http://www.care2.com/greenliving/toxic-bpa-found-in-a-surprising-variety-of-food.html
Eating It? BPA Found in Surprising Places
I’ve been concerned about the industrial compound bisphenol A (BPA) ever since I first read about it, and have been chronically frustrated by its potential harm and prevalence in our environment–most specifically in our food, and hence, our bodies. More than 100 peer-reviewed studies have found BPA to be toxic at low doses. BPA is a synthetic estrogen and commonly used to strengthen plastic and line food cans. As Nicholas D. Kristof points out in an Op-Ed in The New York Times on Sunday, scientists have linked it, though not conclusively, to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike.
Anyway. It’s easy to slip into the (wishful) thinking that the FDA is protecting us from toxic threats like this, and that we probably, hopefully, aren’t getting enough of these chemicals to have much of an effect. But now comes Consumer Reports’ latest tests of canned foods including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans. The findings? Almost all of the 19 name-brand foods tested contain some BPA. The canned organic foods they tested did not always have lower BPA levels than nonorganic brands of similar foods analyzed. And, this was crushing to me, they even found the chemical in some products in cans that were labeled “BPA-free.”
The site reports that a 165-pound adult eating one serving of canned green beans from the test sample, could ingest about 80 times more BPA than their experts’ recommended upper daily limit. Children eating multiple servings per day of canned foods with BPA levels comparable to the ones they found in some tested products could get a dose of BPA approaching levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies.
The FDA says it isn’t a threat, but body burden studies show that BPA was detected in 95 percent of the people included in one sampling–it’s obviously getting to us somehow. Perhaps most telling is that in Japan major manufacturers voluntarily changed their can linings in 1997 to cut or eliminate the use of BPA because of concerns about health effects. A 2003 Japanese study found that the levels of the chemical in subjects’ urine dropped by 50 percent after the change in cans was made. Time to kick the cans!
Next: Stop eating BPA, here’s how
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35 comments
add your comment »Is the water from the filtered door dispenser in our refrigerator safe to drink, considering that I don't know from what plastics the tank or hoses are made?
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i try to stay away from buying any canned food
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Shocking. We wonder why our mental health and cancer levels are higher than the rest of the world and then we read his report. lets get back to a more simple lifestyle.
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I'd gotten into a "soup kick" lately, but had yet to heed my inner voice saying "ya know, you can do this SOOOO much tastier and healthier and cheaper." Guess it's "back to the old crockpot"! Thanks for the reminder, and yet another reason to take the time to do it right!
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Ilse, and others, before you advertise petitions on here, can you please remember that not everyone here lives in the US. If a petition is for US residents only, as the one Ilse has told us about is, please say so, so that the rest of us don't waste our time.
Thanks
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To Marion (and all others interested in signing a petition to ban BPA and other harmful chemicals): Please check out this call for action (and intriguing video) from the Environmental working group (EWG): http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/sign-the-petion-to-protect-kids
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How many people are aware that the white tooth filling material that is now used instead of mercury amalgam fillings contains BPA? Many people have been encourage to swap their poisonous mercury fillings for this white 'ceramic' type of filling. Are they just exchanging one toxic substance for another? Even the most wholistic dentists are using this type of filling and say that at present there is no other alternative to mercury amalgam...
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Eden Organic is one of a few (and maybe the only) companies that does not use BPA in the lining of its cans. It's also one of the only companies with a strong commitment to the ethical side of organics. If you have a choice, buy this company's products. When you store food, use glass or stainless steel.
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Glass is the way to go for sure!! Convenience in our lives makes our lives ultimately not so convenient, with the health issues that can ensue. And then maybe we can sue someone for our health issue--yikes!!
Well it is never too late to switch your habits, detox what has been a major part of your life for years and make a commitment to learning all you can and making an effort so you can be as healthy as possible.
I began the major switch a couple of years ago for my water needs....using only glass.Since water makes up 70% of our bodies, this is a great place to start. AND water is a great detox vehicle. I tried the stainless steel containers..not so tasty. NOW, I use the bottles from www.symblueology.com to really empower the water I drink and make a difference in my life!! Glass just feels great to drink from!!
And in the fridge...I like to use a glass or ceramic bowl and cover with a plate. I have a huge roll of saran wrap that hopefully will last the rest of my life!!
Be careful, be conscious, be informed and bless your food and beverages with positive intentions!!
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Experiments & clinical studies show that plastic food-wraps & food-containers give men effeminate traits & cause cancer of the uterus, cervix, breast, & prostate, & other cancers, birth defects, female infertility, male sterility, mental ills, endocrine/exocrine/metabolic dysfunctions, osteoporosis, bronchitis, sight-loss, hearing-loss, obesity, diabetes, & skin, heart, & liver disease. The evidence is compelling.
The plastic industry does not deny the data, but says, FALSELY, that the data have not mounted enough or consist just of lab-animal experiments. Surely the plastics industry will insist the evidence is insufficient till it consists of proofs derived from 1,000,000 independent, 50-year-long, double-blind experiments, each involving 50 million people not involved in any other such study.
The risks occur where any food's fat, fluid, or moisture touches plastic. All plastics -- themselves or their hardeners/softeners -- emit toxins, pseudo-estrogen, or hormone-disrupters that (a) harm body-parts/functions, (b) interfere with production/function of hormones, (c) supplant the body's hormones, or (d) act as alien or excess hormones that cause disease or dysfunction. Some sources assert, illogically, that some plastic bottles (recycle ## 1, 2, 4, or 5) have not been proven toxic. Others say all plastics are toxic. Do not risk the chance that the latter are right.
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