What Type of Bottles,
Containers & Other Packaging is Most Unhealthy? Which are Safest?
Plastic bottles, containers, and metal cans are convenient, but they are
not always safe.
In fact, recent studies have shown that many food containers contain a
dangerous toxin called bisphenol A.1
Drinking water should be healthy for you, but some plastic water bottles
may leach a dangerous chemical into your water that can cause cancer!
|
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a hormone disrupting toxic chemical that can
cause developmental, neural and reproductive harm. BPA can mimic hormones
in your body and has been linked to obesity, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.2
Manufacturers use BPA to make certain plastics, specifically polycarbonate,
the shatter-proof plastic used for most baby bottles.
BPA can be found in these common consumer products:
- Plastic bottles and containers
- Beverage cans
- Linings of canned food containers
- Dental fillings and sealants
Researchers found the highest levels of BPA in these canned foods: infant
formula, chicken soup, and ravioli.3 But
just because you do not consume these things does not mean that you are safe!
BPA is so common these days that one study discovered the toxin in
almost every person they tested!4
Bisphenol A leaches from containers into your food or drink, and even at
low levels may cause harm.
Bisphenol A can leach out of containers when you:
- Heat bottles and containers
- Fill bottles and containers with hot liquids
- Use harsh detergents to clean bottles and containers
- Put acidic foods and drinks in bottles and containers
Protect Yourself From Plastics
There are plenty alternatives to plastics containing BPA. 
Here at Body Ecology, we recommend Pyrex
glass storage containers instead of common plastic ones for food storage.
Also, stainless
steel bowls for fermenting are the best containers to use when you make
your own fermented foods and drinks at home. Now you can even buy lightweight
stainless steel water bottles, and since they are reusable you are reducing
your environmental footprint too!
- Also try these safe plastics that do not contain BPA:
- Polypropylene, designated #5 PP
- High-density polyethylene, designated #2HDPE
- Low-density polyethylene, designated #4 LDPE
(To find the designation, just look on the bottom of your bottle or container.)
You may also notice that Body
Ecology probiotic liquids come packaged in plastic containers. But
our line of probiotic liquids come in special plastic bottles that expand
with the products and will not leach.
Grainfields BE Wholegrain Liquid, along with all Body Ecology probiotic
liquids, come in no-leach plastic containers. With special expansion
lines that circle the bottle, the container expands as the product expands.
Try
delicious BE Wholegrain Liquid today!
|
Next time you receive a shipment of our healthy probiotic liquids, notice
the expansion lines that circle the bottle. Most other bottles collapse and
deteriorate inward, but our bottles are different. The expansion lines ensure
that as the product expands, so does the bottle.
Plastic bottles and containers may be convenient, but they are not always
the best option for your health.
Use safe plastics, metals and glass to protect yourself and your family from
bisphenol A. It may take a little effort, but your good health is worth it!
Sources:
Florio, Jill, "Nalgene Water Bottles Might Be Toxic," BellaOnline.com.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art23142.asp
2 Whittelsey, Frances, "Hazards of Hydration," Sierra Magazine.
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200311/lol5.asp
"Toxic Chemical Leaches From Popular Baby Bottles," EnvironmentCalifornia.org,
3 March 2007.
http://www.reusablebags.com/news.php?id=18
Cone, Marla, "Study Cites Risk of Compound in Plastic Bottles, "
LA Times, 13 April 2005.
http://www.reusablebags.com/news.php?id=18
3 A Survey of Bisphenol A in US Canned Foods, 5 March 2007. http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/execsumm.php
4 A Survey of Bisphenol A in US Canned Foods, EWG.com, 5 March 2007.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/execsumm.php
5 Florio, Jill, "Nalgene Water Bottles Might Be Toxic," BellaOnline.com.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art23142.asp
Return to Newsletter Archive
Recommend
This Page to a Friend
Print this article
