For this post, we will look at the dangers of using plastic products and how that relates to hormone imbalances, many of which we don't even realize we have. Hormone imbalances affect the majority of Americans without their knowledge as a result of the products we use. This spans further than just the personal products we here about often like hair spray, deodarant, and shampoos. We need to look at the containers we use such as tubberware, the bottles and cups we drink out of, and even the containers that our organic products come in.
We don't even need to look to our typical "natural sources" to find that there is an agreement that something is wrong. According to a study by Environmental Health Perspectives, most plastic products, ranging from sippy cups to food wraps, release chemicals that mimic estrogen. That same study showed that this occured even in products that did not contain BPA, the most well known compound that imitates estrogen. So it's important to look further into the plastic products we buy, even if they are BPA-free. That's not good enough. Most manufacturers may in fact produce BPA-free products. However, they substitute BPA with other compounds whose side effects are not as well known, but just as toxic.
450 randomly selected plastic items from chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods were tested for compounds that released artificial estrogen. Over 70% of those items, regardless of being BPA-free or not, did so. After real world exposure such as sunlight, dishwashing, and microwaving, a stunning 95% of those 450 products released chemicals. I shouldn't have to explain the dangers implied by this finding. Think about everything that comes in or is made of plastic. Baby bottles, toothpaste, soaps, personal care products, water, milk, juice, condiments, vegetables, fruits, deli packaging, snack items. These all are surrounded by plastic.
It's not enough to let a label make the decision for you whether a product is safe or not for your family. As we all can see, manufacturers can be less than honest. Do your homework before you go to the store and start switching over to glass bottles and containers for all your needs.
-Jordan
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