BPA has certainly been proven "not-safe" by most researchers, but because of its widespread use, and possibly the influence of large chemical corporations, the FDA currently considers it safe. However, the FDA believes BPA exposure to children and babies should be limited, and they have committed monies to research the issue.
BPA is one of the most prevalent and studied endocrine disruptors. BPA given to animals has been shown to cause all sorts of health problems ranging from cancer, obesity, neurobehavioral problems, and reproductive abnormalities. A new 2009 study from Harvard found even very low-dose exposure to BPA had an association with adverse health effects (see additional resources below). They also found that accumulation of BPA happens fast. Participants who drank from BPA plastic bottles for a week showed a two-thirds increase of BPA in their urine. The CDC estimates that over 90% of Americans age 6 and above have detectable BPA levels.
BPA is not just something out there; we are exposed to it on a daily basis. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is addressing childhood obesity, and while I believe that diet and exercise likely make the biggest impact, BPA and other organotoxins, such as diethylstilbestrol and phthalates, are now considered obesogens. Obesogen refers to foreign chemicals that have the potential to cause obesity in humans. The obesogen hypothesis is an emerging view proposing that environmental exposure, both in-utero or over a lifetime, plays a role in obesity by altering metabolic programming.
So what are you to do?
The most important step is to limit your exposure to BPA. Use glass bottles and cups, don’t ever heat plastic in the microwave.
Additional Resources:
- Environmental Obesogens: Organotins and Endocrine Disruption via Nuclear Receptor Signaling (reprint). Grün F, Blumberg B (2006). Endocrinology 147 (6): s50–s55. doi:10.1210/en.2005-1129.
- Use of Polycarbonate Bottles and Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations. Jenny L. Carwile, Henry T. Luu, Laura S. Bassett, Daniel A. Driscoll, Caterina Yuan, Jennifer Y. Chang, Xiaoyun Ye, Antonia M. Calafat, Karin B. Michels. Environmental Health Perspectives, online May 12, 2009. doi:10.1289/ehp.0900604
- Why is it important to understand total toxic body burden?
- Environmental Working Group
