Toxic BPA Levels Drop Dramatically on Fresh Food Diet
A recent report released from the Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute concluded that eating a diet rich in fresh foods instead of packaged and processed food can quickly and drastically reduce exposure to the harmful hormone disruptor, BPA (bisphenol-A).
The chemical is commonly found in plastic products, including baby bottles and processed food packaging, and has even been found in certain types of cash register receipts. Exposure to BPA has been linked to a number of serious health issues effecting the brain, behavior, prostate gland function, and may be linked to conditions such as infertility, heart disease and cancer.
Ruthann Rudel, director of research at the Silent Spring Institute and lead author of the study reported that she and her colleagues discovered a startling drop in BPA levels among study participants in just three days of avoiding BPA-tainted foods. Participants had an average of 66 percent less BPA in their urine than before the study began, which quickly increased when they returned to normal eating habits.
The study concluded that an optimal diet for avoiding BPA and other plastic chemicals commonly leached into food is one made up of fresh or frozen foods that avoided contact with plastics (remember; a plastic lining is now common in most commercial food canning processes). This also means avoiding storing leftovers in plastic containers, especially those foods that are fatty or acidic, which are most likely to draw more of the toxin into the food.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 90 percent of Americans would test positive for detectable levels of BPA in their blood or urine. Both the FDA and the National Toxicology Program have alerted the public to their concerns over the potential risks and effects of BPA on humans.
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Photo: Orin Zebest
