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Hidden Poisons in Our Food

on Jan 12, 2015 in Nutrition, Weight Loss, Wellness Blog

Ringpull Tin CansSAY NO TO CANNED FOODS WITH BPA –

Biphenyl-A or BPA is a powerful environmental toxin that has been shown to alter endocrine function. It disrupts the hormonal balance in our body which regulates body weight. The altered hormonal balance leads to lowered body metabolism, increased fat cell production, increased appetite, and weight gain. BPA has also been clearly linked to cancer and diabetes.

The levels of the chemical – used to protect canned food from corrosion and bacteria –  are surprisingly high in the canned goods found on our kitchen shelves.

To reach this conclusion, 50 different cans of food were collected from pantries in 19 states and Ontario and were analyzed at a top food safety lab in San Francisco. BPA was found in 92 percent of the samples according to a 24-page study called No Silver Lining, which was released today by the National Workgroup for Safe Markets.

The highest  level of BPA was 1,140 parts per billion – believed  to be the highest ever found in the U.S. It was detected in Del Monte French Style Green Beans from a pantry in Wisconsin, the report said. Other high scorers included Walmart’s Great Value Green Peas from a store in Kentucky, and Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup from a pantry in Montana, said researchers from the coalition of more than 17 public and environmental health organizations .

Hundreds of studies – by both government and academic researchers – have shown that exposure of animals to low doses of BPA has been linked to cancer, abnormal behavior, diabetes and heart disease, infertility, developmental and reproductive harm, obesity, and early puberty, and is a known risk factor for breast cancer. Also, BPA exposure is particularly of concern for pregnant women, for babies, and for children.

“It takes as little as one serving of canned foods to expose a person to levels of BPA that have been shown to cause harm in laboratory animals.  This is especially troublesome if the person eating the canned foods is pregnant, because fetuses are especially vulnerable to BPA’s effects,” reports  co-author Bobbi Chase Wilding, organizing director of Clean New York, told AOL News.

The researchers warned that in addition to the risk of BPA in canned food, people are also exposed to the chemical composite in common products like polycarbonate water and baby bottles, 5-gallon water coolers, and printer inks, toners and thermal receipt paper (used by most gas stations and supermarkets) where BPA can rub off paper onto hands and get into mouths.

There are some responsible food manufacturers who refuse to use BPA in their canned goods. Look for these brands: Eden, Muir Glen, and at Trader Joe’s look on the label of their canned goods as most of their beans, corn, and canned meats are in BPA free cans.