American doctor thinks we should ditch non-stick pans amid health concerns

A doctor has taken to social media to explain why she no longer uses non-stick pans - and is urging the rest of us to do the same.

Dr Poonam Desai, a GP in the USA, has told her followers on Instagram that cast iron and stainless steel pans are all that can be found in her kitchen, after she ditched non-stick amid health concerns.

She claims that microplastics from the non-stick coating can end up in the food you cook.

On her Instagram post she said: "Scratched or chipped, nonstick cooking pans, can leech millions of micro plastics into our food. Microplastics are endocrine disruptors.

"They can cause hormone imbalances, fertility issues and even increase our risk of cancer."

Using metal cooking utensils in non-stick pans famously scratches off the coating, and it is common knowledge not to use them - with celebrity chefs and even pan manufacturers making it plainly obvious.

But Dr Poonam takes it one step further, even advocating home cooks to ditch any scratched ceramic pans as well, again for health reasons.

Her post has divided opinions on social media, with some praising her for bringing this to attention, while others describe it as "classic fearmongering". What do you think?