Beware of Endocrine Disruptors in BPA Free Products
Learn why BPA free doesn’t necessarily mean risk-free
For years, scientists have been warning us about the dangers of Bisphenol A or BPA, an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with the proper functioning of hormones in the body. Plastics manufacturers have responded by removing BPA from their products and replacing it with alternative compounds. Unfortunately, according to recently released research, many popular BPA alternatives are no healthier than—and in some cases more dangerous than—BPA itself.
What’s So Bad About BPA?
BPA is dangerous because it can mimic the hormone estrogen. With too much BPA in your system, you will suffer many of the same symptoms as you would with estrogen dominance. For men, this means fatigue, ED, mood swings, and increased prostate cancer risk. In women, estrogen signals growth. Too much estrogen can lead to over-activation of estrogen cell receptors and therefore unchecked cell growth. This is why high levels of BPA in women are associated with increased risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis.
BPA Alternatives Are Also Problematic
Researchers from the Gene Expression and Therapy Research Group at King’s College London recently tested six BPA substitutes to see whether these compounds can mimic estrogen in the same way that BPA does.
The researchers tested the compounds on three different lines of human breast cancer cells, two of which will only grow when estrogen or an estrogen mimic is present. In every case, the BPA substitutes mimicked estrogen and caused growth in the cancer cells. Three of the compounds, Bisphenol AF (BPAF), Bisphenol B (BPB), and Bisphenol Z (BPZ), were actually more potent than BPA itself in promoting cancer cell growth. It is apparent these chemicals are already being used in BPA-free products because they have been found in urine and breast milk.
How to Protect Your Health
Since manufacturers typically don’t disclose in their product packaging what kind of BPA alternatives they have used, it can be difficult to know which plastic products are functionally BPA-free and which will trigger the same health issues as BPA. The safest course of action is simply to avoid BPA and BPA alternatives as much as possible. Stop storing food in plastic containers and drinking out of plastic water bottles. Canned foods should also be avoided since they are often lined with material containing BPA.
It would also be wise to have your estrogen levels tested to see if your endocrine system has already become unbalanced due to exposure to BPA and other endocrine disruptors. At Renew Youth™, we can not only arrange for the necessary testing but also provide safe and effective treatment options for estrogen dominance or estrogen deficiency in men and women. Call us at 800-859-7511 now to learn more.
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