Integrative Health Blog

Should You Be Concerned About BPA in Plastics?

Posted by Michelle Janbakhsh DDS on Wed, Nov 06, 2013

Michelle Janbakhsh DDS

 

BPA_plastic

What is BPA?

BPA or Bisphenol_A is a chemical that has been used since 1960's in certain resins and plastics. It is a common ingredient in many plastics, including water bottles, cups, children's toys, plastic containers, cash receipts and paper currency. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are a common ingredient in containers that store food and beverages such as water bottles, cups, children's toys and baby bottles. Polycarbonate plastics are used for goods such as safety equipment, compact discs and medical devices.

Epoxy resins are used in lacquers that coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, water pipes and dental sealants and composites.

What is the effect of BPA?

BPA is an endocrine disrupter (xenoestrogen), which means that it mimics or interferes with your endocrine system.

Numerous studies have suggested a connection to adult illnesses and disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, early puberty, disruptive reproductive cycles and ovarian dysfunction, infertility as well as cancer and heart disease. A study by New York University showed that children with the highest BPA level in their urine also had the highest rates of obesity.

Another study at Utah University has shown that rats who were exposed to these endocrine disrupters (such as BPA), passed on diseases to their third generation offspring via epigenetic transgenerational inheritance.

How to reduce your BPA exposure:

1. Avoid all BPA containing plastics; never heat or freeze any plastic bottle or container, or any food with plastic wraps. Plastic breaks down over time and may leach BPA into food. Never drink your coffee from plastic cups.

2. Avoid soda cans and canned food (the only one that I found which has BPA free-lining is "Eden Organic" brand).

3. Avoid carrying receipts in your wallet since it transfers to the surfaces it touches. (You cannot do much about the currencies, but you can always wash your hands after handling that.)

4. Avoid dental sealants or composites that contain BPA.

5. Eat more fermented food such as raw grain-fed kefir, organic fermented veggies or high quality probiotics. These foods have friendly bacteria, some of which can break down BPA and reduce the intestinal absorption.

6. Use glass containers as much as you can but if you chose to use plastic containers for your food, avoid those marked on the bottom with the recycling label No.7.

Preventive measures to reduce your toxic load

1. Detoxify, detoxify, detoxify! The accumulation of toxins over time may contribute to disease and dysfunctions and a major part of aging. You need to get rid of BPA and all other toxins through detoxification. Detoxification therapies like colonics, sauna, deep breathing, dry skin brushing, lymphatic massage, exercise are all different ways to detoxify your body of toxins. Do whichever you like the most. (I like all of them, except exercise!).

2. Seek out a holistic dentist. The biological dentists at NIHA offer BPA-free dental material.  We store our products in glass containers and we have many different detoxification modalities to help you in your journey to optimum health.

 

Dr.JanbakhshMichelle Janbakhsh, DDS is a biological and cosmetic dentist  and Invisalign Preferred Provider at National Integrative Health Associates, NIHA, the leading integrative medicine and dental center serving the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia metropolitan region. "Dr. Jan" specializes in the use of non-toxic, biocompatible dental materials for all aspects of biological dentistry, restorative and cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics in her family practice.

Topics: BPA, detoxification, biological dentistry, holistic dentistry