You know those wonderful, non-stick pans that you love so well? I hope you realize that many of today’s “conveniences” like non-stick cookware come with a price beyond the initial purchase.
The wonderful Teflon that keeps all your foods from sticking to the pan is no exception. The chemical compounds typically found in non-stick cookware include 25 cent words like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). Toxic compounds like these have been found to affect thyroid function, cancer risk and heart disease.
In this particular study, researchers looked at the relationship between PFOA and PFOS levels and cholesterol levels in 12,476 children. Here’s what they found:
- PFOA was linked to higher total cholesterol and LDL-C
- PFOS was linked to higher total cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C
Even if these compounds were not linked to heart-disease-friendly changes in blood lipids, do we really want something called “perfluorooctanoic acid” in our children’s blood anyway when the word is too long to even fit on a Scrabble board??
Toss your non-stick cookware and buy stainless steel.