Anti-stick substances on kitchenware increase cholesterol

US scientists at West Virginia University have discovered that chemicals that are used to make non-stick coatings on cooking utensils or waterproof fabrics can increase cholesterol levels.

The results of the study were published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine in September.

Dr. Stephanie Frisbee, director of the study, said that the finding did not prove that exposure to these chemicals, or perfluoroalkyl acids, could raise cholesterol levels, but surely they have a connection.

Scientists studied the effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) acid on humans through drinking water, dust, breast milk, packaged food, and popcorn in a microwave. exposed to the air .

Dr. Frisbee and colleagues examined cholesterol levels in blood samples taken from more than 12,000 children in the River Valley area in Ohio, where tests found PFOA in their drinking water.

The results showed that the children who participated in the study had higher levels of PFOA in the body than the national average and that PFOS levels were equal to the national average.Children with the highest levels of PFOA had 4.6 points higher than those with the lowest PFOA levels .

Currently, US, Canadian and European health officials are increasingly concerned about the potential health effects of chemicals, such as the chemical bisphenol A used in Milk bottles for babies or other products.