Have you heard of "PFAS"? Perfluorinated alkylated substances are a group of substances whose effects are still being studied, but exposure to them has been found to be associated with a number of serious health problems.
Currently, there are more than 4,700 substances belonging to this family, which are widely used in various industries. These chemical compounds resist most of the natural degradation processes due to the strong bond between fluorine and carbon atoms.
According to a study published in "Medical News Today", people who have a fish-based diet have a higher risk of being exposed to these substances. But the authors of the study do not suggest removing fish from the diet completely, only reducing it.
The study in question was carried out on residents of Portsmouth, an area where fish consumption is very high, and 1,829 residents were questioned and asked about the types of seafood they consumed. 95% of them stated that they ate fish and seafood throughout the year, mostly: salmon, shrimp and packaged tuna.
From the analysis made in their food, 26 types of PFAS were detected, concluding that people who eat more seafood have a higher concentration of PFAS in the body.
In addition to the toxicity of the substances in question, the researchers point out that there is still not enough research to prove the real damage that comes to human health from the high concentration of these chemicals.
But so far it has been discovered that PFAS is closely related to the increase in cholesterol in the blood. There are also theories about their connection to problems during pregnancy, from hypertension to the reduction of the body's immune response to vaccines. There is a chance that these substances are linked to kidney and testicular cancer.
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