plasticity of products everywhere. They are present in your car, your child’s toys, and the in products that are used to ship food.
A recent study evaluated the amount of phthalates that are present in people of all ages. Looking at over ten thousand participants, researchers set out to measure the amount of phthalates in the participant’s system through urinary and blood sampling.
The researchers specifically wanted to see if there was an increase in phthalates exposure among those people who ate out frequently and those who ate from home. Eating out included fast food, cafeteria food, and restaurant food.
What they found was that those who ate out had a higher level of phthalates in their system. That is important because phthalates are an endocrine disruptor. They work to block certain male hormones, which are important for women, but even more so for men.
The researchers focused primarily on the amount of phthalates in the men they tested. They found that the worst affected population are male adolescents. Male adolescents need testosterone to support their growth and development.
Researchers found that adolescent men who ate out regularly had a 55% increase in the amount of phthalates than those who ate from home. That type of increased exposure can disrupt hormone production. The reason those who ate out had such an increased level is that the food shipped to restaurants, cafeterias, and fast food chains, come in bulk and are shipped with plastics that leach into the food during transit.
The good news is that you can control the amount of phthalates you are exposed to by eating at home. If you have a teenage boy, it is critical to feed them at home; their health future depends on it.
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