The CDC found BPA in the urine of 93% of adults and children TEN YEARS AGO. Are you drinking out of plastic bottles? Confused? Well here are a few clues.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a commonly used ingredient in the formulation of most plastics. It can be found in plastic bottles, dental amalgams sealants, the linings of canned goods and just about any plastic you can imagine. In other words, it is everywhere in our plastic world. The problem is that BPA is not good for us in many ways. It is a synthetic estrogen-like compound that increases prostate cancer, breast cancer, neurologic defects, diabetes and now in a recent study out of the University of Cincinnati it is even tied to cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heart beat. So just how prevalent is this BPA? Well the Center for Disease Control found 93% of all adults and children to have it present in their urine and that was 10 years ago. We can’t avoid all of it but we can drastically reduce our intake by doing a few simple things. Drink your water from stainless steel bottles, not plastic. Use corning ware and glass instead of Tupperware and other plastics. Never use plastic in a microwave. In fact, avoid use of microwaves (see microwave article). That’s like supercharging an already deadly chemical. And look for green drinks that have chlorella or chlorophyll as these help to bind and pull these chemicals out of your body.
So, I can already hear you proudly reporting that you use BPA free plastics. Excellent effort on your part but unfortunately BPA is just one of dozens of dangerous chemicals found in plastic. Did you know that along side BPA there is a BPB and a BPC and BPM and phthalates and other plasticizers? Bottom line, there is no safe plastic. Ever wonder why we weren’t warned about BPA when it was first developed and used in millions of products? They didn't know how toxic it was until they exposed all of us to it and then watched as bad things happened. So what’s the next “plastic ingredient” that will soon be announced as a toxin? There is already research showing dangerous effects from other plastics so just do the smart thing and stay away.
Here is an eye opener – go thru your day today and try to avoid ALL plastics. Its nearly impossible. Notice how nearly all of your food is somehow packaged or in contact with plastic. Is it worth even trying? Heck yes. Even if you only reduce plastics exposure by 50% that's a great step forward.
Processed foods offer the greatest plastic exposure. People that eat whole foods, real plants and animals show the least amount of plastic in their urine. Want to see your level of BPA? It can be measured with a simple urine test.
So go forth and be intentional about using stainless steel and glass and ceramics as your tools of choice when it comes to food. What’s your favorite drink container? Have you found a great option? Tell others how you found a safer path.
