Slash your BPA levels in just 3 days
The bad news is that BPA is everywhere--and if you eat and drink from plastic containers, this hormone-like chemical is building up inside you right now.
The good news is that you can slash your levels in just three days--and all you need to do is swap packaged foods for the fresh stuff you should be eating anyway.
Three days--so what are you waiting for?
Researchers recruited five families--two parents and two small kids in each-- from the San Francisco Bay area and collected urine samples over eight days: two days while on their normal diets, three days while eating fresh organic meals and snacks stored in glass and stainless steel, and three days back on their normal diets.
What they found was stunning.
After three days of eating fresh foods, BPA levels fell by an average of 60 percent. The researchers also found that levels of DHEP--a phthalate used in plastics that's another known endocrine disruptor--fell by 50 percent.
But those low levels didn't last: Researchers say that when the families went back to their normal diets, those levels shot right back up.
Lesson: Make the change--just make sure it's permanent.
Naturally, the chemicals industry claims this study is proof that BPA leaves the body quickly, and is therefore harmless.
Wrong on both counts.
In three days, the families who ate the fresh food lost 60 percent of their BPA--a great start, but since 40 percent of the BPA was still present, it's not quite proof that all of it will simply melt right out of the body.
And even if it did, it doesn't mean this stuff is harmless.
Studies have linked BPA exposure to diabetes, heart disease, early puberty and sexual problems. One study last year found that men with high levels of it had a range of sperm-related issues including low counts, concentration, vitality and motility. (Read more here.)
The best way to avoid BPA and the other chemicals hidden in plastics is to avoid anything served or stored in those plastics in the first place... along with metal cans, which are lined with BPA.
And never, ever microwave your food in plastic.
That means eating fresh meat and produce--but the benefits go far beyond lower levels of BPA: Real food can help you to lose weight and lower your risk for any number of diseases and conditions.
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Edward Martin writes House Calls, a daily letter chronicling the most cutting-edge alternative methods for beating diabetes and cancer, to the latest FDA foul-ups and Big Pharma conspiracies.
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Comments
West Coast
Do not forget about the worst culprit of them all... RECEIPTS! Yes, 2/3 of the weight of a receipt is PURE BPA!!! This is contaminating food, money and cashiers.... and if you put Purel or antibacterial cleanser on your hands, this actually locks in and allows the chemical to penetrate the skin even further!
Immediately pressure your grocery store to carry BPA-free receipts....
No more lies, no more chemicals AMERICA! FIGURE IT OUT!!!!!!
richard vollet
You did not mention the water in plastic bottles. Is this a problem?
Lori
Richard - it IS a HUGE problem, especially if the water in the bottle becomes heated (like leaving it in a warm car). Glass is a much better option. BPA is an endocrine disrupter and has been banned by other countries. The FDA says it's safe because the manufacturers tell them it is, and then pad their pockets with plenty of incentive to continue saying it's safe. In addition to the health issues described above, BPA also appears to interfere with thyroid hormone, and may cause behavior and learning problems in kids. It also causes cellular damage and death in cultured human placenta cells at doses similar to blood levels found in pregnant women. Levels found in babies, particularly newborns, is far higher than adults. Remember too, BPA is found in just aobut every plastic there is, including CDs, toys, plastic cups and dinnerware, the lining of cans (even Muir Glen organic tomato products - and the company says it's safe), dental sealants, medical equipment, auto parts, eyeglass lenses, etc. The best defense we have at this point is nutrition (and obviously avoid exposure to it as much as possible). By eating whole, real food (including fats) and ditching packaged products as much as possible, we'll get the vitaimns, minerals, and phytonutrients that will hopefully give us the ammunition we need.
Lori
Richard - a friend just sent me this article today.
http://www.environmentalhealthne...
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