I am always
in shock at the stupidity of the human race. We view ourselves as the most
intelligent species on this planet, yet we somehow manage to lack the necessary
foresight that is required to live harmoniously with every living species on
this planet - including ourselves!. For example, when you look at political decisions they are always made in
hindsight – a reaction to an event. Our actions are a response to a previous
mistake.
Now, I am a
firm believer in correcting mistakes. However, some mistakes are more lethal than
others. For example, we pollute and keep on polluting our environment until someone
comes along and says “hey, you’re polluting the environment!”. Then, when only
enough people say the same thing do we do anything about it.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is just such an example. It is most probably something you have never
heard of, yet it is a part of our everyday lives. BPA is a chemical compound that
can be found in cans, plastic containers, toys, and many other products that
our scattered throughout our homes. It is mainly used in plastics and can be
found in many baby bottles, plates, bowls, baby pacifiers, etc. It is also
widely used as a lining in food and beverage cans. I think you get the picture
that it is everywhere in our houses.
The danger
of Bisphenol A has been well documented, but is vehemently denied by the
industry (see www.bisphenol-a.org for their
feeble attempt to dismiss the scientific studies that show the dangers of BPA).
To highlight this bias, a study was conducted in 2007 that showed that among US
government-funded BPA experiments on lab animals and tissues, 153 found adverse
effects and only 14 did not. Furthermore, all 13 studies funded by chemical corporations
using BPA reported no harm. I think that speaks for itself.
The Journal Of The American Medical Association
(JAMA) have published a number of reports showing the toxicity of BPA. Their
reports show that BPA concentrations are high in urine samples. Also, they
showed that these high urinary concentrations of BPA are linked to increases in
heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and abnormal concentrations of liver enzymes.
Researchers
from Harvard University’s School of Public Health conducted research on two
groups of healthy students. One group was fed freshly made soup daily for five
days. The other group was fed soup from cans daily also fro five days. The
results were alarming. Those in the fresh soup group had an average BPA level
of 1.1 micrograms per litre in their urine. Those in the can soup groups had an
incredible 20.8 micrograms per litre – after 5 days! This level would be
expected from those whose occupation exposes them to high levels of BPA.
The Breast
Cancer Fund conducted a study on six canned foods that were marketed to
children. All six makes were positive for BPA. The highest levels were found in
two of Campbells products.
