‘Forever chemicals’ in teas, meats may increase cancer risk: Study

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Some food and beverages are contaminated with “forever chemicals” that may increase the risk of cancer, according to a new study.

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Researchers at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine studied people’s diets and how it relates to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) being absorbed by the body.

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Researchers studied two multiethnic groups of young adults and found people who drank tea and ate processed meats and prepared food had higher levels of PFAS in their body over time. The results were published in the journal Environment International.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine how dietary factors are associated with changes in PFAS over time,” Jesse A. Goodrich, PhD, assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine and the study’s senior author, said in a news release.

“Looking at multiple time points gives us an idea of how changing people’s diets might actually impact PFAS levels.”

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PFAS are man-made chemicals that are found in food packaging, drugs, cosmetics, textiles and electronics. They are also used in vehicles, lubricants and non-stick cookware.

Researchers traced the chemicals, which may increase the risk of several types of cancers, to livestock, drinking water and food packaging.

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“We’re starting to see that even foods that are metabolically quite healthy can be contaminated with PFAS,” said Hailey Hampson, a doctoral student at USC and the study’s lead author.

“These findings highlight the need to look at what constitutes ‘healthy’ food in a different way.”

Researchers studied 123 young adults from the Southern California Children’s Health Study who were primarily Hispanic and 604 young adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study.

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They were asked questions about their diet, specifically what they ate and drank and whether the food was cooked at home or consumed in take-out containers, which often contains PFAS. Blood samples were also taken from the participants.

The study found higher tea consumption and those who ate more pork had higher levels of PFAS.

According to Health Canada, the chemicals do not break down easily and remain in the environment for long periods of time.

There are more than 4,700 PFAS that may affect the immune and nervous systems, the reproductive system, liver, kidney, thyroid, and human development.

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