BPA Can Be a Killer

By Editorial Staff

You've probably heard of BPA – Bisphenol A – by now, but avoiding it is an entirely different matter. That's because BPA is used in a wide variety of food packaging materials (foods and beverages), particularly plastics. Long-term exposure has been linked to everything from obesity to cardiovascular problems, cancer ... and even death.

New research involving nearly 4,000 adults ages 20 and older tracked subjects long-term after assessing urine BPA levels. During the study period, participants with higher BPA levels were at higher risk of death, even after adjusting for various other mortality risk factors, such as age, sex, race / ethnicity, dietary and lifestyle factors, body-mass index and socioeconomic status. The more BPA in one's system, the greater the risk of death from any cause compared to those with the lowest levels of BPA - nearly 50 percent higher when comparing the highest vs. lowest levels. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease was also significantly higher (up 46 percent) in the highest BPA group vs. the lowest BPA group.

Now that we know the profound dangers, let's talk about risk mitigation. How can we limit our BPA exposure, given its prevalence? According to SaferChemicals.org, here are some of the ways to do it:

• Avoid canned and plastic-wrapped foods.
• Avoid using plastic for food storage.
• Use glass or stainless steel water bottles.
• Look for non-toxic / BPA-free labels, even on toys and non-food / beverage products.
• If cooking with plastic, avoid exposure to heat (i.e., microwave).

With so many dangers lurking in our everyday lives, why add BPA to the list? Take a big step by taking the above tips to heart today.