Are Forever Chemicals Wrecking Your Health?

Forever chemicals are found in many of our everyday products as well as in the environment, including, possibly, our drinking water. Exposure to these chemicals can lead to health issues in some individuals, including reduced immune function, elevated cholesterol, thyroid problems, reproductive issues, weight gain, impaired growth in unborn babies and infants, and cancer.

Forever chemicals: What are they, and where do they come from?

Forever chemicals are found in many of the household products you use daily: your non-stick cookware – think Teflon -, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics, furniture & carpets, water-resistant clothing, cosmetics, and even your drinking water. While they have made our lives easier, this convenience comes with a price to your own health and the health of our environment.

These chemicals are scientifically known as Polyfluorinated Alkyls. Their unique chemical properties enable them to resist degradation and, thus, hang around “forever” in the environment and in your body. Environmental contamination in groundwater has reached alarming proportions in recent years and is found in every state in the U.S. In fact, in 2022, there were 2,858 contamination sites in the U.S. As of May 2024, there are now over 6,000 contamination sites. Community contamination occurs due to the proximity to industrial sites, manufacturing facilities, military bases, airports, and sewage plants.

Are you at risk?

99% of all Americans have forever chemicals in their blood. Although individuals who work in industries that use these chemicals (firefighters, military, employees of manufacturing plants, airports) are most at risk for their harmful health effects, people who live in proximity to industrial, military, airports, and sewage treatment plants also have an elevated human health risk.

How can you find out if you have elevated levels & what can you do about high levels?

A simple blood test called PFA Panel is able to assess your level of forever chemicals. If your level is elevated, the functional medicine approach is able to address your individual risk and place you on a plan of care to remove these toxic chemicals from your body safely.

Since these chemicals are found everywhere, it is impossible to be completely free of them. However, the functional medicine approach to health, along with diet and lifestyle changes, can help you reduce your risk of exposure and development of toxicity-related illnesses.

References

PFAS “Forever Chemicals”: Types, Sources & Exposure | Quest® (questhealth.com)

What are PFAS chemicals? | Environmental Working Group (ewg.org)

Interactive Map: PFAS Contamination Crisis: New Data Show 6,189 Sites in 50 States (ewg.org)