Jash Botanicals Natural Health Corner

Recently I had the urge to cover the toxic effects of Teflon and PFOA’s. After reading this research, I would like to make a few suggestions in the way of avoiding PFOA and PFC exposure.  The more that we can minimize our exposure to these toxins, the better our quality of life.

• We went out and purchased a few cast iron skillets and cookware.  Be sure you properly season it by coating it with oil and then baking it in order to generate a slick surface.  Once you accomplish this, you will have a skillet or pan that performs just like Teflon.

• Let’s not forget carpeting and furniture that are pre-treated for stain resistance.  Although PFOAs may not be present in some, the next generation is called PFBs, which is chemically linked to PFOAs and can impart similar troubles.  PFBs continue to be largely un-researched. 

• We were surprised to learn that many of the containers utilized to package fast foods are coated with PFCs.  It seems that PFCs are great for preventing oil and grease from soaking through.  This includes paper and cardboard, so if you insist on eating fast foods, at least remove them as soon as possible and heat them in glass or ceramic.

• Here was one that really astonished us.  Did you know that the bags that are used to house microwave popcorn are coated with PFC?  The same reasoning is used here—keeping the grease and oil from soaking through.  Guess what?  You can take a plain unbleached brown paper bag, fill it with high quality organic popping corn, mix with some great oil (organic coconut, organic palm or olive), add your favorite seasoning, fold over the opening and staple the bag with one single staple (one staple won’t hurt the microwave).  Heat for a couple of minutes and Viola!

• Keep your eyes open when purchasing your personal care products, too.  If you see something that reads, “fluoro” or “perfluoro”, it denotes the presence of a PFC.

• Lastly, choose your dental floss wisely because numerous brands are coated with a form of Teflon called PTFE.  We found many types that were un-waxed—so can you!

Want some more information on this subject? Be sure to check out the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) research on PFC.