You've probably heard about how bad your plastic water bottle is for the planet, but did you know how bad it is for you? Read on and find out why you may want to pick up a Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle.
BPA (Bisphenol-A) is a substance commonly found in plastics. Almost every brand of water on the market that is bottled in plastic is bottled in a container that contains BPA. Soda bottles have it too, as do many packaged food containers. So what's the big deal?
BPA leaches into your foods and beverages, especially when the container becomes warm. Have you ever left your water bottle in the car? What about microwaving that instant soup in a bowl? Even at room temperatures BPA is seeping into your foods, and it is dangerous at levels far below what the FDA still considers safe.
BPA is "estrogenic" which means that it mimics estrogen in the body, disrupting your body's delicate hormone balance and setting off a cascade of health concerns, most notably reproductive function (in both women and men.) It is linked to "inflammation and oxidative stress," the latter of which is a risk factor for cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases.
"BPA has been connected to a wide variety of other adverse effects, namely: Increased risks of brain, reproductive, cardiac, and immune system diseases and disorders; problems with liver function testing; interruptions in chemotherapy treatment; links with serious health problems based on over 200 studies which found it to have negative effects at doses lower than the FDA’s current standards; retention in the body longer than was previously believed; leeching into liquids being held in containers regardless of the containers’ temperature; and longer lasting damage, which can be passed to future generations." http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/11843
The FDA will be reconsidering a ban on BPA this November. If you have the time, why not tell the FDA just what you think about an agency that was formed to protect consumers allowing such an insidious toxin to be used in food and beverage containers. Until this chemical is banned, make wise purchases: buy foods packaged in plant based cellulose rather than plastics, avoid water, juice, and soda in plastic bottles, and buy your own reusable container* to pack water with you. It's better for the environment, and just might save you from a whole host of health issues!
* Stainless Steel is my recommendation. Who knows what other contaminates are leeching out of even BPA free water bottles, and aluminum will react with any acidic juices, teas, or even lemon water -- aluminum is thought to be a contributor to Alzheimer's disease.
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