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July 8, 2025

Can you actually reduce PFAS in your blood?

Can you actually reduce PFAS in your blood?

PFAS compounds are of real concern for human health. But the nickname “forever chemicals” may be harming our perceptions of these toxic compounds. There seems to be a perception that once you have been exposed it’s too late. And that the only way to respond is to reduce or eliminate sources of exposure. Yet many of these compounds do break down in the body and several studies have suggested there may be ways to directly reduce exposure. Here, we explore some of those studies and explain why we may not be doomed after all.

What are PFAS compounds?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a large family of chemical compounds that consist of long chains of carbon-fluorine molecules. Many of these compounds have an organic acid group at one end. This combination results in a compound that is highly stable but which has interesting chemical properties. For instance, the compounds are often powerful surfactants. They can be hydrophobic (resisting water) and oleophobic (resisting oils and greases). Long-chain polymers, such as PTFE, offer extremely low friction making them ideal to create non-stick surfaces or for lubrication applications.

Why are they known as “forever chemicals”?

The C=F bonds in PFAS compounds are among the strongest chemical bonds. This makes them extremely hard to break down. As a result, these compounds have been building up in the environment ever since they were invented back in the 1930s. Many of these compounds also have very long elimination half lives in humans. That means they take a long time to be removed from the body. In some cases, the half life is estimated to be many years. 

What are the health risks of PFAS?

Many PFAS compounds have similar structures to essential proteins in the body. As a result, they can interfere with the correct functioning of many systems including the renal, hepatic, and immune systems. Some PFAS are classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, meaning they interfere with the hormones that are essential for our health. 

While there are thousands of PFAS compounds out there, only a few have been studied in detail. These include compounds like PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS. These compounds are found in a significant majority of the population. PFOA and PFOS are both linked with cancers of the liver, kidney, and pancreas. Overall, PFAS compounds are linked with liver disease, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, immunosuppression, and issues with premature birth and reduced birthweight. 

What treatments might reduce PFAS in the body?

Of course, many scientists have been looking at how to reduce PFAS in the human body. However, this research is challenging due to the fact that people are constantly re-exposed to PFAS in their environment, in the food they eat, and in the water they drink. Here are 3 promising approaches that may reduce PFAS.

Cholesterol reduction drugs

PFAS is proven to be linked with increased cholesterol levels, even in children. However, the exact mechanism isn’t proven. A Danish study looked at the impact of colestyramine  (cholestyramine) on PFAS levels. Colestyramine is classed as an anion exchange resin treatment for cholesterol reduction. The multi-participant study compared a control group with a group who took the drug for 12 weeks. The control group saw no significant change in PFAS. However, the group taking the drug saw very significant changes with PFOS dropping over 60% and all other measured compounds reduced by 15-44%.

Dietary changes

A study from March 2025, showed a clear link between dietary fiber increase and reduced levels of certain PFAS compounds. This study re-analyzed samples from previous research that looked at the impact of dietary fiber on cholesterol. The original study involved 72 Canadian men with elevated cholesterol. Participants were given a high fiber diet for 4 weeks and then tested for reduction in cholesterol. The new study re-analyzed the samples taken before and after the intervention. It showed that the participants taking the high fiber diet saw a significant reduction in the most concerning PFAS compounds (including PFOS and PFOA). 

Plasma donation

The third approach for PFAS reduction involves regular donation of blood or plasma. A study from 2022 involved a group of Australian firefighters. The firefighters all started with high levels of PFOS (over 5ng/mL of plasma). They were split into 3 groups, one group donated plasma every 6 weeks, a second donated blood every 12 weeks, and the third was a control. By the end of the year-long study, the plasma donors saw a reduction in PFOS levels of 2.9 ng/mL, the blood donors had a reduction of 1.1 ng/mL while the control saw no change. 

What can we conclude?

These studies suggest that it is definitely possible to reduce PFAS in the blood. In turn, this is likely to reduce the health risks significantly. What is intriguing is the suggestion that PFAS exposure is so closely linked with cholesterol. It suggests that the body processes many PFAS compounds in the same way as it processes cholesterol. In turn, this suggests that many treatments that actively reduce cholesterol may also reduce PFAS. This could prove key in the search for ways to reduce PFAS overall. Clearly, much more work is needed to understand what is going on. But it does suggest that we could be on the cusp of developing treatments to reduce PFAS levels. 

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this article or on the web site represents medical advice or an offer of medical, diagnostic, or treatment products or services. Anyone concerned about their health should consult a licensed medical professional.

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