Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement stating that more and more scientific evidence is used to preserve, package and strengthen food chemicals that can harm children's health. These changes can change children's normal development and increase childhood obesity. Risk. This new policy statement was published in the July 23 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an environmental health researcher at the New York University School of Medicine, said that these chemicals affect everyone's health and have a particularly strong impact on children.
Some chemicals that affect food safety include:
1, bisphenols; such as bisphenol A, used in the lining of plastics and metal cans. They can affect the beginning of puberty like estrogen in the body, reduce fertility, increase body fat, affect the nerves and immune system.
2, phthalates; found in plastics and vinyl tubes used in industrial food production. These chemicals can affect male genital development, increase childhood obesity, and lead to heart disease.
3, Perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCS); used in non-slip paper packaging. They may reduce immunity, birth weight and fertility, and affect the thyroid system. Add to dry food packaging to control static electricity. It has Know that it destroys thyroid function and may affect early brain development.
4, artificial food coloring; associated with worsening attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.
5, nitrates and nitrites; used to preserve food and enhance color, especially in marinated and processed meat. These chemicals interfere with the production of thyroid hormones and are associated with cancer of the gastrointestinal and nervous systems.
Dr. Michael Grosso, Director of Pediatrics and Chief Medical Officer of N.Y. Huntington Hospital, Huntington Hospital, said: 'This is an important report on environmental risks, which is much less concerned than children, communities or regulators who deserve it.'
Perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCS) can alter thyroid function and metabolic changes. Perchlorate, nitrate and nitrite destroy thyroid hormone production and inhibit iodine intake in the body. Iodine is extremely important for promoting growth and metabolism in children. Iodine is also essential for early brain and neurodevelopment. Iodine deficiency can eventually lead to poor growth and delayed thinking.
What parents can do
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement states that parents can limit their exposure to these chemicals by:
1. Choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, and buy less canned food.
2, eat less processed meat, especially during pregnancy.
3,, Do not put the food in the plastic tableware for microwave heating, and do not put the plastic tableware in the dishwasher.
The statement also said that parents can also use the recycling code at the bottom of the product as a means of judging the safety of plastic packaging.
Avoid using recycled code 3 (phthalate), 6 (styrene) and 7 (bisphenol) plastics unless the plastic is labeled 'bio-based' or 'green product'. This means that the plastic is made from corn. Made of, no bisphenol.