Ugh I am so disturbed by today’s topic.
There is literally poison everywhere in our environment.
From our personal care products like deodorant (read that article here), to our make up, to our tap water, to the non-food substances readily found in our food… it’s a scary thing to realize. It’s also quite overwhelming, because once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
It’s like... how can you comfortably go from knowing that there is aluminum (a known neurotoxin linked to neurodegenerative disease, check out this study) in your deodorant, that is being absorbed by your skin, into your lymphatic system, and into your blood stream, where it ultimately ends up in your brain to just being like “welp it’s not that big of a deal, if it was harmful, they wouldn’t allow it in there in the first place …”I get it. Trust me I do. It’s very hard to swallow the fact that lots of things happen in our environments that have direct detrimental effects on our health, and that certain regulatory bodies allow it.
WE MUST BE VIGILANT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFEGUARDING OUR HEALTH. NO ONE WILL EVER CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AS MUCH AS YOU DO. SO DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY—YOU. ARE YOUR BEST HEALTH ADVOCATE!!
We need to talk about BPA. I know…. It’s kind of been talked about. But it bears repeating because it’s just that bad for you.
It’s bad for everyone, but its especially harmful to women with hormonal imbalances such as PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, HPA dysregulation, etc.
BPA stands for bisphenol A.
It is a chemical that is found readily in plastics everywhere.
Your plastic thermos that you put your steaming hot coffee into in the morning.
Your plastic Tupperware.
Your plastic cooking utensils.
Your plastic Nalgene bottle.
Your plastic coffee pot.
Your Vitamix.
It’s lining the inside of your cans of beans, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, and premade ready-to-go soups.
The reason this is a huge deal is because BPA is an estrogen-mimicker. It is also referred to as a xeno-estrogen, or a “fake” estrogen.
BPA and other endocrine disruptors fit into the estrogen receptors that are located all throughout your body, but again – THEY ARE NOT REAL ESTROGENS. Because they are not real estrogens, they trigger dysfunctional behavior in your cells.
Your perfect and amazing female reproductive system has estrogen receptors in wild abundance. BPA may cause female infertility by altering reproductive hormone levels and changing the way reproductive organs function. BPA alters the way the cells of your uterine wall behave, which directly interferes with the ability of a fertilized egg to implant into the uterine wall.
ANY WOMAN WHO WANTS TO HAVE A BABY AND CAN’T—IS THIS UPSETTING TO YOU??
IT SHOULD BE!
THIS IS WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS
There’s a very strong, scientifically supported link between BPA exposure and women who have PCOS.
On average, blood levels of BPA are about 3x higher in women with PCOS than non PCOS women.
It’s a huge deal for women with PCOS because we already have low estrogen, and estrogen-mimickers such as BPA make PCOS much worse.
Exposure to BPA is linked to higher testosterone levels (think – more acne, more hair in unwanted places like your chin, on your upper lip, and thinning hair). Women with PCOS are already at increased risk of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and BPA enhances this risk.
This feels highly personal to me because as a woman who has PCOS, and a woman with dear friends and family members who suffer from their own slew of hormonal imbalances, its horribly distressing. It honestly really pisses me off.
Now let’s talk about “BPA Free!” labels that are popping up left and right on your packaged items (specifically canned goods).
Most cans that have the label “BPA Free” actually contain chemicals called Bisphenol S (BPS) or Bisphenol F (BFS).
THESE ARE BPA’S UGLY STEP-SISTER CHEMICALS THAT ARE JUST AS ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING AS GOOD OLE BPA, ONLY THEY ARE MUCH LESS FAMOUS, AND THEREFORE MUCH LESS REGULATED.
I encourage you to do your own research on which companies utilize bisphenol in their liners and which do not. Please check out this website to learn more about which products you can trust.
Now that you’re thoroughly freaked out about the amount of plastic in your life and in your kitchen, let’s talk about happier things.
What can we do?
A lot actually! So don’t fret, my love. Take a deep breath, decide today that everything that has happened to you is okay, that you are perfectly okay in this moment, and that everything that will happen beyond this moment will also be okay.
Tips For Limiting Your Exposure To BPA
Swap out your plastic water bottle with a glass or stainless steel one (I like Hydroflask)
Swap your plastic Tupperware with glass storage containers
Swap your plastic thermos with a glass or stainless steel option
Get some wood, metal, or silicone cooking utensils such as spatulas, ladles, and spoons
Get rid of non-stick cookware and opt for ceramic, stainless steel, or cast iron
Make sure your plates are glass or ceramic
Be mindful of miscellaneous items such as mixing bowls, butter dishes (chemicals leach more quickly into fatty foods than other types of food, that’s why butter dish is on this list)
Utilize foil over plastic wrap if possible
-->Rule of thumb – if hot food or drinks are going to touch the plastic item, it needs to go. Heat exacerbates the rate at which the BPA leaches out of the plastic and into your food. Don’t worry about things that only touch cold things (cookie cutters, popsicle molds, measuring spoons, your salad spinner) <--
This purpose of this post is to create awareness.
WHEN WE ARE IN THE KNOW ABOUT WHERE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS ARE HIDING AD HOW THEY NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR HEALTH, WE CAN TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO TAKE OUR HEALTH BACK
When we are armed with knowledge, we can make positive changes in our own lives, and the lives of the ones we love. It should feel very empowering, knowing that you can make changes right now that will safeguard your own health, that will carry on to protect the health of your future children (yes, BPA crosses the placenta and accumulates in the fetus, impacting the development of the baby’s brain, reproductive organs, and all of her metabolic pathways… I know … super sad story … ), and will ultimately make this world a better place.
I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD ARE LIVING THEIR HEALTHIEST, HAPPIEST LIVES, THE WORLD HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO BECOME A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER PLACE.
I have sited the studies that supported my research of this topic.
Endocrine Disruptors and PCOS: Elevated Serum Levels of Bisphenol A in Women with PCOS
Urinary bisphenol A and obesity in adults: results from the Canadian Health Measures Survey
In Vitro Effects of Bisphenol A on Adipogenesis in Human and Murine Preadipocytes
Bisphenol A exposure and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Risk
Evidence for Bisphenol A Induced Female Infertility
Bisphenol A and Female Infertility: A Possible Role of Gene-Environment Interactions
Bisphenol A and Its Potential Role in the Pathogenesis of PCOS
Here’s to you, your endocrine system, your future babies, your loved ones, and the hope for a healthier, TRULY BPA-free world!
Leave me a comment and let me know if this post brought you value!
Xoxo,
Emily 😊
