It's been a year since I went back to work after cancer treatments, and almost 2 years since I went crazy with the anti-toxin issue. Researching an writing this blog was fine when I wasn't working, but keeping it up and working full time is practically impossible. I go to bed at 8pm, no kidding. Regardless, I'm still learning, and sharing what I know. I've convinced many friends to stop heating up lunched in plastic containers, and changing their baby's bottles to bpa-free alternatives. Many people have asked about my cosmetic and soap products and have tried them. I like knowing that I'm educating people, but whether they change their habits or not is up to them. At least, they know more now about toxins and xeno-estrogens, and their impact on our health.
As for me, I'm healthy, but my estrogen levels are still 3 times the norm. After all the phtalates and bpa I've eliminated in my life, it seems I am a natural estrogen-making machine. Good for my skin and my figure, bad for chances of recurrence. I won't worry about it though, since I can only control what I can --my exposure to toxins. So, 2 years later:
1. I use only toxin-free cosmetics and body products: Right now, Dr Bronner is the product of choice. We use it as hand soap, shampoo, body soap and face cleanser. Why would we need a different type of product on our face? It's the same skin we have everywhere else. What a great example of a made-up need. I still love Bare Organics and Rocky Mountain Soap Company, which I alternate with Dr Bronner.
In the bath I use baking soda just like my mother used to. It does a nice job of softening the water. If I rather have bath oil, I go down to the kitchen to get the olive oil since there is no such thing as bath oil. Oil is oil. Same with bath salts. Kitchen sea salt does the trick. And again, same with lotions. If I need to hydrate my skin, what does a better job then oil? At least I know what's going on and in my skin: Olives. I'm ok with that.
2. I don't use any plastic to store food. Many people ask me how we store food in the refrigerator or heat in the microwave. As simple as a plate with a bowl on top, or vise versa. For packed lunches, we use stainless steel containers and mason jars. Freezing is trickier -I keep breaking the jars, so I'm working on it. I'm still looking for waterproof organic cotton envelops or bags for sandwiches and snacks. I might have to make them myself.
3. I use only natural cleaning products, or vinegar and baking soda. I prefer having bacteria than chemicals in my house. It's a choice and believe me, everything is antibacterial now, even your underwear. A shame we are so triclosan-crazy now since it's proven that kids exposed to certain bacteria before the age of 2 are less likely to die from that bacteria as an elder.
4. I don't use pesticides on my lawn (no fertilizer either -why would I want the damn thing to grow faster?) and I buy the dirty dozen in the organic section or at least locally grown: apples, grapes, peppers, celery, peaches, and all other thin skinned fruit and vegetables. I don't worry about bananas, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, etc. I also stay away from produce that is not in season. I will never buy huge January strawberries. In winter, we eat Caribbean fruit; it isn't local but it is in season. It's fun the learn your location's growing season. In Ottawa, we have asparagus in May, strawberries in June, raspberries in July, blueberries and peaches in August, apples and potatoes in September, root vegetables in the fall.
5. We buy only local, hormone and antibiotic-free meat. We go to our local butcher/farmer who told us they "don't have the money for that fancy hormone thing", and we bought a quarter cow from La Ferme du Vallon Highlands, from someone we know who raises cows in summer. I know my cow was raised with respect and on milk and grass, as all cows should.
6. My house smells of nothing. Not of fabric softener (the devil incarnated and another made-up need), not of air fresheners or plug-ins, nothing. In fact, I don't use anything that has the word "fragrance" as an ingredient.
It was difficult at first, but once we got used to the change, it made sense. I feel good about protecting myself and my family, and I'm saving money too.
Showing posts with label plastic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plastic. Show all posts
March 04, 2011
September 23, 2009
Plastic
Have a good look around your house and you'll see just how much we use plastic. It seems in the last 50 years all other materials have been replaced by the "better" plastic option --wood, steel, leather, glass, rubber, cotton and the list goes on. Plastic is used as the safer, lighter and of course, cheaper alternative. In addition, it breaks after a certain amount of use so the need to produce more is built in. It's still lighter, cheaper and still breaks, but it's obvious now that it isn't safe at all. Quite the contrary.
As mentioned in both my bisphenol A and phthalates posts, our beloved plastic (including vinyl) contains many different components that are toxic to our health, acting as extra hormones in our body. These components are used to make plastic soft, thin, flexible, strong, light --basically all the characteristics we like about it.
Heating up plastic has always been a bad idea --anyone who's melted it by mistake knows that chemical smell. We know it, yet as recently as last year my family and I were leaving water bottles in the sun and heating up food in the microwave in plastic containers or with cling wrap. A study at Dartmouth University found that a plastic wrap smeared in olive oil, heated up in the microwave had 500,000 times the amount of xenoestrogen needed for breast cancer cells to multiply in test tubes. Even worse, we now know there's no need to heat plastic (or freeze it for that matter) for it to leach --just touching it is enough. These toxins are absorbed through our skin as well as inhaled. They stay in dust bunnies in our homes and when our food comes in contact with plastic, we eat them.
To make you aware, here's a random selection of things made of plastic that originally weren't. Which makes me think that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it":
Fences and decks;
Windows, doors and house siding;
Tools for yard work and indoor cleaning (rakes, mops);
Furniture and lamps (in plastic and vinyl);
Window blinds, shower curtains and picture frames;
Kid's toys and books;
Pens and markers (as opposed to pencils);
Clothing (raincoats, shoes, belts);
CD cases (as opposed to LP pockets) and DVD cases (as opposed to VCR pockets);
Dishes and utensils (for cooking and eating) including ice trays;
Food storage and packed lunch containers;
Juice jugs, milk bags and wine bottles...and corks;
Yogurt and other wet dairy products sold in containers;
Meat and cheese sold in cling plastic (as opposed to paper);
Fresh fruit baskets (have you seen the new peach ones this year?)
When I looked around, I was horrified that my 3 beloved vintage chairs were all in vinyl --a material I choose when I got them reupholstered because it looks great and is so child and dog friendly (yeah...). And my beautiful Philip Stark Ghost chair, a piece of art, is, you said it, plastic. That's what it is! A plastic chair! I still love it...
In France, food is sold mostly in glass containers. I took a few photos to show you and I even brought the small jars back to reuse.
Mustard and mayonaise
Chocolate mousse (pudding was the same)
Yogurt
Plastic is everywhere and finding out it isn't safe is overwhelming to say the least. Making changes can seem intimidating, even impossible but it isn't. The key is to take one step at a time --any reduction of your exposure to it will make a difference. Remember that you're a pioneer in choosing alternatives and some things are just not available yet in anything but plastic. I started making changes last year and I'm far from being done. I admit, I had to start thinking differently and changing my habits. These are a few of the changes we've made:
For packed lunches:
I use:
the yellow LunchBot* for C. de Lune's lunches. It's just the right size to fit in her lunch bag, it closes well and the separator is attached to the bottom. However, it isn't watertight. The LunchBot without a separator works well too.
*LunchBots are made in China --you can read what they contain, and how they're made on their website.
a small Klean Kanteen for her beverage.
an airtight stainless steel container for fruit pieces and other small foods.
the same steel container or small canning containers for wet foods like yogurt or applesauce. The plastic liner in the lid could have BPA, so I turn it around.
parchment paper to wrap sandwiches, muffins and cookies. I twist each ends like I saw them do in Paris, which looks like a huge wrapped candy. Wax paper does the trick too, but remember it's made from petroleum.
bambo utensils (for fun).
For foods storage:
I use:
LunchBots without separators
glass container with lock and lock plastic lids (we asked and they don't contain BPA or phthalates). I still wouldn't heat them up.
pyrex containers with plastic lids. Same deal.
the bigger sized airtight stainless steel containers.
For food preparation and eating:
I use:
stainless steel cooking utensils only;
steel colandars and cheese graters;
steel or ceramic mixing bowls;
usual dishes and glasses, no plastic.
For food purchases (this one is difficult):
I choose oils, condiments and juices in glass jars;
I buy meats and fish at the counter (the paper has a plastic lining, but it hasn't sat in it for long;
I buy butter instead of margarine (and it's real food --more on that in future posts);
I buy ice cream in cardboard boxes (although now I like making my own).
I'm working on more...
Sources
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
As mentioned in both my bisphenol A and phthalates posts, our beloved plastic (including vinyl) contains many different components that are toxic to our health, acting as extra hormones in our body. These components are used to make plastic soft, thin, flexible, strong, light --basically all the characteristics we like about it.
Heating up plastic has always been a bad idea --anyone who's melted it by mistake knows that chemical smell. We know it, yet as recently as last year my family and I were leaving water bottles in the sun and heating up food in the microwave in plastic containers or with cling wrap. A study at Dartmouth University found that a plastic wrap smeared in olive oil, heated up in the microwave had 500,000 times the amount of xenoestrogen needed for breast cancer cells to multiply in test tubes. Even worse, we now know there's no need to heat plastic (or freeze it for that matter) for it to leach --just touching it is enough. These toxins are absorbed through our skin as well as inhaled. They stay in dust bunnies in our homes and when our food comes in contact with plastic, we eat them.
To make you aware, here's a random selection of things made of plastic that originally weren't. Which makes me think that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it":
Fences and decks;
Windows, doors and house siding;
Tools for yard work and indoor cleaning (rakes, mops);
Furniture and lamps (in plastic and vinyl);
Window blinds, shower curtains and picture frames;
Kid's toys and books;
Pens and markers (as opposed to pencils);
Clothing (raincoats, shoes, belts);
CD cases (as opposed to LP pockets) and DVD cases (as opposed to VCR pockets);
Dishes and utensils (for cooking and eating) including ice trays;
Food storage and packed lunch containers;
Juice jugs, milk bags and wine bottles...and corks;
Yogurt and other wet dairy products sold in containers;
Meat and cheese sold in cling plastic (as opposed to paper);
Fresh fruit baskets (have you seen the new peach ones this year?)
When I looked around, I was horrified that my 3 beloved vintage chairs were all in vinyl --a material I choose when I got them reupholstered because it looks great and is so child and dog friendly (yeah...). And my beautiful Philip Stark Ghost chair, a piece of art, is, you said it, plastic. That's what it is! A plastic chair! I still love it...
In France, food is sold mostly in glass containers. I took a few photos to show you and I even brought the small jars back to reuse.
Mustard and mayonaise
Chocolate mousse (pudding was the same)
Yogurt
Plastic is everywhere and finding out it isn't safe is overwhelming to say the least. Making changes can seem intimidating, even impossible but it isn't. The key is to take one step at a time --any reduction of your exposure to it will make a difference. Remember that you're a pioneer in choosing alternatives and some things are just not available yet in anything but plastic. I started making changes last year and I'm far from being done. I admit, I had to start thinking differently and changing my habits. These are a few of the changes we've made:
For packed lunches:
I use:
the yellow LunchBot* for C. de Lune's lunches. It's just the right size to fit in her lunch bag, it closes well and the separator is attached to the bottom. However, it isn't watertight. The LunchBot without a separator works well too.
*LunchBots are made in China --you can read what they contain, and how they're made on their website.
a small Klean Kanteen for her beverage.
an airtight stainless steel container for fruit pieces and other small foods.
the same steel container or small canning containers for wet foods like yogurt or applesauce. The plastic liner in the lid could have BPA, so I turn it around.
parchment paper to wrap sandwiches, muffins and cookies. I twist each ends like I saw them do in Paris, which looks like a huge wrapped candy. Wax paper does the trick too, but remember it's made from petroleum.
bambo utensils (for fun).
For foods storage:
I use:
LunchBots without separators
glass container with lock and lock plastic lids (we asked and they don't contain BPA or phthalates). I still wouldn't heat them up.
pyrex containers with plastic lids. Same deal.
the bigger sized airtight stainless steel containers.
For food preparation and eating:
I use:
stainless steel cooking utensils only;
steel colandars and cheese graters;
steel or ceramic mixing bowls;
usual dishes and glasses, no plastic.
For food purchases (this one is difficult):
I choose oils, condiments and juices in glass jars;
I buy meats and fish at the counter (the paper has a plastic lining, but it hasn't sat in it for long;
I buy butter instead of margarine (and it's real food --more on that in future posts);
I buy ice cream in cardboard boxes (although now I like making my own).
I'm working on more...
Sources
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
September 21, 2009
Phthalates
I like to think of phthalates as the Monica Cruz of toxic chemicals--less famous than the sibling but just as striking, if not more so.
Phthalates are a grouping of more than a dozen xenoestrogens that can be inhaled or absorbed through skin, hair and nails. They have the same hormonal effects as Bisphenol A such as hormonal receptive cancers and estrogen dominant conditions, yet most people are unaware of their existence. Lab tests have proven that they also damage lungs (asthma anyone?), liver and kidneys in rats. In 2005, a scientist by the name of Swan published a report showing how phthalates are responsible for what she calls "demasculinization". More specifically, they cause the "phthalate syndrom", a conditions where male rats are born with abnormal genitals --then she proved it in humans in the US. Similarly, other scientists have shown that phthalates cause "testicular dysgenesis syndrome", which includes impaired sperm quality and testicular cancer.
Phthalates are used mostly as plasticizers, making plastics soft and flexible. They're also use to extend the life of fragrances and used as solvents in cosmetics. I'll let that sink in for a moment...
There are 3 main types of phthalates --I quote this directly from the Canadian Cancer Society's website:
1) DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) is the most common and is used mostly in PVC plastics. It can be found in vinyl products and in many medical plastics such as IV bags and tubes;
2) DINP (di-isononyl phthalate) is sometimes used in PVC plastics, including children’s toys. In Canada, other phthalates are more likely to be used in children’s toys;
3) DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are most often used in cosmetics.
Although the Canadian Cancer Society is cautious about the information it provides on BPA as previously states in my BPA post, it's definitely taking a clearer stand against phthalates, even urging people to contact their member of Parliament about it. The reason is phthalates are in pretty much everything, from medical tubing and saline bags to children's toys and shampoos. The American Chemistry Council will not only tell you they're safe, but fun as well! I'm not kidding, the tag line on their home page with the nice healthy landscape in the banner is "Performance, Convenience, Fun". They even tell us that conclusions drawn from lab test on animals are not transferable to people. But go to their "About Us" page and you'll see that they are composed of corporations and companies who all have a financial stake in your use of phthalates. Phthalates.com tells us they're safe too, just as the Biphenol.com site did with BPA (did I mention it's an initiative of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates?). When it comes to cancer, the link between it and phthalates hasn't been proven without a shadow of a doubt yet but just like BPA, it fits in estrogen receptions in hormonal receptive cancers. So it's up to you to decide, but who are you going to trust, the Chemical Council or the Cancer Society?
Some of the products* that contain phthalates include:
All plastics #2, #4 and #5;
Cosmetics (make-up, deodorant, hair gel, shampoos and conditioners, body lotion, lubricants, soap, etc). "Fragrance" or "Perfumes" are often used for phthalates ingredients;
Toys (both the kid's kind and the sex kind);
Vinyl (shower curtains, furniture, clothing);
Flooring and building materials;
Medical supplies (blood and saline bags, drain tubes, picc lines, IVs);
Car interiors;
Fatty foods such as dairy, meats and processed foods (because they're fat soluble);
Laundry detergents,
Air fresheners;
Scented cleaning products;
Contaminated dust in your house (when they leach, they go in the air).
The danger is not only that phthalates are unavoidable, but that they easily leach out --they're not an integral part of the plastic or vinyl, but sit on top. Children are especially at risk of their effects with their developing cells and their nasty habit of putting everything in their mouth. Needless to say, this is all very terrifying. Think of how I feel about the picc line that was in my vein from my arm to my heart for 5 months, and the drains tubes under my skin after my mastectomy. So why is nothing being done about this real threat to our health? Well, the European Union has banned 6 phthalates in kids' toys and is working towards limiting their use in products coming in contact with foods. An anti-phthalate law will also come into effect in the US in 2009. It's a start.
The good news, like with BPA, is that phthalates leave the body very quickly so if we stopped being exposed to them tomorrow, we would be rid of them by the next day. There are a few things you can do to limit your exposure*:
Don't use plastic to store foods at all;
Choose foods that come in glass (oils, condiments, etc);
Dust you home, open your windows and change your furnace filter often;
Drive with the windows open;
Change your cosmetics;
Never use air fresheners;
Use frangrance free products as a rule.
The biggest thing you can do however is make noise about it --share what you know, ask companies about phthalates in their products and choose the alternatives.
*More on individual products and alternatives in future posts.
Sources
"Phthalates", Canadian Cancer Society
Phthalate Information Centre, The American Chemistry Council
Phthalates Information Centre Europe Website
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
Phthalates are a grouping of more than a dozen xenoestrogens that can be inhaled or absorbed through skin, hair and nails. They have the same hormonal effects as Bisphenol A such as hormonal receptive cancers and estrogen dominant conditions, yet most people are unaware of their existence. Lab tests have proven that they also damage lungs (asthma anyone?), liver and kidneys in rats. In 2005, a scientist by the name of Swan published a report showing how phthalates are responsible for what she calls "demasculinization". More specifically, they cause the "phthalate syndrom", a conditions where male rats are born with abnormal genitals --then she proved it in humans in the US. Similarly, other scientists have shown that phthalates cause "testicular dysgenesis syndrome", which includes impaired sperm quality and testicular cancer.
Phthalates are used mostly as plasticizers, making plastics soft and flexible. They're also use to extend the life of fragrances and used as solvents in cosmetics. I'll let that sink in for a moment...
There are 3 main types of phthalates --I quote this directly from the Canadian Cancer Society's website:
1) DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) is the most common and is used mostly in PVC plastics. It can be found in vinyl products and in many medical plastics such as IV bags and tubes;
2) DINP (di-isononyl phthalate) is sometimes used in PVC plastics, including children’s toys. In Canada, other phthalates are more likely to be used in children’s toys;
3) DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are most often used in cosmetics.
Although the Canadian Cancer Society is cautious about the information it provides on BPA as previously states in my BPA post, it's definitely taking a clearer stand against phthalates, even urging people to contact their member of Parliament about it. The reason is phthalates are in pretty much everything, from medical tubing and saline bags to children's toys and shampoos. The American Chemistry Council will not only tell you they're safe, but fun as well! I'm not kidding, the tag line on their home page with the nice healthy landscape in the banner is "Performance, Convenience, Fun". They even tell us that conclusions drawn from lab test on animals are not transferable to people. But go to their "About Us" page and you'll see that they are composed of corporations and companies who all have a financial stake in your use of phthalates. Phthalates.com tells us they're safe too, just as the Biphenol.com site did with BPA (did I mention it's an initiative of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates?). When it comes to cancer, the link between it and phthalates hasn't been proven without a shadow of a doubt yet but just like BPA, it fits in estrogen receptions in hormonal receptive cancers. So it's up to you to decide, but who are you going to trust, the Chemical Council or the Cancer Society?
Some of the products* that contain phthalates include:
All plastics #2, #4 and #5;
Cosmetics (make-up, deodorant, hair gel, shampoos and conditioners, body lotion, lubricants, soap, etc). "Fragrance" or "Perfumes" are often used for phthalates ingredients;
Toys (both the kid's kind and the sex kind);
Vinyl (shower curtains, furniture, clothing);
Flooring and building materials;
Medical supplies (blood and saline bags, drain tubes, picc lines, IVs);
Car interiors;
Fatty foods such as dairy, meats and processed foods (because they're fat soluble);
Laundry detergents,
Air fresheners;
Scented cleaning products;
Contaminated dust in your house (when they leach, they go in the air).
The danger is not only that phthalates are unavoidable, but that they easily leach out --they're not an integral part of the plastic or vinyl, but sit on top. Children are especially at risk of their effects with their developing cells and their nasty habit of putting everything in their mouth. Needless to say, this is all very terrifying. Think of how I feel about the picc line that was in my vein from my arm to my heart for 5 months, and the drains tubes under my skin after my mastectomy. So why is nothing being done about this real threat to our health? Well, the European Union has banned 6 phthalates in kids' toys and is working towards limiting their use in products coming in contact with foods. An anti-phthalate law will also come into effect in the US in 2009. It's a start.
The good news, like with BPA, is that phthalates leave the body very quickly so if we stopped being exposed to them tomorrow, we would be rid of them by the next day. There are a few things you can do to limit your exposure*:
Don't use plastic to store foods at all;
Choose foods that come in glass (oils, condiments, etc);
Dust you home, open your windows and change your furnace filter often;
Drive with the windows open;
Change your cosmetics;
Never use air fresheners;
Use frangrance free products as a rule.
The biggest thing you can do however is make noise about it --share what you know, ask companies about phthalates in their products and choose the alternatives.
*More on individual products and alternatives in future posts.
Sources
"Phthalates", Canadian Cancer Society
Phthalate Information Centre, The American Chemistry Council
Phthalates Information Centre Europe Website
Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
September 09, 2009
Bisphenol A
Since last year, there's been a lot of talk about the harmful effects of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics #7. When news came out last summer we ditched our plastic bottles and started drinking tap water out of metal ones. Then a few weeks ago, we found out that the insides of SIGG aluminum bottles were coated with a BPA soaked resin. More on that in my August 26th post on MyCWord blog. We're only now realizing that this chemical isn't just used in water and baby bottles. And although Health Canada doesn't admit it yet, it's becoming obvious through laboratory tests that it's not only harmful to babies, but to adults as well as to the environment. This is why:
According to the Chemical Substances website of the Government of Canada, "bisphenol A is an industrial chemical used to make a hard, clear plastic known as polycarbonate." What this definition doesn't say is that BPA is a xenoestrogen. That's where my previous post The Hormone Story is helpful. Xenoestrogen fits in the same receptors in our body as good estrogen does, taking it's place in telling cells what to do and how to behave. By doing so, it causes havoc on our systems and is responsible for many diseases, disorders and conditions. It causes developmental issues, ADD, life-threatening arrhythmia, obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders in women and infertility in men --to name a few. As for cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society says it's unclear if BPA is a cause in humans (although lab rats who's mothers were exposed to it are often born with cancer). That said, it is now a known fact that BPA causes, feeds and accelerates hormonal receptive cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate. Which is why the statistics look like this.
The list of products* containing BPA is endless. I think these are the worse:
All plastic #7 and #3 (like Tupperware);
Reusable water bottles and spring water cooler bottles;
Baby bottles and hard plastic sippy cups;
Toys and sports equipment;
Epoxy resins which lines the inside of metal-based food and beverage cans;
Plastic liners of metal lids on glass jar;
Dental fillings and sealants;
Eye glasses;
Surface waters from the tap (but much less than water from a plastic bottle);
Paper receipts from cash register (in very high doses) and newspaper ink.
*More on individual products in future posts.
In the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck, the author wanted to see how much BPA he could absorb in a day: "I ate nothing [...] but canned foods heated in a polycarbonate Rubbermaid container in the microwave. Campbell's chicken noodle soup, canned pineapple, Heinz spaghetti and leftover tuna casserole [...]. I drank a few Cokes and made my coffee in a polycarbonate French press coffeemaker purchased at Starbucks. I then drank my coffee from an old Avent polycarbonate baby bottle..." (p.247) Funny and terrifying all at once, isn't it?
BPA's hormonal effects was discovered by accident in 1998 when geneticists in the US found estrogen in their lab rats when no estrogen was used in their study. It was the rodents' plastic cages and water bottles that leached after they had been cleaned with high pH cleansers by mistake. If you're wondering, all BPA-lined products and polycarbonates leach BPA, and they don't need to be heated to do so. If that's not bad enough, it takes a very low dose to affect us since our body metabolizes it very quickly. Take a minute to think of the amount of BPA you're consuming by eating, drinking, inhaling and touching every day. One source of it at a time "might" be safe, but it's never just one at a time.
Many source will tell you BPA is safe and the FDA hasn't banned it. For example, if you go on the Bisphenol.org, you will read that there's nothing to be worried about. But always ask yourself who's behind the source. In this case: "This web site is sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association." The chemicals and plastics industries are very powerful, not unlike the pharmaceutical industry and, shall I say it, the tobacco industry. Remember when smoking in hospitals was permitted? We all know smoking causes lung cancer, yet cigarettes are still available. The point is, these industries have their own interests and business to protect (think of all we use made out of plastic), and their lobby groups and very influential.
If there's any good news it's this:
1) you can detox yourself of BPA and reduce it's affects on your body by reducing your exposure to it.
2)in 2008, the Canadian government banned the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles, and by doing so set a precedent. Unfortunately, it's still considered safe for adults. Interesting. Were do babies come from and live for 9 months before they're born? If a baby isn't drinking milk from a bottle, what is it drinking it from?
Sources
"Bisphenol A", The Canadian Cancer Society
"BPA industry fights back", JS Online
Chemical Substances EcoAction Initiative, Government of Canada
NTP-CERHR Expert Panel Report on the Reproductive and Developmental Tocixity of Bisphhenol A, 2007
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
The Bisphenol A Website
Treehugger.com
"Bisphenol A Found in Baby Food in Glass Jars"
"Chemical Found in Plastic Linked to Reproductive Disorders"
"Time to Pack In the Polycarbonates"
"U.S. test contradicts Sigg's chemical-free claim", HeathZone.ca
According to the Chemical Substances website of the Government of Canada, "bisphenol A is an industrial chemical used to make a hard, clear plastic known as polycarbonate." What this definition doesn't say is that BPA is a xenoestrogen. That's where my previous post The Hormone Story is helpful. Xenoestrogen fits in the same receptors in our body as good estrogen does, taking it's place in telling cells what to do and how to behave. By doing so, it causes havoc on our systems and is responsible for many diseases, disorders and conditions. It causes developmental issues, ADD, life-threatening arrhythmia, obesity, diabetes, reproductive disorders in women and infertility in men --to name a few. As for cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society says it's unclear if BPA is a cause in humans (although lab rats who's mothers were exposed to it are often born with cancer). That said, it is now a known fact that BPA causes, feeds and accelerates hormonal receptive cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate. Which is why the statistics look like this.
The list of products* containing BPA is endless. I think these are the worse:
All plastic #7 and #3 (like Tupperware);
Reusable water bottles and spring water cooler bottles;
Baby bottles and hard plastic sippy cups;
Toys and sports equipment;
Epoxy resins which lines the inside of metal-based food and beverage cans;
Plastic liners of metal lids on glass jar;
Dental fillings and sealants;
Eye glasses;
Surface waters from the tap (but much less than water from a plastic bottle);
Paper receipts from cash register (in very high doses) and newspaper ink.
*More on individual products in future posts.
In the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck, the author wanted to see how much BPA he could absorb in a day: "I ate nothing [...] but canned foods heated in a polycarbonate Rubbermaid container in the microwave. Campbell's chicken noodle soup, canned pineapple, Heinz spaghetti and leftover tuna casserole [...]. I drank a few Cokes and made my coffee in a polycarbonate French press coffeemaker purchased at Starbucks. I then drank my coffee from an old Avent polycarbonate baby bottle..." (p.247) Funny and terrifying all at once, isn't it?
BPA's hormonal effects was discovered by accident in 1998 when geneticists in the US found estrogen in their lab rats when no estrogen was used in their study. It was the rodents' plastic cages and water bottles that leached after they had been cleaned with high pH cleansers by mistake. If you're wondering, all BPA-lined products and polycarbonates leach BPA, and they don't need to be heated to do so. If that's not bad enough, it takes a very low dose to affect us since our body metabolizes it very quickly. Take a minute to think of the amount of BPA you're consuming by eating, drinking, inhaling and touching every day. One source of it at a time "might" be safe, but it's never just one at a time.
Many source will tell you BPA is safe and the FDA hasn't banned it. For example, if you go on the Bisphenol.org, you will read that there's nothing to be worried about. But always ask yourself who's behind the source. In this case: "This web site is sponsored by the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, which is organized regionally at the American Chemistry Council, PlasticsEurope, and the Japan Chemical Industry Association." The chemicals and plastics industries are very powerful, not unlike the pharmaceutical industry and, shall I say it, the tobacco industry. Remember when smoking in hospitals was permitted? We all know smoking causes lung cancer, yet cigarettes are still available. The point is, these industries have their own interests and business to protect (think of all we use made out of plastic), and their lobby groups and very influential.
If there's any good news it's this:
1) you can detox yourself of BPA and reduce it's affects on your body by reducing your exposure to it.
2)in 2008, the Canadian government banned the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles, and by doing so set a precedent. Unfortunately, it's still considered safe for adults. Interesting. Were do babies come from and live for 9 months before they're born? If a baby isn't drinking milk from a bottle, what is it drinking it from?
Sources
"Bisphenol A", The Canadian Cancer Society
"BPA industry fights back", JS Online
Chemical Substances EcoAction Initiative, Government of Canada
NTP-CERHR Expert Panel Report on the Reproductive and Developmental Tocixity of Bisphhenol A, 2007
Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.
The Bisphenol A Website
Treehugger.com
"Bisphenol A Found in Baby Food in Glass Jars"
"Chemical Found in Plastic Linked to Reproductive Disorders"
"Time to Pack In the Polycarbonates"
"U.S. test contradicts Sigg's chemical-free claim", HeathZone.ca
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
