When you decided to buy a particular laptop, a new version arrives. The trend with cookware is much the same, and there are confusing reports on whether environmentally friendly products are healthy for your body. When you hear that Teflon is the devil, you find out that other researchers are now claiming that this cookware is safe.
How do you know what to choose when there is so much contradictory information out there? This article will examine the latest research trends and discoveries to make your shopping experience easier.
Can the correct aluminum research please stand up?
Some of the newest research claims that aluminum cookware is perfectly safe. Surface damage has caused this change of heart. When acidic foods and extreme temperatures damage the surface of aluminum cookware, your body has a higher chance of ingesting harsh chemicals. Without damage to the pot or pan, the cookware does not pose such extreme danger.
However, do you want to take that chance? Mount Sinai Hospital claims that small doses of aluminum will not hurt the body since the digestive system can naturally expel this from the intestines. In addition, aluminum is part of the earth, and the hospital states that aluminum exists within the water, food, and soil. This can lead to higher aluminum consumption if you live anywhere close to toxic waste or even work near aluminum dust.
The verdict: Aluminum cookware is only safe if it is not damaged. If you decide to buy this type of cookware, then be sure to take great care. Be sure to properly dispose of damaged cookware so that high amounts of aluminum cannot leak into the soil or water supply.
The old standby: cast iron
Sometimes the oldest ideas are the best. For example, you may shy away from purchasing cast iron cookware due to its weight, but this cookware is sturdy for a reason. In addition, cast iron is both stovetop and oven-safe.
Cast iron cookware presents a problem for those who love non-stick pans. However, you can make your cast iron cookware non-stick in a small amount of time. You can bake your pan with oil or cook off some of the leftover seasoning and oil from the last time you used the pan.
Over time, this seasoning technique will only add fantastic flavor to your food. The expensive cast iron with enamel is just as safe. Unfortunately, it costs more money—but cookware that can hold up for that many years without the health hazards might be worth the cost.
The verdict: Cast iron is one of the safest types of cookware on the market. Be sure to store your heavy cast iron pans in a place where you will not have to strain your back to lift them.
Greatly debated Teflon
Remember Julia Robert’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Erin Brockovich? DuPont’s creation of Teflon is incredibly similar to the PG&E case. The company utilized C8 to create Teflon and discovered through its research that C8 was toxic, which was confirmed in 1961.
C8 had continued usage in DuPont’s trademarked Teflon products, even though the company had looked into the health risks. Who proved that C8 led to congenital disabilities, kidney cancer, and other serious health conditions.
So, why in the world was DuPont allowed to keep creating this product? This is partially due to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA did not receive DuPont’s internal documents regarding C8 until 2001. However, this was not necessarily the fault of the EPA since DuPont was required to present its research findings decades earlier.
In 2005, the EPA fined the company $10.25 million for never reporting the health risks of C8. So, why is this legal case so important? Well, this is the last year that the company can use C8 in its products. The EPA stated that DuPont must eliminate the use of C8 by 2015.
The verdict: Even former employees who sued the company due to their severe health problems still state that they enjoyed working for the company itself. The company was/is a great place to work. The researchers were the ones who didn’t report this important safety information.
However, how high up did the cover-up go? Was anyone else aware of this issue? Were there other research findings that Teflon is toxic? When you have to ask so many questions that you may not find the answers to, it may not be worth gambling your health on a guess.
