BPA

My husband mentioned to me the other morning that he had been reading about a study that linked BPA exposure to breast cancer.  I know we’ve all been hearing a lot about breast cancer this month, so I’m sorry for exposing you to even more talk of it.  But it’s a really important topic.  I think most women assume that it is a genetic issue, but it’s not!  I have read several places that only 5-10% of a woman’s risk is genetic.  There’s the factor of age, which, no matter how much we hate it ladies, is inevitable; and being overweight, which we can all do something about.  Then there’s exposure to chemicals in plastic.  Inevitable too?  Perhaps.  But we can limit this exposure.

It seems that the worst chemical offender in plastics is BPA.  We all know that BPA is bad, right?  RIGHT?  I mean, there’s a reason we see “BPA-free” advertised on plastics everywhere.  But do you know why it’s bad?  After what I’ve been reading, I’m just sickened, not only that I’ve plopped my leftovers into the microwave in plastic storage containers, but about everywhere else we find BPA.

According to Wikipedia, “Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH₃)₂C(C₆H₄OH)₂. It is a colorless solid that is soluble in organic solvents, but poorly soluble in water. Having two phenol functional groups, it is used to make polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins, along with other materials used to make plastics.^”

That does not sound like anything I want anywhere near my food!

Further, “BPA exhibits hormone-like properties that raise concern about its suitability in consumer products and food containers. Since 2008, several governments have questioned its safety, which prompted some retailers to withdraw polycarbonate products. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of possible hazards to fetuses, infants, and young children.  In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA a toxic substance.  The European Union, Canada, and recently the United States have banned BPA use in baby bottles.”

Well, yay, baby bottles don’t have BPA anymore.  Woo hoo.  But guess what?  If you feed your baby formula (not everyone is able to breastfeed, no judgements please!), know that the formula can liners contain BPA.  And BPA mimics estrogen in the body (it used to be used as an estrogen supplement!), which, in short, can lead to an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as a host of other issues. 

Know where else BPA is found?  Cash register receipts!  Now, I like to shop just as much as the next gal, but now I’m wondering if I should wear gloves when I take my receipts.  (Oh wait, those gloves would probably contain BPA.)  So shopping can lead to an increased risk of breast cancer?  Oh, we’re all screwed!

Seriously though…  There’s probably no remotely-halfway-easy way to avoid BPA altogether.  But we can seriously limit our exposure.  Store and reheat your leftovers in glass containers.  I know there are non-BPA plastic containers, but I’m playing it safe.  Just beware of the lids on your glass containers!  Use stainless steel reusable water bottles (did you know you shouldn’t re-use plastic water bottles?) and pots and pans, if you can.  And limit your canned food intake (which you should be doing anyway) because those can linings contain BPA.

Know your plastics!  You can learn what all the symbols mean here.  We are done reheating in plastic containers in my house, but until we build up our glass container supply, we’re still storing leftovers in plastic.  The containers we use are types that are deemed safe (the lids are a different type than the containers), but based on some of the other things that the FDA considers safe, I think I’ll just quickly phase out all plastic food storage.

I’d love to hear some of your suggestions on limiting BPA exposure (or exposure to any other nasties in plastic) – please comment below with other steps we can all take.