How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a "banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:
1. Canned Tomatoes
The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at
the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain
bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments
ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and
obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of
tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the
BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses
sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of
animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato
can, and that's a level that is going to impact people,
particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go
near canned tomatoes."
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do
not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and
Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like
Trader Joe's and Pomi.
2. Corn-Fed Beef
3. Microwave Popcorn
4. Nonorganic Potatoes
5. Farmed Salmon
6. Milk Produced with Artificial
Hormones
7. Conventional Apples