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Five Simple Steps to Lower Your BPA Exposure

 
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Cancer related image Photo: Getty Images

Lowering the amount of BPA contamination in your body may be easier than you think, according to new research.

Bisphenol A, or BPA is a chemical used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics in a host of everyday items from shatter-proof baby bottles, beverage containers and plastic dinnerware to compact discs, auto parts and toys. BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of canned foods and beverages, dental sealants and other products.

The chemical’s safety was called into question in 2008 when an expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health agreed there was “some concern” about BPA’s effects on early human brain development.

BPA is an known endocrine disruptor, which means the chemical can mimic the body’s own hormones and may lead to negative health effects, such as breast cancer, thyroid conditions, infant brain development, early puberty in girls, infertility, and other adverse health affects. A 2010 study found that BPA may reduce sensitivity to chemotherapy treatment of specific tumors.

In 2004, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists wanted to know how much BPA is getting into Americans' bodies so they conducted a large study and discovered widespread BPA exposure in the U.S. population: A whopping 93 percent of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies.

According to the CDC, the human health effects from BPA at low environmental exposures are unknown. While regulatory bodies have determined a safe level of human BPA exposure, recent studies are calling those levels into question and they are currently under review.

The CDC acknowledged BPA has been shown to affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised additional concerns regarding BPA exposure to fetuses, infants and young children. Later that year, Canada and the European Union banned BPA use in baby bottles.

The nonprofit Breast Cancer Fund and Silent Spring Institute, a breast cancer research group, wanted to know if the leading source of BPA contamination—food packaging—were removed, how much, if any, would our BPA levels drop. So they recently enlisted five San Francisco Bay area families for a week-long investigation. Each family consisted of an adult male, adult female, and two children between the ages of 3-11.

First the families ate their normal diets, some of which consisted of canned, pre-packaged foods and restaurant food that most of us eat on a daily basis. Then the families were provided three days worth of freshly prepared organic meals that avoided contact with BPA food packaging. BPA levels were measured at each stage.

While the families were eating the fresh-food diet, their BPA levels dropped on average by 60 percent. Those with the highest exposure levels saw even greater reductions, up to 75 percent.

To replicate the simple lifestyle changes made to the test families’ diets, the researchers suggest:

  • Switch to stainless steel and glass food storage and beverage containers.
  • Move foods to ceramic or glass food containers for microwaving.
  • Consider a French press for coffee – home coffee makers may have polycarbonate-based water tanks and phthalate-based tubing.
  • Eat out less, especially at restaurants that do not use fresh ingredients.
  • Limit canned food consumption.
  • "One of the main sources of BPA is believed to be food packaging, but until now, there weren't any studies that had actually looked at having people eat a normal diet and then stop eating foods that had been wrapped in BPA-containing products," said Janet Gray, Ph.D., director of the Program in Science, Technology and Society at Vassar College and science advisor to the Breast Cancer Fund.

    Gray co-authored "Food Packaging and Bisphenol A," a peer-reviewed study published March 30, 2011, in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

    To see the Top Ten Can Foods To Avoid, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/assets/images/science/bpa_tipcardjpg.jpg

    Lynette Summerill is an award-winning writer who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to writing about cancer-related issues for EmpowHER, she pens Nonsmoking Nation, a blog following global tobacco news and events.

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.