What is BPA and why should I make changes?  by Emily M. Smith

 

 

I was online shopping to get a kids water bottle for my 3 year old niece.  I continued to see products exclaiming BPA-Free.  I have heard of this but I really did not know why I should get this instead of the less expensive water bottles.  I figured it was another marketing trick, but then I researched and wow.

 

 

Scientific American, Plastic (Not) Fantastic, reported that BPA imitates estrogen. Hey fellas did you take your estrogen today? If you drank out of a clear plastic water bottle chances are high. This Scientific American article tells of the effects of BPA and its imitation estrogen, possible side effects, decrease in sperm count, and an increase in breast cancer cell growth. 

 

It is not the worries of the adult men and women that invoked me to write this article,  it is for the children that I am furiously typing away.  In this same article it shows that the age group with the most BPA in their urine is children up to age 6. You could help reduce the intake of BPA starting with your kids water bottles. These same type of levels were detrimental to lab rats in the studies to provide data on the effects of BPA.  A team of government scientists  found that adults’ ability to tolerate it does not exclude damaging effects in infants and children.”

 

I took a breath for a moment when I read that BPA runs through our systems fairly quickly, but then my breath got shorter as the article revealed that “…It doesn’t have to remain in the body to have an effect.”

 

So how can you tell  BPA-FREE products from others.  Most canned goods are lined with a BPA to prevent corrosion and food contamination, ironic, huh?

 

 

Clear or plastic bottles often marked with number 7 are a sure sign, but not in all cases.  I would suggest getting kids water bottles that specifically state BPA-FREE.   Here are my suggestions for great BPA-Free additions to your house hold.  You may already have some of these and not even realize it. CLICK HERE.

Please become more enlightened on BPA and read the full article from Scientific American. As endocrine biologist Scott Belcher said, “I have made a decision for myself not to use them.”  I am standing tall with him, if you too have taken our lead and at least made the decision to change for the children, please post a comment.