If you haven't heard of bisphenol A (BPA) yet, it's time to wake up and throw out that polycarbonate plastic water bottle you bring back and forth to the gym.
BPA--a hormone disruptor--has been blamed for insulin resistance, birth defects, miscarriages, obesity and other health problems.
A new study out today reports that exposing polycarbonate plastic to boiling water will cause BPA to leach out 55 times faster than normal.
It just so happens that baby bottles are usually made of the same polycarbonate plastic, which parents are told to sterilize in boiling water before their first use. Additionally, studies have found that repeated scrubbing and washing can also cause the release of BPA from the plastic.
While the FDA and the plastic industry recognize BPA as safe, the majority of studies have linked it to reproductive and developmental problems.
Switching to glass or stainless steel bottles can minimize your exposure to BPA. They can be found at health food stores and Amazon.com
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Toss Out Your Plastic Water Bottle!
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10 comments:
I've been hearing about this for a while. My husband was most disappointed in Gerolsteiner when they moved to plastic bottles last year and now I have to fight him for the San Pellegrino.
I've been hearing quite a few warning about not refilling store bought water bottles that refilling them releases chemicals in the plastic. I go back and forth between throw away cups and one time useage water bottles that I then recycle. Nice article.
Audrey...You're right. You shouldn't reuse the bottles from bottled water because the plastic bottles break down much faster and easier than the kind that is made to be reused. Make sure that you also keep your bottled water out of the light because that also causes the plastic to break down faster. Also, glad you liked the article. Thanks! - Deanne
Cat...I like San Pellegrino too! Unfortunately, most companies seems to be succumbing to the plastic trend. I wish the organic, non-homogenized, VAT pasteurized milk from grass-fed cows I buy was in a glass bottle, but it's also in the kind of plastic that breaks down quickly like bottled water. You would think that if they went the extra mile to make the best milk, they put it in glass. Maybe with more attention on the dangers of plastic on our health, the trend will eventually reverse. We can hope! - Deanne
Deanne, Hope this helps...
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Dairies-Glass-Bottles-Milk.htm
Thanks a lot, Cat! That really does help. They actually have a milk supplier in my area using glass bottles. I will have to read the plastic information in more detail and hopefully write more on it in a future post. Thanks again! You've been a big help!
I've heard about this on Dr Mercola's website. Thanks for the great article.
There is no evidence to support what you are saying in this article. This is the way urban legends are spread. Do some real research.
Chemist, I've done a great deal more research than just what I've reported on in this article. I've read what the industry research has found, what independent research has found and what the government has found. I agree that not all the research supports what I've written, but there is plenty of research that does. The article I wrote is based on one study that found BPA to be leaching from one kind of plastic, but it's not the only study that supports this claim. -Deanne
Gerolsteiner is coming back in Glass bottles ;)
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