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If
your home is full of plastic, carpets, cosmetics, vinyl flooring
and canned foods you need to read this as a speedo course in preventative
medicine ……..as you discover the composition of your
lethal environment.
Plastics
off-gas organic compounds known to radically interfere with the
endocrine system (a complex network of glands including ovaries,
testes, thyroid,
adrenals and intestines) and chromosomal DNA (the basic structure
of life).
BPA
and Phthalates imitate Estrogen in both sexes; Estrogen is at
the root of most cancer.
High
levels of both chemicals found in all people tested.
Phthalates
alter chromosomal DNA.
In
July '08 Congress signed a ban on phthalates in some children's
products. It is doubtful products were actually banned: the Consumer
Product Safety Commission, with full support of the FDA, immediately
over-ruled congress by claiming phthalates are ok for infants
and all the rest of us. The Feds have always ruled in favor of
the plastics industry. Meanwhile, the EU has banned most of these
plastics from entering their countries. (This is discussed in
great detail in the book "Exposed.") We need an enormous
outcry against blatant disregard for health in America.
Estrogen
Action:
Millions of tons of estrogen mimickers are created annually to
make some plastics hard (BPA) and others, soft and pliable (phthalates).
There's so much BPA and phthalates in air, water and food that
just being alive in today's environment is similar to wearing
a sex hormone patch.
These
chemicals amplify the effects of estrogen and produce estrogen
dominance in females and males. In females this dominance encourages
breast cancer, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, weight gain
and chronic fatigue. In males it may cause hair loss, lowered
libido and impotency. Is estrogen dominance the reason for the
Viagra craze?
Biochemist
Tsu-Tsair Chi has developed Myomin, a chinese herbal formula that
is claimed to control both the formation and utilization of estrogen
and has no side effects or toxicity It comes highly recommended
on the web where Chi and others find "over 99% of all cancers
are driven by estrogen." Various researchers are confident
this natural herbal medicine helps conditions caused by estrogen
imbalance such as cancer, fibroids, endometriosis, breast cancer,
ovarian cysts and andropause (low testosterone) in men.
BPA
Geneticist Patricia Hunt discovered BPA was leaching from polycarbonate
plastics, harming her control-mice and ruining her experiments.
Without her discovery it might have taken years longer to recognize
this danger. Hunt often collaborates with Frederick vom Stall
who inspired the controversial book "Our Stolen Future"
which discusses reports of chemicals causing deadly diseases.
Various plastics councils have supposedly threatened both scientists
and insist the revolt against plastics is a left wing conspiracy.
Off-gassing
BPA creates chronic toxicity in animals. Over 100 animal studies
show the following results at low doses: cancer, obesity, neurotoxicity
and breast cancer. In 2007 a consensus statement by 38 BPA experts
concluded average levels in people are above those known to produce
harm in animals and there is concern for effects on brain, behavior,
prostate gland, mammary gland in fetuses, infants and children.
Why
do organic food stores continue to sell the #7 plastic water containers
known to release BPA? Canada (4/08) announced a ban on the use
of BPA-polycarbonate baby bottles and other infant products. But
the FDA collaborates with the American Plastics Council and gives
the o.k. to BPA on 9/16/08. On the following day a new study on
human subjects published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association found BPA strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, heart
disease and liver-enzyme problems.
The
Sun Online, a British News Journal, ran a story 9/17/08 about
research at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, England that discovered
subjects with high levels of BPA were twice as likely to have
diabetes and heart disease. "Killer Chemical Lurking in Food"
is name of the article. This study sounds almost identical with
the one presented in Journal of the American Medical Association
mentioned above.
Phthalates
Phthalates are the most common estrogen mimicking plasticizers
and have the unique quality of migrating to the surface of plastic
and evaporating/leaching into the environment.
Phthalate
DEHP, a carcinogen found in PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is commonly
found in building products, medical devices, PVC toys such as
rattles and teethers, shampoo, food packaging, vinyl flooring,
hoses, nail polish, hair spray, to name a few. Many phthalates
are classified as toxic by EPA's Toxic Release Inventory and research
using human subjects show phthalates create observable DNA damage
in the sperm.
The
primary route of DEHP exposure is food such as meat, fish and
milk. Way back in '92 the International Program on Chemical Safety
found the daily intake of the average person to be 2mg. That was
17 years ago - imagine what it is now with fish swimming in seas
of plastic and inorganic beef full of additives and who knows
what
Very
high levels of phthalate esters were found in the blood serum
of 28 out of 41 female subjects between 6 months and 8 years with
very noticeable premature breast enlargement. That is 67%. "Identification
of Phthalate Esters in the Serum of Puerto Rican Girls with Premature
Breast Development" contains details of this research by
the various participating institutions and can be found at the
Environmental Health Perspectives Online.
"Testicular
toxicity" is revealed in the "neutral comet assay"
test showing DNA damage in human sperm cells exposed to Phthalates.
This test is used in radio biology to measure DNA damage in individual
cells. The study was approved by the Harvard School of Public
Health and Massachusetts General Hospital Human Subjects Committee,
and received full consent from males 20 - 54 involved in a semen
quality study. "In the neutral comet assay, a cell with fragmented
DNA has the appearance of a comet with a brightly fluorescent
head and a fluorescent tail whose intensity represents the relative
amount of DNA strand breaks present." Images of fragmenting
DNA are stunning and can be found at Environmental Health Perspectives.
Use
the Safest Plastic
According to Green Guide the safest plastics for repeated use
in food storage are #2, #4 and #5. Plastic #1 (PETE or PET) primarily
used for soda bottles, leaches carcinogenic phthalates and should
not be reused in any fashion. #7 polycarbonate hard plastic must
be avoided. #7 leaches BPA. The Green Guide.com advises removal
of deli items from Plastic #3 soon as you get the items home because
#3 is made of polyvinyl chloride which leaches dioxin, a carcinogen.
Styrofoam
is #6 plastic and considered dangerous by Green Guide who associates
it with central nervous system damage, depression, fatigue and
compromised kidney function. They suggest emptying restaurant
orders into safer containers pronto as soon as you get them home.
Watch for deli items that have been resting on a bed of Styrofoam.
One
of the most accessible sources of BPA is canned foods. Canned
soups, pasta and infant formula have BPA levels in the dangerous
zone. Some liquid baby formula is packed in containers lined with
BPA.
BPA
and phthalate free products for infants and toddlers are available.
Type "BPA free", "phthalate free" or "safe
plastic" into the search box at Amazon, Ebay and other sites.
But choose carefully, some of these products are poorly made and
come apart with a toddlers loving care. Look at product reviews
to learn if dishwater-safe etc before purchasing. Brands with
good reviews include: Think Baby, Kid Basix, Born Free, Dr. Browns
and Foogo by Thermos. We hope BPA and phathalate free products
will soon be available for all of us including animals.
Total
avoidance of toxic plasticizers is impossible but there are many
things one can do to protect against regular consumption. Some
of the most important:
Never microwave plastic. Use pyrex or other oven safe glass.
Store
food and water in glass containers.
Remove
plastic from the kitchen, nursery and toy-box.
Don't
drink from hose and wear gloves or wash hands after use of hose.
Look
on the bottom of plastic containers and don't use the worse plastics:
1,3, 6 &7.
Don't
let food touch plastic wrap; remove portions that touch plastic
wrap. Remove dentures, partials etc at night and whenever possible.
Plastic
wrap made from polyethylene doesn't leach plasticizers, PVC does.
Backings
on new carpets use PVC.
Indoor
plastic materials in vinyl sheet flooring, wall surfaces in bathroom
and kitchen may cause respiratory problems. Proper ventilation
is important.
Use
glass lenses for eye glasses instead of plastic ones.
Phthalate
DEHP is found in cosmetics, perfume, nail polish, hair spray and
is considered a reason for high levels of phthalate in women 20-45.
Phthalate
found in flea collars.
Use
glass or ceramic bowls and containers to feed pets.
Plastics
in the dash board and other sources off-gas BPA inside a new car.
I can't ride in a new auto without becoming ill.
Don't
use canned baby formula. "All U.S. manufacturers use BPA-based
lining on the metal portions of the formula containers."
Don't
eat canned food.
Eat
a diet high in natural estrogen inhibitors such as Broccoli, berries,
buckwheat, Cabbage, Citrus fruits, grapes, onions, melons, squash
and green beans.
Concluding
Remarks
Think of plastics as living entities giving off molecules of life
altering chemicals. BPA, Phthalates and other plasticizers are
found everywhere including the open seas of the Gulf and the North
Atlantic, not to mention the blood of most tested subjects. The
tragedy of this scenario is the powerful, life-altering effect
they can have on the fetus and infant. Although these toxins are
everywhere, Moms can limit direct feeding of plasticizers to children.
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