Gender Benders in Your Spaghetti Sauce?

Has the FDA ever put the needs of the public ahead of industry?

Last week, the Food & Drug Administration reversed its position on the health effects of the industrial chemical and “food additive” bisphenol-A (BPA). For years, the agency maintained that this gender-bending, cancer-causing chemical was safe.

Their primary evidence? Two studies funded by the chemical industry.

Until last week, the agency refused to reconsider their position. And that is despite the fact that their own panel of experts stated it was scientifically flawed. It also ignored more than 100 published studies by government scientists and university labs showing that the industrial chemical poses significant risks.

The FDA now admits concern about those risks, especially regarding the safety and development of fetuses, infants and young children.

But they would still rather sacrifice your health than disrupt the wheels of commerce…

According to the Washington Post, “Regulators stopped short of banning the compound or even requiring manufacturers to label products containing BPA, saying that current data are not clear enough to support a legal crackdown.”

The “current data” on this substance is very clear. It’s just that the industries that make and use it wield so much power and influence in Washington that the FDA cowers before them. That is why they are soft-stepping.

One FDA spokesman who wished to remain anonymous said, “You want to warn people, but you don’t want to create panic.” Really? If you saw a shark approaching a group of swimmers, would you worry about “creating a panic?” No, you would yell, “Shark!” What the FDA doesn’t want to “create” are disruption and undue costs for their masters in industry.

What is BPA used for… and where is it found?

Bisphenol-A is a chemical that is used to harden plastics and make them shatterproof. It is also used in many soft plastics. And it is used in the lining of almost all canned goods. It is part of thousands of consumer products.

And it has been clearly shown to leach into those products. We know this from laboratory testing. And we also know it because, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 93% of the U.S. population tests positive for the chemical in our urine.

You might be interested to learn that BPA is not listed as a “food contact material” by the FDA. If it was, manufacturers would be required to disclose where and how it is used. And the FDA would have more authority to take action against it.

Instead, BPA is listed as a “food additive,” even though it is not added to food intentionally. Unbelievably, that exempts manufacturers from telling the government which products contain it and in what amounts.

BPA is an “endocrine disruptor” that mimics the hormone estrogen…

Your hormonal system is a complex network of glands and organs that send chemical messages throughout your body. These signals affect everything from your metabolism to reproduction. When they are disrupted or thrown out of balance, they can cause disease.

There are a wide range of chemicals that can mimic the effects of hormones. They can send the wrong signals at the wrong times. They can send a signal that is hundreds of times more powerful than your body might send. And they can block hormone receptors, therefore altering your metabolism.

In her book series, Your Plate, Your Fate, my wife Kelley writes:

“Adults can often recover from endocrine imbalances. But the harm to babies and children can be permanent. Their development requires specific doses of hormones at precise times. Hormonal imbalances in children and young adults can lead to permanent immune suppression, neurological damage that can lead to behavior problems, reproductive disorders and problems with sexual development.”

Gender benders like BPA can cause a decline in male sperm count, trigger early puberty in girls and induce feminine characteristics in men. They have also been shown to trigger insulin resistance, stimulate tumor growth and promote the spread of cancer cells.

And they can be highly active in extremely small amounts. One study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, showed significant health effects at levels 5,000 times below the dose identified by the EPA as the lowest level causing effects!

Industry CAN do without these chemicals…

The industrial giants that use these chemicals say that the benefits of the plastics we use and the advances in food safety as a result of these chemicals outweigh any negative repercussions. They have also said that these chemicals are indispensible… they just cannot make plastic containers and food cans without them.

However, environmentally and socially responsible companies are proving these companies to be wrong (or liars… take your pick). The truth is that we can innovate ourselves out of any corner. And a number of companies are showing the way.

Eden Foods, for example, now serves all of their canned products in BPA-free cans. And companies like Vital Choice Wild Seafood have also made the switch. So look for companies like these that do not use harmful chemicals in their containers.

Be particularly cautious of acidic foods that are stored in plastic or cans. Canned tomato sauce, for example, is known to be high in BPA. Also, do NOT ever heat foods in plastic containers. Although, researchers have found that BPA can leach into foods and beverages, even at cold temperatures, heat is definitely a catalyst. And be sure to use glass, ceramic or steel containers for food storage – not plastic.

Finally, if you are eating the right way – whole, natural foods – you should be eating and drinking very few things that come from a package, a can or a box. Just the way it should be.

To Your Health,

Jon Herring
Editorial Director
Total Health Breakthroughs

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