Further presenting non-stick cookware dangers, a new study published in this month’s Archives of Internal Medicine reveals a relation between PFOA (the chemical in Teflon, used in nonstick pans among other things) and heart disease. While scientists are cautious, as they always are, to say they are definitively linked, some say steering clear of the chemical “just in case” wouldn't be a bad idea.
According to the study published in the journal The Jama Network, researchers looked at PFOA presence and incidence of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. About 98 percent of Americans have traces of PFOA in them, those with the highest levels of the chemical were found to have double the odds of heart disease when compared with those having the lowest levels.
TVNL Comment: Tip for nonstick cooking...get yourself a good cast iron pan. Season it correctly; you can find out how to do this anywhere. When you use it, make sure it is hot before you put food in it and use a tiny amount of butter (just a little) when you cook. The butter will not bond to the seasoned olive oil. The butter will act like a super lubricant between the food and the pan. Your food will literally slide around the pan. When you clean the pan (learn how to clean a cast iron pan), apply a thin layer of olive oil (wipe it on with a paper towel). This will maintain the seasoning. The only problem you may have by doing all this is that the items in your pan will be so slippery you may have problems getting a spatula under the food as it will slide around. Good luck!
