Preferring tap water over bottled water isn’t just good for the environment. Against all odds, we just discovered that plastic can also contribute to weight gain. Indeed, its compounds can disrupt our metabolism.
We already knew that plastic got in the way of fertility. Phthalates, which are in all of our everyday items, actually reduce the production of testosterone in men, the hormone that stimulates sperm production. We are now learning that plastic also makes you… fat!
This is the very surprising conclusion of a scientific study conducted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Goethe University Frankfurt. Yogurt jars, water bottles, kitchen sponges…
A total of 34 everyday objects were placed under the microscope. No fewer than 55,000 chemical components have been studied. Eleven of the 629 identified substances are suspected of disrupting our metabolism. Worse, they can be a factor in overweight and obesity. The researchers found that chemicals in a quarter of the plastic products in this study contributed to the development of cells responsible for storing lipids. In their presence, the cells become fat and accumulate more fat.
More worryingly, plastic items may also contain chemicals that have not yet been identified as a problem, which can indeed lead to weight gain.
We know that the substances in plastic can migrate to food. This observation is all the more true when the container is heated. Food wrapped in plastic should be packaged in this way for the shortest possible time.
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