You’re thirsty, you reach for a bottle of water to quench your thirst. But as you gulp that water down, chemical changes begin inside your body: Chemicals such as BPA and phthalates act as estrogen, disrupting your normal hormonal balance.
If you’re a man, these chemicals reduce the production of testosterone and stimulate the growth of breast tissue. If you’re a woman, they stimulate weight gain and uncontrolled cell reproduction in your breasts that can lead to cancer. For both sexes, the potent hormone disrupting chemicals in plastic bottles increase your chances of developing diabetes and cancer. The price you pay for bottled water could be a lot higher than you think it is. New research suggests that you could be paying for that bottle of water with your life.
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC)
BPA is the best known EDC that mimics the effects of estrogen, specifically estradiol, a particularly potent form of estrogen, in the body. But there are others as well, phthalates are also used in plastics, they are just as deadly as BPA – and completely unregulated. Exposure to EDCs is extremely harmful to unborn children, they cause physiological changes which result in obesity, diabetes, behavioral problems and more later in life. If you’ve struggled with your weight for your whole life, it may be because you were exposed to EDCs before you were born! Roughly 93% of all Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies.
The Endocrine Society – an organization of professional endocrinologists – is raising the alarm. According to Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Liège in Belgium:
“Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during early development can have long-lasting, even permanent consequences. The science is clear and it’s time for policymakers to take this wealth of evidence into account as they develop legislation.”
Help is not on the way
Despite the alarm being raised by endocrinologists, policymakers in Washington plan to do nothing. Lobbyists for the chemical industry spent about $40 million dollars to buy Congressional inaction. With that kind of money in play, Congress isn’t likely to be moved by facts. Meanwhile, you, your children, and everyone else continue to be dosed with EDCs that are slowly robbing you of your health.
Other sources of EDCs
Bottled water is a major source of exposure to BPA and phthalates, but it’s not the only source of these toxic hormone disruptors:
- Register receipts
- Pesticides
- Canned food
- Plastic food storage containers
- Hormones in beef
- Beer
- Soy
Carbonless register receipts contain BPA, which is absorbed right through your skin. Pesticides have a variety of chemicals that act like estrogen. Canned foods use BPA in their liners. Plastic food storage containers also have BPA, never put hot food in a plastic container! If you like beef, make sure to get hormone-free beef. Sadly, the hops used in beer are one of the most potent forms of natural estrogen available. Soy is also a source of natural estrogen.
How to defend yourself and your children from EDCs
Stop drinking bottled water. Do it now, and don’t let your kids drink it either. Women who are pregnant must be especially vigilant. The plastics used in bottled water contains multiple chemicals beyond EDCs that are also harmful, such as antimony. Bottled alkaline water is especially bad, since alkaline water will pull acidic antimony from the plastic resin. Because of this, bottled alkaline water is potentially even more toxic than regular bottled water!
You are best off getting a water ionizer, since alkaline water can help you detox, and it will defend you and your family from pesticide residues in your food. With a water ionizer, you get protection from EDCs and the health benefits of alkaline water to help defend your body against the daily chemical onslaught that it endures.
Register receipts If you need your receipts, try storing them in a bag and try to wear gloves to avoid skin contact when handling them. Otherwise, just say “no thanks” at the register when they offer you a receipt.
Rinse your produce with alkaline water. Alkaline water permanently inactivates pesticide residues on produce, plain water doesn’t protect you. You can even see it working: Soak produce in a bowl of alkaline water, in a few minutes, the water will turn muddy brown. Allow your produce to soak for about 20 minutes, then discard the water. Rinse in fresh water, and you now have detoxified produce.
Eat fresh produce, not canned Cans that store food are lined with a resin that contains BPA. To avoid it, eat only fresh produce. Remember to soak your produce in alkaline water to neutralize pesticide residues.
Don’t put hot food in plastic containers. Heat causes BPA to leach from the plastic. It’s ok to store food in plastic containers in the refrigerator because it’s cold enough in their to prevent BPA from leaching.
Eat hormone free beef. If you choose to eat beef. Hormones used to speed up growth in cows mimic the effects of estrogen in humans.
There is no way to avoid hops in beer. If you want to avoid the phytoestrogens in hops, you can’t drink beer.
Soy also contains phytoestrogens This includes tofu made from soy. There is no safe form of soy, you just have to avoid it entirely.
A water ionizer is the best way to avoid bottled water and protect your health
A water ionizer protects you from EDCs like BPA and phthalates, plus it enables you to detox your food from pesticide residues. These two things alone can cut down substantially on the amount of EDCs you are exposed to. But a water ionizer does more, because alkaline water can also help you detoxify, and take back your health from environmental toxins like EDCs and pesticides. Studies show that alkaline water may help you detox from heavy metals, and may even provide protection from the toxic effects of mercury! It also makes sense to own an ionizer financially, you can actually finance a Life Ionizer for less than you may be paying for bottled alkaline water right now.