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The Hidden Dangers Of BPA – Bisphenol A

BPA is a toxic endocrine-disrupting chemical that affects your hormonal system and is thought to beassociated with serious diseases including breast tumors, testicular tumors, heart disease, diabetes,obesity, hyperactivity and impaired learning.

What is BPA?

BPA or Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical which was firstsynthesised in 1890 and was originally used to increase thegrowth of poultry and cattle. During the 1930s it wasrecognised as an artificial estrogen and was subsequentlyused for estrogen replacement in women. In the 1950s, thechemical industry discovered that BPA could be used totoughen plastics.

These days, BPA is used to produce polycarbonate plasticand epoxy resins which are used in a multitude of everydayitems such as:-

Plastic bottles

Some plastic milk bottles

Children’s drinking cups

Babies toys

Baby pacifiers

Tinned foods

Soft drink tins

Plastic plates and cutlery

Storage containers

Microwave meal packaging

Thermal till receipts

Dental sealants

Over the past 30 years, the production of BPA has increased by around 500% and is said to be worth around$500,000 per hour to the global economy. (1)

What are the Dangers of BPA?

The dangers of BPA cannot be understated!

When any product that contains BPA is heated up, the BPA chemicals are literally leached into our food or drinkand ultimately end up in our bodies. The heating of these materials can occur when microwaving food, when usinga dishwasher or even when sitting in the hot sun.

Plates, plastic chopping boards and similar utensils may also leach BPA when the surfaces are scratched ordamaged over time.

But it doesn’t end there, BPA, is also extensively used in many manufacturing industries. As a result, there isapproximately 1 million pounds of the substance released into the environment each year polluting our air andultimately, entering our lungs. (3)

One study into the effects of BPA on the male reproductive hormones and semen quality found that of the 308 mentested, BPA was present in 98% of participants. (2)

A further study to test levels of BPA in canned soup was performed by the Harvard School of Public Health. ( 4)

The experiment involved two groups of participants. One group was given 12 ounces of vegetable soup from acan. The other group was given freshly made vegetable soup cooked from scratch and using only freshingredients.

The results of the test were striking and showed that the group who ate the canned soup had over 1,221% higherlevels of BPA in their urine. This was after consuming just 12 ounces of soup!

Another good reason why you should prepare your meals using fresh produce! Try not to eat soup from a can asthey most likely contain epoxy resins and BPA!

Many other studies have suggested that Bisphenol A is responsible for many chronic diseases such as:-

Breast tumors

Testicular tumors

Prostate tumors

Type 2 diabetes

Heart disease

Obesity

Impaired learning and brain development

Hyperactivity

Endometriosis

Low sperm count (2)

BPA is an “endocrine system disruptor” which means that it mimics hormones such as estrogen. Considering ourhormones play a major part in almost every function of our bodies, it is easy to see why high levels of BPA areassociated with so many serious health issues.

BPA is Especially Harmful to Pregnant Mothers and their Babies

Pregnant women should be even more concerned!

The Harvard School of Public Health performed yet another study which was published in 2011 which indicatedthat gestational BPA exposure is also a huge concern.

The study collected data from 244 mothers and their children and began during the second trimester of theirpregnancy. Up to the age of 3, regular urine samples were taken and at the end of the test the mothers had to do asurvey about their children’s behavioural habits.

They discovered that gestational exposure to BPA was closely associated with behavioural problems at the ageof three. The results suggested that girls were affected more than boys and that higher levels of BPA made themmore hyperactive, anxious, aggressive and led to poorer emotional control. (5)

This is probably because a babies detoxification enzyme system is not fully developed and is therefore unable tofully eliminate these toxins.

Have BPA Products Been Banned?

In 2008 Health Canada concluded that BPA was “toxic” to human health and to the environment and banned theuse of it in baby bottles. In 2012 they reaffirmed their stance and that BPA is not dangerous to adults at low levels.

In January 2011, the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) in Europe also prohibited the use of BPA in themanufacture of infant feeding bottles. This was closely followed by the U.S FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in2012.

Although this is a positive step, it’s not nearly enough, as this still means that BPA is alive and well in many of theproducts that we use on a day-to-day basis.

The FDA and EFSA do not deny that BPA exists and that it is found in the human body. They just do not acceptthat the levels in which it is found are harmful to adults. They have set a TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) of 0.05 mgper kg of body weight per day, although it’s not clear how they came about such “safe” numbers.

What About BPA-Free Products?

A number of manufacturers have now removed BPA from their products and replaced it with a similarly toxicchemical called BPS or Bisphenol S.

This has allowed them to label some of their products as “BPA Free”.

But, what they failed to tell consumers is that Bisphenol A has actually been replaced by an almost identicalsubstance which mimics estrogen in pretty much the same way that Bisphenol A does. New name, same dangers!

A study performed by the University of Texas exposed lab rats to the same lower levels of BPS that humans wouldbe exposed to. They found that like BPA, BPS is an endocrine disruptor which interferes with how the cellsrespond to our natural hormones. (10)

How to Reduce Your Exposure to BPA and BPS

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to say exactly how much BPA/BPS any individual is exposed to on a daily basis.Although we know that containers and bottles can leach it, this can vary widely. Also, when containers are heatedfor example in a microwave oven, dishwasher or in the hot sun, the level of BPA that is excreted can increasedramatically.

If you want to reduce your overall exposure to BPA and BPS you could practice the following recommendations.

Avoid canned food as much as possible.

Do not microwave food in any form of plastic container

Use BPA/BPS free drinking bottles or use stainless steel

Use glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic

Use glass bottles where possible.

Make sure any baby bottles are BPA/BPS free.

Don’t take receipts.

Eat and cook with fresh produce as much as possible

Containers that use BPA sometimes have the number 7 on the bottom or state that they are made usingpolycarbonate. This will make them more identifiable. Unfortunately, it is not a requirement, so you cannot be100% sure.

SOURCES

1. http://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/our-campaigns/no-more-bpa/2. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307309/3. http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/bpa.html4. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/11/canned-soup-linked-to-higher-bpa-levels/5. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/bpa-exposure-behavioral-difficulties/6. http://saferchemicals.org/2011/03/31/how-to-reduce-bpa-levels-by-60-percent-in-3-days/7. http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=120368. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/bisphenol.htm9. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/25/even-bpafree-plastics-leach-endrocrinedisrupting-chemicals.aspx10. http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/bpa-alternative-alters-hormones