So, have you ever wondered why nowadays, young pre - pubertal girls of less than 9 seem to already be growing a pair of breasts or why men are having reproductive issues, low sperm count, why cancer is on the rise etc.?
I'm will tell you one reason why
One of the reason why is because of the influence of one widely environmentally available toxin named BPA
Who knew a three letter word could be so dangerous? BPA, known scientifically as Bisphenol A, is a synthesized chemical compound used in the production of everything from plastic water bottles and food storage containers, to canned foods and paper receipts like ATM/POS receipts...etc
Source
BPA was invented in the 1890's by a Russian chemist and was considered initially for use as an artificial estrogen because it strongly mimicked the effect of hormones on the body. In the mid-century, BPA was employed in manufacturing polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins because it could produce resilient plastics that wouldn't break or shatter when heated or cooled. It was cheap and effective, hence the widespread commercial use of this very toxic chemical. Despite the mounting evidence that BPA is linked to serious side effects, studies indicate that Americans as well as other humans around the would are still exposed to harmful levels of BPA. This is likely due to the fact that you can find it virtually everywhere, including the number one biggest culprit:
disposable plastic water bottles and other plastic materials
Now I know the question on your minds
HOW DOES BPA HARM MY BODY? right
BPA affects your health in more ways than one. The toxic chemical has been linked to causing reproductive, immunity, and neurological problems, as well as an increased likelihood of Alzheimer’s, childhood asthma, metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. But how seriously should we take these claims? We did our research and compiled the best resources for a comprehensive look at the side effects of BPA.
Most of the concern stems from the fact that BPA is soluble. This means that when it comes into contact with liquids or is heated, the bond it has formed with the plastic can be broken and the chemical can seep into food or drinks being stored in containers.
So now I'll show you just 5 things out of many that BPA has been strongly linked to.
∆. Cancer
Any time we talk about a potentially dangerous toxin in the food we eat or water we drink, someone inevitably comes out and says, “Don’t eat that! It’ll give you cancer.” We’ve heard it so many times that we’ve almost become numb to it. Well, when it comes to BPA, there is truth to this claim.
For example, one study found BPA can mimic estrogen and other hormones and interact with certain cell receptors to promote the development of breast, ovary and prostate cancer. Yea! Cancer. Remember it's molecular structure resembles Estrogen so it binds to estrogen receptors in the body, inducing estrogen like negative effects on the body. An example of this is BPA's effect on prepubescent girls making them start growing breasts (practically before their time). The fact that they haven't started producing enough natural estrogen to grow a pair of b**bs but are getting a good dosage of BPA from the environment makes them grow a pair of breast. So the fact that it wasn't natural estrogen that stimulate the breast growth, it may have some fundamental errors in the foundational level, which may give rise to Breast cancer later in life.
Another study indicated that BPA could mitigate the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments in breast cancer, which is a cause for concern for anyone undergoing similar radiation therapy.
∆. Infertility and Fetal Development
The process required for a fetus to develop is extremely delicate. We already know that during pregnancy women cannot drink alcohol or smoke and that they need to be extremely careful about the food they consume.
It turns out they should also be careful of the plastics with which they come into contact, according to a study which found BPA to have a negative effect on some fetal development processes.
The way this works is troubling. Essentially, BPA gets into the woman’s body and tricks the reproductive system into thinking it is a hormone. This blocks or changes the things that the body’s natural hormones are supposed to do, and this has been shown to compromise the quality of the eggs a woman produces, as well as alter the DNA of the fetus, which can lead to birth defects. Studies have also shown that BPA poses serious health risks to men, adversely affecting male reproductive function. While BPA is a major concern for us today, its effect on fertility and child development may also make it an issue for future generations.
b 👇
Fetal brain development
Environmental exposure to BPA has the potential to affect the developing brain during gestation, according to research.
The impact includes changes in structural development, interference with estrogen regulation, DNA modifications. This
could have effects on social behavior and anxiety after birth and problems with weight management after birth.
Remember, the male hormone testosterone is nearly the opposite of estrogen, so the foreign estrogen like BPA suppresses testosterone hereby reducing the fertility of males in extreme cases it can lead to gynecomastia
∆. Brain. Functions
BPA does have some effects on brain function, for example, a study by the Duke University Medical Center found the presence of BPA prevents the removal of chloride from the central nervous system and also disrupts the way the brain regulates genes.
Excess chloride in the brain is known to be one of the key drivers of dementia, Alzheimer ’s disease, and other cognitive disorders. Recent research shows that African green monkeys exposed to BPA levels judged safe by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency of the US) showed loss of connections between brain cells.
∆. Heart Disease and Diabetes
Studies indicate that BPA exposure can increase the risk of high blood pressure,
diabetes and heart disease.
Research has linked even low-dose BPA exposure to cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery heart disease, angina, heart attack, hypertension , and peripheral artery disease .
Findings suggest that this type of exposure could trigger
arrhythmias , atherosclerosis , and blood pressure changes.
Researchers have confirmed there is indeed a link between these diseases and BPA
∆. Type 2 diabetes and Weight problems
One more side effect of Bisphenol A is that it can cause weight gain. It does this partially because of what we mentioned earlier about it acting like a hormone inside the body. It can mess with insulin production and resistance (wreaking havoc on your body’s control of blood sugar), and it can also cause an increase in fat cell production. There is evidence that even low-level exposure to BPA could contribute to insulin resistance and therefore diabetes type 2
So those are the 5 reasons to avoid BPA.
I know you maybe wondering which items can BPA be found and how can we avoid it
Nowadays, BPA can be found in a wide range of products, such as:
Plastic water bottles
Plastic baby bottles
Canned foods
Any plastic food packaging
Household electronics
Eyeglass lenses
CDs and DVDs
"Over the counter" (ATM) paper receipts
This list by no means a comprehensive list of all the places where BPA is found. Manufacturers often use BPA to make epoxy resins to coat the inside of metal cans so that they do not corrode or break. A study published in the journal JAMA found that hand sanitizer speeds up the absorption of BPA from paper receipts into the body. It is found in many packaged goods and plastic beverage containers. But plastics are most notorious, and guess what?, it has been proving that exposing plastics to heat increases the leach of BPA by over 1000 times😳 (No more hot tea in a plastic cup or Hot EBA😉)
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
It is critical we try and limit how much we and our loved ones come into contact with this substance. Here are some things you can do in your everyday life to make sure you aren’t being over exposed:
Cut down on plastic consumption and use glass or breakables (China) or even metal wares instead. Consider using glass water bottles that you can refill, and think about storing foods in glass jars or breakable plates instead of plastic bags and containers.
Avoid non stick wares like non stick frying pans. They are ladened with BPA
Eat real food, not processed and packaged. This is something you should consider even without the risks of BPA. Natural foods are more flavorful, nutritious and easier on the environment. Try to buy more foods that come straight from the ground, not a factory.
Avoid canned foods.
Avoid over the counter receipts. I personally don't collect them at POS terminals and avoid collecting such receipts at supermarkets, even if I do at supermarkets I hold them kinda like a piece of shit and discard them as soon as possible and find a way to clean my hands.
Try to NEVER use plastics with hot food or food substances to be eaten. In that way you won't be giving yourself a mega dosage of BPA and other endocrine (or hormonal) disruptor. It's better you even make that EBA in a pot😉.
To be very candid not all of the negative effects of the xeno-estrogen BPA has been discovered. It's still being studied. But lemmi tell you one little sad secret: BPA is just 1 out of Thousands of endocrine disruptor found in plastics, packaged foods and the environment there are others like BPS, phthalates, parabens in creams,... so eat clean and live clean. when you see plastics run from it.
🏃🏽♀🏃🏾♂
Thanks for reading