There has been more bad news about Bisphenol A (BPA) than just about any other substance over the last few years but some people still are unaware of just how hazardous it is. Several studies have sited the dangers of BPA and it’s harmful effects on our health even at low doses. It imitates estrogen so it disrupts our endocrine system and messes with our hormones. It’s been associated with breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, premature puberty, neurological problems in infants, male sexual dysfunction, miscarriage, fertility problems, obesity, liver abnormalities and diabetes.
Even the American Medical Association (AMA) has reported that it officially recognizes BPA as an endocrine-disrupting agent and they are prompting manufacturers to warn consumers by clearly labeling products containing it. They were also quick to back the decision to ban the sale of products that contain BPA for babies.
It’s widely known that BPA is used in plastic but it might surprise you to find out that it is also in receipts and dollar bills among other things. Yep, just by touching those items your body is absorbing it. Lovely. It also leaches into food inside of cans because the inner lining of canned foods contains BPA. It gets into our food even without being heated.
It’s frustrating to believe you are making a healthy dinner for your family only to serve up the cancer causing compound. An interesting study was conducted last year by Silent Spring Institute and the Breast Cancer Fund. They found that when families ate fresh foods and avoided food in cans and food packaged in plastic for 3 days their BPA levels dropped on average by a whopping 60 percent! Canada no longer allows manufacturers to use it, it’s time for us to do the same.
There are alternatives, Janelle Sorensen, freelance environmentalist and former CCO, Healthy Child, Healthy World says, “Eden Foods uses a safer material and has agreed to make their ‘trade secrets’ public. The key to successful change is finding feasible alternatives. We have those in hand so with sustained consumer pressure, it shouldn’t be too long before we see the end of BPA used in food and beverage products.” I buy Eden Foods almost exclusively when buying canned foods because of this. The Breast Cancer Fund launched their ‘Cans Not Cancer’ campaign to urge manufacturers to uses a safer alternative in the lining of canned foods. Eden Foods does it why can’t everyone else?!
