These 3 Healthy Foods Are Linked to ‘Forever Chemical’ Exposure. Yes, You’re Probably Eating Them.

THERE’S BEEN AN onslaught of research over the past few years that has detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in pretty much everything. These so-called “forever chemicals” have been found in drinking water, foods, and even within human brains and testicles. Yes, they’re kind of everywhere.

But while these so-called “forever chemicals” are all over the place, new research suggests that certain foods may lead to higher exposure of PFAS than others. Unfortunately, these foods are also considered healthy from a nutritional standpoint—and they may even be staples of your diet.

In case you’re hazy on the details, PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that are used to make industrial and consumer products. “These chemicals break down slowly and can persist in the environment for long periods of time,” explains Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a toxicologist at MedStar Health. “PFAS are also linked to potential adverse human health effects, including immune problems, cancer, and reproductive disorders.” (While work is being done to phase out PFAS in a variety of areas, many persist.)

While toxicologists say the latest findings aren’t enough to suggest that you should ban these foods from your plate, it’s worth considering how else you’re exposed to PFAS. Here’s what the study found, plus what toxicologists recommend doing to lower your exposure doing forward.

What did the study find?

The study, which was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, analyzed blood samples from 700 California residents, along with their diet.

The researchers discovered that people with higher levels of PFAS in their blood ate more seafood, eggs, and brown rice than those with lower PFAS blood concentrations. PFAS levels were also elevated in people who lived in areas where the forever chemicals were detected in their drinking water. But they were still lower than levels found in communities that are considered highly contaminated with PFAS.

Worth noting: PFAS exposure from food seemed to be lower than what was detected in earlier studies. This could be due to the FDA’s decision to phase out legacy PFAS from manufacturing and restrict it in certain products, according to the researchers.

“Although people who reported regular consumption of seafood, eggs, and brown rice were found to have increased PFAS levels in their blood, consumption of other food, including heated packaged food (like takeout food) and red meat were not strongly associated with increased blood levels of PFAS chemicals,” Dr. Johnson-Arbor says.

How to lower your exposure to PFAS in food and water

Overall, toxicologists say the findings suggest things are moving in the right direction with PFAS. “This means all the things we have been doing—removing PFAS and reducing exposure—may in fact be working,” says Jamie Alan, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. “However, we should still be aware and reduce exposure when we can.”

Alan and Dr. Johnson-Arbor are hesitant to say that you should stop eating seafood, brown rice, and eggs, given their known nutritional benefits. Instead, they suggest trying to limit your PFAS exposure from food and water in other ways. Those include:

• Store food in non-plastic containers, like glass or metal.
• Don’t warm up foods in plastic containers.
• Consider using a water filter designed to remove PFAS.
• Limit how much takeout you get, since the packages these foods come in tend to contain PFAS.
• Try to avoid using non-stick cookware.

If you’re especially worried about your PFAS exposure, there is a blood test you can take to see how much of the stuff is in your body. (This isn’t widely available, so you’ll need to connect with your healthcare provider about next steps, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Again, PFAS are all over the place, making them hard to entirely avoid. But taking the steps we just listed out may help to limit your exposure—and preserve your health.