Chemical compounds in plastic containers that are supposed to be healthier and safer replacements of a previously dangerous chemical have been found to have links to hypertension, or high blood pressure, a team of scientists from the Langone Medical Center in New York University said.
The compounds - di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) - are used to replace di-2-ethylhexylphlatate (DEHP), which has been proven to affect health in the past, according to CBS News.
The researchers analyzed blood samples of young participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey when they discovered the "significant association" between the compounds and hypertension. Additionally, the researchers also found out that the chemicals could be linked to increased insulin resistance, which can led to diabetes.
"We examined DINP and DIDP levels in urine samples from children and adolescents (6 to 19 years old) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2009 and 2012, to assess if these levels were associated with blood pressure measurements," the researchers headed by Leonardo Trasande, a professor at NYU Langone, stated, according to Medical Research.
"Diet, physical activity, gender, race/ethnicity, income, and other factors that can contribute to increased blood pressure were also included in the analysis. A significant association was found between high blood pressure and DINP/DIDP levels in study participants. This is not a cause-and-effect relationship but it suggests that phthalates may contribute to increased blood pressure," they added.
"The FDA does regulate the plastics that come in contact with food, and the most important take-home message is to read the label on the package or the container," said Dr. Natalie Azar, an NBC News medical director, via Today. "If it says, 'microwave safe,' it is microwave safe. If it contains the recycling numbers 3, 6 and 7 on the other hand, then you know that those products were actually made with those chemicals of concern."
Trasande and his team recommend using safer microwaving practices such as:
- Avoid using plastic containers or plastic wraps when microwaving food
- Avoid washing plastic containers in dishwashers as plasticizers could leak
- Avoid plastic containers labeled 3, 6, 7, which are usually indicated in the recycle sticker symbol.
Their study was published in the Hypertension journal.
