BPA is a chemical found in plastic containers and metal cans. You might have spotted reusable bottles that have a sticker saying “BPA-free” on them. The use of BPA is controversial, because too much of it may have some negative health effects.
What Is BPA?
BPA, or bisphenol A, is a chemical used to make plastic. It’s found in many plastic goods such as water bottles, reusable food storage containers, baby bottles and even receipt paper. BPA-based plastic is also used to line the inside of metal cans.
BPA and Your Health
The FDA used to consider BPA safe, but has now set an upper limit of exposure that’s considered safe. Research is ongoing as high BPA exposure has been linked to hormone problems, brain problems, certain cancers and heart disease. BPA’s safety level could potentially change in the future if research studies find that it definitively causes any diseases. Some might argue that the public overreacts about BPA and its potential health effects. This is because BPA is found almost everywhere. Chances are, you probably have BPA in your body right now. If you signed a credit card receipt and then touched your mouth, there’s a chance that you could have ingested BPA.
Reducing Your Exposure
Due to BPA’s presence in so many everyday items, using a BPA-free plastic bottle may not make a huge difference in the amount you are exposed to. However, if you still want to reduce your exposure to BPA, there are a few things you can do:
- Look for BPA-free: There are many BPA-free plastic bottles and containers available. In addition, glass and stainless steel bottles have no BPA. An upside to avoiding BPA is that it encourages the use of metal and glass containers instead of plastic, which is also beneficial to the environment.
- Don’t heat plastics that have BPA: The heat can cause the BPA to leach into the food that’s being heated. Avoid microwaving, dishwashing and boiling any plastic containers that have BPA.
- Throw away plastics that are chipped or cracked: When plastic is chipped or cracked, the BPA is more likely to leak into the contents of the container.
- Reduce use of cans: Most cans are lined with a material that contains BPA.
Bobby is the community and social media manager at Zipongo. He has a degree in nutrition and dietetics and previously worked as a health educator.
