Food and safe plastic use

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After my diagnosis last fall my daughter read an article about the safe use of plastic. All plastic containers have a number on the bottom. Numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 are thought to be safe. Numbers 3, 6 and 7 are not. Please check your plastic. Of special concern to me is number 7. It has been in the news lately because it is used in baby bottles, but it is also used in Nalgeen sports water bottles and the 5 gallon bottles used in water coolers - which I drank out of everyday at work. Number 7 contains Bisphenol A, a chemcial that mimics the action of the human hormone estrogen and can leach into the water. It has been found to cause breast tissue changes in mice that resemble early stages of breast cancer in both mice and humans. I now carry my water to work in a stainless thermos. My daughter is an onco nurse and she talked about it so much at work that they had her give a class on safe plastic use. Please check your plastic numbers and use it safely. Nancy

Comments

  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited August 2007
    Nancy, good point. Plus, anything in plastic justs does not taste as good. The plasicizers do tend to leach out of the plastic and into the contents, especially over time and/or elevated temperatures.

    Remember, ladies, to never use plastics, including plastic wraps, in the microwave.

    Tina
  • thomcat
    thomcat Member Posts: 356
    edited August 2007

    Thanks for the heads up. Checked the bottled water we buy in 5 gallon jugs (spring water from the GA mtns) and it has a "7" on it. Can you believe I've been drinking this stuff for the past 7 years.....and I have bc!!!!!????!!!

  • Rosemary44
    Rosemary44 Member Posts: 2,660
    edited August 2007

    I tried very hard to get my kids not to use plastic bottles for the baby, to no avail. What's so hard about washing glass bottles as opposed to plastic? It's all the same to me.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited August 2007
    Does anyone know what that stuff is that lines portable, travel coffee mugs/thermoses....you know, like the tall Starbuck's ones? I have a few aluminum ones too, but I hate drinking out of metal. And I need my coffee!!!!

    ~Marin
  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited August 2007

    Beware of the aluminum lined travel mugs--aluminum ingestion is associated with Alzheimer's and other dementias! Sounds like our best bet is stainless steel--non-reactive enough for surgical implants to be made from. And I hear you, coffee is an ESSENTIAL food group, every morning!!!

  • joanne_elizabeth
    joanne_elizabeth Member Posts: 499
    edited September 2007

    Yikes I have a bottle with a number 7 on it!!! The web site assures you that these plastics are safe! How about nalgene is it safe? It seems to have no number.

  • suave
    suave Member Posts: 189
    edited September 2007

    Thanks for posting. I will look into all my plastic containers for our water. I knew plastic wasn't good but I thought it was okay if it wasn't heated.

  • ERS2006
    ERS2006 Member Posts: 40
    edited September 2007

    Hi Nancy

    I drink water out of a #7 bottle (water cooler) at work...Do you or your daughter have any articles on these #7 Bisphenol A?...Does anyone have glass water bottles for coolers?

  • NKinPA
    NKinPA Member Posts: 13
    edited September 2007
    http://www.naturalpath.com/environment/the_effects_of_bottled_water_whats_the_deal and http://www.iatp.org/foodandhealth.  These are two of the articles on plastic.  The #7 water cooler bottles and Nalgene bottles have Bisphenol A.  They do make glass cooler bottles but they are hard to find.  I carry my filtered tap water in a stainless steel bottle I got at www.kleankanteen.com and I have a stainless thermos and coffee mug.  They don't seem to change the taste but after chemo what do I know!  Plastic is everywhere but it's easy to avoid cooking with it.  Pyrex makes nice little glass containers to carry food to work in.  The IATP website has info on other safe food issues also.  I hope these links work.  Nancy
  • NKinPA
    NKinPA Member Posts: 13
    edited September 2007
    http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa   Here is another article by National Geographic.  It has some good links to it also.  I figure National Geographic should be a reliable source.  Nancy

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