What is a guaranteed advice from anyone and everyone on health? No matter what diet miracle, he/she may recommend; it comes with- “drink plenty of water”.
And you do.
You take that bottle to Offices; give it to your kids in school, even drink it from the bottle itself.
Unaware about what happens to the water when you put it in the Plastic Bottle. Yes, the Bisleri, Fanta, 7-Up bottle and all other popular drinks which you have carefully cleaned and filled with water at home…..
Research says that keeping water in plastic bottles causes it to leach. Leaching means that some of the chemicals of the plastic enter the water. Use of plastic bottles for a long time and repeated washing increases the chances of leaching. Of these particles BPA or Bisphenol A leached is said to be carcinogenic in nature and harmful to the human body.
Recent research by the National Toxicology program, a division of National Institute of Health, US says that BPA present in some plastic bottles may disturb the hormonal balance in the body by mimicking estrogen or female hormone. It may cause breast cancer and uterine cancer in women and prostate cancer and decreases testosterone in men. It may also affect unborn babies, other research points to increase in insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.
Sounds awful, doesn’t it? This substance is banned in Europe and other countries but FDA of US still hasn’t banned the substance and there is no ban on bottles containing this substance in India too.
So, the only way to way to stop it from entering your body is to stop using them or reduce the use.
So how do you know which plastic bottle is safe? Check below the bottle, most bottles have a recycle symbol, the number contained inside it shows of what is it made of.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) Where is it used: Most soft drinks, water, pickle, jelly and jam jars and bottles. Is it safe to use: Yes, it is not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
High density polyethylene (HDPE)
Where is it used: Milk, water, and juice bottles and grocery, trash and retail bags.
Is it safe to use: Yes, it is not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones.
Polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Where is it used: the plastic sheet used to wrap meats, cheeses, vegetables is PVC.
Is it safe to use: No, to soften into its flexible form, manufacturers add “plasticizers” during production. Traces of these chemicals can leach out of PVC when in contact with foods. According to the National Institutes of Health, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), commonly found in PVC, is a suspected human carcinogen.
-Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
Where is it used: Some bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles.
Is it safe to use: Yes, it is not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones, but not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.
Polypropylene (PP)
Where is it used: Some ketchup bottles and yogurt and margarine tubs.
Is it safe to use: Yes, Hazardous during production, but not known to leach any chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or disrupting hormones. Not as widely recycled as #1 and #2.
Polystyrene (PS)
Where is it used: Foam insulation and also for hard applications (e.g. cups, some toys)
Is it safe to use: No. Benzene, a material used in production is a known human carcinogen. Butadiene and styrene (the basic building block of the plastic) are suspected carcinogens. It is Energy intensive and poor recycling properties.
Other (usually polycarbonate)
Where is it used: Baby bottles, microwave, ovenware, eating utensils, plastic coating for metal cans
Is it safe to use: No. It is made with biphenyl-A, a chemical invented in the 1930s in search for synthetic estrogens. It is a hormone disruptor, simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer studies. It can leach into food as product ages.
