Besides adding to pollution, using plastic bottles may be toxic to your health. The chemical called bisphenol A may be responsible for birth defects, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even ADD. Bisphenol is present in hard plastic bottles and lined tin cans and is present in plastic food containers and some plastic wraps. Instead, use reusable glass thermoses for water storage or you can even reuse an old glass pop bottle for carrying water. And drink real tap water.
BPA
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1 AnswerA
Mother Nature Network answeredBPA exposure may be linked to decreased sperm quality in men, according to a new study from the University of Michigan which found that exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, may be linked to low levels of sperm in men.
BPA is a chemical compound commonly found in many of the products on store shelves today. The ubiquitous chemical has been found in everything from baby bottles to canned foods to store register receipts.
In the study, which was conducted at an infertility clinic in the Boston area, researchers collected urine and sperm samples from 190 men. About nine in 10 of the men had levels of BPA in their urine. This is apparently consistent with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on population exposure to the chemical.
According to the study, men who had the highest urinary concentrations of BPA had a 23 percent decline in sperm concentration and a 10 percent increase in sperm DNA damage. The study is ongoing and researchers are looking to recruit hundreds of more men to further examine the link between BPA and sperm quality.
This is just one more reason for all of us to avoid BPA...especially men who hope to have any chance to conceive a child in the future. -
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See All 4 AnswersThe use of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics has steadily increased over the past few decades, making it one of the most commonly produced chemicals in the world. As a result of its widespread use, traces of the chemical are found everywhere from breast milk to groundwater. BPA is suspected of disrupting hormones. Preliminary animal testing points to a range of potential health threats, from interference with the male reproductive system to problems with brain development. A report from Yale University indicates BPA interferes with brain development in infant monkeys. And a study at Harvard University found that prenatal exposure to BPA decreases intelligence in children. -
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HealthCorps answeredSee All 3 AnswersMany plastics contain BPA, so using glass and other containers can help to reduce exposure. Baby bottles and Sippy cups can no longer (legally) contain BPA.
Also, watch the heat. Heating up plastic can cause the material to degrade, allowing bisphenol A (BPA) to leach out. So avoid putting plastic in the microwave or dishwasher.
BPA is also present in cans, so minimize your use of canned foods and canned drinks and look to fresh or frozen choices when possible. Some companies like Del Monte, Trader Joes, Whole Foods and Muir Glen have started to make BPA-free cans. -
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RealAge answeredThey could be. But the real question is how dangerous the typical daily exposure to these chemicals really is to babies and children -- and to us adults, for that matter.
One of the main controversies concerns a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA, which is used in many plastic bottles, aluminum can linings, and plastic food containers. We’ve known for years that trace amounts of BPA leach into food and that most people have tiny amounts of BPA in their blood and urine.
We know that BPA can be harmful to living creatures. In animal studies, BPA has been linked to premature puberty, breast and prostate cancer, immune deficiencies, and brain abnormalities. But for years, the evidence in humans has been slim and inconclusive.
Consequently, since the 1980s the Food and Drug Administration has maintained that the typical daily exposure to BPA is probably too low to be dangerous to humans. Many doctors have been skeptical about this, but with all the other clear-cut environmental dangers we deal with daily second-hand smoke, lead paint, smog, trans fats, mercury, drivers talking on cell phones -- BPA didn’t seem like the most pressing concern. So it stayed in plastic, and in us.
In 2008, however, BPA started getting more scrutiny and more media attention. Canada banned the use of BPA in all baby bottles, saying that babies, because of their small size, could be at greater risk from even low levels of the chemical. A study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that adults with high levels of BPA in their urine had a high risk of diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease. Then the FDA admitted that the two main studies it had long relied on weren’t really solid enough to alleviate fears about the chemical.
We’ll be hearing more about BPA. Personally, I try to minimize my family’s exposure to plastic food containers in general, and I recommend the same to the parents of my patients. When it comes to a developing fetus, infant, baby, or toddler, reducing exposure to plastics may be especially important, as even minuscule amounts of BPA theoretically could affect their health since their body mass is so low.
From The Smart Parent's Guide: Getting Your Kids Through Checkups, Illnesses, and Accidents by Jennifer Trachtenberg.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSome types of water bottles may contain toxins. In this video, Dr. Oz talks about a toxin commonly found in water bottles in this video.
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Reusable lunch boxes and water bottles are great environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use paper or plastic bags and individual beverage containers. However, studies have shown that some lunch boxes made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or vinyl may contain lead or phthalates. Rigid plastic water bottles and sippy cups may contain bisphenol A (BPA) or PVC.
At first glance, it may seem overly cautious to worry about an apple rolling around in a lunch box, or water in a plastic container, but all three chemicals found in certain plastics -- lead, phthalates, and BPA -- are cause for concern. Food and beverage containers containing lead should be avoided altogether. Those containing phthalates and BPA should be avoided as much as possible. When lunch boxes and bottles are exposed to heat, chemicals can leach out of the plastic and cause exposures to children through skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersWe blame weight gain on eating too many burgers and burning too little fat, and it's true that those are the #1 and #2 major causes, by far. However, scientists are discovering that some part may be played by chemicals to which we are exposed every day. Called obesogens, or endocrine disruptors, these natural and man-made chemicals work by altering the regulatory system that controls your weight -- increasing the fat cells you have, decreasing the calories you burn, and even altering the way your body manages hunger.
It's time to fight back. The White House's task force on childhood obesity is tackling obesogens, and the Environmental Protection Agency has pumped $20 million into studying them.
This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com. -
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dotFIT answeredThe internet is an easy source to find information about almost anything. Since 2004, there were a slew of websites and even emails stating we should avoid drinking water from plastic bottles due to the presence of chemicals like BPA in plastic water bottles. BPA is only found in bottles labeled #7 polycarbonate, not in #1 PET (polyethylene terephthalate ) bottles. The number can be found on the bottom of the container within the triangle. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration carefully reviews new substances intended for food/fluid contact before allowing them on the market. This includes materials, like plastics, intended for food and beverage packaging. Both plastics and plastic additives are subject to FDA review and regulations. Therefore, in most cases, it shouldn’t make a difference which container you drink from nearly as much as what you’re drinking. -
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Many doctors and scientists are concerned about phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) because they can act in ways similar to hormones naturally found in our body. Hormones help control how our body works.
In studies using rats, phthalates cause problems with male reproductive organs. In children, scientists have found an association between phthalates and changes in reproductive hormones and increased allergies, runny nose, and eczema. In adults, phthalates are associated with changes in sperm quality.
BPA may cause changes in cells in breasts, the uterus, and the prostate, which may increase risk of cancers. In addition, BPA has been associated with increases in developmental disorders of the brain and nervous system in animals. These developmental disorders in animals are like problems such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in humans.