More Bad News For BPA And Pregnancy
The more we learn about BPA, the worse the news gets. And, new research has discovered that exposure to the chemical during pregnancy has an increased risk of prostate cancer in male babies.
BPA and our bodies
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical component of some plastics, which have distinctly fallen out of favor over the last few years as more research is done on its effects on the human body. We now know that the chemical is an endocrine disruptor, which can affect many aspects of our health and can interfere with reproduction, as well.
BPA exposure during pregnancy has a whole set of issues on its own, as it’s not just the mother’s health to consider, but her baby’s health as well. Recent research conducted by Dr. Gail Prins at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggests that there may be a link between BPA exposure during pregnancy and an increased prostate cancer risk in male babies.
The research involved human prostate cells in mice and it was found that two-thirds of mice who were fed BPA had evidence of prostate cancer, compared to one-tenth of the mice who were not.
Unfortunately, BPA is incredibly hard to avoid. “Previous studies have shown that people who avoided all contact with plastics, or other BPA-containing objects for up to a month or more, still had BPA in their urine, which means they must have come into contact with BPA in the last 24 to 48-hours, since it clears the body rather quickly. It's very hard to avoid,” said Dr. Prins.
How can you lessen your exposure? Avoiding plastics altogether is a good start, although as you look at your daily life, you can see how difficult this can be. Water bottles and plastic dinnerware may seem like a good place to start, but what is your food wrapped in at the grocery store? Do you drink out of straws? Or eat out of cans that are lined with plastic that might have BPA?
To lessen your exposure, avoid plastics that are marked with a 3 or a 7. Also, don’t heat up liquids or foods in plastic and don’t pour hot liquids or foods into plastic containers. You should also get rid of plastic items that are scratched or damaged to reduce your risk of exposure.