Optimum Bodies Blog

I recently came across a news story featuring the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on female babies from prenatal exposure to BPA. A study was conducted following 400 mothers who had elevated levels of exposure to BPA during pregnancy. The study found that girls exposed to the higher levels of BPAs in their mother’s wombs showed more anxious behavior, hyperactivity and symptoms of depression at age 3.

BPA is an organic chemical compound commonly used in making Polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Do not be fooled by the word organic it simply means contains a carbon. We all remember when BPA was in the news for its presence in baby bottles. Canada has in fact banned BPA in baby bottles and other baby products. I can remember looking on the bottom of all my own plastic bottles to make sure they were not the “dirty kind”. You should always try to use glass and if you are going to use a plastic bottle avoid bottles containing a 3, 6 (other chemicals) or 7 (BPA) written on the bottom of the bottle.  Plastics with a 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 are unlikely to contain BPA.

As I thought about the news article I wondered how the women in this study were exposed to BPA. I know I never come in contact with it. So I started to do a little research. Was I ever wrong! BPA is found in some surprising places and I’m willing to bet you were exposed to it this week, if not today. In fact statistics Canada recently released a report that 94% of Canadians had measureable BPA traces in their urine.

Health Canada says it is dangerous to consume more than 25 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. But levels even lower than that may be too much. Researchers found mice given 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight showed adverse reproductive and carcinogenic effects.

So where is all the BPA hiding? You may find some of the sources surprising. I know I did. Receipts for example are a big contributor to BPA exposure. If you have been to a grocery store, movie or made a purchase lately then you have been exposed.

“One study found that touching a receipt for five seconds with a single fingertip wiped off up to 23 micrograms of bisphenol A (BPA). The chemical could then find its way onto food and be ingested. The amount wiped off increases tenfold when all fingers contact the paper and “by an order of magnitude,” scientists say, when the paper is crumpled in one’s palm”.

This type of paper is called thermal paper and contains BPA. If you scratch your receipt and it leaves a mark it is thermal paper. Can you image how much exposure your local grocery clerk is getting on a daily basis!

Food and beverage containers account for the majority of our daily exposure as it is used in food and beverage packaging. Pizza boxes made from recycled cardboard, wine and beer (fermented in BPA-resin lined vats), pop cans and canned foods are all common sources of BPA exposure.  Most cans contain BPA in the lining of the cans.

Another source is recycled products. This is also tied back to thermal paper. Thermal paper gets recycled and turns up in napkins, toilet paper etc. These products are in turn recycled and reintroduce BPA into the environment. It is estimated that in Canada and the US receipts contribute 33.5 tons of BPA to the environment each year. Recycled products should not be mixed with biological waste or general recycling.

Water is yet another contributor to BPA exposure. Elevated levels of xenoestrogens from BPA contamination have been found in ecosystems near landfills.

Finally, some dental sealants and composite materials used to fill cavities may release bisphenol-A and related chemicals. It is possible that children may be exposed to bisphenol-A from the application of these dental materials.

So remember keep your contact with receipts to a minimum, choose fresh foods over canned and packaged,  avoid fast foods and their packaging, choose glass over plastic and think twice about the type of recycled products that you use in your home.

Sources of BPA

• Grocery and movie theater receipts (thermal paper).
• Recycled cardboards (eg pizza boxes) and paper.
• Toilet Paper from recycled content.
• Canned foods and beverages.
• Plastic Bottles with the numbers 3, 6 or 7 on the bottom.
• Reusing disposable bottles.
• Heating food in plastic containers.
• Water supply sources near contaminated landfills.

Statistics and Facts

• In Canada and US 33.5 tons of receipts containing BPA are introduced to the environment each year.
• 91% of Canadians show traces of BPA in their urine.
• Just 3 Days of eating fresh foods and avoiding plastics and cans can reduce the toxic load on the body by up to 50%.
• On average 0.2 micrograms of BPA are ingested with each soft drink.
• Many countries still use BPA based plastic baby bottles.

Dirty Effects of BPA

• Anxiety, depression and/or hyperactivity in female (age 2 -3) exposed in utero.
• Endocrine disruptor with estrogenic effects (that means elevated fat around the thighs for women and upper chest for men).
• May block testosterone synthesis (that means lack of muscle tone in men and women).
• Increased obesity and related diseases
• Neurological disruption
• Dopamine disruption resulting in attention deficits and heightened sensitivity to drugs of abuse
• Thyroid disruption
• Suppression DNA methylation
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Male sexual dysfunction

Ways to avoid BPA exposure

• Avoid heating plastic containers (microwaves, dishwashers).
• Avoid canned foods. Fresh or frozen are better. If you do use canned foods keep them in a cool place.
• Avoid toilet paper made from recycled paper.
• Do not recycle thermal paper.
• Limit contact to thermal paper and do not let your children handle receipts.
• Do not use plastic water bottles.
• Do not use dental sealants on children’s baby teeth.
• Store foods in glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers.

Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca