Plastic food and water containers are toxic
Have you noticed people have started drinking their water on the go out of glass and stainless steel containers. Well I thought I would get us all up to date on what these folks are up to.
Actually it was discovered accidentally in 1998 when scientists were conducting a study on mice for aneuploidy; a cell division problem in which chromosomes do not split as a cell divides, leaving two resulting cells with more or fewer chromosomes than normal. One of the lab workers washed the mouse water dish with a harsh detergent, the mice drank water out of this dish. Afterwards scientists noticed an 8 fold increase in this aneuploidy/chromosome defect. The scientists eventually found that BPA (also known as Biphenol-A ) was leaching from the plastic water dish into their water. They began studying BPA and its affects on the mice.
Various more recent studies proved that BPA is leached from new, and old plastic bottles at room temperature; with no detergent usage beforehand. The take home is: it doesn’t seem to matter; just don’t ingest things from plastic…
BPA has been found to be an estrogen mimicking toxin. It has been linked to reproductive health issues such as: breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer; uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, prostate cancer, lowered sperm counts, and possible increased fat production. Studies have not been done on humans as of yet. However 95% of the people tested have levels of BPA that scientists think could be harmful.
People with the highest risk are women of childbearing age, pregnant women, infants, and small children. It would be wise to assume that BPA has similar affects on humans as it does to mice. Why take the risk?
Here are some tips on how to avoid further exposure:
1) Cook food from scratch using fresh foods.
2) Cook in large quantities and freeze the food in glass Pyrex containers.
3) Avoid microwaving, cooking, and storing foods in in plastic containers. Use glass, stainless steel, and pyrex.
4) Purchase water in glass containers. If you want clean water for your home install a filter for your tap water and store it in glass. Do not drink from plastic water bottle dispensers.
5) Use KleenKanteen stainless steel water bottles (www.kleenkanteen.com), or glass jars to bring water with you.
6) Avoid using plastic wrap, and do not cook with it.
7) Avoid food and drink #7 containers; these are known to have BPA.
If you have no other choice other than plastic use #1,#2, and #4 plastics. ( they do not contain BPA)
all plastics should be in question for toxicity; the verdict is not out yet on other possible toxins.
9) Stop using plastic dishes, utensils, and cups.
10) Ask your dentist if there is BPA in their sealer before they apply it.
There is no reason to wait for plastic that contains BPA to be banned to avoid it. It is in our best interest to make better choices for ourselves and our children now. It seems as time passes, it is best to go back to the basics before the 1900′s; before we began living in these industrial chemical times. Good old glass, ceramic, and steel is what is best. Cooking food that is fresh and alive, and non-toxic. It seems that the conveniences of these modern times, and their full ill health affects on future generations to come has not been thought through by our scientists, corporations, and inventors. We are beginning to see the negative health affects of convenience in hind sight. Hopefully we can all start now in the present to make large and small changes for our future. Now is the time in each and every moment to make the choice towards health.