We have all been hearing about the danger of BPA and plastics and how it can affect our endocrine system, immune system, and several other systems of the body.

This chemical BPA, or bisphenol-A, mimics the hormone estrogen, and therefore, it can have estrogenic effects in the body, and these effects have been linked to everything from cancer to diabetes to obesity. The list includes things like asthma, infertility, low sperm count, liver problems, ADHD, and its almost “Pick a disease, literally pick a disease,” and you’ll find a connection with estrogenic activity due to some of these chemicals.

These ‘outside estrogens’ are called xenoestrogens.

This BPA info has been out for a while, so a lot of companies have been switching to BPA-free plastics. You’ve all probably seen baby bottles and Tupperware and things that are marketed as being BPA free, the idea being that we can continue using these plastics since they are safe.  So, what’s really disturbing is that a lot of recent research, including a paper that recently appeared in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that almost all commercially available plastics, including the ones that are marketed as being BPA free, leach synthetic estrogens. Even when these plastics weren’t exposed to conditions that are known to unlock these potentially harmful chemicals, like heat, putting them in a microwave or putting them in a dishwasher or leaving a plastic water bottle out on the dashboard of your car in the sun, just normal contact with food or water was enough for these chemicals to leach into the food and the water.  And the problem is that some of the chemicals that are in the BPA-free plastics actually have been found to have greater estrogenic activity than BPA itself.

So, this is sort of trading the frying pan for the fire, really.  It means that we should really be cautious with any kind of plastic containers – plastic water bottles, plastic baby bottles, and things like that.

Phthalates, like BPA, are endocrine disruptors.  They interfere with the endocrine system, and are also used in plastics.  Phthalate exposure leads to sperm damage in men.

Tupperware is a brand, not a product. you have Milton, Rubbermaid, Tupperware. Not glass, steel, Tupperware.

Soft plastic or vinyl products that are often given to babies for teething can contain phthalates.  You should make sure that your toothbrush and especially those chew toys are labeled phthalate free. Pay attention to personal care products for phthalates.

Sometimes patients don’t respond as expected  to treatments. There can be a lot of different explanations for why that is, but one potential reason is exposure to these types of environmental toxins.

So what to do?

Use stainless steel or glass.

Simple.

And keep yourself, and your family, safe and healthy!