• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Diet & Nutrition
  3. Food Safety

More Phthalate Worries?

Is it true that eating in restaurants increases the levels of phthalates in the body? If so, how does this affect health?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | May 4, 2018

more phthalate worries
2 min

Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in some plastics, and it is true that research published in March 2018 found that eating away from home can boost levels you ingest. This seems to apply to any type of restaurant, as well as cafeterias, according to a study from George Washington University and the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

The study found that people who reported eating out on a regular basis had phthalate levels nearly 35 percent higher than those who routinely ate food bought at grocery stores and prepared at home. The researchers asked 10,253 people who participated in a national health and nutrition survey between 2005 and 2014 to recall what they had eaten in the past 24 hours and where the food came from. Responses showed that 61 percent of them had dined out the previous day. The researchers then compared what the individuals reported eating with breakdown products of phthalates found in each person’s urine.

Results showed that the association between phthalate exposure and eating out was significant for everyone involved but was the most pronounced in teenagers; their phthalate levels were 55 percent above those who ate food prepared at home. The highest levels were linked to eating cheeseburgers and other sandwiches bought at fast-food outlets, restaurants, and cafeterias. These findings are worrisome because two-thirds of the U.S. population eats at least some food outside the home daily.

Phthalates are in take-out food boxes, the gloves restaurant employees use when handling food, as well as food processing equipment and other items used in the production of restaurant, cafeteria and fast-food meals. We know from previous research that these chemicals can leach into food from plastic containers or wrapping.

Senior study author, Ami Zota, Sc.D., M.S., an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University, made the point that home-cooked meals may limit exposure to phthalates (and can also reduce your intake of sugar, unhealthy fats and salt).

Another author, Julia Varshavsky, Ph.D., M.P.H. of UC Berkeley, noted that pregnant women, children and teens “are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals, so it’s important to find ways to limit their exposures.”

Bear in mind that phthalates are in products other than food. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), measurable levels of many phthalate metabolites have been found in the general population, indicating that exposure to these chemicals is widespread. Levels are higher among women than men for phthalates used in soaps, body washes, shampoos, cosmetics and other personal care products.

Earlier epidemiological studies have revealed correlations between increased concentrations of the phthalate DEHP in the human body and excess body weight. Mouse studies have shown that these phthalates promote weight gain by altering metabolism. Beyond that, other research has suggested that phthalates may be linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer, childhood asthma, and autism.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

 

Source:

Julia Varshavsky et al. “Dietary sources of cumulative phthalates exposure among the U.S. general population in NHANES 2005-2014.” Environment International, March 29, 2018 doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.029

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

plastics in fish
Food Safety

Plastics In Fish?

Is Spirulina Safe | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Food Safety

Is Spirulina Safe?

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging - Your Anti-Inflammatory Diet Source

Want to promote overall health and help minimize the risk of inflammatory diseases? Join Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging, your online guide to the anti-inflammatory diet. Start your 14-day free trial now for access to shopping and eating guides, hundreds of recipes, an exclusive version of Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid and more!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

bread loaves
Food Safety

A Carcinogen in Your Bread?

Raw salmon fish steaks with fresh herbs on cutting board
Food Safety

Alaskan Salmon From China?

Buyer chooses minced meat in a store
Food Safety

Ammonia in Ground Beef?

Free range chicken on an organic farm in Austria; Freilandhühner auf einem Bauernhof in Oberösterreich
Food Safety

Antibiotics and Arsenic in Chickens?

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com