There was once a team of stumped scientists in Atlanta, Georgia. They were at a
loss because they couldn’t find anyone without phthalates in their blood. Yet
these scientists needed a “Phthalate-Free” group of people to compare with
“Phthalate-Exposed” people for their American lab research study. What could
they do?
Well, the situation was grim. Investigators earlier that same year had revealed
that US infants far exceeded the EPA’s maximum threshold phthalate levels in
blood tests.77 That was 2014.
Furthermore, phthalates had been found in literally in every single US food
group scientists tested, which further explained the phthalate exposure
prevalence.77
In fact, especially hazardous phthalate levels, in that study, were found in
cooking oils and dairy products. This makes me wonder whether various health
problems related to oils and dairy are actually from those products or from the
estrogenics in those products.
Anyway, one day, one of the Georgia researchers had an idea: they could
recruit remote Alaskan natives for their phthalate study. Remote Alaskan natives
were tested and—bingo!—they were “Phthalate-Free”.
The rest was easy. They compared the health of Alaskan natives to non-
Alaskan Americans, comparing all the phthalate urine levels. The scientists
discovered an association existed between phthalate levels in urine and breast
cancer.78 Not good news but great ingenuity.
This story highlights a frustrating aspect of phthalates besides the spelling of
the word: phthalates are virtually everywhere from all the plastics and perfumes.
In your new car? Check “yes” for those emissions.78 Your contact lenses? Yes.79
Your food containers? Check. Levels, of course, rise as you microwave or heat
your food in plastics.79
Phthalates, you see, are chemicals sometimes used in perfumes but mainly
used as “plasticizers”. During the process of making plastics, phthalates are
strategically added to increase plastic clarity, flexibility, and durability. Mostly,
they make plastic look better by making it appear less cloudy.
Since we all associate cloudy plastic with inferior quality plastic—because in
nature cloudiness usually denotes contamination—we actually prefer this
chemical contaminant. In other words, we tend to purchase phthalate-containing
plastics over cloudy plastics. “Clear” irony.
Importantly, phthalates are not the main ingredients in plastics. Instead, they
sit in “molecular cracks” similar to salt added to food or something like glitter.
And, like glitter, you can’t seem to get rid of phthalates. They release into liquids
or food upon contact.
Come to think of it, I can’t even think of a single modern processed food that
doesn’t come into contact with plastic at one time or other.
Often, foods are heated or pasteurized and added into plastic even while the
foods or liquids are scalding hot. That’s a serious problem.
This further tells me that “health” studies of cooking oils and dairy products
are all skewed because differing phthalate levels will influence or bias results in
such studies.
The worst irony, though, I think, is that phthalates are used in numerous
medical devices.80 Scientists express concern about this issue and they should.
We want to call it health “care”. . .
...
With this chapter nearly complete, The 7 Deadly Things are coming soon. Here
is a preview, summarized by this single line from a professional scientific
journal: “phthalates have been associated with a number of serious health
problems, including infertility, testicular dysgenesis, obesity, asthma, and
allergies.”90
“But that is not all. Oh, no. That is not all. . . ” to quote the “Cat and the Hat”
by the late, great, Dr. Seuss.
Similar to the artificial red “food” colorings, phthalates are associated with
“long-term attention deficit” in children.91 This attention deficit may be due to
phthalate induction of neurotoxicity, discovered in 2016.92 Or perhaps it is due
to phthalates derailing aspects of brain development (such as brain-derived
neurotrophic factor [BDNF]).93 This finding also came to light in 2016.
Meanwhile, phthalates alter thyroid function,94 reflecting data on soy and the
sunscreen estrogenics.
And remember how sunscreen estrogenics are more likely to permanently fuse
with the estrogen receptor, due to UV light? There are now concerns that
radiation from things like medical x-rays are increasing phthalate problems due
to similar effects. A 2016 paper delves into this subject. It is titled: “Interaction
between Ionizing Radiation and Phthalates: An Unrecognized Risk for Human
Health?”95 Let’s not keep this one “unrecognized”. After all, pregnant women
using perfume have been found to have 167% higher urine concentration of
phthalates than those women off “the juice”.96 Like parabens, then, phthalates
are as common as perfume.

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