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Bengaluru-based gut health startup MicrobioTx released the findings from the 200 Indian blood samples analyzed enabling us to better understand hidden chemical exposures, antibiotics, steroids and forever chemicals that may be silently affecting our health.
As part of its newly added toxin detection capability, MicrobioTx analyzed samples from urban populations across 9 Indian states and 14 cities, uncovering significant exposure to pesticides, insecticides, antibiotics, steroidal growth regulators, and forever chemicals.
While there is a growing awareness around the health risks of being exposed to pesticides, antibiotics and steroids in animal-derived products (meat, milk, eggs, honey etc.), not many are aware of Forever chemicals. Forever chemicals are synthetic, man-made substances that are used extensively due to their water, heat and grease-resistant properties in non-stick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and coatings etc. Many of these compounds are prohibited because they are known to pose serious health risks in humans.
Notably, regulatory monitoring focuses on the presence of these toxins in food samples. However, there are limited known studies that analyzed the extent to which we are being exposed to many of these chemicals. MicrobioTx test findings reveal that these harmful substances are not only entering our food but are also now being found in our bloodstreams.
The key findings are 78% were exposed to pesticide residues, with 36% exposed to three or more pesticides, indicating cumulative exposure that may pose serious health risks. At least 54% showed presence of antibiotics, linked to antimicrobial resistance, harder-to-treat infections, and disruption of the gut microbiome that may contribute to metabolic disorders. Around 99% were exposed to steroids, compounds that may cause endocrine disruption and increased carcinogenic risk. It also indicated 38% tested positive for forever chemicals, persistent toxins that may cause cancer risk, reduced fertility, thyroid disease, hormone suppression, high cholesterol, liver damage, and ulcerative colitis. Also 17% of the samples had 10 or more toxins in their blood across 3 categories, indicating hidden chronic exposure.
The findings indicate widespread exposure to toxins, entering the body through everyday food consumption, plastic usage, groundwater and environmental pollution, said the company note
MicrobioTx’s Microbiome and Metabolomic Test enable evaluation of common toxins that may enter the bloodstream through everyday food consumption and environmental exposure, often without conscious awareness. These substances, when accumulated over time, might disrupt gut bacteria, weaken digestion, impair immunity, and interfere with metabolism and hormonal balance.
“These toxins may enter our bodies silently through modern diets and environmental conditions,” said Akansha Gupta, co-ounder, MicrobioTx.
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