A recent research published in the magazine eBioMedicine He turned on the alarms when discovering that millions of people are exposed daily to the phthalateschemical compounds present in food containers, lotions and shampoos. These additives, used to give flexibility and durability to plastic, have been linked to more than 350,000 deaths due to heart disease, revealing a silent but lethal risk that could be in the products we use daily.
What are phthalates and where are they?
Los phthalates They are chemical substances that are added to the plastic to make it more flexible, soft and durable. They are very common and are used both in food and cosmetics products. For example, many shampoos, perfumes and lotions contain them to help fix the aromas for a longer time.
Although it was known that they could have certain negative health effects, such as male fertility problems, obesity, ADHD and heart disease, the new study demonstrates that the impact of these substances is much greater than what was thought.
Fthalates are chemical substances that are added to the plastic to make it more flexible, soft and durable.Designed by Freepik
According to the authors of the study, the phthalates were responsible for approximately 13% of all deaths from heart disease in people between 55 and 64 years during the year 2018.
These substances not only aggravate pre -existing conditions such as hypertension or obesity, but can also cause chronic inflammation in the body. The problem does not distinguish borders: both developed and developing countries are exposed to this risk, since phthalates are in a wide variety of daily products.
Organizations have intensified their calls to eliminate phthalates
Experts and scientific organizations have intensified their calls to eliminate phthalates of food containers, cosmetic products and other plastic items.
However, in many countries, companies are not obliged to declare Chemical additives They use, which makes it difficult for consumers to protect themselves.
This new study could be a key step to reinforce the urgency of regulating and reducing the use of these compounds in daily use products.
