Article: Cancer In A Can?

First, I recommend everyone buy the October 2008 issue of Self magazine if you haven't already. This issue focus on cancer awareness (more focus on breast cancer) and how to take steps to prevent the disease. While the entire issue is a must read, the article that left a huge impression on me was about the chemical BPA, called "Cancer in A Can." (link above)

"Bisphenol A (BPA), a harmless-seeming material that is an ingredient to make certain plastics. It is used to line billions of cans and in other forms of packaging, including polycarbonate water bottles, those hard, shatterproof containers often used for sports. In ultra-low doses—the amount that can leach from packaging and bottles into food and drink—BPA has been shown in lab animals to cause immune disorders and early onset of puberty, and to fuel various cancers." It takes on an estrogen-like form, blending into DNA and has shown in studies of animals that it can turn on and off certain genes that would be under your hormones control. BPA is described as acting like estrogen's evil twin.

I have known about the BPA toxin for awhile however only in plastic water bottles and plastic storage items. BPA used in can liners never occurred to me before. I use a water bottle now by Klean Kanteen, made of Eco-friendly steel. Now I will switch to glass bowls and avoid canned goods (time to learn how to make soup!) So, I stress that everyone read the full article and to make a change because even the tiniest amount of BPA has an effect on our bodies.

*Ways to steer clear of BPA (from Self.com):

- Sip from stainless steel or glass, which do not contain BPA. Some plastics do and it's not easy to tell which ones. If you use plastic, avoid any with 7 in the recycling triangle on the bottom. These codes were never meant to indicate the presence of BPA and so are not foolproof guides, but numbers 1 through 6 are less likely to contain the chemical.

- Nuke food in ceramic or glass. High temperatures make BPA in plastic containers more likely to leach. Avoid putting plastics (polycarbonate especially) in the dishwasher.

- Stick to fresh or frozen foods. Most cans are lined with BPA-epoxy liner. Of foods tested, the highest levels of BPA were in pasta, vegetables and soups. But many haven't been tested.

- Demand BPA-free cans, as advocate John Peterson Myers advises. Eden Foods in Michigan uses BPA-free cans for all low-acid foods. They cannot be used for acidic items such as tomatoes, however, so stick to glass jars for foods like that.