Photo © Flickr user Dan4th
How would you like to possibly lower your family’s bisphenol A (BPA) levels in just three days? It may sound wacky, but a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives shows that if you avoid commercial food packaging, you can very likely quickly lower the BPA levels in your body. Study researchers gathered data about the typical daily diets of 20 participants in five families. Then these participants were asked to eat a diet of fresh, non-packaged foods (no cans or plastic containers) for three days before returning to their normal diets. Keep reading to learn about the astounding study results.
Photo © Flickr user Southern Foodways Alliance
Study set-up and results:
During the study, researchers gathered evening urine samples from the study participants. The results – during the three days that the families avoided foods packaged in plastics and cans, urine levels of BPA and phthalates decreased significantly. In fact, when the families ate food packaged in only glass or stainless steel containers, BPA levels were reduced, on average, by 66% and phthalate metabolites were reduced by 53-56%. After the families went back to their normal diets; diets that included foods packaged in plastic or cans, their BPA levels returned to their previously higher levels almost immediately.
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Isn’t bulk food usually stored in plastic containers – probably polycarbonate? And how can we avoid buying cheese in plastic containers or wrap???
The bad news is it’s very challenging to always avoid eating food untouched by plastic – I took the No Impact (zero plastic) Challenge and did it for a week – you have to prepare in advance, get creative and be willing to answer questions and overlook confused stares. I ended up switching to all cloth produce bags and bringing my own to-go containers and glass jars to the grocery store for bulk items, but with my current lifestyle couldn’t sustain 100% plastic free living, though I still choose that route whenever possible. I’d say, be aware, do your best, and incorporate change at your own pace. Great article!!