What Diet Best Lowers Phthalate Exposure?

The highest levels of phthalates, hormone-disrupting plastics chemical pollutants, are found in meats, fats, and dairy.
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Previous videos on dietary sources of phthalates include Chicken Consumption and the Feminization of Male Genitalia (nutritionfacts....) and Lowering Dietary Antibiotic Intake (nutritionfacts..... Diet isn’t the only way one can be exposed internally, though. See: Avoiding Adult Exposure to Phthalates (nutritionfacts....) for the risk in children and adult toys.
Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at nutritionfacts.... and he'll try to answer it!
Image Credit: Serdar Basak via 123rf.
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[@Joseph1NJ]

One sure reality is that removing plastics & chemicals from our lives is impossible. If its not the plastic, its the can, or the box, or the paper, or the package, or the water, or the air, or the dirt... it always going to be something. Still, I applaud the good doc for bringing the science to our attention. Nothing changes over night, so the aspiration is that more of us get on board and demand healthier food, food prep, and a healthier environment.

[@Grim1873]

+

[@Cin9999]

well you did not get the point then the point is that switching to a whole plant food diet is the only solution and that you cant sugar code a animal product diet even when eating organic and without plastic

[@nickn5091]

hemp dude

[@julianc7129]

@@Cin9999 lol a plant based diet will just kill you in other ways. The solution is to buy from local farmers and avoid store-bought products

[@Cin9999]

@@julianc7129 Funny how no mayor scientific institute agrees bit u obv know way more

[@rsalehi6568]

If you want to reduce your exposure to chemicals including phthalates, don't use or be careful how you apply your fragrance, I.e., don't spray it on skin.Fragrances commonly contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic musks that may cause hormone disruption, reproductive problems, or possibly cancer.

[@fruitascension5089]

I agree 👍

[@astralpurpose1344]

They most definitely do. Good comment. Any person who values their health should definitely take this into action.

[@stopit9280]

So would spraying fragrance on clothing be more advisable?

[@Retrosenescent]

@@stopit9280on the exterior of your clothing so that it doesn’t touch your skin.

[@alexandrawinner6081]

This video feels incomplete. I don't think you answered the question. What can we eat for protein instead of meat? Why is chicken more contaminated than other meats? Where should be buy food and where shouldn't we? So many unanswered questions.

[@NutritionFactsOrg]

Hi, Alexandra Winner! It would not be possible to answer all of those questions fully in a short video, but we have lots of other videos. First of all, you can get plenty of protein from the same place the animals you have been eating get their protein; from plants. More on that here: nutritionfacts.org/topics/protein/ Chicken may not necessarily be more contaminated than other meats in general, it may just be contaminated with different substances, depending on what the animals were exposed to. It's not really about where you buy your food, but about what you are buying. If you are concerned about health and food safety, fresh, ideally local, organically grown plants are your best bet. I hope that helps! -Christine Kestner, MS, CNS, LDN, NutritionFacts.org Health Support Volunteer

[@nkristianschmidt]

so, my diet has pretty much been phthalates

[@luisitolerma5651]

Maybe depends on many factors l

[@brettharter143]

The problem with eating a plant only based diet is the calories are so low youd probably crash you T level worse than if you were eating phthalates. I know this cause ive had my blood work done on such diet.

[@lucianocastillo694]

How do we get through this? No one is talking about solutions rationally. Maybe a whole revamp of production means has to be implemented. Anything that can leak micro plastics has to go & we need to create a new material to replace tubing, and other means of production containing plastic. Packaging also needs to be redesigned, everything we eat or drink now are wrapped in plastic; there has to be a new material we can use that is tested under heat & cold conditions that can replace plastic entirely.

[@samsungfanboy]

I love binge watching all of these videos

[@rhuitt]

Anyone here after watching Rogan?

[@robertolson3115]

Thank you Dr. Greger for your videos. Your statements about chicken consistently testing highest in phthalates kept gnawing at me as to WHY. After pondering it for about a week, something dawned on me. Since the States banned treating hens with hormones, might the chicken feed be spiked with phthalates to make the hens grow bigger?

[@terradawn8236]

I always learn so much from your videos.

[@Jamesnebula]

Highest levels of phthalates were found in bread, a finding that was recently confirmed for the Belgian market. It is unclear why phthalate levels were found to be higher in bread, especially since bread is not a fatty food. This from good research.

[@BasedChad1]

Plastic bag use

[@nqkoi159]

Without watching the video, let me just assume the answer to the title: a whole foods plant based diet :) Let me watch it just in case though...

[@johnnieboy66]

lol

[@cgbodytube]

I s**t myself thinking this would finally be the one where we all need bacon, but you were right.

[@nqkoi159]

Vegan Beard Guy Maybe for fiber or antioxidant allergy :P

[@GloWormAT06]

We used to think plants were health..... UNTIL NOW!

[@EdgarOnyoutube]

jaja

[@Llama_Dhali_G]

Can we just use more glass?

[@alohafromhh8758]

As always, thank you so much.

[@alixaebell6323]

Very informative!!!

[@BourneAccident]

Locally source all your meats, poultry, fish, & dairy and keep a watchful eye on packaged fruits, vegetables, and of course... bottled water.

[@Cin9999]

dude they DID locally source it and because of the water, food and the process ...it was still harmful did you watch the video just eat whole plant foods and you are fine

[@BourneAccident]

John Constantin I buy locally sourced produce, eggs, meats, etc. and they don't package anything. I have to bring my own containers, egg cartons, bags, etc. I buy from real farms, not pseudo farm stands. And of course I watched the video. Why do you think I commented. Finally, just eating whole plant foods with no supplementation is not fine. You will become nutritionally deficient. Everyone knows that, even these vegan wingnuts know that and many take vitamin B shots etc.

[@Cin9999]

Bourne Accident DUDE DID YOU WATCH THE VIDEO Its not about packaging as i fucking said The levels in local organic non plastic-package were HIGHER

[@BourneAccident]

John Constantin My advice to you is stop shouting, lose your anger and profanity and read properly. Yes, I did watch the video. This is the second time I told you. Also, the levels in local organic non plastic were claimed to be higher, however they're not at farms that properly raise their animals. If I live near a conventional chicken facility and their products are sold at a local farmers market, that is not what locally sourced means. Be careful of this trick artist Greger. He is vegan and willfully manipulates facts to support his agenda. Question everything. Don't believe me either. Do your own homework. You will learn much more that way.

[@BourneAccident]

John Constantin I simply gave you free advice, just like Dr. Greger does and now you back up your comments by personal attacks on someone that you don't even know? Also, you are completely wrong about animal products. Get out of the 90's. You're completely indoctrinated. You allegiance to the UN, WHO, etc. were the big tell there. And you're wrong about Dr. Greger selling nothing. He's selling you veganism to forward his own personal twisted agenda. Wake up. Do some real research and stop regurgitating all this crap you sucked in. Dude, you're brainwashed.

[@snowbluebear2795]

Im going to buy your book 😉

[@super_ted_7371]

worth every penny 😀

[@Cin9999]

good thing to do as the money goes to chairity also

[@cyc00000]

Thankyou

[@valnaples]

You won't be sorry...the book is a TREASURE of knowledge and an awesome resource!

[@Cin9999]

valnaples yeah i bought it for my whole family and recomand it to all my friends desperatly Really everybody should have it to know how to live a healthy life

[@katiewatson1776]

Could you do a video on diet after gallbladder removal? My boyfriend has a sarcoma and has just had his gallbladder removed after finding several stones. I bought a book on life after gallbladder surgery and the book recommended butter and bacon 😐 needless to say it's in the bin now. Would appreciate your professional advice!

[@mrchoochoohead9033]

cojld you please fo a series on the cancer risk of button mushrooms or which domesticated ones are the safest to eat? there ixnt a lot of info out there

[@sugarpeas45]

go to his website and type mushrooms in the search bar. they're a bit old, but it's handy

[@mrchoochoohead9033]

thanks - quite reassured now

[@NGC6144]

Button mushroom cancer risk? Where did you get that from? In searching for this I only found benefits to eating mushrooms against cancer.

[@mrchoochoohead9033]

wikipedia mentions that they contain mild carcinogens. funnily enough the article has changed since i last read about agaratine. a lot less startling

[@GregoryCarrier]

Button, portobello, crimini, are Agaricus mushrooms which contain agaritine, known to cause cancer. Cook them to destroy the agaritine.

[@NinjaWatermelon42]

I want to know about the coriander. why was that high? do I need to avoid coriander now :)

[@DVM981]

Coriander is fine.. These videos at times do more to raise concern than they do to actually solve any concerns people may have. Hell I am sure many people clicking on this video didn't even know what Phthalates were until this video. The simple fact of the matter is this. Science is not always the most effective methodology to follow when it comes to food consumption. Yes we need Science to break down the micro and the macro nutrients of foods so that we know approximately what is in them, but that is where Science needs to take a backseat. I love this channel but this is the same channel that deemed Avocado to be Scientifically harmful to people. Yes the humble Avocado the fruit that is loaded with so many nutrients and good fats that it is proven to help people eat more healthy. Science dictated that because it raises Cholesterol a bit that it is harmful, I suppose Eggs are also a no go because of Cholesterol too. A good balanced diet of whole foods including plants, fruit, meat and fish will do so much to counteract the negatives some foods have. I mean Omega-3 is insane for lowering Cholesterol and improving heart health and you get that from fish and numerous seeds like flaxseeds. So yes Science may have discovered that Avocado is a deadly killer that causes heart attacks if all you eat every day is Avocado, but no one does that. You know what else people don't do? Live on nothing but Coriander, it's a seasoning that is used sparingly that won't cause any negative health effects if used as part of a healthy balanced diet.

[@Cin9999]

well even if it was it was probably just a high number per 100g of coriander i guess no one uses more than a gram or so ...so it should be fine

[@mikemccartneyable]

Love your videos despite being a meat eater. This does not explain why the organic milking tubes would have higher phthalates than the non-organic milk they were normally consuming?

[@Cin9999]

yes it does as the non organic milk is not as fresh and filtered way more often also how ignorant are you that you love his videos but eat a substantial amount of meat?

[@Cin9999]

not to be unpolite ...

[@mikemccartneyable]

John, my comments related to the content of the video and were not directed to you for comment. In the video: I didn't hear anything about freshness of milk and phthalate levels I didn't hear anything about amount of filtering affecting phthalate levels The reason I listen to Dr Greger's video's is because I find him an excellent and quite often a very entertaining presenter, he is very well versed and grounded in scientific research. I like to constantly challenge my own perceptions of what may or may not be healthy food based on real scientific evidence and research Regards your labelling of me as "ignorant", I think that says more about your own state of mind, your behaviour when sitting behind a keyboard and your overall character. Its not the sort of thing you say to a stranger face to face and quite frankly it is extremely impolite of you to say that about me I'd suggest that you try to be more open to the fact that the world is full of people who do not think exactly as you do and that may have made other dietary choices than you have for their own personal reasons

[@Cin9999]

Mike McCartney not believing what the biggest institutions on health like the WHO, AHA, ADA etc. tell you = ignorant also this is youtube you make public comments you get commented on - learn how to deal with it and dont be insecure and childish

[@garland978]

That does it, no more eggs as a meal item for me. I will still use them sparingly, along with evaporated milk for cooking, that's all. The coriander issue has me curious also. Will look into that. Thank you.

[@garrettjacob7572]

thank you sir

[@emmavegan1337]

Interesting!

[@marcoantino2920]

would be easier to count what isnt contaminated

[@tlarson5422]

What if you fast the animals before you butcher them?

[@Llama_Dhali_G]

Probably leaner depending on how long the fast . . Sounds like we might have to resort to eating grubs and beetles! Hakuna Matata!

[@mysoutherngardeningjourney]

I'm guessing chickens (and other animals) may be getting phthalate from contaminated groundwater? (Which, most groundwater is these days.)

[@truthlifenutrition3346]

If they are factory farmed animals their water is likely pumped in through large PVC pipes that contain Phthalates.

[@cyc00000]

It feels like you're trying to implicate humans, very dodgy I must say, show us your data, what have humans ever done?

[@ESR66]

You made me go from vegetarian diet to a vegan diet . Thank you😊

[@brettharter143]

Well done you T levels will be crashed even further

[@James-zr1lu]

It pisses me off I grew up on meat, dairy and eggs as I was told I needed them to grow and they were healthy. Whatever... I guess, shit happens.

[@NgonyamaShobane775]

Go live in a bubble planet, you'll live 10000 years

[@branwithoutclaws]

They are healthy if unadulterated by scrooges in industry.

[@cgbodytube]

I know he's super intelligent cos I don't know wtf he just said. 😀

[@rrhymsyr]

Lol, same here!

[@cgbodytube]

***** hmmm. You haven't expertised that modesty homie. 😉 it's fine, I'm waiting for the Sesame Street version of his videos. And if even those are too complex, I know the answer anyway. A whole foods plant based diet. 👊🏽

[@aresxerxes6291]

Just eat your veggies lol

[@athelstan8510]

Knew that this was going to be another 'meat is bad and plant based is great' video. What vegans don't tell you is that plant based foods, like legumes, will give many users stomach problems. This is not true for all vegans, but not all meat eaters have poor health either. Many bad things accumulate over time so before declaring the vegan diet winner you need to follow generation after generation instead of just taking blood samples a few months a part. Furthermore, a ten units sample is a really small sample and you want your samples to be higher than that.

[@kalondo]

what research showed a causal correlation between legume consumption and stomach ulcers?

[@tamcon72]

+Amanda Austin The op is talking about lectins, or other so-called "anti-nutrients." It's Paleo bro-science, as is suggested by the preamble hinting at vegan bias in the channel's science.

[@tamcon72]

The vast majority of reputable science says a diet higher in plant foods and lower in animal foods is optimal for human health. This is not disputable at this stage of research, and any argument to the contrary needs hard data of decades' existence to back it up, likewise. Now then, as to your point: I have a FODMAPS sensitivity and don't tolerate the sugars metabolized from many beans and grains well, so I eat small amounts of these foods or avoid them, but I would never say that, because they are bad for me, a plant-based diet is not safe and healthy. You are arguing fallacies.

[@Cin9999]

xD its just a thing of being used to eat them also you dont HAVE to also Dr. greger does not subjectivly make or cherry pick these studies ...these are just the newest srudies on that topic out there

[@Cin9999]

*****​​ There is actually a video of him mentioning that - just not on this channel He does not cherry pick to support a agenda He showes the best data there is And fish itself has nothing to do with health as he proved in other videos here He addresses that as i said in a other video - many vegans/vegetarians are just too stupid to eat flax etc. and get omega 3 Or b12 because they dont live in the wild or get supplements So the point you made is actually not valid he showed the essence of what was perfect data in context Especially since he has always very short videos and encourages everybody to read the studies if there might be questions  He also has even a video about the okinawan diet on here that features fish...2% fish but fish 

[@donaldhayward1180]

Thank you for the info, now go have that nap you sound like you need.

[@mrsginny]

I'm a little confused on this one

[@Cin9999]

conclusion was - even organic animal products arent safe = eat whole plants

[@badairdaynewyork5859]

Geoengineering chemicals include phthalates.

[@phopgrego]

Man made horrors within our comprehension

[@pablopolski1228]

Do you receive funding from Bill Gates?

[@AdamIsMyNameO]

Why would phthalates cause weight gain? Seems like just a correlation to me...

[@Vunderbread]

Endocrine/hormone disruption

[@MrDarrylR]

Phthalate exposure has been demonstrated to induce obesity in animal studies, and interfere with hormonal signalling in vitro. The effects are most apparent in early (pregnancy/perinatal) exposure, so there's probably some epigenetic modification going on. For more info, visit Scholar: scholar.google.com/scholar?q=obesogen+phthalate

[@robertolson3115]

My hypersensitive sense of smell caused me to notice an association between chemical fragrance and obesity. Phthalates are used in chemical fragrance and cosmetics. When in public I noticed when a female off- gassed that unmistakable smell of conventional fabric softener, she was obese. I also noted among African- American women who use large amounts of cosmetology products, the stronger they off- gassed fragrances from these products, the bigger they were. The association was consistent 90% of the time. At first I wrote it off as being my imagination. After about a year of this I couldn't take it anymore. I googled "FRAGRANCE OBESITY" and I was vindicated. It was not my imagination. This led me to research on phthalates.

[@vamoraswift6649]

#Hownottodie

[@drygordspellweaver8761]

Hey a different narrator this guy mumbles

[@jmarylastone]

and?? and?? - this video seemed like it left me hanging - like I missed the ending

[@Co-km6cl]

wfpb diet is the answer. as always.

[@maremacd]

He always does that. Annoying, isn't it?

[@DVM981]

Whole foods plant based diet is the conclusion.

[@Cin9999]

+ProTw33ks always 😄

[@fruitascension5089]

Me too

[@madsdm5435]

uh uh, very good video my queen, my Ugandan soldiers will return to africa soon

[@Yorker1998]

Wait chickens not healthy? Whatever its better than red meat.

[@truthlifenutrition3346]

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds