Nutrition and Health

UNC News – Prenatal exposure to BPA might explain aggressive behavior in some 2-year-old girls

BPA, or bisphenol A is a synthetic basic building block in most plastics. It was first introduced to the world in the early 1900’s, but has been in commercial use for over 50 years. It is in almost everything these days: water bottles, polyester clothing, carpeting, baby bottles, plastic wraps, plastic storage containers, microwavable food packaging, home decor and more. It is a known “endocrine disruptor” and has been implicated as the cause for many reproductive cancers and hormonal problems. For some detailed history and specifics, check it out on wikipedia. (link below)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

The pervasive use of BPA is probably the number one reason for the skyrocketing rates of all cancers and endocrine disorders. I believe the ingestion of BPA (and other endocrine disruptors- there are many) is why we have such high rates of PMS, negative menopausal symptoms, migraines, ADHD, thyroid disorders, reproductive cancers and many other neurodegenerative conditions. While some of these conditions have existed before the invention of BPA, they are much more prevalent today and more severe.

BPA acts in the body as a concentrated form of estrogen. Some of us are simply unable to detoxify this industrial-strength, artificial hormone, and it forces its way into our hormone receptors and causes the body to think it has such a high level of estrogen that the cells begin to proliferate, resulting in cancer or  minimally imbalances.

Other countries are starting to remove it from products consumed by the public, especially baby products. But it is almost impossible to avoid ingesting it in this country. And I believe that unfortunately, most of us have already been damaged by the years of ingestion of BPA. The question now is if this damage is irreparable.

I believe that we may be able to reverse the damage, if action is taken in time. However, the work that needs to be done is not easy. I think the first, and most obvious step we need to take is to avoid BPA and all plastic as much as possible. Start drinking water out of glass containers, don’t microwave food in plastic (limit microwaving anyway as it kills nutrients), store foods in glass, try to breastfeed babies, etc…

Next, we need to get it out of our bodies. Many of us will need to strengthen our detoxification system in our body before we start to mobilize any toxins. There are many detoxification products in the market today. Some are very effective, some are not. And some programs are so powerful that they could actually cause more problems for anyone with certain illnesses.  I recommend building up your detoxification system slowly and naturally. First, eat a very natural, healthy diet. Many of us really do not know what this means anymore. But the best explanation of a “healthy diet” is to eat fresh fruits, vegetables (include seaweeds), whole grains, wild-caught fish (not more than twice a week), lean meats (not more than 2-3 per week), raw and healthy dairy (not too much), clean water and herbs.

Eliminate processed foods as much as possible. Eating a healthy, natural diet will go a long way in relieving the toxic burden that most of our bodies are under from our processed diet alone. This will allow our detoxification system to work harder on eliminating the more toxic chemicals like BPA and others. But some of us also have genetic weaknesses in our detoxification system so we may need to add certain supplements or herbs to help boost our bodies ability to detoxify. Things like vitamin C, N-AC, glutamine, cilantro, chlorella, milk thistle, dandelion leaf, and more. This is where it gets sticky. If you know you have a weak detoxification system, you should work with a natural health practitioner to find out exactly which herbs and supplements will best support your system.

Another part of cleaning out the BPA from our bodies involves the cell membranes. There is some science suggesting that our cell membranes have been damaged from BPA, as well as so many other toxins, that we need to rebuild the integrity of the membranes. This rebuilding involves fats. We need to make sure we are providing our bodies with the right types of fats. There are good fats and bad fats. The good fats that will help keep our membranes healthy are; seed oils (flax, evening primrose, sesame), some nut oils, fish oil, some animal fat, coconut oil, avocado fat and other omega-3 fats. Omega 3 fats are not the only ones we need, but they tend to be the least we get in today’s diet, so we have a fat imbalance. And of course, along with adding healthy fats, we need to remove the unhealthy, harmful fats like trans-fats and artificial fats, and lower the over-consumption of saturated fats that also usually come with artificial hormones and other unwanted chemicals.

This of course is a general overview of what is needed to protect us against the dangers of BPA. And these changes are not going to be easy for most of us, and almost impossible for many. Hopefully the more  studies that come to the surface showing the dangers of these manmade, dangerous chemicals, will prompt the government to take action to get our manufacturers to find healthier alternatives. Until that happens, we can at least have some control in what we put into our bodies, and we can educate people so we can spread the word. All of us are at risk from these toxic chemicals. We have all been touched by either losing someone we love to cancer, or suffering from one of the many diseases or disorders caused by BPA. The more we speak out, the quicker we can move to get these chemicals out of our world, and enjoy healthier, happier lives.