BPA, or bisphenol A, is an endocrine disruptor and one of the most disturbing chemicals found commonly in plastics. It has been linked to a variety of diseases and other issues including breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, and attention deficit disorder. (See my post from January 11, 2010 for more details). The good news is that BPA is NOT an essential ingredient in plastic so there are plastics available that are BPA-free. The bad news is that it isn’t only plastics we need to look out for. BPA may be also found in printer ink as well as canned foods and soft drink cans.
I don’t think it is realistic to completely remove every trace of BPA from our lives. To do that we would need to never eat out or in other people’s homes, always contact manufacturers before we purchase their products, and in general live an almost militant existence that will affect every aspect of our lives. Neither do I propose that we throw our hands in the air and say, “It is outside of my control, there is nothing I can do about it.” You need only to look at the plethora of green products that are in the market today (yes, some of them are questionably green, but green is big any way you look at it) to know that we have a lot of control in the marketplace. We get to vote with our dollars and when enough of us start voting against BPA, the manufacturers will take notice and make changes.
To avoid increasing your exposure to BPA from items you may already have in your home:
- Avoid temperature extremes. For heaven’s sake do NOT stick that plastic in the microwave or freeze that water bottle. Those types of temperature extremes have been shown to increase the rate that BPA transfers from the plastic into the food. Just because a plastic says “microwave safe” doesn’t mean it won’t transfer harmful chemicals, it simply means it won’t melt when heated. It is good to remember that distinction.
- Save those canned foods for emergencies. I keep a stockpile of canned vegetables in case of emergency but I don’t use them for everyday meal preparation (although I don’t want you think I am super-human…I do resort to canned foods when the pantry or freezer is bare of alternatives…I guess that is an “emergency”). In general I try to prepare my meals from whole foods that look like what they did when the farmer brought them in from the field.
- Put plastics marked #3 or #7 in recycling and don’t use them any more. Those two numbers are the most likely to contain BPA. Sometimes new #7 will say “BPA-Free” and in that case, feel free to keep them. Sevens are the wild card of plastics.
- Store hot foods in glass or ceramic. There are many great options with lids available. The holidays are coming and that would be a good gift idea.
- Recycle plastics that are scratched or cloudy.
- Bring your own BPA-Free containers to restaurants for your “doggy bag”. My husband and I started doing this to avoid all the styrofoam containers we were accumulating and then realized the benefit for avoiding BPA as well.
In addition, contact the manufacturers of items you use, such as plastic wrap, and ask them if their products contain BPA. You will be doing two things when you call: 1) You are educating yourself on what products are safe. 2) You are letting the manufacturer know that there are consumers out there who care about things like that. Manufacturers figure that for every person who calls there are ten others who have the same concern who don’t call…pick up the phone and let them know you care.
Most of the information in this article came from Mother Earth News, August/September 2009 edition “Plastics: What’s Dangerous, What’s Not.” There is a lot of information there that isn’t included here. Continue to educate yourself and make conscious choices for your own good, the good of your family, and the good of the planet.
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys educating herself and sharing the information she learns with readers of her healthy living tips. Before Donna even knew what BPA was or that it was a danger, Shaklee assured her that their plastics and inks are all BPA-Free. Donna is paid a commission by Shaklee on sales from her website. You can go to: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com She is not paid a commission by Mother Earth News to endorse their magazine.
