What Is Bisphenol A And Why You Should Avoid It.
Bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA, is a chemical compound primarily used to harden plastic. While the industry that makes BPA says that it is safe, there have been several reports lately about how it could be toxic to the human body because it mimics the sex hormone estradiol when exposed to high temperatures and/or certain dish detergents. In mice and rats there is evidence that low doses of bisphenol A can cause structural damage to the brain, hyperactivity, abnormal sexual behavior, increased fat formation, early puberty and disrupted reproductive cycles. And according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Cincinnati, early exposure to a widely used industrial chemical in plastics manufacture may be linked to prostate cancer later in life. So it would be good to avoid it, right? Well, that might be hard to do considering that it is in so many plastic products, including those reusable plastic water bottles people are starting to use and even baby bottles…and you don’t want to fill a newborn with toxins – they just got started! Here is a list of studies that show how BPA could be affecting us:
Of all the plastic types that BPA is found in, it tends to leech the most out of #7 – the one kind that older Nalgene reusable bottles and baby bottles are made out of. Since there are so many studies that point to some kind of toxicity, it would probably be a good idea to stay away from those #7 plastics, and luckily there are alternatives to the plastic baby and Nalgene bottles. For your own or your child’s water bottles, you might want to check out aluminum or stainless steel bottles (like the ones from Reusable Bags). And for your baby, they still make bottles out of glass (amazing, I know) and there are also bottles made out of stainless steel. My wife has a stainless steel water bottle she carries with her every day, and we try to avoid the use of plastics as much as possible here in the house when storing food. Even if only a tiny percentage of the studies are right, that is still a lot of potentially toxic chemical being put in our bodies, and it is best just to try to avoid it, especially when there are such easy-to-find alternatives.
You may also like:
- FDA Panel Chairman On BPA Secretly Received $5 Million Payment.
- Greenwash Of The Week: Biodegradable Plastic Water Bottles.
- What Are Methylparabens And Why You Should Avoid Them.
- Announcing The Winners Of The Eco-Travel Sets From Milkweed Mercantile.
- What Is Propylene Glycol And Why You Should Avoid It.
Related Websites
- Portable Water Filter Comparison
- BPA levels in canned infant formula pose higher risk than baby bottles
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Great post! A little note: Sigg water bottles do contain a plastic lining. They say it doesn’t leach BPA, and that may be true, but consumers should still know what’s in there.
Thanks Amanda, I did not see that anywhere. My wife’s is stainless steel and there is no lining at all in it – however, it is not made by Sigg!
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Im doing a speech for my debate class, this was shocking and intersesting news. I also read a article about this chemical is in the plastic in your bottled water, which may also lead to breast cancer.
Avoiding BPA,so what bottle should we choose in teh future.If you think BPA is of great harmful to human’s health, why don’t stop arguing and find a safe material for the bottles?Anyway,keep our babies away at first!
Yolanda – Please read my post about picking a safe water bottle right here.
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Thanks for the post David! I have many stainless steel items myself, and I just eliminated the last form of plastic in my kitchen equipment!! I replaced my plastic cutting board with one made from bamboo! However, I do have one suggestion regarding alternative waterbottles. MASON JARS!! I use them for everything: water, smoothies, storing veggies, fruit and other food. Glass may not be the best material for toddlers or elementary school-age kids, but I have been using mine as a water bottle for years! Is there a reason you don’t think glass is a good option other than the one that I’ve mentioned?
No reason other than they are breakable. But we use them for storing everything in our house, for sure.
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