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Even Small Doses Of BPA Can Harm Ovaries
The bad news about BPA just keeps coming.
We know the hormone-disrupting chemical leaches into our food and water through plastics, the linings of food and beverage cans and other household items. Over 90 percent of Canadians have BPA present in their bodies. The specter of BPA exposure is a huge stress for pregnant women.
But does it do any real harm? Industry lobbyists would like us to believe the chemical is safe for humans, but science just keeps turning up more evidence that it’s not.
A new study from Washington State University shows that even extremely small doses of BPA affect the ovaries of female mice. It takes only 12 hours for BPA to disrupt the formation of eggs and alter their ability to pass on genetic information.
That affects not only the lady mouse with the BPA exposure, but her children and grandchildren.
The disruption to egg creation in the mouse’s ovaries can lead to a host of problems for her offspring and theirs. For the first generation after BPA exposure, the altered ovaries may produce fewer eggs, leading to fertility problems and potentially early menopause. For the grandchildren of the original mouse, the malformed eggs can cause birth defects.
The levels of BPA the mice were exposed to were similar to those typically carried in people, the researchers said.
Can we get this nasty toxin out of our food supply already?
Until the government acts to get rid of it, your best bet for avoiding BPA exposure is to steer clear of any food or drink container with a #7 recycling code on it. You also want to avoid canned foods or drinks. Be wary of hand-me-down baby bottles and gear. Until two years ago many baby items and toys were made from BPA.
Photo: quinn.anya
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[...] baby bottles, sippy cups and baby formula containers,” says the AP, despite the fact that even small doses of BPA can harm ovaries. I’ll gladly trade my plastic water bottle for a metal one if it means my lady parts stay [...]
Afternoon Roundup: Middle School Doesn't Work, Xtreme Baby Carrots Video Game & More | Strollerderby commented on Sep 03 10 at 1:31 pmbob commented on Aug 31 10 at 1:41 pmDoes anyone know where to find BPA-free canned-style pears or peaches? I need to transition my picky-eater kid off of them, but I can’t find a viable alternative.
Laure68 commented on Aug 31 10 at 2:19 pm@bob – Supposedly Eden Foods is the only maker of canned foods that claims to be BPA-free. I’ve never actually researched whether or not this claim is factual, but it is a place to start.
However (and I’m a little nervous saying this because it is a bit alarmist) – when BPA is removed from plastics and replaced with another plastic, the “new” plastic has much less testing than BPA has had, so we really don’t know what it does. Whatever plastic you use, it is best to not heat anything in it or put in hot liquids, foods.
bob commented on Aug 31 10 at 9:26 pmThanks Laure. I’ll look into that.
C commented on Sep 01 10 at 8:59 amBob,
Del Monte sells peaches and pears in a glass container. It is usually in the cold food section of the grocery store. My little one is also a huge fan of the canned pears. I remember that there was a scare about Del Monte pears and peaches in the can having trace amounts of lead. I really, really, hope that this is limited to the cans. I am starting to think I should wrap my kid in a bubble and feed her only food I grow myself! If only it were possible.
C
michelle commented on Sep 01 10 at 11:38 amWhy isn’t BPA banned here like it is in Canada and the EU???? Industry lobbying.
Laure68 commented on Sep 01 10 at 12:25 pmBPA is not banned in the EU. In 2008 the Food Safety Authority of the EU stated that BPA was perfectly safe. Supposedly they are looking into new data which may result in a new statement, but as of now BPA can be found all over Europe.
Manjari commented on Sep 01 10 at 2:56 pmbob, I know fresh peaches and pears don’t taste quite the same, but I think it helps if they are very ripe. I was just slicing peaches for a pie, and they are SO sweet and soft. I am actually going to cut the sugar in half when I make the pie. Of course, they happen to be in season where I live, so I know that won’t work year-round. Maybe the glass containers are better than cans.
I also don’t know if the local orchard these peaches came from uses pesticides or not… so it seems you can rarely win when it comes to food safety.
bob commented on Sep 01 10 at 3:43 pmThanks, everyone. Some interesting suggestions. I’ve had some success with ripe pears, but less with peaches because if they’re ripe enough, they’re also impossible to peel and pit without mushing, which causes great offense.
Manjari commented on Sep 01 10 at 4:52 pmNot sure if this will help, but if the peaches are too ripe to pull the skin off by hand or with a peeler, try using a sharp knife to cut the peel off of each slice.
I had this problem with green beans. When my kids were babies, I gave them canned green beans b/c they are so soft. Once we cut out most canned food, they were already hooked on the canned green beans. It took a long time to get them to eat fresh green beans, and I think it’s only because I let them snap the ends off before I cook them. Kids are weird.
nmcd commented on Sep 03 10 at 3:41 pmIt’s really worth reading the transcripts of California EPA’s hearing on BPA. Every major player in this debate is represented and gives full account of themselves. I came out understanding why they haven’t banned BPA, feeling reassured and thinking they made the right decision.
I have always been skeptical about the BPA panic and have always felt it was rush to judgement. I was struck by the political opportunism of appealing to parent’s fears for their children contrary to the evidence. It’s made this a political football so dispassionate, rational discussion has become almost impossible.
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