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There's been a lot of buzz about dubious chemicals in the environment
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that might contribute to some pretty frightening stuff like obesity, breast cancer, thyroid issues.
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And they seem to lurk everywhere:
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in pesticides, cosmetics, and especially plastic packaging.
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In light of this, it's understandable to start panicking.
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But before you do, let's hear what molecular biologist Bruce Blumberg has to say on the subject.
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He's been studying the link between synthetic chemicals and obesity for around 15 years.
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So he might be able to give us a better idea of what's really going on and what to do about it.
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Bad news is, Blumberg confirmed that, yep, we're surrounded by these chemicals.
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One of the most well known is BPA, or Bisphenol A,
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which shows up in water bottles, cans, milk cartons, and more.
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You get them from thermal paper receipts.
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Like I have, I have these receipts from a recent trip.
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All of these things are coated with Bisphenol A.
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It goes right into your skin.
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BPA has been making headlines for years about whether or not it's harming us.
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And while FDA-funded and independent studies have conflicting conclusions, the bigger heart of the issue is this:
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BPA is hard to get away from, because it's a key building block in the tough, clear, flexible plastic called polycarbonate.
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And that proximity to food is what concerns scientists like Blumberg.
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You don't wanna store food in plastics because some fraction of those plastics will leach into your food.
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The BPA molecules that make up plastic are bound together by what's called an ester bond,
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which is extremely sensitive to heat.
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So, when you heat up your food in plastic, that heat breaks some of the bonds,
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releasing the chemicals into your food.
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A survey by the CDC of 2,517 people estimated that over 90% of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their urine.
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And BPA isn't alone.
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Phthalates, which make plastic flexible, can also leach into food when heated.
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And reviews of hundreds of studies have linked BPA and phthalates to heart disease, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes.
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Not to mention, a 2015 review linked phthalates with impaired neurological development in children,
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which in 2018 prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to announce that families should avoid plastic food containers entirely.
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And other studies on animals, like mice and monkeys,
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have shown that these chemicals can lead to problems in the lungs, brains, and reproductive organs.
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This is about the time someone like me would probably panic.
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But there are ways you can avoid these chemicals.
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Blumberg suggests it's best to just stick to heating your food in anything but plastic.
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Now, quick aside, BPA-free plastic containers aren't the answer,
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because research suggests that BPS and BPF, the most common replacements for BPA,
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might have similar effects on your body.
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Instead, opt for replacements like ceramic or glass containers.
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You have to do the best you can,
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and it makes sense to me to do the things that give you the most return for the least effort.
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And here's the best part.
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Once you reduce exposure, those chemicals slowly leave your body.
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As Blumberg says, they're stored in fat cells, which eventually die and ultimately leave your system.
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Don't stress about it. Right.
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Do your best and make conscious choices to improve things.