Carnivore MD is going viral for claiming that touching store receipts is bad for your health

A doctor is warning consumers to skip paper receipts because they contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Dr. Paul Saladino, a holistic medicine doctor who calls himself Carnivore MD, posted a TikTok video earlier this week showing himself avoiding picking up a paper receipt at a grocery store.

In the videowhich has 3.6 million views, warns Dr. Saladino that the “thermal paper receipts” have a chemical coating on the surface that may contain BPA and BPS, industrial chemicals used to make hard plastic and synthetic clothing, which can be absorbed into the body through your body. skin.

Dr. Saladino said, “These are endocrine disruptors that can actually be absorbed through your skin.

‘Touching one every now and then in the supermarket isn’t the end of the world, but I’d like to avoid as many endocrine disruptors in my life, thank you, if I can.’

Endocrine disruptors mimic the body’s hormones and disrupt the production and response to normal natural hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.

Research has linked them to infertility, longer menstrual cycles, erectile dysfunction and some forms of cancer.

While Dr. Saladino faced a lot of criticism on TikTok, recent studies have suggested that eight in ten paper receipts may actually contain the chemicals, and experts recommend avoiding touching receipts if possible.

Dr. Paul Saladino, a doctor of holistic medicine in California, posted a TikTok video earlier this week showing him avoiding a paper receipt at a grocery store because of endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Recent research shows that eight in ten store receipts contain BPA and BPS (stock image)

Although recent research suggests that BPA and BPS may be present in most store receipts, it is still unclear how much exposure to BPA and BPS these receipts entail.

A study last year by the nonprofit Ecology Center found that 80 percent of receipts from 144 major U.S. chains in 22 states contained BPA and BPS. Chains included Walmart and McDonald’s.

Melissa Cooper Sargent, environmental health advocate at the Ecology Center, said at the time of publication: ‘Beans are a common route of exposure for hormone-disrupting bisphenols that are easily absorbed through the skin.

‘Our surveys show that most retailers use receipt paper with a bisphenol coating.

‘Switching to non-toxic paper is easy.’

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also stated that it is looking for “functional alternatives” to thermal paper.

BPA (Bisphenol A) is an industrial chemical used in hard plastics and resins to make them more durable.

In a recent study, researchers found that exposure to BPA in women can lead to a decrease in egg development and quality.

There was also an increased risk of implantation failure, when fertilized eggs do not implant correctly into the uterine lining, often resulting in pregnancy loss.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is a major contributor to infertility and a risk factor for endometrial cancer and diabetes, has also been linked to BPA exposure.

Additionally, these harmful substances can result in longer menstrual cycles and premature onset of puberty, which has been linked to depression, substance abuse and breast cancer in adults.

The researchers also looked at the effect of endocrine disruptors on men’s sexual health.

They found that these chemicals reduced sperm quality and led to malformation of the male reproductive tract, reducing fertility.

BPS (Bisphenol S), meanwhile, is used to make hard plastic items and synthetic fibers in sportswear.

The chemical has similar effects to BPA, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients the discovery that BPS was “more toxic to the reproductive system than BPA and that it promotes hormonally determined breast cancers to the same extent as BPA.”

To reduce exposure, Dr. Saladino suggested not accepting the receipt, or grabbing it with a sleeve or shirt and throwing it in the trash.

Receiving digital receipts via email or text message is also an effective way to avoid thermal paper.

If you get a receipt, you can check if it is thermal paper by scratching it with your fingernail. If the paper shows black spots when you scratch it, it is most likely thermal paper with a chemical coating.