4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid and 4 Safe Alternatives

[Music] four types of toxic cookware to avoid and for safe alternatives most people these days are well aware of the importance of eating healthy however not everyone knows that the cookware you use to prepare your dishes is just as important as the food itself even the healthiest diet can result in severe health complication if your pots and pans are toxic if you're ready to find out what those dangers are which cookware to avoid and what's safer alternatives you can replace them with then keep on watching one Teflon cookware Teflon is probably the biggest offender on this list so we'll start off strong many people choose this nonstick material because it's convenient and easy to find yet they have no idea that it's also the most dangerous the nonstick properties of Teflon cookware are achieved with a coating of PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene this is a plastic polymer that when heated above 572 degrees Fahrenheit starts to release toxins these toxic fumes lead to flu-like symptoms called polymer fume fever informally known as Teflon flu people begin to suffer from headaches chills and high temperature because Teflon fumes do the most damage on the lungs people usually feel tightness in their chest and start coughing the symptoms don't even appear right after a person has breathed in the fumes but a couple of hours later and it's not just dangerous to people Teflon fumes are also fatal to pet birds like parrots another chemical compound found in Teflon cookware is pfoa or for fluoro octa Noack acid this man-made chemical is also known as c8 it's especially threatening since it tends to stay in the body as well as the environment for long periods of time recent studies both in the lab and on humans have found a link between this substance and several types of cancer including breast prostate and ovarian cancer while it's believed that the PFOA president teflon products is in such small amounts that it poses no threat to people it's worth noting that this stuff is also found in tons of other things you come in contact with every single day like the water you drink the amount depends on the area where you live but in any case it's best to limit your exposure to PFOA if you can you can find nonstick cookware that's free of PTFE and PFOA but it's usually coated with something like granite this coating is safe to use as long as it's intact but unfortunately it's thin and chips easily as soon as it starts coming off you have to stop using that cookware item immediately try this safe alternative instead real cast iron this is a non-toxic cooking option that truly withstands the test of time it heats well and evenly throughout Plus cast iron cookware even comes in nonstick varieties it doesn't leak anything toxic into your food and is actually a nice natural way to increase your body's iron levels and if your body doesn't need an iron boost then you can try an am old cast iron cookware which is just as safe and convenient to use to aluminum cookware and aluminum foil it's no surprise that aluminum is so widely used besides being a most abundant metal out there it's also very strong lightweight versatile and recyclable however it's not without hidden dangers aluminum is a neurotoxic material elevated levels of aluminum in the body have been linked to several nervous system diseases including Alzheimer's and ALS though aluminum cookware is usually coated the coating is prone to chipping allowing the toxic metal to get right into your food as for aluminum foil using it while cooking is even more dangerous in fact there's an established safe amount of aluminum the human body can manage daily and that's 20 milligrams per pound of body weight today when you wrap your food in aluminum foil and cook it this way the amount of this substance that leaks into the food significantly exceeds the permissible level and if you add a siddik lemon to the Fischer baking it starts aggressively breaking down layers and layers of aluminum letting them seep into your dinner that's why you should use foil only to wrap cold foods and leftovers in try this safe alternative instead glass cookware this is another safe option to consider it'll never release anything toxic when heated it doesn't hold on to any old flavors or odors and it's not only durable but also eco-friendly the only downside of glass cookware is that it isn't nonstick but that's just a small price to pay for your health and safety 3 copper cookware you've probably seen copper cookware in stores and noticed how pretty of us you're likely to have heard of it's amazing conductive properties that allow for quick and even heating but did you know that copper can actually be dangerous when used in cookware just like with a lot of metals the human body needs copper in small amounts but if the body gets too much of the stuff it can lead to life-threatening complications and copper cookware especially when it isn't coded can easily send you to the ER with a bad case of metal poisoning and that's because it can release copper when you cook acidic foods so if you've just enjoyed some fish and lemon juice or stewed tomatoes cooked with an uncoated copper pot and you find yourself suffering from extremely unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting blood lightheadedness yellowy skin or gastrointestinal distress among others call 9-1-1 immediately and even if your cookware is coated the coating often contains nickel which is another toxic element nickel exposure can lead to problems with the liver and kidneys it can also cause high blood pressure heart disease and an increased risk of lung cancer try this safe alternative instead stainless steel this is a great cookware option it's relatively lightweight scratch resistant and comes in nonstick varieties it'll also last you a really long time just make sure you're buying food grade stainless steel since this is the only type that doesn't contain any nickel or chromium for ceramic coated cookware this type of cookware looks nice and seems like a safe option at first after all 100% ceramic is completely safe for cooking however ceramic coating usually hides some pretty nasty stuff in it soft ceramic coating isn't durable enough and starts chipping after a few months of daily use when this happens lead and cadmium sometimes found in the coating will end up in your food and thus in your body lead poisoning is one of the most dangerous types of metal poisoning and can result in abdominal pain headaches infertility and often other health complications in severe cases it can even lead to coma and death as for cadmium it's toxic even in the tiniest amounts if it gets into your body it will negatively impact all your various systems starting with the cardiovascular and reproductive ones and then moving on to your kidneys eyes and brain in men it messes with testosterone levels and damages prostate function it can also do a real number on your bones yeah none of this sounds very pleasant does it even when ceramic coating is lead-free or doesn't contain cadmium chipped cookware can still present a danger because it's usually neurotoxic aluminium hiding under that coating try this safe alternative instead 100% ceramic cookware this is one of the best and safest options out there since it's made with completely natural materials it isn't toxic and it won't ship or peel off it's also nonstick and dishwasher safe it's only downside is that 100% ceramic can be pretty costly but it will last you a very long time plus after everything we've talked about today and all those horrible symptoms caused by toxic cookware don't you think it's worth the investment did any of your cookware make this blacklist or do you use the safe alternatives which one's your favorite tell us in the comments below don't forget to click subscribe to stay on the bright side of life [Music]

Channel: BRIGHT SIDE

Views: 6,378,890

Rating: 4.6951218 out of 5

Keywords: bright side, brightside, bright side videos, lifehacks, your safety, protect your kids, stay healthy, eat healthy, Teflon, Teflon bad for you, dangerous, toxic cookware, copper cookware, aluminium cookware, aluminium bad for you, ceramic-coated cookware, ceramics bad for you

Id: 0uATfA_WoTA

Length: 9min 17sec (557 seconds)

Published: Tue May 29 2018