BPA/PLASTIC
If you're on my page, you probably already know what BPA is, and that it's something we want to help clients and patients avoid.
BUT, knowing something is "bad" isn't the same thing as being able to clearly and articulately explain WHY to your clients/patients/followers, especially if your goal is to have them minimize exposures.
Health professionals and health educators should be able to clearly articulate the WHY behind the recommendations they make, and those 'WHYs' should be backed by cited evidence.
So, some history:
Bisphenol-a was developed in 1891 as a synthetic estrogen intended for use in pharmaceuticals, but instead found its home in plastics, where it's been used since the 1950s. It’s now one of the highest volume production chemicals worldwide - it’s projected to reach over 10 million metric TONS by 2022!!
BPA is just a single chemical in a family of chemicals that also includes BPS, BPF, and a handful of other analogs that have seem to have similar properties.
👉SMALL AMOUNTS MATTER.
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Because Bisphenols are hormonally active, negative health effects are often seen at levels FAR below those deemed "safe" by conventional toxicology.
In fact, a 1997 (!) paper by Nagel, was the first to show effects on the reproductive system at levels 25,000 times lower than had ever been examined, and 25 times lower than what is the current "safe" level of 50 µg kg/day.
A small 2018 study found that a SINGLE dose of BPA given to HUMANS at that 'safe' level altered their glucose-stimulated insulin response. This is just ONE of the many ways that bisphenol exposure can affect us.
It’s important to be able to explain a bit about the ways that this ubiquitous chemical can lead to negative health issues when speaking about it. Saying it’s “bad” isn’t enough.
All practitioners should be urging and supporting their clients & patients around minimizing their exposures to bisphenols.
I share a TON of information and free education here on IG, but this is only a fraction of what I cover inside my courses. If you're a health professional, health educator, or have any kind of health-based business, you should check them out! (links in my bio)
Bisphenol chemicals are ubiquitous - they are one of the highest-volume produced chemicals in the world and are used in hundreds, if not thousands of applications.
The most common places that we interact with bisphenol-a and its replacements are in cash register receipts, thermal paper, polycarbonate plastic, canned foods, and dental sealants.
With BPA, BPS, BPF, and other hormonally active compounds, small doses matter a lot.
The federal government has been relying on an older method of measuring the levels of BPA and its metabolites in humans. This data is what helped them establish the "safe" level of exposure. ⠀
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Newer, more accurate methods (that have been used by environmental health researchers, specifically those studying endocrine disruption) have been developed that show that the average level of BPA measured was 44 times higher than the average for adults tested in the NHANES study. 44X!
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Study authors write: "because estimates of human exposure have been based almost exclusively on data from indirect methods, these findings provide compelling evidence that human exposure to BPA is far higher than has been assumed previously. Because negligible exposure levels have been a cornerstone of regulatory decisions, including the FDA conclusion that BPA poses little health risk, the present data raise urgent concerns that risks to human health have also been dramatically underestimated." (10.1016/S2213-8587(19)30381-X)
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What this means is that all of the current research on BPA, and regulatory decisions need to be re-analyzed.⠀
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BPA is the poster-boy of endocrine disruption and the research linking it to NUMEROUS chronic health issues, from behavioral issues in children, to hormone disruption, to metabolic disease is extensive. ⠀
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For those working directly with clients, patients, HUMANS (or heck, even animals - they are not immune to these exposures either) - BE OPEN. ⠀
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Be willing to be flexible in the face of new evidence - when it comes to BPA, and other EDCs, it is robust!
Do you talk to your clients or patients about minimizing bisphenol exposure?
Someone yesterday shared a TikTok with me of a guy sharing a "company secret" that a corporate exec at J&J refused to allow any plastic in his home (despite being the head of plastics at the company).
I immediately called BS because unless you live in a log cabin with no electricity or plumbing (both with use plastics) then you have plastic in your house.
As much as I'm not a fan of plastic when in contact with food/drinks and any single-use plastic at all, I do not believe that ALL plastic is bad.
Yes, many types of plastic can leach chemicals that can interfere with normal hormone function and in turn, lead to health issues, most plastic isn't recyclable (or recycled), and microplastics are a global issue.
Yes, we should aim to minimize the use of unnecessary plastic items that we buy, but this doesn't mean that we are fearful of plastics that we can't avoid.
Some plastics, like bike helmets and things IV tubing, and other hospital equipment, are life-saving!!
In the last two years, I moved twice due to mold, and many of my items were stored in gasket sealed plastic bins like the ones shown here, as a means to contain any potential mold spores from contaminating my new space. I bought MANY of these boxes.
Do I love it? No.
Was it necessary? Yes.
Within the low-tox living conversation, plastic is seen as "evil" and "so so bad." I think this type of message creates a tremendous amount of anxiety for people because we ALL have dozens if not hundreds of plastic items in our homes. The keyboard I'm typing this on is plastic. My tv is encased in plastic, much of my skincare comes packaged in plastic.
Reductionist, binary thinking really has little place in the conversation about environmental health. Everything has nuance. The most common answer I give to questions is "it depends".
So no, plastic is not always bad. The goal isn't 100% plastic-free living, the goal is to avoid plastics in contact with food, eliminate single-use plastics, minimize unnecessary plastic consumption that will end up in landfills and oceans, and be more careful with the plastics that we have and can't avoid.
What do you think about this take on plastic?
"What about BPA-Free cans tho?"
The top question on yesterday's post.
The short answer is that BPA-free cans may not be any better, although there are some exceptions.
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Most companies that make BPA-Free claims have just swapped to BPS or BPF compounds, which research suggests is just as bad, if not worse than BPA.⠀⠀
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A 2016 report titled “Buyer Beware: Toxic BPA & Regrettable Substitutes in the Linings of Canned Food” found that there are 5 general types of coatings used in cans: ⠀
1. vinyl acetate, or PVC
2. polyester resins, which are likely some form of PET plastic
3. acrylic resins, which may leach styrene
4. BPA and its replacements, BPS, and BPF
5. plant-based oleoresins⠀ ⠀
The only way you'll actually know is if you contact the company and ask, and even then you may not get an answer. Take initiative and contact the companies who you buy from and ask them about their can linings.
Eden Organics is the only company that I know uses an oleo-resin in their low-acid canned foods (like beans, but not in tomatoes, which are high acid).
"What about boxed foods?"
Tetrapaks, which is a shelf-stable box, may be a slightly better option when it comes to questionable chemicals leaching, but there's not a lot of data on this.
Glass is ideal, but harder to find for many normally canned foods, and also more expensive, and therefore inaccessible to make people.
REMINDER: No single can of soup is going to be a problem; it's the CUMULATIVE, chronic exposures to chemicals like BPA over time that are the bigger concern.
If folks have limited budgets, I always encourage frozen over canned when possible. it's often cheaper and more nutritious.
For folks concerned about emergency stores of food - don't be. During an emergency, small exposures like this fall to the bottom of the priority list.
Working with environmental-health-literate health professionals is key here... your care providers should ideally be informed about these topics and be encouraging you to reduce exposure to BPA and other toxins.
If your care providers aren’t talking about this, send them to me!
* Let's talk about canned foods *
Canned food is a pantry staple for most people. Check the average home and they undoubtedly have canned beans, canned soup, canned tomatoes, and maybe even canned vegetables.
While these foods are convenient, they can also be a primary source of exposure to our pal BPA.
BPA has been used in the resin based linings of canned foods for more than 40 years, a claim that is touted as “proof” of its safety. Foods stored in cans, whether it’s soup, soda or beer, can, over time, eat away at the aluminum creating opportunities for bacteria to enter, increasing food spoilage. Additionally, uncoated cans would impart a metallic taste to foods. The linings are designed to prevent metal corrosion, thereby preventing spoilage and altered tastes.
A 2016 study published in the journal Environmental Research (PMID: 27362993), based on data from 2003-2008 NHANES data found that people who consumed one canned food item in the past day had about 24% higher concentrations of BPA in their urine compared with those who had not consumed canned food. Consuming two or more canned food items resulted in about 54% higher concentrations of BPA.
In this study, some foods were found to have much higher levels of BPA than other foods.
For example, eating canned soup, which is a staple in many people’s homes, resulted in a whopping 229% higher concentrations of metabolites of BPA in the urine compared to people who didn’t eat canned foods.
Bisphenol-A, and it's replacements are endocrine disruptors.
In human studies, they have shown to alter insulin response at the level deemed "safe" by the FDA.
We want to avoid this chemical.
REAL TALK: there is a challenge in this conversation, as there are many people who rely on canned foods as affordable sustenance.
For those who have tight food budgets, I highly suggest choosing frozen over canned - the price is often the same and is free of concerns about BPA.
Lower income communities are often disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals so having low/lower cost options is a good idea!
Do you talk about reducing canned foods with your clients?
When I suggest that folks minimize their use of plastics in the kitchen, I often get asked "what about my blender? or my food processor? or the plastic top on my stainless steel water bottle??"
When these questions come up, I like to offer some perspective first, and recommendations second.
There are some places where it is extremely difficult to avoid exposure to plastics (or any other substance, for that matter). Glass blenders exist, but they are not as powerful as the high-powered polycarbonate plastic ones like Vitamix, Blendtec, etc.. All food processors are made of polycarbonate plastics. Many water bottles and even glass food containers have plastic lids.
Polycarbonate plastics nearly always contain bisphenols - even if they say they are "BPA-free".
If someone is using these appliances, they are making food at home, which is a) healthier and b) means less exposure to chemicals from processed foods.
So instead of ditching these items, let's just use them differently:
✅ Hand wash & don't put these types of plastics in the dishwasher. The high water temps & caustic detergent can weaken plastics and increase leaching. When handwashing, don't scrub - use the soft side of the sponge as abrasion can also increase leaching.
✅ Avoid putting hot and/or high-fat foods like soups, Bulletproof coffee, etc, in a plastic blender. Heat, oil, and acidity can increase leaching. Instead, use a stainless steel immersion blender, or a stainless steel coffee frother.
✅ And then, we do the best we can, and let go of some of the worry - the goal is not NO exposure, the goal is LESS exposure.
Have you been navigating this in your own home and/or with clients? Let me know what your thoughts are down below!
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