Food additives a toxic mixture for children

MONDAY, July 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) – Chemicals used to preserve, pack and improve food can harm children's health, says a group of pediatricians.

A growing accumulation of scientific evidence has linked these chemicals to changes in children's hormonal systems, which can alter their normal development and increase their risk of childhood obesity, says the new policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics

. These chemicals affect the health of all humans, but can have a particularly important effect in children, said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, senior researcher in environmental health at the University of California College of Medicine. New York.

the food, so that they have higher exposure levels compared to us adults, "explained Trasande." Their organs are still developing in various ways, so the effects on this development may be permanent and permanent. "

Chemical Guilty

Certain chemicals that affect food safety include:

• Bisphenols such as BPA, which are used in plastics and can lining They can act as estrogen in the body, affecting the onset of puberty, decreasing fertility, increasing body fat and affecting the nervous and immune systems.
• Phthalates, which are found in plastics and vinyl tubes used in industrial food production.These chemicals can affect male genital development, increase infantile obesity e and contribute to heart disease.
• Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals (PFCs), used in greaseproof paper food packaging. They can reduce immunity, birth weight and fertility, and can affect the thyroid system.
• Percholate, which is added to the packaging of dry foods to control static electricity. It is also known to disrupt thyroid function and may affect early brain development.
• Artificial dietary colors, which have been associated with attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms aggravated
• Nitrates and nitrites used to preserve food and enhance color, particularly in processed and processed meats. These chemicals can interfere with the production of thyroid hormones and have been associated with cancers of the gastrointestinal and nervous system.

"This is an extremely important report on environmental risks that have received less attention than they deserve, whether from the pediatric community or regulators," said Dr. Michael Grosso, president of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief Medical Officer of Huntington Hospital in Huntington, NY

"There is now a compelling body of evidence that chemicals used in food and food containers can have effects on human health, including fertility , thyroid disease, some cancers and so much more, "said Grosso." Concern is that some of them remain in the body for years. "

Kristi King, Senior Dietitian at Texas Children & # 39 Hospital in Houston, said she "increased concerns about additives that are thyroid disruptors."

"CFPs may alter the function of th yroïd and metabolic changes: perchlorate, nitrates and nitrites disrupt the production of thyroid hormones and inhibit the absorption of iodine in the body, "explained King.

"The iodine is extremely important for promoting growth and metabolism in children, the iodine is also essential to early development of the brain and neurological system, because iodine deficiency could ultimately lead to poor growth and delayed capacity. " ] Stricter Regulation Requires

The Policy Statement calls on politicians and bureaucrats to strengthen food additive regulations. These measures include a more rigorous and transparent "generally recognized as safe" designation process, including new requirements for toxicity testing before being used on the market, and rerun previously approved chemicals.

Trasande argues that citizens can have even greater impact "The general public can do a lot to drive the kind of changes that are positive for children's lives and human health," said Trasande. "The prohibition of BPA from baby bottles and goblets was not motivated by a scientific statement or a good regulatory sentiment, but rather by the outcry of consumers, just like phthalates in toys."

Can Do

According to the AAP policy statement, parents can limit the exposure of their children to these chemicals by:

• Choosing Fruits and fresh or frozen vegetables
• Avoid processed meats, especially during pregnancy. ] Do not use plastic containers for microwaving or place plastics in the dishwasher.

Parents can also use the recycling code at the bottom of the products to determine if plastic packaging is safe. You should avoid plastics with recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene) and 7 (bisphenols), unless the plastics are labeled as "biosourced" or "greenware". This means that plastics are made from corn and do not contain bisphenols.

"It's important to have an initiative to educate families about reading labels to try to identify packaging without chemicals and look for food and drinks without preservatives. Said Audrey Koltun, dietitian nutritionist at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY "It's something I'm trying to cover during a session on nutrition

"Sophisticated and colorful food packaging with health Claims can make consumers think that a food is healthy or healthy when it is not and can have one or all of these additives," Koltun continues. . " The education of families is crucial to reduce exposure to children. "

statement was published online July 23 in the journal Pediatrics .

More information

The US Food and Drug Administration has more about food additives.