In the fast-paced life people have today, many love the idea of getting a meal quickly. A new research, however, suggests that people who eat a lot of fast food may have increased levels of phthalates, a chemical found in plastics that could disrupt hormones and may cause cancer.

People who are fond of eating fast food may have nearly 40 percent more levels of an industrial chemical called phthalates in their blood compared to those who eat less, or no fast food at all, a team of researchers from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University has found.

The researchers collected data from a national survey where nearly 9,000 respondents reported about their consumption of fast food. The study, which was one of the first ones to look at fast-food intake and exposure to certain chemicals, showed that urinary samples from those who eat more fast food had increased levels of the two phthalates, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP).

They have found that participants in the study who ate more fast food had higher exposure to the chemicals with urine samples containing 23.8 percent higher levels of DEHP and nearly 40 percent higher levels of DiNP metabolites compared to those who had no consumption of fast food in the 24 hours before the test.

Phthalates belong to a group of chemicals used in a wide variety of products like toys, tubing and food packaging. Most fast food chains use packaging with these chemicals since it makes the box or wrapper water or oil resistant.

People can be exposed to these chemicals by eating food or drinking beverages that have been in contact with food packaging and plastic containers.

Though the exact health effects of these chemicals remain unclear, they have been linked to reproductive issues and even cancer.

The effects on health are not yet fully understood, but they are being studied by many government agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Toxicology Program's Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

"People concerned about this issue can't go wrong by eating more fruits and vegetables and less fast food," said Ami Zota, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at Milken Institute SPH.

"A diet filled with whole foods offers a variety of health benefits that go far beyond the question of phthalates," Zota added.

The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

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