Stop using these 3 harmful kitchen products immediately!

The most widely used kitchen products have profound health implications. They show their effect only after being used for a prolonged period. Under the guise of packaging and hygiene, we are exposed to irritants and trace chemicals, which over time accumulate and lead to organ damage and inflammatory disorders. Here we provide a glimpse of the horrors that lie ahead in the use of everyday kitchen and household products and their possible alternatives. 

Aluminum foil: 

It is very convenient for our mothers to pack our food with aluminum foil or to prepare food in the latest non-stick aluminum cookware. During their use, trace quantities of aluminum are consumed by us. Although human bodies are particularly good at excreting tiny amounts of aluminum, most individuals are exposed to and consume considerably more than the recommended daily dose. The daily consumption of aluminum with utensils and foils exceeds the World Health Organization's recommended 40 mg per kg of body weight. Aluminum is a heavy metal and a known neurotoxin. Overexposure to aluminum is being investigated by scientists to assess the level of risk to human health. Aluminum has been found in significant amounts in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients. The long-term ingestion at hazardous amounts might harm other organs and tissues, including bone and muscles. As an additional side effect, aluminum eats up the zinc from the body, making it deficient. However, zinc is a trace mineral; it is essential for the production of testosterone in the body. 

In research looking at the consequences of hemodialysis, which produces aluminum accumulation in the blood, aluminum from sources such as foil was found to increase the chance of developing bone disease. A total of 37% of dialysis patients were found to have acquired aluminum-related bone damage. Researchers found that long-term oral aluminum consumption causes a high incidence of bone disease in hemodialysis patients and that aluminum directly or indirectly affects osteoblast formation, resulting in bone loss. So stated all the health problems related to foil usage, storing food in aluminum foil over a long period will lead to leaching of aluminum into the food, especially in acidic and liquid food solutions like lemon and tomato juice, aluminum is far more prone to leach into food, and at higher quantities, than in those containing alcohol or salt. When a spice is added to food cooked with aluminum foil, leaching levels increase even higher.

Alternative – Before the coming of aluminum foils in the market, here are some of the things we were using before:

1. Muslin Cloth

2. Paper napkin 

3. Parchment Paper

4. Kitchen tissue 

In place of aluminum vessels, you can choose copper vessels though it is costlier than aluminum utensils. Using primitive ideas of eating food in clay pots is pretty cool nowadays.

Dishwashing liquid and soaps: 

Every time you are serving your family food in utensils cleaned with market-based dishwashing liquid, you are also serving them few milligrams of sulfates and EDTA along with it. This is because even after washing, molecules of sulfates tend to stick on their surface. Let's find out what other chemicals it has and what health risk it can pose on it:

 APE'S (Alkyl phenoxyethanol) – This is a popular preservative in dishwashing products. Studies say that these compounds can activate estrogen receptors and accelerate the development of breast cancer.

Ammonia – This volatile compound can irritate your skin, respiratory tract, and eyes. It might be more toxic if it is mixed with bleach.

Glycol ether- It is utilized in dishwashing solutions and other home cleaning goods as a grease-cutting ingredient. Anemia, drunkenness, and irritation of the eyes and nose can result from long-term use of this substance. It can harm the reproductive and developmental systems by producing birth abnormalities and damaging testicles and sperms. It has been discovered that the common glycol ether (2-butoxyethanol) is the cause of liver cancer.

Triclosan - Although it is used as an antibacterial in most dishwashing solutions, it can encourage the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. It is harmful to the hormonal system since it can harm the thyroid and other endocrine organs. Long-term use of this substance can promote pathogen development in the body and impair the immune system.

In addition to health risks, they also use phosphates, a common chemical found in dishwashing gels that can damage an ecosystem when introduced in concentrated form. It has been discovered that discharging phosphates into water bodies via your drainage system causes algal growth, harming the ecology. 

Alternatives - solution to cleaning other than synthetic detergents can be:

1. Lemon juice

2. Washing Soda

3. Herbal Dishwashers

Floor cleaners: 

Most floor cleaners and cleaning supplies are laden with toxic chemicals, which also emit substances, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which float around in our homely environment, and we end up inhaling them. Research confirmed that air indoors is more polluted than outdoors. 

Let's find out what chemicals we have in this air –

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) - can harm eyes if they come into close contact with them, especially in youngsters. They can also damage the skin by producing burns or causing it to become dry, itchy, and flaky. These symptoms are converted into diseases like skin allergies, eczema, and psoriasis in the late stages.

Phthalates - It's essentially a technical word for unrestricted use of scent in cleaning solutions. Phthalates are potential endocrine disruptors linked to asthma, reproductive (including sperm count reduction in males), and developmental problems.

Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC) - Key ingredient in most products is an ammonium compound for cleansing, but it is highly toxic in nature.

Author - Gaurav Gaur