Naturopathic Medicine Blog: Case Studies & Tips

"ThinkBaby Bottles: BPA Free, Lead Free? Or are they..."

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More On BPA And Other Toxins

I brought up the bad news about plastic and Bisphenol A (BPA) but I did not bring up any solutions. The best course of actions seems to be gathering information and avoiding toxins. According to The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) plastics with the recycle symbols 3, 6, and 7 should be avoided. For more specific information go to IATP's website and read the following PDF's: Smart Plastics Guide, Smart Meat and Dairy Guide, Smart Produce Guide, and Smart Fish Guide. Here is another article that I thought was informative Plastics and Children: Friend Or Foe.
I'm starting to feel like chicken little, but I think it's worth passing on the information. I am making a move back to all natural, organic, hormone free ect. Being in the field of Cosmetology I am also taking a look at my cosmetics. What I have found so far is not encouraging. Did you know that none of the cosmetics that we use has to be approved for safety by the FDA before hitting the market? There is a searchable cosmetics safety database called Skin Deep where you can research your cosmetics ingredients and see if and how toxic they are. Also you might want to check out these books: Not Just A Pretty Face the Ugly Side Of the Beauty Industry, Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power and the Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals.
I don’t know for certain if there is a direct cause and effect between environmental toxins and my getting fibroids. However I do believe that constant exposure to toxins might pose some health ricks for me and that putting effort into reducing my exposure to toxins could over all be good for my health.

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Bisphenol A: Something Else to Worry About

Bisphenol a came up during the lecture at the Herb Shoppe By Dr. Wylie. The next day I did a search and...WOW. Ok so the skinny on uterine fibroid growth (and some other abnormal growths) is that they feed on excess hormones, i.e that they are estrogen-dependant. The use of Progesterone to treat uterine fibroids is confounding, so I’m going to leave that alone for now. The bottom line is according to Life Extension’s book on Disease Prevention and Treatment

“That women with uterine fibroids should attempt to lessen the entry of exogenous estrogen substances into their systems.”

Life Extension goes on to say that

“Control of estrogen is difficult in our estrogen-laden environment...Various agricultural chemicals MIMIC the activity and structural description of estrogen, provoking heightened estrogen receptivity on estrogen receptor sites.”

So where does Bisphenol A (BPA) come in? Well if you do a google search you find a lot of information and a movement to have this stuff banned. According to an article on The Green Guide website written by Catherine Zandonella, M.P.H, BPA

“mimics naturally occurring estrogen, a hormone that is part of the
endocrine system, the body's finely tuned messaging service. "These hormones
control the development of the brain, the reproductive system and many other
systems in the developing fetus," says Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., a
developmental biologist at the University of Missouri. Endocrine-disrupting
chemicals can duplicate, block or exaggerate hormonal responses. "The most harm is to the unborn or newborn child," vom Saal says.”

Trying to avoid BPA might be a little tricky, the article goes on to say

“Plastic water and baby bottles, food and beverage can linings and dental sealants are the most commonly encountered uses of this chemical. Unfortunately,it doesn't stay put. BPA has been found to leach from bottles into babies' milk or formula; it migrates from can liners into foods and soda and from epoxy resin-lined vats into wine; and it is found in the mouths of people who've
recently had their teeth sealed. Ninety-five percent of Americans were found to
have the chemical in their urine in a 2004 biomonitoring study by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

Also

“BPA was thrust into the spotlight by a laboratory mishap. In August 1998,geneticist Patricia Hunt, Ph.D., now at Washington State University in Pullman,noticed that chromosomal errors in the mouse cells she was studying had shot
up—from 1 or 2 percent to 40 percent, as published in the April 2003 Current
Biology. Hunt traced the effect to polycarbonate cages and water bottles that
had been washed with a harsh detergent. When her team replaced all the caging
materials with non-polycarbonate plastics, the cell division returned to
normal.”

And

“Meanwhile, new studies continue to reveal the potential for harm. A January 2006 study indicates that BPA may enhance the risk of developing Type II diabetes. Angel Nadal, Ph.D., and his team at the University of Miguel Hernández de Elche in Alicante, Spain, found that BPA altered the function of mouse pancreatic cells, which produce insulin. Unhealthy diet, a lack of exercise and a genetic predisposition are the main factors in triggering diabetes, says Nadal. "However, our feeling is that these factors could be exacerbated by the presence of environmental pollutants such as bisphenol A."”

If you can deal read the rest of the article by clicking here.

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