Can bottled water give you cancer? This has been much debated over recent years so lets have a look. Ok, so to start off there are many hazardous products found in plastic bottles. These chemicals are Bisphenol A (BPA), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Phthalates. These have all been found to be quite toxic to the human body.
Let’s have a closer look at each one.
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Bisphenol A is used in the manufacturing process of plastics to help prevent cracking in soft plastics and in harder plastics. BPA is added to epoxy resin to help in stabilizing the product. The problem arises when containers and bottles that contain BPA are heated. It is believed that the chemicals can leach out into whatever the plastic item contains, be it food or drink. The problems that have been linked to ovarian, prostate, and breast cancers.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Polyethylene terephthalate bottles do not contain BPA. It is believed however that they contain contaminants due to the fact that they are made from a soft plastic. A study was conducted by the North Dakota State University. They found in this study that contaminants of saliva, faecal matter, and food residues were contained within the plastic.
Phthalates
Phthalates are another type of chemical that gives PVC its flexibility, this chemical has been found to leach into the water also and has been linked to sterility in males and also liver cancer as well as testicular atrophy.
Who Should I Believe?
There are so many man-made chemicals in our environment these days bombarding our bodies. We have organisations like Ban The Bottle advocating for health. On the other side of the argument we have many organisations claiming this is incorrect. Cancer research organisations such as The Cancer Council Australia and CBS News all dispute this but should we believe these huge corporations who profit from us being sick. Remember they are all linked and owned by the same people that supply the drugs when we are unwell. What do you think? Can bottled water give you cancer?
From all of the research I have done, it seems that there is still a very divided world. When it comes to what gives us cancer and what doesn’t, I think much more research will be needed. I always choose to err on the side of caution and drink from a glass where possible or keep a refillable bottle with me that is not plastic or is BPA free.
What Can I do to Reduce my Risk
Here’s what you can do to reduce your risk of exposure to toxins that can be released from bottles. These are great recommendations taken from The Truth About Cancer Website.
- Exchange your plastic bottles for stainless steel or glass
- Invest in a good quality carbon water filter and filter your tap water and store it in glass or ceramic containers
- Avoid cooking and heating any food or water in plastic or Styrofoam
- If you must eat or drink from plastic be careful not to expose the food to the sun, high heat, microwave, or cut into the plastic while you are consuming the product.
Just remember that you are your best judge and if something doesn’t feel right to you then it probably isn’t. Trust your own inner guidance when it comes to your health.