PNNL Research Says BPA May Be Safer Than We Were Led to Believe

Ten years ago we were told BPA -- bisphenol A (the stuff in Nalgene bottles) -- was a component to be feared. Manufacturers now market "BPA free" products. New research from a lab at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is suggesting it might have been a lot of fuss for nothing.

BPA, a popular ingredient in dozens of forms of hard plastic, was believed to mimic the sex hormone estrogen. Heating the plastic (with coffee, tea, in the washing machine or leaving it in sunlight) supposedly leached significant quantities of the chemical into your food or beverage.

The recent tests suggest the plastics may not be giving us enough of a dose for our bodies to detect it, or to be impacted by it. The research revealed animals are not a fair reflection of the toxicity levels of BPA in humans.

Toxicologist Justin Teegarden stated:

"At these exposure levels, exposure to BPA can't be compared to giving a baby the massive dose of estrogens found in a birth control pill, a comparison made by others."

I presume it's till dumb to microwave plastics, but you can dig those old water bottles out again!

To read more about studies on BPA click on this link.