A new pilot study from the Alliance For Natural Health USA reveals the majority of its kale samples contained toxic PFAS* contamination. Interestingly, these findings conflict with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s report on PFAS contamination in food: 2021 Total Diet Study Sampling.
.
Study overview
Kale samples were taken from grocery stores across the U.S. in Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. All kale samples were transferred to Eurofins Laboratories Environment Testing, where each one was tested for 16 PFAS compounds using FDA-approved procedures.
–
Results overview
The vast majority of kale samples tested positive for the presence of PFAS chemicals; only one of the samples of kale showed no PFAS chemicals present. More specifically, scientists found 7 out of 8 of the samples were contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals between the 100 and 250 parts per trillion level**.
–
“Even low levels of PFAS contamination can be dangerous to humans. When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued drinking water health advisories on several PFAS in 2022, the agency said that ‘some negative health effects may occur with concentrations of PFOA or PFOS in water that are near zero.‘ So any levels detected in kale or other foods are concerning, especially when we consider that food is just one route of exposure to PFAS…Concerned citizens should sign up for the Alliance for Natural Health’s newsletter to stay abreast of PFAS developments and to take action to ban these dangerous chemicals.”
-Robert Verkerk, Ph.D., Executive and Scientific Director, Alliance For Natural Health USA, source
–
*PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic to humans, animals and the environment. They are comprised of approximately 14,000 human-made chemical compounds. The chemicals are ubiquitous in the U.S., appearing in thousands of consumer and industrial products and are typically used to make products resist water, stains and heat, including household products (like carpeting, curtains, furniture upholstery, waterproof and stain-resistant flooring, etc.), cooking supplies (including cooking utensils and bake ware), clothing, personal care products (like cosmetics, including waterproof mascara, dental floss, contact lenses and feminine hygiene products) and even food (PFAS appears in processed food packaging for humans and pets), pharmaceuticals like Prozac, and public drinking water (tap water) that affects an estimated 2 million Americans. PFAS chemicals are usually found in products labeled “stain-proof” and “waterproof”. PFAS chemicals also appear in fire-fighting foam and other industrial products used at airports and military bases across the country, where the chemicals have leached into the groundwater. PFAS chemicals are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment or human body. PFAS chemicals have been linked in scientific and medical studies to a variety of serious health conditions including cancer (which includes testicular and kidney cancers), kidney disease, heart disease, thyroid problems, reproductive problems, endocrine problems (PFAS has been found to disrupt hormonal functions with some research suggesting that the PFAS chemicals are linked to accelerated ovarian aging, period irregularities and ovarian disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome) and liver problems. Some newer PFAS have been found to accumulate in organs, so in some cases, science simply cannot detect the toxic chemicals when testing for it in blood.
–
**In 2023 the EPA proposed new limits on PFAS compounds in drinking water. The proposal regulates perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to a level that can be consistently measured at four parts per trillion.
–
SEE: Alliance For Natural Health USA. ANH’s Kale Report.
Dev
Chemical Free Life 