By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

September 24, 2012

• Confusing FDA double speak on the safety of BPA
• Is it worth the wait to figure out the risk?
• How to protect yourself against BPA’s, just in case

You may have heard that the FDA recently flip-flopped on a decision regarding a chemical called Bisphenol A, popularly known as BPA. And I wish I could tell you the issue is all cleared up now, and what it means to your health.

But, well, I can’t. Although I can at least tell you what we do and don’t know on the subject – and what steps I recommend you take to make sure you stay in the clear.

Issues of environmental hazards are tricky. It can take years to determine if a chemical is safe or not. But industry rarely waits for the final decision. Rather, they forge ahead and use chemicals in consumer products, and make regulations (and apologies) later.

In the case of BPA, all of us have already been affected, and continue to be, depending on our eating habits.

For the FDA, it’s a bit of a landmine. One they haven’t side-stepped completely yet. But for those of us who simply don’t want to ingest harmful chemicals, we can keep it pretty simple…

When the BPA controversy began, I wondered why we were only just hearing about it now, considering BPA had been around for a few decades. And how could this chemical have ended up in everything – without being proven safe?

Turns out it was a lab experiment gone awry that alerted researchers to the possible dangers of BPA.

A researcher on the verge of getting final results in an experiment on reproductive health discovered a major problem with the control group of mice she was using.

Suddenly, 40% of them had abnormal eggs. Her experiment had somehow been tainted. She was devastated. And after some major detective work that considered every inch of the lab during the time of her experiment, she found the culprit. The janitor had used a new cleaner in the lab – one that contained BPA.

And so, a new field of inquiry began. If BPA was so toxic to mice, was it safe for humans?

Most subsequent studies say yes. Some say no or were inconclusive. With, of course, the FDA in the middle, trying to determine whether or not to ban BPA altogether.

After originally deeming BPA safe, they partially reversed their decision and banned it in the use of baby bottles and cups at the urging of an unlikely source: the American Chemical Council.

Apparently, the industry stopped using BPA in products designed for babies and toddlers long before the ban, due to pressure from parents. But this wasn’t a well-known fact. The Council felt an FDA ban could replace long lost consumer confidence in such products.

In classic FDA double speak, the head of the agency said they still believe BPA is safe… they only banned it so the people who think its unsafe won’t be afraid to buy baby bottles and cups.

Huh?

So, here’s the bottom line for adults like you and me…

Plenty of scientific evidence at least casts a doubt on the safety of BPA. It is a known xenoestrogen (foreign estrogen) that imitates estrogen. It’s also referred to as an endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) since it has known hormone disruptive effects.

The possible health hazards include breast and prostate cancer, genital defects in males, early onset of puberty in females, obesity, and even behavior problems such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Numerous other countries, including Sweden, Malaysia and China have banned BPA completely. And it seems like a matter of time before the US follows suit.

In the meantime, I recommend you conduct your own personal BPA ban rather than wait for the FDA to catch up. It’s simply not worth the risk.

Here’s how…

Fortunately, most healthy eating tips I share here with you already help you to avoid BPA’s. Eliminating processed foods from your diet – opting instead for fresh fruits and veggies – is a great start, since most BPA is found in cans and plastic containers.

Here are the top three ways to minimize your BPA exposure:

1) Avoid Canned Food: BPA is usually found in the plastic lining of most cans. However, take heart. Many companies are voluntarily removing BPA from their cans, knowing that consumers are concerned. Campbell’s even announced last March that they are phasing out BPA cans for their soups and other products, although there is no word yet on whether they have.

2) Skip the Receipt: There are enormous amounts of BPA’s in carbon copy paper – like those used to sign credit cards. And the more you crinkle and handle the paper, the more of it you absorb into your skin. If you don’t need the receipt, skip it. And if you do, at least don’t prolong contact with the paper.

3) Plastic Water Bottles: Once again, if you are following my recommendation and using a home distiller, you should already be fine. But some grades of plastic do contain BPA’s. And worse, if the plastic is heated, in the microwave or when left in a hot car, even more BPA can leech into food.

The good news is that plastic products come with numbers that will help you determine whether it contains BPA’s or not. Avoid those marked with a #7 – they definitely have BPA’s. Those marked with #2 or #4 or #5 are considered BPA-free. The rest seem a little murky.

As a rule, however, I simply avoid plastic as much as possible, particularly when using the microwave or any other form of heat. There are simply too many unanswered questions about whether chemicals – whether BPA or others – leech out into your food and water. I do find it interesting that the FDA chose to ban BPA’s in baby products, but not all products.

Considering that grown people make babies, and BPA’s affect hormones and reproduction, that doesn’t seem like a wise move.

In general, what is bad for the smallest of us is usually bad for all of us. It can just take longer for us to feel the effects. If you wouldn’t feed it to your baby, don’t eat it yourself. My kids are grown by now – maybe yours are, too. But it’s still a pretty safe motto to live – and eat – by.