Toxic Water Bottles

Great Article from Real Food Freaks on how plastic water bottles are toxic for us.

The Problem with Plastic Bottles and Containers

So, let’s say you aren’t buying any of the information I have stated so far.  And you do indeed do believe that bottled water is better for you than tap.  There is one huge factor that you need to take into consideration.  The packaging of the water and the way it contaminates the water inside it.

BPA – Bisphenol A

I am sure we have all heard about the dangers of BPA.  The FDA is in quite a quandry about what to do about it and will not even discuss it because they realized they have made grave errors in allowing it to be used in packaging.  In 2010 the FDA acknowledged the dangers of BPA to CBS news and in this report, citing all kinds of dangers.  But now in 2012, they are refusing to ban it according to the Huffington Post.

BPA is an organic compound that is used in many plastics applications.  However, recent scrutiny of this compound has found that it has hormone-like properties.   There is a lot of speculation as to what that means, but the FDA is concerned enough to issue warnings about its use in baby bottles.  Of course the rest of us are fine with ingesting a little extra hormone in our diet, right?  Surely, there is no correlation to the rising infertility epidemic or other HORMONE-RELATED phenomena.

• Pregnancy complications: pre-eclampsia, premature births, growth restrictions, pregnancy loss, and miscarriages, (See here)

• Uterine Fibroids.  HA!  I drank a TON of bottled water before the removed a softball sized fibroid from my uterus via abdominal myomectomy.  Needless to say, I no longer drink bottled water.
• Childhood Asthma
• Diabetes (Newbold RR. Hormones (Athens). 2010 Jul-Sep;9(3):206-17)
• Obesity (Newbold RR. Hormones (Athens). 2010 Jul-Sep;9(3):206-17)
• Thyroid Disorders (Zoeller RT, Bansal R, Parris C. Endocrinology. 2005 Feb;146(2):607-12. Epub 2004 Oct 21)
• Prostate Health (Schatzl G, et al. Prostate. 2001 Apr;47(1):52-8 )
• Brain Disorders (like ADHD)

Where BPA is Found:

• Most plastics with the recycle code #3 or #7, but it could be in others as well unless stated specifically BPA free!
• Most canned foods, unless specifically stated to be BPA free.
• Baby bottles that do not list that they are BPA free

Non-BPA plastics: PET and PETE

Think bottled water that is not in BPA bottles is safe?  Think again.  Plastic bottles with PET and PETE are made up of Polyethylene Terephthalates.  Many of you in the real food world are already familiar with phthalates and their hormone disrupting qualities.  The main ingredient of this product is paraxylene which is in the benzene family (a cancer causing compound).

Studies have been conducted by the documentary ‘Tapped‘ to find out what chemicals have leached into the water from PET bottles.  7 major bottled water brands were tested. They found the following:

• Toluene – by-product of oil industry, neurotoxin and adverse reproductive outcomes are associated with it

• Styrene – cancer causing and adverse reproductive outcomes

• Phthalates (three different kinds) – fetal development complications and adverse reproductive outcomes in males and females