Hi Alex - Good topic. I have a draft going for a
Healthy Aging post regarding chemicals that cause health problems and BPA is definitely one of them. Check this link for the Dirty Dozen of Endocrine Distuptors.. of which BPA is the first listed. [
www.ewg.org] Once there, you can download a pdf file of their Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors.
It's virtually unavoidable, but you can limit some exposure by avoiding canned food. A bit surprising, but claims are made that even if the unless the label indicates "BPA free".... you still get exposure. More here: [
www.edf.org]
Restaurant food is often is commercially pre-prepared and either canned or packed in plastic food containers which all contain BPA. Even supplements and medicines come in plastic bottles, although many, use glass. It's known that cash-register receipts are high in BPA residues so handle those as little as possible. Meat and produce is often packaged in plastic containers....even organic. I shop at a small local market where they wrap the meat and fish first in waxed paper and then wrap in paper and tape shut. Takes more time to stand at the counter but saves on the exposure a bit.
Avoidance includes not heating foods and beverages in plastic containers... many people rely on frozen meals that can be heated in the oven or microwave.... that's where a huge amount of exposure exists.
The history of BPA is that it was first made in 1891 and used as synthetic estrogen for women and farmers used to to promote growth in cattle. Then when the cancer-causing risks became known, it was banned. But in the late 1950's, it began to be used in making hard plastics (polycarbonate)... clear and strong plastic that could replace steel. Then, it was used in electronics and remains prevalent today. Stats indicate over a million pounds a year of the substance is released into the environment annually.
Jackie
