What’s all the hype about dangerous chemicals leaching from this modern convenience? Does Teflon, non-stick cookware and cancer have anything to do with each other? And why did I throw mine away 3 months after receiving it as a wedding gift? Let’s dive into the truth about cookware…

Have you ever cooked eggs on a stainless steel pan? If yes, then you know how much it sucks to have to scrape the pan once the egg has molecularly bonded with the cooking surface. Enter Non-Stick Teflon Pans to the rescue. But is this convenience worth a potential health risk? The answer: It’s Complicated.

Why I Threw Away MY Teflon:

Teflon, a non-stick material made by Dupont is a chemical coating that allows us to cook without our food sticking to the pan. As a mom, it’s an awesome CONVENIENCE! No longer does your food cook to the pan, but it practically washes off with water! But when you learn about the potential risks of heating your food on top of a sketchy chemical, you may want to make some changes in the kitchen.

With a disease like cancer, you pull out ALL of the stops to fight it. I did not want to take any risks in contaminating my body with Teflon when I worked so hard to detoxify it. Why would I want to put all of this fabulous food and supplements into my body and then top it off with some potentially Teflon-contaminated veggie stir-fry? My husband and I, personally decided to get rid of our Teflon coated pans, but this decision may not be for everybody.

Here are the Facts:

• Dupont, makers of Teflon did not publicly release studies that showed that pregnant Dupont workers were passing on Teflon chemicals to their unborn children. Keep in mind that these women were exposed to the chemical process of making the Teflon and not exclusively to the finished product like we are. Still- I personally wouldn’t risk it.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also accused Dupont of failing to report evidence that the chemicals used to manufacture Teflon had contaminated water supplies affecting 12,000 people in the surrounding areas. Why would they cover up something like this?
• A chemical used in the product of Teflon, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA for short is considered likely to be carcinogenic (cancer causing.) Although the final product of Teflon is not supposed to contain this chemical, it is still used in its production. Again- not worth the risk.
• A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control found PFOA in the bloodstream of 95% of U.S. citizens. According to the EPA, PFOA accumulates in the blood and can stay there for up to 4 years.

“But I Really Love My Teflon…”

I may be really hard core when it comes to getting potential carcinogens out of my home, but you need to consider the facts and make your own decision. It’s important to know that Teflon is seemingly safe if kept in immaculate condition with no scratches and kept from being heated above 500 degrees or scorched by your stove top. If your Teflon pans are scratched, flaking, or damaged in anyways, you should DEFINITELY throw them out. Scratched and brittle Teflon coating will off gas when heated and leach into your food, especially if heated at higher temperatures.

So What Now?

After the purging of the wedding registry Teflon pans within months of receiving it (YES- it was terribly torturous to do!) we now cook our food on stainless steel pans and pots. It requires the use of oil to avoid sticking, but for the most part (except the wretched scrambled eggs,) we don’t miss our Teflon. I have heard great things about ceramic cookware as well but am not incredibly knowledgeable about it. See Dr. Mercola’s article and video about that HERE. Another safe alternative are cast iron pans. These come with an added benefit of iron actually cooking into your food, and with many Americans being deficient in this mineral as well as many others, we can use all the help we can get.

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