Understanding BPA Reports

In the last few months there have been a number of conflicting, and sometimes confusing, reports in the mainstream media involving the chemical Bisphenol A, more commonly called BPA. This has left a number of people wonder just what BPA is, and how aggressively they should avoid it.

BPA is not a new chemical compound. BPA was first described by it's inventor, a Russian chemist in 1891 and it has been used in the manufacture of some hard plastics, such as polycarbonate, since the late 1950s. BPA is also used as a lining in metal cans for food and beverages. The use of the compound has become much more common in the past two decades, increasing human exposure. So, in all likelihood you have had some exposure to BPA for a good portion of your life. It is clearly not an acutely toxic compound that, should you take one more sip from your favorite old water bottle you will keel over from that exposure. In fact, its "acute toxicity" is quite low. The "LD50," which is the lethal dose that will kill 50% of the test subjects, is over 3250mg per kg of body mass in rats. That is not to say that PBA may not be harmful in low doses, but you need not panic.

The real concern over BPA is that it is a synthetic estrogen and may act as a hormone-mimic in the body. Meaning that your body may mistake BPA for one of its own hormones, potentially disrupting certain biochemical pathways. Or so that has long been the fear. Starting in the late 1990s, low-dose animal studies began emerging that indicated that BPA may cause health problems including increased rates of certain cancers. In recent years, that body of evidence has expanded; several government agencies have reviewed these studies but unfortunately came to different conclusions.

In early 2008 Health Canada (the Canadian health department) determined that there may be some health concerns for fetuses, infants and children. Canada took action to ban BPA in children's products. This concern triggered the maker of the popular, reusable Nalgene water bottles to recall their polycarbonate bottles from store shelves. Then on August 15, 2008, the U.S. FDA released a draft report that found that BPA was safe for humans, including infants and children at the current exposure level. Subsequently, the FDA report has been widely criticized for having relied too heavily on industry reports and for having ignore many of the newest government-funded studies. Additionally, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a report on September 5, 2008, that contradicted the FDA report. The NTP study found that BPA may cause developmental problems in the brain and hormonal systems of infants and children.

On the heals of the NTP report, a Yale School of Medicine study was release that confirmed the NTP report and contradicted the FDA report. In the Yale study, the researchers found that the levels of PBA previously deemed safe for humans did indeed cause health problems in monkeys, and linked the compound with brain function problems and mood disorders. BPA's safety was again called into concern by a British and American study that was publish in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The JAMA study found a loose correlation between human BPA urine levels and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities. The study found that when compared with those having the lowest PBA urine levels, the participants with the highest PBA urine levels were 3 times as likely to have cardiovascular disease, 2.4 times as likely to have diabetes and were associated with abnormal liver enzyme levels.

These mixed messages have left many people feeling that it is best to err on the side of caution and try to reduce potential exposure to BPA. BPA is not in all plastics; it is only found in some hard plastics, including polycarbonate, typically identified with a recycling code of 7 on the bottom.  Also be aware that the presence of PBA does not mean that the will leach into it the food or beverage in the container. In March 2007, a study BPA levels in canned foods was released by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit environmental and human health advocacy group. The Environmental Working Group study found that acidic food like tomatoes and soda were more likely to have higher levels of BPA, while milk products the group tested did not have detectable levels of BPA.

Other plastics should not contain BPA, but may leach other harmful compounds, particularly when they are heated to high temperatures. As a general rule, try not to use plastics for hot items and stick to plastics with number 1, 2, 4, or 5 on the bottom. Numbers 2 and 5 are better choices for liquids, with glass or high quality ceramic or porcelain being the best option for liquids. Stainless steel and aluminum water bottles have recently become popular alternatives to polycarbonate bottles, but they sometime have BPA-containing resin liners, just like food & soda cans. If you choose to use a metal water bottle, look for unlined stainless steel made of 304 stainless steel, also called 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel.

Tips for avoiding BPA:

• Avoid using polycarbonate plastics for food and beverages. This includes most hard plastic coded #7 on the bottom, manufactured prior to mid-2008, and did not prominently state "BPA-Free" on the packaging at the time of purchase.
  
• Do not use any plastic containers in the microwave or dishwasher. High temperatures and harsh detergents tend to cause plastics to degrade and increase the likelihood that they will leach BPA.
• Buy beverages in glass or number 2 (HDPE) plastic containers. Beverage cans are often lined with BPA containing resins.
• Eat fresh food, frozen food, or foods in glass jars instead of canned items.
  
• Use a reusable glass, unlined stainless steel, number 2 (HDPE) plastic water bottle, or a new (manufactured since mid-2008) hard plastic bottle that prominently states "BPA-Free." 

Think in terms of reducing exposure to BPA. It is unlikely that you will be able to completely eliminate BPA from your life, but if you are concerned, you should be able to reduce your exposure and minimize any potential risk. Rest assure, all the products that Whole Health sells are packages in BPA-free packaging.