What Is BPA and What Does It Mean For My Health?

Published on January 29, 2014. Mary McShane, All Rights Reserved

BPA stands for Bisphenol A and it is found in nearly every product we use - from food and drink packaging all the way to the pipes that bring water into our houses.

The way BPA gets into our bodies is usually through our foods. It leaches into food that is stored in polycarbonate storage containers, drinking bottles, baby bottles and canned goods. BPA does not have to be heated in a container to be released into the contents of the container. It is also found in breast milk.

BPA is usually not stored in the body unless one's diet is solely concentrated on food stored in BPA containers. It takes an average of three days for BPA to work itself out of the body when exposure to BPA is stopped.

Since polycarbonate is strong, if you microwave food in plastic containers, it may break down from use at high temperaturees. Refer to the recycling code on the bottom of the container. Codes 3 and 7 may contain BPA.

You can cut down your exposure to BPA by limiting your use of canned goods and by choosing to use glass, stainless steel or porcelain containers for hot foods and liquids.

This first video explains what BPA is and how we come into contact with it in our daily lives.

This next video gives alternatives to using plasticware in your kitchen.

This next video explores the lining of canned goods. There are no labels telling you which products have BPA linings. So if you can buy fresh, do it.

This next video discusses health issues associated with BPA. Bisphenol A imitates the female hormone estrogen causing fertility problems and cancers of the prostate and breast.

It is also found in plastic dental sealants, canned goods, soft drink bottles and plastic food containers.

In Canada BPA has been declared a toxic substance. The European Union and at least seven states have restricted its use but did not ban it.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has listed PBA as a chemical of concern.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there is some concern about the effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. This 2013 FDA report for consumers lists the potential dangers of BPA and how to make changes in your lifestyle to limit your exposure to it.

This video discusses the many diseases and illnesses that are associated with BPA, and gives a list harmful containers that we don't even think about which contain BPA. Also discusses how eating fresh means a big improvement in BPA levels in the body.

This video also discusses places you find BPA - even your receipt from the store has BPA! Here is a site offering more advice in avoiding BPA in your environment.

I hope this video hub has helped you to learn more about BPA, how to recognize containers carrying BPA and how to choose your food containers that do not have BPA.

© Mary McShane