Plastics chemical in packaged foods linked to asthma in babies

(NaturalNews) BPA, also known as bisphenol-A, is a chemical compound often used in the production of a large variety of plastics. The widespread use of BPA has come under public scrutiny due to known connection to a host of health problems, including heart complications, cancer, neurological issues, diabetes and fertility and sexual issues. http://www.naturalnews.com/027736_BPA_sexual_dysfunction.html The chemical can be found in water bottles, dental fillings, plastic containers, canned food linings http://www.naturalnews.com/025128_BPA_food_companies.html, paper receipts, CD/DVD packaging, and more. Numerous studies have found that BPA acts as an endocrine system disrupter, negatively affecting our bodies’ hormone production. Exposure is almost a certainty -a 2004 study by the CDC found BPA in 93% of the over 2000 urine samples tested. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that new information has surfaced linking BPA to breathing issues in babies. An article in Mail Online, discussed the results of a recent study by Penn State College of Medicine. The results found that pregnant mothers with high levels of BPA in their blood during the 16th week of pregnancy are “twice as likely to have infants with wheezing problems in the first six months of life.” What is really scary is that 99% of all the mothers in this study had various levels of bisphenol-A in their systems. There is no question that the use of bisphenol-A use in food and drinking containers should be banned. Even though no country has yet to go that far, Denmark http://www.wecf.eu/english/articles/2010/03/denmark-bisphenola.php was the first country in the EU to ban the chemical in containers that target children under 3; and the entire EU has banned it from use in the production of baby bottles. Northern America has been a bit slower on the uptake but Canada and some states in the United States have begun taking steps to control the use of bisphenol- A in consumer products. Six baby bottle manufacturers removed the chemical from their U.S. bottle production after widespread public outcry. Of course, the plastics industry prefers to spend money to procure studies http://acronymrequired.com/2008/10/fda-bpa-glp.html that cast doubt on the dangers of BPA, rather than implanting BPA safe alternatives. So again, consumers must take steps to protect themselves. Expectant mothers and women planning to conceive should be diligent in avoidance of bisphenol-A contaminated products- it is imperative for the well being of themselves and their infants. Resources: 1. http://www.naturalnews.com/031651_BPA_chemicals.html 2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1382525/Chemicals-food-packaging-linked-breathing-problems-babies.html?ito=feeds-newsxml 3. http://www.naturalnews.com/025804_BPA_Baby_Bottles.html

Plastics chemical BPA reduces sperm health

(NaturalNews) Exposure to the ubiquitous industrial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has once again been linked to decreased sperm health, this time in humans, in a study conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente and published in the journal Fertility and Sterility . The findings are of particular concern because symptoms were found at very low exposures, and because BPA is so widespread. “BPA, a plastic and resin ingredient used to make a wide variety of plastic goods and to line metal food and drink cans (ever wonder how those canned contents slip so easily out and onto your plate, or into your bowl or mouth?), is a toxin associated with birth defects of the male and female reproductive systems,” write Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith in their book The Detox Strategy . “BPA is commonplace — found in copious brands of fruit, vegetables, soda, and other frequently eaten canned goods. It migrates from the can or plastic into the contents, which are then ingested.” BPA is also found in coatings of electronics, in paper receipts and a variety of other common products. In the current study, researchers followed 218 workers at a Chinese epoxy resin factory for five years, testing urine samples for BPA and measuring sperm concentration, count, motility, morphology and vitality. They found that men with the highest BPA concentrations in their urine were four times more likely to have low sperm count and twice as likely to have low sperm motility as men with no detectable BPA levels. Men with high concentrations also had significantly lower sperm concentration and vitality. The effects were found at levels common among the general population. “This study counters the argument that only highly exposed populations are affected,” researcher De-Kun Li said. “You can be exposed from the workplace. You can be exposed from consumer products. It doesn’t really matter.” “For the past few decades, sperm counts have been declining [and] this might be related to exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA,” said reproductive physiologist Gail Prins of the University of Illinois, who was not involved in the study. Sources for this story include: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39888170/ns/health-mens_health/.

Study finds money contaminated with BPA

(NaturalNews) A new test conducted by the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families has revealed that the plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is most likely lurking in your wallet. According to the findings, nearly every dollar bill tested in the multi-state analysis revealed BPA contamination, likely from BPA-laden receipts that rub off onto the cash. The team sampled 22 one-dollar bills from the wallets of people from 18 states and Washington, D.C., and found that 21 of them tested positive for BPA. While some samples contained only about .12 parts per million (ppm) of BPA, others contained up to 11 ppm, indicating that exposure among the population can vary significantly. Previous studies have already identified that the vast majority of money bills are covered in harmful pathogens and even drug residues, but the new study is one of the first of its kind to identify BPA on money. And the culprit seems to be receipt paper — which more often than not contains BPA on its surface — touching the bills. An interview conducted by NPR back in August explained that much of the thermal receipt paper used by retailers today is loaded with BPA. And in the current study, researchers wanted to see for themselves what turned up on samples of receipt paper. They found that among 22 receipts collected from ten states and Washington, D.C., more than half contained BPA. One receipt from a Safeway grocery store actually contained so much BPA that the chemical comprised 2.2 percent of the receipt’s total weight. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to insist that levels of exposure from these sources and others — including from plastic bottles, food cans, and other consumer products — is safe. But other recent studies have shown that even low-level exposure to BPA can cause serious health problems (http://www.naturalnews.com/029615_bpa_genetic_defects.html). To learn more about the dangers of BPA, visit: http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html Sources for this story include: http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/08/5606824-dirty-money-tests-detect-chemical-bpa-on-dollar-bills http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129031013

Study: BPA destroys sperm

(NaturalNews) Results from a five-year trial on the effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) in human males has revealed that the popular plastics chemical destroys sperm. One of the few BPA studies involving humans, the trial sheds more light on the obvious harm BPA causes on male reproduction, and the need to immediately remove the chemical from from all products. “This study counters the argument that only highly exposed populations are affected,” explained Dr. De-Kun Li, author of the study and reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. “You can be exposed from the workplace. You can be exposed from consumer products. It doesn’t really matter. Ultimately it will reflect in your urine.” Numerous other studies have found that BPA causes significant bodily harm. Back in August, a study in the journal Biology of Reproduction found that BPA causes genetic defects (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39888170/ns/health-mens_health/). The chemical is also known to mimic estrogen in the body and alter proper hormonal balance, which leads to serious illness (http://www.naturalnews.com/029898_BPA_exposure.html). In the recent study, data collected from Chinese workers exposed to BPA exhibited a clear connection between even very low levels of BPA and sperm destruction. BPA exposure resulted in a 300 percent increased risk of low sperm concentration and low sperm vitality compared to those not exposed. Exposure also resulted in a 400 percent increased risk of reduced sperm count and twice the likelihood of decreased sperm motility. “Our study shows that BPA could lead to pathological changes to human organs — semen quality, in this case,” explained Li to LiveScience. “In addition, this new finding of the detrimental effect of BPA exposure on semen quality raises the bar of BPA toxicity.” To learn more about the dangers associated with BPA exposure, visit: http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html. Sources for this story include: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39888170/ns/health-mens_health/

Even glass jars can contain BPA chemical due to lid lining

(NaturalNews) Bad news has emerged for those hoping to avoid exposure to the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) by canning their own vegetables: BPA can also be found lining the lids of canning jars. BPA is a synthetic chemical widely used in the manufacturing of hard, durable plastics (including in water and baby bottles), as well as in the lining of food and beverage cans (including infant formula). Studies have shown that it mimics the action of estrogen in the body, producing a wide variety of effects on the hormonal, nervous, reproductive and cardiovascular systems. Exposure in children and pregnant women is considered especially dangerous. “Phthalates and [BPA] … aren’t quite identical to the natural hormone molecules in men’s or women’s bodies, but they come close enough that they occupy the same receptors on estrogen-sensitive tissues and exert their own unique effects on human health,” writes David Steinman in his book Safe Trip to Eden . BPA is also used to make dental resins and the thermal paper used for receipts. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 93 percent of U.S. residents carry it in their bodies. Since canned food and plastic are major sources of BPA exposure, many consumers are now shifting to foods in glass and even canning their own vegetables. Unfortunately, the white underside of the metal lids on these jars is also lined with BPA. “We know BPA leaches when it comes in contact with the food,” said Anila Jacob of the Environmental Working Group. “One thing you can do is try not to fill the jar all the way up to the top, but that’s hard because when you move it, it’s going to shake.” People canning at home might try glass or BPA-free certified plastic lids. Meanwhile, Jacob suggests another action that all of us can take to help reduce our exposure: contact the FDA and ask for a ban on BPA. “The more the FDA hears about it, the more likely they are to take action,” she said. “We know there are safer options.” Sources for this story include: http://www.grist.org/article/2010-07-09-ask-umbra-on-the-dangers-of-bpa-in-canning-lids-and-canned-food.

Canada survey finds vast majority of people loaded with BPA

(NaturalNews) A recent report released by Statistics Canada, Canada’s official statistical agency, has revealed that more than 90 percent of Canadians are contaminated with bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical compound used in many plastics and resins. The report is the first of its kind in Canada to verify the extent to which BPA has invaded the bodies of the population at large. “[F]or the very first time [we] have baseline information against which we can study trends and track what is happening with respect to bisphenol A exposure,” explained Tracey Bushnik from Statscan’s Health Analysis Division in a Reuters article. In 2008, Canada banned BPA from baby bottles, but the chemical is still widely used both there and around the world in can liners and other plastic materials used in various consumer products. The report data reveals that the average concentration of BPA in Canadians is about 1.16 micrograms per liter in urine, and that teenagers generally have the highest concentrations overall. Younger children between the ages of six and eleven also generally had higher levels than adults over the age of 40. Those seeking to ban BPA from all consumer products cite recent studies which illustrate that exposure to BPA, especially during early childhood development, can disrupt proper neural development. Other similar studies link the chemical to a host of diseases including cancer and heart disease as well. “BPA, a chemical found in epoxy resin and polycarbonate plastics, may impair the reproductive organs and have adverse effects on tumors, breast tissue development, and prostate development by reducing sperm count,” explains C.W. Randolph, M.D., in his book From Belly Fat to Belly FLAT: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waistline and Subtracting Years from Your Life . Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67F4NW20100816 http://www.naturalpedia.com/Bisphenol-A.html

BPA hormone disruptor now contaminates Earth’s oceans, scientists warn

(NaturalNews) Earlier this year, research linked bisphenol A (BPA), a common component of plastics and a powerful hormone disrupter, to heart disease (http://www.naturalnews.com/027974_bisphenol_A_heart_disease.html). Now, in the March issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology , researchers have reported yet another newly discovered danger posed by BPA. Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University, and his research team have found for the first time that BPA exposure during pregnancy can cause abnormalities in the uterus of offspring and permanent alterations in DNA. But at least you can avoid plastics and therefore avoid exposure to the BPA, right? Unfortunately, another group of scientists has just announced that’s getting harder and harder to do. Bottom line: there is now solid evidence that Earth’s oceans have been contaminated on a global scale with BPA. Katsuhiko Saido, Ph.D., of Nihon University in Chiba, Japan, and his colleagues announced their startling and worrisome findings at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society held in San Francisco recently. He stated that the massive BPA contamination of oceans resulted from hard plastic trash thrown in the seas as well as from another surprising source — the epoxy plastic paints used to seal the hulls of ships. “This new finding clearly demonstrates the instability of epoxy, and shows that BPA emissions from epoxy do reach the ocean. Recent studies have shown that mollusks, crustaceans and amphibians could be affected by BPA, even in low concentrations,” Dr. Saido said in a statement to the media. The scientists noted that light, white-foamed plastic decomposed rapidly at temperatures commonly found in the oceans, releasing the endocrine disruptor BPA. It isn’t just soft plastics that leach BPA, either. “We were quite surprised to find that polycarbonate plastic biodegrades in the environment,” Dr. Saido explained. “Polycarbonates are very hard plastics, so hard they are used to make screwdriver handles, shatter-proof eyeglass lenses, and other very durable products. This finding challenges the wide public belief that hard plastics remain unchanged in the environment for decades or centuries. Biodegradation, of course, releases BPA to the environment.” Dr. Saido’s research team analyzed sand and seawater from over 200 sites in 20 countries, including areas in Southeast Asia and North America. Every site tested contained what Dr. Saido labeled as “significant” amounts of BPA, ranging from 0.01 parts per million (ppm) to 50 ppm. Dr. Saido pointed out that littering currently results in about 150,000 tons of plastic debris washing up on the shores of Japan alone each year. In addition, a huge area of plastic waste known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is about two times the size of Texas, now contaminates the area between California and Hawaii. “Marine debris plastic in the ocean will certainly constitute a new global ocean contamination for long into the future,” Dr. Saido predicted in the press statement. In yet more BPA news, Rolf Halden, associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University and assistant director of Environmental Biotechnology at the Biodesign Institute, has just published a sobering research article on the hazards of chemical-loaded plastics. His findings, which are included in the latest issue of the Annual Review of Public Health , provide more evidence that plastics in garbage dumps, landfills and the world’s oceans are an ever-increasing toxic problem. In fact, Dr. Halden concluded in his paper that plastics and their additives such as BPA aren’t only around us; they are inside virtually every human. The chemicals show up in blood and urine tests because they are ingested with the food we eat, the water we drink and from other environmental exposures. “We’re doomed to live with yesterday’s plastic pollution and we are exacerbating the situation with each day of unchanged behavior,” Dr. Harden said in a press statement. “We are at a critical juncture and cannot continue under the modus that has been established. If we’re smart, we’ll look for replacement materials, so that we don’t have this mismatch — good for a minute and contaminating for 10,000 years.” For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/BPA.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20070188 http://asunews.asu.edu/20100324_plastics http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20181937

Despite FDA concern, American Chemistry Council insists Bisphenol A is safe for everyone

(NaturalNews) The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has never met a chemical it didn’t like. The organization is a chemical advocacy group whose members include all the largest chemical producers such as Monsanto, Bayer, Merck, Chevron, DuPont and many more. It’s like a Who’s Who of companies whose products pollute the world, in my opinion. Much like Big Tobacco did with nicotine — “It’s not addictive, we swear!” — the ACC says bisphenol A (BPA) is perfectly safe for you. Drink all you want! As the ACC’s Lisa Harrison told CBS News, “What’s important to remember is the FDA indicated that the BPA has not been proven harmful to children or adults.” This is the default position of all the chemical companies who poison our bodies and our planet: All synthetic chemicals are “safe” until you prove them dangerous. It’s a hazardous assumption to make, of course. The more reasonable assumption would be that all synthetic chemicals are dangerous until proven safe , but that position wouldn’t allow these companies to sell very many chemicals, would it? The FDA’s conspiracy to promote dangerous chemicals The FDA, for its part, has been engaged in a conspiracy of silence to avoid admitting that BPA is dangerous for human health. This conspiracy was recently shattered when the FDA’s own science advisors blasted the agency for ignoring over 100 published studies showing BPA was dangerous. The FDA, you see, had discarded those 100+ studies and, instead, based its conclusions on just two studies that happened to be funded by the chemical industry. That’s how the FDA operates across the board: Ignore all the science you don’t like, and cherry-pick the science you want to believe, even if it’s all been funded by the chemical companies. By relying on that gimmick, the FDA was able to maintain its intellectually dishonest position that BPA posed no risk to human health. There’s also evidence of corruption and fraud in the FDA’s position on BPA. Did you know, for example, that the chairman of the FDA panel making a key decision on BPA “safety” — Martin Philbert — also sits at the top of a company that received a secret $5 million payment (http://www.naturalnews.com/026400_Bisphenol-A_BPA_food.html). But the scientific evidence against BPA is now so large than even the FDA can’t continue to stonewall the public on this issue. BPA is dangerous to human health , and it should be banned from all items that come into contact with foods (which includes soup can linings, food packaging, water bottles and much more…). As Kelly Wallace from CBC News discovered, just eating one tuna sandwich caused BPA levels in her blood to soar to over five times the average BPA level found in the blood of American consumers (and that “average” level is dangerous to begin with). (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/18/earlyshow/health/main6110716.shtml) Sources for this story include : Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011504070.html?hpid=topnews CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/18/earlyshow/health/main6110716.shtml LA Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/bpa-bisphenol-baby-bottles-fda-chemicals.html NaturalNews: http://www.naturalnews.com/bisphenol-a.html Support the Health Ranger: Vote for him with the Shorty Awards! Help the Health Ranger (the author of this article) win the Shorty Awards for the category of health! Any Twitter user can vote from this page: http://shortyawards.com/healthranger Or, simply send a tweet from your Twitter account as follows: #shortyawards @HealthRanger #health (because… write your short supporting comment here) (You must insert a comment of WHY you vote for the Health Ranger in order for your vote to count.) Thank you for your support!

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