Canned Food Carries a Hidden Health Risk

Canned Food Carries a Hidden Health Risk
The linings of canned food and vegetables may be exposing us to plastic chemicals that pose a serious health threat.
By Emily Main Link to full article below

Eat fresh vegetables and homemade soups, reheat your food in glass, and tell your congressman to regulate plastic chemicals.


RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Your can of soup may the last place where you'd expect to find plastic chemicals. But thanks to an epoxy liner commonly used to prevent canned products from reacting to the metal, everything from canned fruit to canned salmon to canned peas is exposed to plastic chemicals for as long as it remains on the shelf. And that could be exposing you to a risk that's been largely ignored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The liner is manufactured with a chemical called
bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including hormone disruption, prostate cancer, diabetes, and obesity, as well as aggressive behavior in children. A new analysis by Consumer Reports confirms that BPA that lines cans ends up in the food that we eat.

Please read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/plastic-chemicals-and-canned-products?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_11_11-_-Top5-_-NA

VITAL TO READ: How Bad are Plastic Water Bottles for Your Health, Really?

How Bad are Plastic Water Bottles for Your Health, Really?
An Urgent Warning
by www.SixWise.com

http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/May/27/How-Bad-are-Plastic-Water-Bottles-for-Your-Health.htm?source=nl

In 2008, Americans drank nearly 9 billion gallons of bottled water, which is second only to soft drinks as the largest beverage type in the U.S. market, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.

Its popularity has been growing strong since 2000, with significant sales growth noted every year of the decade … that is until now. In 2008, the gallons of bottled water consumption went down by 1 percent, for the first time this decade. And whereas in 2007 Americans drank 29 gallons of bottled water each, in 2008 that went down to 28.5 gallons. It’s a small decrease, but perhaps a sign of larger changes to come.

What are You Really Drinking When You Drink Bottled Water?

Plastic water bottles have come under scrutiny in recent years for both their environmental and health effects, including those surrounding the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA).

That BPA can leach out of plastic during everyday use, causing health problems, is hardly news. It’s now widely known that BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen and may affect fertility and promote cancer. And just last year it came out that BPA may also lead to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.

Studies have shown that detectable levels of BPA exist in more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, but exposure has been blamed on not only drinking water and food, but also on dental sealants, dermal exposure and inhalation of household dusts.

Which leads one to wonder, just how much BPA are we exposed to when drinking from a plastic bottle? And how great are the health risks, really?

Well, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found out.

The researchers recruited Harvard College students for the study in April 2008, and all 77 participants then began a seven-day “washout” during which they drank all cold beverages from stainless steel bottles in order to minimize BPA exposure. For the next week, participants were given two polycarbonate bottles and asked to drink all cold beverages from them.

Urine samples were taken at the end of each week-long period, and the results that came back were shocking: levels of BPA rose 69 percent after just one week of drinking out of plastic bottles.

To read the full article: http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/May/27/How-Bad-are-Plastic-Water-Bottles-for-Your-Health.htm?source=nl

Plastic? Time to Bag It.

Plastic? Time to Bag It.
The D.C. Council has a creative plan to tackle a big source of pollution.
Friday, March 27, 2009; Page A16

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603466.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603466_pf.html

[Read comments:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603466_Comments.html ]

ELEVEN OF the 13 members of the D.C. Council are endorsing legislation that would place the District in the forefront of national efforts to reduce local pollution. The proposal is a creative attempt to discourage the use of plastic and paper bags that end up littering the area's roads and waterways. But it faces some fierce opposition.

The legislation, authored by council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), would impose a five-cent tax on every plastic and paper carryout bag from a variety of food establishments, including grocery, drug and liquor stores. Customers would be encouraged to bring their own reusable bags to the supermarket. Businesses would retain one or two cents of each nickel, depending on whether they offered a credit for reusable bags, and the rest would go toward the cost of cleaning up the Anacostia River. Mr. Wells coordinated his approach with similar legislation introduced this year in Virginia and Maryland. The Virginia legislature, alas, killed the legislation, but Maryland is still considering its bill, which would earmark proceeds for Chesapeake Bay protection efforts.

To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603466.html

Kick the Plastic Water Bottle Habit

Kick the Plastic Water Bottle Habit
Ever wonder where most of those plastic water bottles go that we knock back from every day? Into landfills, where they live on and on and on and on.
By Brian Clark Howard

http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/1935?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

Save resources by drinking from a glass whenever you can, or use a refillable, stainless steel bottle when you are on the go.

Ever wonder where most of those plastic water bottles go that we knock back from every day? Into landfills, where they live on and on and on and on. Exempt from many state deposit laws, and most often used away from home, where recycling bins are scarce, the majority of water bottles do not make it into the recycling stream.

Not only do they accumulate and stress landfills, they are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a petroleum product, and their manufacturing process uses oil, a nonrenewable energy source, and increases CO2 emissions.

So kick the plastic water bottle habit. That way you can avoid the controversy over chemicals leaching from both hard and soft plastics into your water, even at room temperatures.

6 Studies Confirm Health Dangers of Plastic

ANOTHER REASON TO JUST USE GLASS & CERAMIC!!!!!

Six New Studies Confirm Health Dangers of Plastic
by www.SixWise.com

http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2008/November/12/Six-New-Studies-Confirm-Health-Dangers-of-Plastic.htm?source=nl

The most up-to-date research shows that exposure to chemicals released from various plastic products and flame-retardant materials cause "adverse health effects in humans and laboratory animals." An entire section of the October 2008 issue of Environmental Research, "A Plastic World," was devoted to the results of a series of six environmental research studies.

These research studies investigated the health effects of chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA), polyvinyl chlorate (PVC), phthalates, and polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE). Results showed that plastics contain "endocrine disrupting chemicals" that can interfere with the thyroid hormone, block the production of testosterone, and mimic the action of estrogen in your body.

These studies specified that fetal exposure to phthalates caused changes in male reproductive organs of humans and rats. Fetal exposure of rats and mice to BPAs and PBDEs showed a disruption in normal brain development and behavior. Research also provided evidence to show that great harm is being done to aquatic wildlife because our oceans are being polluted by enormous amounts of these plastic-related chemicals.

"For the first time a series of articles will appear together that identify that billions of kilograms of a number of chemicals used in the manufacture of different types of plastic can leach out of plastic products and cause harm to the brain and reproductive system when exposure occurs during fetal life or prior to weaning," according to Dr. Frederick vom Saal, guest editor of the "Plastic World."

This most recent research reported that prenatal exposure to rats, and exposure around the time of gestation to even small amounts of BPA led to abnormalities in the development of mammary tissue, which led to an increase in pre-cancerous lesions and mammary tumors. Adult exposure to BPA led to an increase in mammary tumors as well.

BPA mimics estrogen in the body. As a result of this, research involving cultures of human breast cancer cells showed that BPA causes changes in cell growth and proliferation as well as damage to cellular DNA -- potential precursors to cancer.

Some Facts About These Toxic Chemicals

BPA

Highly toxic
Used to make many plastic consumer products
Toxins released over time and when heating liquids in plastic containers
Found in plastic water bottles, drinking glasses, food containers, baby bottles, lacquer lining of metal food cans, microwave ovenware, plastic utensils, etc.

PVC (polyvinyl chlorate)

Highly toxic
Found in many toys, building supplies, plastic piping, shower curtains, various soft plastic products, etc

Phthalates

Mimics the effects of estrogen in the body
Causes skin irritations
Found in many cosmetics and shampoos, PVC products (i.e. toys), etc.

PBDEs (polybrominated diphenylether)

Highly toxic
Found in flame-retardant materials, furniture foam, back coatings for draperies and upholsteries, electronics, small appliances, etc.

Protecting Yourself From Plastic

The safest way to prevent adverse health effects from these chemicals is to avoid exposure to the plastics and products that contain them.

Use glass and paper products instead of plastic.

Avoid drinking bottled water.

Replace toxic plastic products with safer plastics, such as bio-based materials.

Be aware that a "3" or a "V" stamped underneath the recycling symbol of your plastic product indicates that the product contains PVC.

Smell your plastic! PVC products give off a distinct odor from toxic gases being released, such as the smell from a vinyl shower curtain.

During the construction process -- when building a house, for instance -- make sure to avoid installing PVC plastic piping.

Choose only natural, phthalate-free personal care products.

Not only is bottled drinking water a source of the toxic chemical BPA, but it also has potentially more contaminants than regular tap water due to weaker regulations, and up to 40% of the time it actually is just bottled tap water. Consider using a safe water bottle with a portable water filter small enough to fit inside as an alternative. The Wellness H2.O enhanced water bottle provides a healthy solution to bottled water:

The ultimate environment product. Eliminates 1,100+ plastic bottles, reduces carbon emissions and conserves natural resources

Saves you up to $1,000 in bottled water purchases per year

Only bottle to produce nourishing, better-than-bottled-quality, "enhanced" water without the cost or waste associated with bottled water

Assures you and your family of safe and healthy water ... no matter where you go

Another option is to have purified drinking water at home. The Wellness Kitchen Water Filter provides the purest and most natural tasting water available. Its state-of-the-art filtration and enhancement technologies effectively reduce harmful contaminants, while at the same time enhancing the water with important wellness "ions and minerals" that your body needs. Consider grabbing a re-usable glass bottle -- just fill up with purified water from the Wellness Kitchen Filter and you're ready to go!

Shopping for Safer Produce

Shopping for Safer Produce

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/news/shopping-safer-produce

Unlike organic foods, conventional produce is often treated with pesticides and other chemicals while it´s being grown and after it´s been harvested. The pesticides are typically made from some of the most toxic substances available, and their residues often remain on the foods we buy in the supermarket.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) examined over 100,000 federal government pesticide residue test results and found that 192 different chemicals were present in varying amounts on common fruits and vegetables. Based on this analysis, the EWG ranked these 10 foods as the most contaminated, starting with the worst (peaches).

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (Imported)
10. Pears

Best on the list were onions, avocados, and frozen sweet corn.
For the complete list see FoodNews from the EWG.

Regardless of where your favorite fruits and vegetables fall on the EWG list, all conventional produce should be washed before being eaten. Although washing can´t completely eradicate pesticide contamination, it can make your food much healthier to eat.

Steps for washing produce:
1) Use a glass bowl or your sink for washing produce. The stuff you´re removing will leave behind residues, and glass bowls and sinks are much easier to clean than plastic.

2) Most pesticides are oil-based so you´ll need some soap for the job. Your choices include products like Clean Greens and other specifically formulated washes, or a vegetable-based product like Seventh Generation dish liquid.

3) Fill the bowl with lukewarm to semi-hot water. The temperature you choose will depend on the fragility of the produce you´re cleaning. Generally, the warmer the water, the more effective the cleaning will be, so don´t be afraid to add a little heat if your produce can take it. Always finish with a cold water rinse.

4) Add a teaspoon of soap, agitate the water until it gets sudsy, toss in the produce, and soak it for a few minutes. Use less time for thin-skinned foods like berries, more for hard skinned foods like celery.

5) After soaking, start scrubbing!. Hard skinned foods like peppers and apples can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush. Soft-skinned foods like peaches will require a gentle hand washing. Delicate items like berries won´t be able to take either so just agitate them gently.

6) Rinse the food thoroughly in as warm water as possible, finish with a cold water rinse, and place the food on a rack or other surface to dry. Or use a salad spinner for faster results. Again, be careful with berries!

7) Scrub clean whatever container you used. You´ve just washed off some nasty stuff, and a good cleaning gets it out of your kitchen.

Even food you´re planning to peel, from bananas to eggplants, should be washed first because you can easily transfer pesticide residues from its skin to the edible portions inside.

8) Make sure the counter where you will put your washed produce is free of chemicals, including those found in many conventional kitchen cleaners.