According to Life Style Extra, the non-stick chemical Teflon could be making people more prone to allergies.

The chemical Perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA), found in Teflon, has already been identified as a likely carcinogen, and it is also a known immunosuppressant.

Now the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has shown that PFOA may prime the immune system to overreact to allergens like dust mites and animal dander.

Lab mice exposed to PFOA before being exposed to an allergen produced more antibodies and experienced more constriction in the airways.

The widespread use of Teflon is yet another possible explanation for the rising incidence of asthma among children. Nearly everyone has measurable levels of PFOA in their bodies. A recent study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that 100% of newborns were contaminated by PFOA.

Teflon also contributes to thyroid problems, immune system problems, and cancer of the testes, liver, and pancreas in lab animals. People exposed to high levels of PFOA may be at increased risk for testicular, hepatic, and pancreatic cancer.

Teflon, discovered by accident in 1938, has been used in cookware in the U.S. since 1960.

But when it's heated above a certain temperature, Teflon breaks down and releases PFOA.

In 2004, the DuPont chemical company agreed to an out-of-court settlement and paid out $50 million to residents living near its West Virginia Teflon plant. The residents claimed that their water supply had been contaminated with PFOA, causing birth defects and other heatlh hazards. DuPont paid an additional $22 million in legal costs and $10 on special water facilities to filter out PFOA. DuPont maintains that PFOA does not pose any danger to the public.