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| Thursday, August 27, 2009 |
| BPA - What you need to know |
There’s so much talk about BPA these days. BPA (Bisphenol A) is a substance found in hard plastic that has been found to be toxic in large amounts. Most of the BPA we’re exposed to is ingested through our diets. Exposing a plastic container or bottle that contains BPA to heat will increase the amount released into your food or drink. Concerns have varied from BPA in baby bottles and water bottles to heating food in plastic containers in the microwave. Last year, the FDA announced that they believe the amount of BPA that the average person is exposed to each day is a safe level. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take steps to lessen your exposure to it.
Although BPA is deemed safe by the FDA, the NTP/NIEHS (National Toxicology Program/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) have concluded that there is some concern about levels of BPA. Reports indicate they have some concern for effects on the brain, behavior and prostate glands in fetuses, infants and children. Exposure to BPA is fairly widespread. In 2003-2004, a study conducted by the CDC found detectable levels of BPA in 93% of the 2,517 urine samples obtained from people six years and older. That doesn’t mean that the CDC thinks that BPA will cause health problems, but only that it was detected. However, in a 2009 study of urinary BPA concentrations, results suggested that BPA exposure would promote oxidative stress and inflammation in postmenopausal women. Another study in mice suggested that 1 µg/kg of BPA exposure causes long-term adverse reproductive and carcinogenic effects if exposure occurs during prenatal critical periods of differentiation.
With conflicting research and varying opinions, I tend to go by the motto, “Better safe than sorry”. This is especially true with BPA because I have two young children. While more research will surely be done on BPA and its possible effects on adults, children and fetuses, I have been making a conscious effort to avoid it. If BPA is of concern to you, it is easy to decrease the amount you ingest. Try some of these easy tips.
- If you use plastic bottles, check for the number on the bottom of the bottle. Bottles with a number 7 inside a little circle usually contain BPA. Avoid these
- Eat less canned foods. BPA has been found to leech into some foods through cans. Try getting the same foods fresh or frozen instead of canned.
- If you have a baby, buy bottles with no BPA such as Born Free. If you’re currently using bottles with BPA, don’t heat them in the microwave. Try giving your baby room temperature formula or breast milk. With my second child, I gave her a cold bottle right out of the refrigerator and she loved it. Why not give it a try?
- Don’t microwave foods in polycarbonate plastic containers. Put your food on a plate or in a glass or ceramic container before microwaving. Use a coffee mug at work to heat things up.
- Try to use glass or stainless steel food containers for storage when possible.
- Buy a reusable eco-friendly water bottle.
Further research may give us more information on BPA, but since it is so easy to decrease the amount you and your family ingest, why not play it safe. In the long run, you may be glad you did and it definitely can’t hurt to decrease the amount of foreign substances you take in. You’ll do your body and the planet good!
- Jennifer
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Labels: FDA, Go Green, healthy tips, Jennifer
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posted by My Sensei @ Thursday, August 27, 2009   |
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