Plastic Dishes: Are They Safe For Health?
Plastic plates are a convenience for any family. They are the ideal solution for parties and meetings, but also for feeding small children. In fact, they are so practical that if they accidentally fall to the ground nothing happens.
Some plastic dishes can also be used in the microwave or washed in the dishwasher, they are also quite resistant, so they last over time. However, ever since they were invented, plastic plates have raised doubts and perplexities regarding the relationship between convenience and health safety.
A team of experts from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan carried out some tests on disposable plates and tableware made of melamine, showing that prolonged use of these items to serve hot food can increase the possibility of contracting a well-known disease: i kidney stones.
Are plastic dishes bad for your health?
The team of researchers, together with Dr. Chia-Fang Wu, subjected a group of twelve people to an experiment. He divided the participants into two further groups of six people each and assigned each group a different task.
The experiment involved one of the two groups eating hot soup in plastic dishes, while the other group had to do the same using, however, ceramic plates. After twelve hours, the team of researchers examined urine samples from each group.
Test results showed elevated levels of melamine in urine samples from group members who were asked to eat hot soup on plastic plates. The levels of melamine in the urine of the other group, on the other hand, were very low.
Does the temperature of the food affect?
Researchers have shown that if people routinely eat very hot food in plastic containers, they are more likely to develop kidney stones. Also, old, low-quality utensils made of plastic or melamine can be harmful to those already suffering from kidney stones.
An article published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine assures that low-quality utensils and tableware can release huge amounts of this substance which is also present in several kitchen items made of plastic and designed for activities related to the preparation and cooking of food.
The absorption of melamine is not activated only by heat, but is also due to the fact of serving acidic foods in this type of container.
However, since the kitchen items are not all of the same brand and quality, studies have not yet shown whether the effect on the body is always the same or if, simply, it is only the low-quality items that cause. this problem.
