Is your brain health at risk from foil food boxes and your wet raincoat? Here's all you need to know about forever chemicals
Is the food that you have from the cardboard/foil box delivered by a food app or the raincoat that's shielding you from the rain affecting your brain health? Many of us may not know this but our everyday items may be leaching compounds into our gut and skin that's insidiously triggering persistent health problems.
This is because most consumer goods contain PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of chemicals that have a powerful ability to repel oil and water and resist heat. For long these have been widely used in various products like non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, water-resistant clothing and food packaging, making them pervasive in everyday life. 'These do not get destroyed in the environment or the human body and tend to persist, earning the moniker forever chemicals. However, because of their persistence, they can cause significant health concerns. Many people are exposed to forever chemicals through drinking water, food and even dust,' says Dr Praveen Gupta, Chairman- Neurosciences, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram.
The worst part, he says, is that they might be stuck in your body for years. A new study by the researchers from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester recently found that early life exposure to forever chemicals may increase anxiety-related behaviors and memory deficits in male mice.
How do forever chemicals impact your health?
They can interfere with the endocrine system, which regulates hormones, potentially affecting reproductive health and development. Studies have shown associations between exposure to forever chemicals and liver damage and thyroid dysfunction. PFAS can weaken the immune system, potentially reducing the body's ability to fight infections and respond to vaccines. Certain PFAs have been linked to an increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. But now they are being studied for their impact on brain health?
How neurotoxic are forever chemicals?
This is a relevant concern now because of their ability to penetrate the blood brain barrier. This acts as a protective filter, regulating the movement of substances between the bloodstream and the brain, allowing essential nutrients in while keeping harmful substances out. But now the latest mice study has shown that they are permeating this barrier. This is significant because the damaging effects continued long after the exposure.
Once the barrier is breached, these chemicals disrupt key neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that transmit signals across the nervous system) particularly dopamine, which impacts movement, motivation, mood and reward, as well as glutamate, which stimulates nerve cells so that they can pass on signals to each other. It's essential for normal brain function, including learning and memory.
Forever chemicals may also destroy nerve cells by interfering with genes. They can also stimulate neuroinflammation and damage brain cells. That's why we have impaired sleep. All of this leads to neurodegenerative processes and impacts cognition and increases the risk of Alzheimer's. They can also be related to behavioural disorders in children like ADHD or lower academic performance.
(The author is chairman, Neurosciences, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram)
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Indian Express
07-07-2025
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Is your brain health at risk from foil food boxes and your wet raincoat? Here's all you need to know about forever chemicals
Written by Dr Praveen Gupta Is the food that you have from the cardboard/foil box delivered by a food app or the raincoat that's shielding you from the rain affecting your brain health? Many of us may not know this but our everyday items may be leaching compounds into our gut and skin that's insidiously triggering persistent health problems. This is because most consumer goods contain PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of chemicals that have a powerful ability to repel oil and water and resist heat. For long these have been widely used in various products like non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, water-resistant clothing and food packaging, making them pervasive in everyday life. 'These do not get destroyed in the environment or the human body and tend to persist, earning the moniker forever chemicals. However, because of their persistence, they can cause significant health concerns. Many people are exposed to forever chemicals through drinking water, food and even dust,' says Dr Praveen Gupta, Chairman- Neurosciences, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram. The worst part, he says, is that they might be stuck in your body for years. A new study by the researchers from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester recently found that early life exposure to forever chemicals may increase anxiety-related behaviors and memory deficits in male mice. How do forever chemicals impact your health? They can interfere with the endocrine system, which regulates hormones, potentially affecting reproductive health and development. Studies have shown associations between exposure to forever chemicals and liver damage and thyroid dysfunction. PFAS can weaken the immune system, potentially reducing the body's ability to fight infections and respond to vaccines. Certain PFAs have been linked to an increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. But now they are being studied for their impact on brain health? How neurotoxic are forever chemicals? This is a relevant concern now because of their ability to penetrate the blood brain barrier. This acts as a protective filter, regulating the movement of substances between the bloodstream and the brain, allowing essential nutrients in while keeping harmful substances out. But now the latest mice study has shown that they are permeating this barrier. This is significant because the damaging effects continued long after the exposure. Once the barrier is breached, these chemicals disrupt key neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that transmit signals across the nervous system) particularly dopamine, which impacts movement, motivation, mood and reward, as well as glutamate, which stimulates nerve cells so that they can pass on signals to each other. It's essential for normal brain function, including learning and memory. Forever chemicals may also destroy nerve cells by interfering with genes. They can also stimulate neuroinflammation and damage brain cells. That's why we have impaired sleep. All of this leads to neurodegenerative processes and impacts cognition and increases the risk of Alzheimer's. They can also be related to behavioural disorders in children like ADHD or lower academic performance. (The author is chairman, Neurosciences, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram)
Time of India
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