Phthalates are plasticizers in everyday plastics that leach into food and water. A 2018 study linked global phthalate exposure to 1.97 million preterm births and 74,000 newborn deaths yearly. U.S. mothers in the top 10% of DEHP exposure face 50% higher premature delivery risk.
A single chemical may have contributed to 2 million preterm births, and that chemical may be in your kitchen right now. You for sure have heard about forever chemicals. What I'm about to tell you about is known as everywhere chemicals. Phthalates are chemicals that are put into plastic to make them soft and flexible. They leach into your food, water, body, where they can cause inflammation, endocrine disruption, and metabolic dysfunction. Using data from 2018, global estimates linked phthalate exposure to 1.97 million preterm births and 74,000 newborn deaths in one year. In the US alone, mothers in the highest 10% of exposure of a specific phthalate called DEHP had a 50% higher chance of premature birth. The risks do not stop at birth. Adults in the highest third of phthalate exposure showed a 40% increase in all-cause mortality compared to those in the lowest third. Now for some good news, you can take some small steps to begin reducing your exposure. For example, you can filter your water, avoid using plastic cutting boards, and Avoid heating food in plastic as much as possible. Friends, my intention is not to scare you or to make you feel powerless. It's to raise awareness on a critical issue that affects all of us and our future generations, and we need to make this better known.
