Numerous studies authoritatively and categorically state that the kitchen is the dirtiest place in the whole house. Even if you sterilize all your cooking tools and try to keep it as clean as possible. This time, however, we will talk about the fact that some items in our kitchens, despite their enormous popularity, can cause serious health issues over time.
Today we bring to your attention a video that is both useful and highly controversial. You may agree with some of the viewpoints expressed by the author, or you may consider his theses complete nonsense - but it will definitely not leave you indifferent. And, perhaps, you will also join the heated discussion, either here or under the original video.
More info: Instagram
Paul Saladino, a popular MD blogger, recently published a video about 4 toxic items in our kitchens
Image credits: paulsaladinomd
According to the author, 3 of them are mostly kitchen tools like plastic cutting boards, Teflon pans and aluminium foil
Paul Saladino, a blogger and double board-certified MD, runs a blog on Instagram dedicated to issues of proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Paul's recent video has gone viral, with over 105K likes as of today, and has sparked a heated discussion in the comments, as not all netizens actually agree with his point of view.
So, Paul claims that there are four common things in our kitchens that, according to him, are incredibly toxic and harmful to health, and the best thing, the author says, would be to get rid of them as soon as possible. However, don't worry - the blogger gives his recommendations for the most effective replacements.
Image credits: paulsaladinomd
Point one, which is also the most important one - plastic cutting boards, so common all over the modern world. By cutting food on them, the author claims, we simultaneously peel off a huge number of microplastic fragments that inevitably end up in our bodies. An alternative is a good old wooden board, which can then be regularly washed with vinegar.
Image credits: paulsaladinomd
Paul not only urges us to get rid of these items, but also suggests "healthier" alternatives
Point two - Teflon pans. When heated strongly, Paul claims, Teflon particles can aerosolize, and then you and your family members will inevitably inhale these vapors. It’s way better, the blogger believes, to use a regular steel frying pan - even if the products on it can burn sometimes.
Image credits: paulsaladinomd
Next - aluminum foil. Microparticles of aluminum come into contact with food during the cooking process, and then, once in our body, can sometimes cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease. An alternative? It exists, and it’s quite affordable - parchment paper. At least it’s of organic origin.
Image credits: paulsaladinomd
The last one, but not the least, is seed oils, which the author recommends using for salad dressing only
And finally, Mr. Saladino urges all home cooks to refuse to cook using seed oils - because they’re “not stable to be heated.” Instead, the blogger strongly advises using fats of animal origin: butter or tallow. However, given that the author's Instagram profile indicates that he’s an avid supporter of the animal-based diet, this advice is not at all surprising.
Image credits: Jason Briscoe / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
So should you rush into the kitchen right now and throw away your entire set of brand new Teflon pans along with your favorite plastic cutting board? Well, reality, like a coin, has two sides, and the one we like more is actually not always the right one.
Image credits: Douglas Fehr / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Many studies also confirm that plastic boards actually spread lots of microplastic particles, which end up in our bodies
"Some of this blogger's statements seem, in my opinion, quite controversial, but one I can agree with one hundred percent - this is the harm of plastic cutting boards," says Irina Stasiuk, an expert in syndromic therapy from Odessa, Ukraine, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here. "Indeed, the constant deforming effect of knives causes regular peeling of microplastic particles, and this can cause many health problems."
"On the other hand, wooden cutting boards, which this blogger also encourages us to use, are also not a panacea. The fact is that wood, no matter how smoothly polished it is, will still have a microporous surface - which means that food fragments will inevitably linger in these pores, creating a breeding ground for microbes. And washing with vinegar will not always be 100% effective here," Irina sums up.
By the way, a recent study published by Environmental Science and Technology confirms that plastic cutting boards contribute to the ingress of plastic into our food. Thus, researchers have found that regular use of a plastic cutting board leads to 14-71 million polyethylene microplastics and 79 million polypropylene microplastics getting into our meals per year.
You can watch the original video here
This amount, to draw an analogy that is completely understandable to everyone, is equivalent to ten credit cards. Similar studies were conducted for Teflon pans and aluminum foil. But Paul Saladino's accusations against seed oils became a real discussion point in the comments to his video.
Some responders even directly accused the author of ignorance of modern research on olive oil, claiming that, on the contrary, it remains stable when heated. Other people in the comments gave the author a huge shoutout for not only warning about toxic kitchen items, but also suggesting alternative options. And what do you, our dear readers, think about these probable health hazards?
People in the comments were very divided over this video, as some folks even accused the author of being biased against olive oil
