Avoiding Cancer Causing Plastics?!


Question: Avoiding Cancer Causing Plastics!?
I keep hearing about all sorts of news about a type of plastic that can leak a chemical that causes cancer!. Such as shower curtains and water bottles!.

Does anyone know of brands or links to webpages that provide substitutions for these things!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
I feel compelled to respond to your question with some real scientific references that totally disagree with "lo mcg's" answer implying "Internet myths" which he "supported" by 4 links to UNSCIENTIFIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION!. The information below will show that his "Internet myth" is the actual myth!

Bare with me - this will be extensive!. References for each scientific quote will be listed below!. First, a little background on the chemicals involved in plastics!.

Two common types of chemicals found in most plastics, including dental materials, PVC pipes, plastic wraps, and plastic food and beverage containers are Bisphenols and Phthalates!. These chemicals mimic the action of estrogens in biological systems and, thus, are known as "endocrine disruptors"!. Chemicals that disrupt your endocrine systems (hormonal systems) are not a good thing!

1) The leading U!.S!. govt!. research journal on environmental issues and health reports the following research findings: "Humans are routinely exposed to Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogenic compound that leaches from dental materials, food and beverage containers, and other consumer products!." "Our results demonstrate that the prenatal exposure to low doses of BPA perturbs mammary gland histoarchitecture and increases the carcinogenic susceptibility to a chemical challenge administered (later) !.!.!. after the end of BPA exposure!."

2) Exposure of the fetus to excess estrogen is believed to increase the risk of developing breast cancer during adult life!. Fetal exposure to low doses of the xenoestrogen bisphenol A resulted in long-lasting effects in the mouse mammary gland that were manifested during adult life!." "!.!.!.fetal bisphenol A exposure is sufficient to induce the development of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions in the mammary gland !.!.!." (Note: this is a very important concept to understand that research keeps showing is a serious factor in many adult diseases, including cancer - exposure via the mother as the fetus is forming [the first few days after impregnation of your mom] to endocrine disrupting chemicals increases your risk for ADULT onset disease decades later in your life!)

3) From Tufts University School of Medicine: "Perturbations in the foetal environment predispose individuals to diseases that become apparent in adulthood!." "There is widespread human exposure to bisphenol A, an estrogenic compound that leaches from dental materials and consumer products!." "Perinatal exposure to environmentally relevant bisphenol A levels induced alterations of the mammary gland !.!.!." "!.!.!.these parameters (the induced alterations in the mammary gland) are associated in human beings with an increased risk for developing breast cancer!." "!.!.!.both animal experiments and epidemiological data strengthen the hypothesis that foetal exposure to xenoestrogens may be an underlying cause of the increased incidence of breast cancer observed over the last 50 years!."

4) In an in vitro study of breast tissue from the contralateral (opposite side) breast of women with breast cancer, researchers found "a biological fingerprint of probable prior exposure to endocrine-disrupting agents (e!.g!. Bisphenol A), and !.!.!. (their findings) suggest a scenario in which their presence in the microenvironment milieu of high-risk breast tissue could play a deterministic role in establishing and maintaining tumor aggressiveness and poor patient outcomes!."

5) "Phenols and plasticizers (phthalates) are widely used in the plastic industry, in food packaging and to impart softness and flexibility to normally rigid plastic medical devices and children's toys!." In a series of in vitro studies these researchers found that these chemicals act upon two major hormone receptors - the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the androgen receptor!. Additionally, they showed that combinations of these commonly occurring chemicals (they are found in your body in combinations - not individually), in very small doses, have a synergistic effect on these receptors!

6) Men's prostate glands are also impacted by these chemicals!. Researchers at the Univ!. of Cincinnati showed that "environmentally relevant bisphenol A exposure !.!.!. results in an increased incidence and susceptibility to neoplastic transformation of the prostate gland in the aging male which may provide the fetal basis for this adult disease!." (Again, note that exposure in the fetus affects cancer risk as an adult!.)

7) From the Univ!. of Illinois: "There is increasing evidence !.!.!. that specific endocrine-disrupting compounds (e!.g!. bisphenol A) may influence the development or progression of prostate cancer!." "Importantly, there appears to be heightened sensitivity of the prostate to these endocrine disruptors during the critical developmental windows including in utero and neonatal time points as well as during puberty!."

8) Again from the Univ!. of Cincinnati: "we show that transient developmental exposure of rats, to low, environmentally relevant doses of bisphenol A !.!.!. increases prostate gland susceptibility to adult-onset precancerous lesions and hormonal carcinogenesis!."

OK, if you are still with me, I have provided legitimate scientific evidence that these chemicals in plastics are endocrine disruptors, they do increase cancer risk, and exposure very early in life may be the key risk!.

All of the references are available at Pubmed!.

I hope this 'clears the air' on this important medical issue!.

Best wishes and good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

It's largely an internet myth!.

There are in fact a number of myths circulating about plastic water bottles causing cancer, particularly breast cancer, most of which can be traced back to a hoax email that was widely ciculated!.

There have been several questions about this recently, so I assume the email is doing the rounds again!.

!.These links give the facts behind these rumours/hoaxes about plastic water bottles and cancer, and other myths about plastic and cancer:

http://urbanlegends!.about!.com/od/medical!.!.!.
http://www!.snopes!.com/medical/toxins/pet!.!.!.
http://www!.hoax-slayer!.com/plastic-cance!.!.!.
http://www!.snopes!.com/medical/toxins/coo!.!.!.

Never heard the one about shower curtains, but it has all the characteristics of another mythWww@Answer-Health@Com

actually yes this is true, for example if you leave your water bottle, out in the sun, you shouuldn't drink it anymore after its been in the sun
this was on the newsWww@Answer-Health@Com





The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories