Why Should You Ditch Teflon?

Have you been blindly trusting non stick Teflon items for the past years? Then it is time for you to stop that right now and switch over to something else.

Wondering why it is so? Mainly because it is the most toxic cookware ever.

If you want to keep yourself and the people and animals surrounding your house safe then it is best that you get rid of any kind of this material at home.

Whether it is cookware or other decorating equipments like cotton, even the presence of a small amount of this substance can pose a great amount of threat. They not only affect humans adversely but also effect animals severely.

Why is Teflon cookware a threat?

It is Lethal to Birds – It has been found that when a Teflon utensil gets overheated while cooking then the fumes that it emits can be lethal to pet birds at home or other birds nearby.

Some surveys have proved that birds of all ages are affected to it. But it is mostly the birds which are smaller in size that are affected more fatally.

So if suddenly your pet bird dies without a warning even though it had been perfectly healthy the day before, you should immediately realise that it is now time for you to stop using this dangerous cookware.

The Fumes released get worse over Time – Most cookware made of this material get worse over time. As they age, the fumes get more powerful and it affects everything in the area.

So if in the initial days the overheated cookware had the ability to affect the birds only inside the house, as the days pass and there is repeated use of the utensil there is almost a 100% chance that the birds in the area surrounding your house are also severely affected by these toxic fumes.

Scratched ones can poison Your Food – Most importantly, these harmful chemicals seep into the food you are cooking making it extremely hazardous for consumption.

So even if you buy one pan, do not use it for a long time. Dispose it after a few days of use or avoid it altogether. With constant use there is wear and tear in these utensils.

Even a small scratch can cause a lot of harm. The more the wear and tear, the greater amount of poison your food possesses.

If these chemicals get into your system once, they tend to stay on and create long term problems.

People Experience Flu Like Symptoms – The fumes emitted by these pans or other utensils is so powerful and strong that they have immediate reactions.

If you inhale too much of these fumes, then you will immediately start experiencing flu like symptoms and sometimes they become long term illnesses.

The carcinogens and other pollutants that are present in the fumes are toxic to your body.

Not only can they cause various respiratory problems but can also cause irritations and allergies of the serious kind.

Headaches and muscle aches are one of the most common side effects of inhaling large amounts of these dangerous fumes.

How should you avoid the fumes from Teflon cookware?

Now that you know exactly how harmful the Teflon fumes can be, it is necessary that you also find out how to avoid the dangerous fumes.

Even though flu from these fumes is rare, they still need to be avoided at all costs.

The first and foremost way to avoid the fumes is to stop using this kind of cookware totally.

Once you stop using it, there is absolutely no need to worry about these fumes. So start thinking of switching from these non-stick pans to something else.

Now if you want to stay away from these non-stick pans but do not know how to differentiate between Teflon and something else then here is a tip, never buy pans that are extremely cheap.

Most cheap non-stick pans are made of this material and will lead to the harmful effects.

So always go for the other reliable but slightly more expensive pans because nothing comes before you or your family’s health.

Another important way of avoiding these fumes is to not overheat the pan. You should only cook at low temperatures.

The lesser the heat, the safer it is. If you manage to cook in the pan without ever overheating it, then you and the birds around you might stand a chance to survive using this kind of cookware.

But once it gets overheated, there is no way you can go back.

Also overheating leads to more wear and tear in the pan which might result in chunks coming off or falling into your food.

This is to be avoided at all costs. You must never ever consume a chip made of this material. It will only add to the number of illnesses.

What are the other alternatives to Teflon cookware?

The first and the greatest alternative to these non stick pans are the cast iron pans.  Not only is it durable, but it can also be heated till very high temperatures.

It can go well above what is considered normal for normal non-stick pans. Funnily enough cast iron pans are also referred to as “naturally non stick” pans.

One other alternative for non stick cooking pans are the stainless steel pans. It has the ability to brown food much more than other non-stick pans.

A survey has proved that these pans make food much tastier than any other cookware.

So now that you know why it is so toxic and a very bad choice in cookware, start making plans to go shopping for either Stainless Steel pans or cast iron pans.

Even if you continue to use the Teflon, do not exceed the heat limit so that you can keep yourself away from the fumes and also protect the birds from falling ill or dying.

Use other pans and cook healthy and safe food items and lead a carefree life!