Smoking can cause lung cancer, alcohol leads to liver cancer, and now, they know that certain foods are causing a wide variety of cancers in the young, the old, and even the extremely healthy. 

PFAS can cause cancer, as well as liver and kidney problems, thyroid malfunctions, birth defects, insulin dysregulation, and hormonal or reproductive problems. And the worst part is, they’re everywhere. 

And a recent study noted that PFAS were found in some foods and products that most people consider healthy, chemical-free choices. 

They found several interesting and surprising truths within the study, such as the fact that people who drank bottled water were more likely to have a higher PFAS count than those drinking sodas or fruit drinks. 

Some consumers have ditched bottled water for a refillable metal or plastic bottle to do their part to save their environment. But this data shows that bottled water isn’t just bad for the planet; it’s bad for the body as well. 

Butter is contaminated in two ways: First, the manufacturing process includes added PFAS in order to ensure a longer shelf life, and second, the greaseproof paper in which it is wrapped is full of the dangerous chemicals.

The authors believe that it’s the tea bags, not the tea, that have been treated with chemicals, though they’ll need to do more research to confirm that theory. But they do know that the majority of pigs used for pork meat have been contaminated with the chemical and that PFAS are used to preserve most nut butter. 

Hailey Hampson, the lead author of the study from the University of Southern California, explained that this was one of the least surprising conclusions, as they have known for some time that the practice of manufacturing processed meats ensures elevated PFAS. 

However, what was interesting was that this didn’t just apply to “healthy” or “unhealthy” foods. For example, someone who ate a salad from a restaurant was more likely to have increased PFAS levels than someone who made a cheeseburger at home. 

So, in some cases, it’s not about the food itself but about the packaging the manufacturers or restaurants use that increases the number of PFAS.

The study found that many farms around the USA and the world as a whole spray fertilizer contaminated with PFAS directly onto crops as they grow. And what’s worse is that some farmers don’t even know they’re doing so, as the water they use has been contaminated. 

Co-author of the study from USC Jesse Goodrich explained, “We need more public health monitoring, especially of healthy foods, to make sure we don’t have unintended chemical exposures in what we know are foods that are healthy in a lot of other ways.”