PFAS: The Invisible Threat of Forever Chemicals

In recent years, a group of synthetic chemicals has emerged as a significant environmental and health concern: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, commonly known as PFAS or "forever chemicals." These ubiquitous compounds have earned their ominous nickname due to their remarkable ability to persist in the environment and human body for decades. Avoiding PFAS exposure is becoming more and more difficult, so knowing what they are, where to find them, and how to test for them are your main lines of defense against them.

What Are PFAS?

PFAS represent a complex environmental health challenge. This large group of human-made chemicals has been used extensively in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s. Characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds, these chemicals are designed to resist heat, water, and oil, making them attractive for numerous applications. From non-stick cookware to waterproof clothing, from food packaging to firefighting foam, PFAS have been integrated into nearly every aspect of modern life.

PFAS Lurk in Our Food Supply

The pervasive nature of PFAS means they have contaminated our food supply through multiple pathways:

1. Packaging Materials: Fast-food containers, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes often contain PFAS to prevent grease absorption.
2. Agricultural Contamination: Crops grown in soil exposed to PFAS-contaminated water or treated with contaminated irrigation systems can absorb these chemicals.
3. Seafood: Fish and shellfish from waters polluted with PFAS can accumulate these chemicals in their tissues.
4. Drinking Water: Many municipal water supplies have been found to contain PFAS, particularly near industrial sites or military bases.
5. Food Processing Equipment: Industrial machinery coated with non-stick surfaces can transfer PFAS into food during processing.

PFAS in Our Food: We Are What We Eat

You might be surprised (and will likely be dismayed) by the vast number of everyday food items we consume that have PFAS in them. Food items with the highest level of phthalate contamination include:

• Beverages: Brisk Iced Tea, Coca-Cola, Lipton Diet Green Tea, Poland 100% Natural Spring Water, Juicy Juice 100% Juice Apple, Pepsi Cola and Gatorade.
• Canned Beans: Hormel Chili with Beans, Bush’s Chili Red Beans Mild Chili Sauce, and Great Value (Walmart) Baked Beans Original.
• Condiments: Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup and Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup.
• Dairy: Fairlife High Protein Milk Shake, SlimFast Shake, Yoplait Original Low-Fat Yogurt, and Tuscan Dairy Farms Whole Milk.
• Fast Food: Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets, Moe’s and Chipotle’s Chicken Burritos, Burger King Whopper and Chicken Nuggets, Wendy’s burger with cheese, McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, Wendy’s French Fries, Burger King French Fries, McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and French Fries, Little Caesars Pizza, Taco Bell Chicken Burrito, Domino’s Pizza, and Pizza Hut.
• Grains: General Mills Cheerios and Success 10 Minute Boil-in-Bag White Rice.
• Infant Food: Gerber Turkey Dinner, Similac Advance Infant Milk-Based Powder Formula, Beech-Nut Fruit Pouches, and Gerber Cereal for Baby Rice.
• Meat and Poultry: Perdue Ground Chicken Breast, Trader Joe’s Ground Pork 80% Lean 20% Fat, Premio Foods Sweet Italian Sausage, and Libby’s Corned Beef.
• Packaged Fruits and Vegetables: Del Monte Sliced Peaches in 100% Fruit Juice, Green Giant Cream Style Sweet Corn, and Del Monte Fresh Cut Italian Green Beans.
• Prepared Meals: Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli, Chef Boyardee Beefaroni Pasta, Banquet Chicken Pot Pie, Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.
• Seafood: Chicken of the Sea Pink Salmon, King Oscar Wild Caught Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Snow’s Chopped Clams.

PFAS In Everyday Items

Because these chemicals are in so many everyday products, it is important to educate yourself where to look. In addition to food and packaging items, anything with “fragrance” in the ingredient list should be suspect.

• Teflon and nonstick pans
• Carpets
• Mattresses
• Fabrics
• Textiles
• Shampoos and Conditioners
• Toothpaste
• Sunscreens
• Takeout containers

EWG is an excellent resource for investigating whether your skincare products include PFAS. The organization has a very strict set of scientific standards created by a team of toxicologists, chemists, and epidemiologists, and each item they test must meet the stringent criteria they put forth to ensure product safety in order to get their certification.

The Big Deal: Health Dangers of PFAS

The potential health risks associated with PFAS exposure are both alarming, wide-ranging, and documented. Here are just a few:

Known Health Risks

• Cancer (specifically an increased risk of kidney, testicular, and liver cancers)
• Reproductive system issues such as reduced fertility and pregnancy complications
• Immune system suppression
• Hormonal imbalances
• Increased risk of high cholesterol
• Liver damage

Long-Term Concerns

What makes PFAS particularly dangerous is their bioaccumulative nature, meaning that unlike many other toxins that the body can eliminate, these chemicals stick around for years by:

• Persisting in human tissue for years
• Accumulating in organs over time

This leads to the potential for multi-generational health impacts, which means if you are a woman with PFAS in your system, it’s possible you will pass them down to your children through the placenta.

Functional Testing: Understanding Your PFAS Exposure

As I always say, the best first step in healing is to test, don’t guess. There are a variety of functional medicine tests that can detect PFAS in your system and help understand PFAS exposure levels and potential health impacts.

Comprehensive PFAS Testing

• Serum PFAS screening to measures specific PFAS compounds in blood
• Urine metabolite analysis to detect PFAS breakdown
• Comprehensive environmental toxin panels like Total Tox to evaluate multiple chemical exposures simultaneously

Potential Health Impact Assessments

For these assessments, I highly recommend the Gut Zoomer and Organic Acids functional lab tests.

• Inflammation markers
• Liver function tests
• Hormone panels
• Comprehensive immune system evaluations

How to Limit Exposure to Forever Chemicals

Many 'conveniences' we've celebrated over the years are turning out to be seriously detrimental to our health. It's shocking how many items we use daily include chemicals that can and are killing us! Given just how prevalent forever chemicals are in our lives, complete elimination is challenging, to say the least. However, strategic approaches to diet and lifestyle can significantly reduce PFAS exposure. Here are a few ways to do just that.

Dietary Strategies

• Choose fresh, whole foods and minimize packaged and processed foods
• Use stainless steel or cast-iron cookware instead of non-stick ones
• Filter your drinking water with high-quality carbon or reverse osmosis filters
• Avoid microwave popcorn
• Choose organic produce to reduce agricultural chemical exposure

Home and Lifestyle Modifications

• Avoid stain-resistant clothing and furniture
• Use glass or stainless-steel food storage
• Avoid personal care items with "PTFE" or "fluoro" ingredients
• Dust and vacuum regularly to rid your home of PFAS that accumulate in household dust

Detoxification Support

Because of how pervasive these chemicals are in our everyday lives and how disruptive they are to our health, finding ways to help my clients eliminate (or at the very least minimize) exposure to PFAS is a big part of my coaching practice. By analyzing your health history and current situation, I can then provide professional guidance to help you detox from PFAS and avoid further toxification.

While complete avoidance is nearly impossible, informed choices and proactive testing can help mitigate risks and help protect your long-term health. Reach out for a free consultation and let's work together to make 2025 a healthier year free (or as free as possible) from PFAS.