The carcinogens in eggs are not just the dyes. Of equal concern is that it is not the egg but what is in it that may very well be unhelpful for sensitivity to cancer management. My main concern is the carcinogen dioxin. This foul material (no pun intended) is to be found at alarming levels in commercial and free range eggs in 17 countries in the EU tested so far. The concern is that dioxin, as we know, competes with Estrogens for attachment to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor located on certain cells. After dioxin has attached to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor it is transported to the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of cells where it binds to cellular proteins and causes the activation of genes. There is informed debate that this DNA restructuring produces a “Cancer Protein” and much has been written and researched on this topic.
It is additionally known that the Polyphenol Curcumin partially blocks the toxicity of dioxin (curcumin competes with dioxin for binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor - however dioxin is a more potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist compared to curcumin, and therefore curcumin can only partially block the effects of dioxin).
A recent report is quoted below, but there should be concern about the kidneys and the excretory mechanisms for dioxin. In addition, levels of PCBs are much higher than thought even two years ago.
To be safe, we would need to be aware of the feed provided to the chicken.
The brief report summary below provides further thought-provoking matters beyond dioxin and PCB.
A study of free-range chicken eggs found the widespread presence of substances that should be added to the Stockholm Convention: lindane and brominated flame retardants. Twelve locations in nine countries were sampled for brominated flame retardants while 24 locations in 17 countries were examined for lindane. Lindane, beta-HCH and the PBDE flame retardants were found in all samples. Another flame retardant, HBCD, appeared in 80% of the samples. Lindane is a neurotoxin, probable carcinogen, suspected endocrine disrupter and banned in 52 countries. PBDEs resemble PCBs and cause long-term neurological damage. To our knowledge, these are the first sampling data on PBDEs in many of these countries.
Bookmarks