(NaturalHealth365)  Avoiding environmental toxins can seem nearly impossible these days.  How’s this, for an example: traces of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS or forever chemicals, are believed to be detectable in the blood and urine of 97% of Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s well-known National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

But while PFAS have been linked to a wide variety of health problems, it is possible to reduce your exposure (more on that later).  That said, companies that deceive the public about the safety of their products certainly can make this harder for the concerned consumer.

SUED: Coca-Cola’s “natural” orange juice drink contains elevated levels of harmful toxic compounds, lawsuit alleges

PFAS are manmade chemicals used in a you-name-it list of everyday products, from carpets to food packaging to dental floss.  Called “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade easily and therefore accumulate in the environment – and the human body – manufacturers like them because they are resistant to oil, water, grease, heat, and stains.  Unfortunately, these chemicals are long-lasting, pervasive, widespread, and numerous – according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, more than 9,000 different types of PFAS exist!

Now, Coca-Cola is facing a class-action lawsuit for falsely advertising that their “Simply Orange” juice products are “natural.”  The lawsuit, filed by Joseph Lurenz of the United States District Court Southern District of New York, alleges that these “Simply Orange” drinks contain levels of PFAS that far exceed the maximum recommended limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For example, third-party testing of these juices found that two types of PFAS, called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, were present at levels 100 times greater than the amounts recommended by the EPA in drinking water.

“Over the past year,” notes a January 27, 2023 article published by AboutLawsuits.com, “a growing number of consumer class action lawsuits have also been filed over high levels of PFAS in a wide variety of products, including cosmetics, McDonald’s wrappers and other food containers.”

Word is truly getting out.

These are some concerning things about PFAS you should know

When it comes to the health risks of PFAS, the list is truly sobering.  There seems to be no aspect of human health that isn’t potentially at risk from chronic, long-term, and repeated exposure to these forever chemicals.  Some of the most well-documented PFAS health problems include:

• Liver and kidney disease
• Obesity
• Reduced fertility
• Impaired fetal growth and development
• Impaired metabolism
• Impaired thyroid and immune function and decreased ability to fight infections
• Increased risk of certain types of cancers

Please be aware: these chemicals are truly ubiquitous, so avoiding them completely may be unrealistic.  But that’s no reason to fear, either.  You can reduce your amount of exposure by following a few simple strategies, such as:

• Never use conventional non-stick cookware
• Avoid processed foods, especially pre-packaged ones like microwave popcorn
• Use glass food containers
• Avoid flame-retardant clothing, carpeting, and upholstery
• Look for PFAS-free on labels

Depending on where you live, your state legislators may already be doing their part to lower your family’s exposure to these chemicals.  In California, for example, a proposed bill, AB-1817, would prohibit manufacturing, distributing, selling, or offering for sale any new textile articles (think: clothing) containing PFAS.  Additionally, manufacturers hoping to sell and distribute their products in California would have to use the “least toxic alternative” in lieu of the PFAS regulated by the state of California.

The bill, if it passes, will go into effect on January 1, 2025 – and would join an existing California law that became effective as of January 1st of this year prohibiting the distribution or sale of food packaging or “juvenile products” (like infant car seats or mattresses) that contain regulated PFAS.  And while the jury is out on whether “alternative” chemicals will end up being any safer than PFAS, it does seem like a step in the right direction.

Inspired?  Feel free to reach out to your local and state representatives if you want them to take action to better protect your family, too.

Sources for this article include:

Dailymail.co.uk
Aboutlawsuits.com
Cleanwater.org
NIH.gov
Openstates.org