TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH
Jury still out on use of BPA in plastics
PAUL G. DONOHUE
Q: I refill plastic water bottles with regular tap water. When the bottle is empty, I wash it and the cap, and refill it with water.
I hear that toxins are released from plastics when reusing them.
Reusing is cost-efficient and saves the planet from more trash, but it’s not worth the risk if it endangers health. What’s the potential harm in reusing these bottles?
A: The plastic story is complicated and has no unimpeachable, authoritative answer. Most of the attention focuses on bisphenol A, or BPA, an ingredient in many plastic containers and in the lining of many food cans.
A relationship between BPA and heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and liver damage has been suggested. It might affect the fetus. And BPA is a weak estrogenlike substance.
Some European nations and Canada have banned the use of BPA in baby bottles.
One good aspect of BPA is its quick exit from the body. The American Chemical Council views it as safe. The World Health Organization says it’s premature to ban it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t taken it off the market.
- The decision to use BPA plastics is up to the user.
Safety tips are worth passing along:
- Don’t use plastics in the microwave or in any reheating . Heat increases the release of BPA.
- Limit the consumption of food from cans lined with BPA plastics, or seek canned goods in containers without the material.
- Don’t put BPA-containing plastics in the dishwasher. Find labels that say “BPA-free.” A “7” on the bottom of plastics indicates BPA.
How great the BPA threat is can’t be determined. It has been used in plastic products for more than 40 years.
(I do understand that Dr Donohue is functioning within his allopathic climate as he is expected to do. And as expected, if the FDA does not contraindicate – it must be Okay! Right? No! Not Okay. How often does the FDA let us down, refuse to protect the public – - that which it is supposed to be doing. Instead, it serves the corporate structure and meanwhile everyone keeps getting sicker, more toxic and there seems no end. I am printing a small excerpt re: the FDA with regard to BPA:
The Food and Drug Administration, true to form, has sided with the chemical industry and against independent scientists in determining the safety of Bisphenol-A, an ingredient in some plastics and in the lining of plastic cans.
. *key in BPA in search bar
It released a draft assessment, declaring the controversial chemical safe*, Friday, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, which has led the major media coverage of that and other chemicals, and the apparent bias the FDA has shown for industry studies that often are not peer-reviewed and published in scientific literature.
Independent research has uncovered worrying qualities to Bisphenol A; it mimics hormones, could affect normal development and reproduction and would have its most dramatic effects on young bodies undergoing rapid development. The list of potential effects is long and damning: breast and prostate cancer, obesity, diabetes, brain and liver damage.
(Dr Donohue mentions a good aspect of BPA is the “quick exit” from the body. That is not true. I have done numerous articles on the destructiveness of BPA and all it’s various ramifications, which do build up in the body thereby causing great harm to organs throughout. One that comes to mind is TOXIC WOMBS. . .my god! 12-23-09. The traces are found in the placenta and cord blood. There can be damage to our liver, heart and brain, as well as a disruptor to the hormone system.
So to the querant – those plastic bottles are not safe to use. There are some plastic bottles that are a good deal more expensive which are safer. Of course, there are the stainless steel choices as well. You would serve your body so much better if you could find some way to drink water that does not come from the tap. Municipal water is notorious for chemical infusion. The chlorine, the fluoride and countless others are damaging every cell in your body, day after day. Let’s face it – - we are living in a toxic world. One must take all kinds of steps if we are to survive in any way that seems healthy. As long as you’ve got your brain to think with and mouth to communicate with, you are 1/2 way there. . .keep thinking, asking questions and speaking up. . .just keep on keeping on. . . . Jan)
Q: Do 40 years of so-called social drinking have any effect on your muscles or strength? By “social drinking,” I mean three to four drinks at dinnertime.
I play a lot of golf and am losing distance on driving the ball.
I am 80 and in good shape. I am active, too: I swim and exercise. Should I cut down on alcohol?
A: The safe alcohol intake for a healthy man is two drinks a day; for women, it’s one. A drink is considered 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled alcohol.
I would advise you to cut back to one drink, partly because of your age.
Are you doing any strength-enhancing exercises with weights? They can keep your muscles strong.
Aging probably has more to do with your strength loss than has alcohol, but cut back all the same.
(Well Healthy Man, I would say you can do just about anything you want to do. Sounds like you are doing fine to me. Its a question of preference isn’t it? I too, imbibe around the dinner hour and have regarded this as one of life’s gracious pleasures. . . tho not always, just when I feel like it.
As to the muscle strength question, there are many approaches to be sure, including bands and/or resistance exercises. I would however, defer to my son Jeff at Fit2Play (in the blogroll) You can call or Email him with the same question you have presented here and tell him his Mom over at smokinchoices suggested that you call. Jeff’s life has pretty much been devoted to athleticism and sports area and he would certainly be better equipt to advise on whether or not some form of supplement might be helpful along with any ideas for strengthening those muscles.
I say, keep on doing what you’re doing and stay happy. Jan)
Dr. Donohue answers letters only in his North America Syndicate column but provides an order form of available health newsletters. Write him at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
