Is BPA-Free Plastic Safe? Why BPA-free is a load of B(P)S
Body Real Food Recipes
Bisphenol-A (BPA) has come under attack in recent years, and rightfully so. Chances are you’ve been part of this fight by choosing BPA-free products after learning about the dangers of this chemical. As more consumers opted for BPA-free items, companies started willingly eliminating the chemical from their plastic products. This is great, but does this mean that these BPA-free options are actually better for our health? Not necessarily.
Enter bisphenol-S (BPS). Sound familiar? BPS is one of the chemicals being used to replace BPA. As you might assume, BPS has a similar structure to BPA, and as such, has similar effects on the human body as an endocrine disruptor. More troubling, however, is the fact that research suggests BPS is significantly less biodegradable as well as more heat-stable and photo-resistant than BPA.
According to Green Med Info:
The problem is that BPS is less well-known and researched than BPA for its potential adverse effects, and while regulators wait for manufacturers who promote their products with “BPA-Free!” stickers at the same moment that they infuse them with BPS to voluntarily reformulate, there is evidence now that BPS may actually have worse effects to environmental and human health, alike…
BPS’ relative inability to biodegrade indicates: 1) once it is absorbed into the human body, it may accumulate there for longer periods of time; 2) it is more likely to persist in the environment, making external exposures to it, and its many metabolites, much more likely than the faster degrading BPA. In other words, its potential to do harm will worsen along the axis of time, not lessen, which is a common argument made for the purported “safety” of BPA.
Oy oy oy. And this is supposed to replace BPA? What a load of B(P)S!
To learn what you can do to end your toxic relationship with plastic, click here.
Sources: Mercola and Green Med Info.
Rock on, Nadia, for being ahead of the game here. This is FINALLY coming mainstream, it was in my email headlines today: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/bpa-alternative-disrupts-normal-brain-cell-growth-is-tied-to-hyperactivity-study-says/2015/01/12/a9ecc37e-9a7e-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html
Keep preachin, sister!
What about tomatoes that come in tetra paks? Are these a safe choice?
It’s funny because I’m actually in the midst of writing a post called “why tomatoes should never come from a can.” Even if it’s BPA-free, I just wouldn’t do it. Tomatoes are so acidic and will cause whatever is in the lining to leech.
So I tried to find out what Muir Glen lines their BPA free organic tomato cans with and it’s nowhere on their product website and they don’t have an email contact address for customers. . Does anyone have an answer to this?