BPA still a very real danger in canned foods

This study might as well have been called the canine in the coal mine.

When researchers decided to see how much BPA dogs had in their systems after eating a diet of canned food for only two weeks, they got a “very revealing” answer.

But what’s at stake here is more than just the health of your pup.

Because what this study uncovered has serious implications for every single member of the family.

A persistent plastic menace

BPA is one of those health threats that we’ve been hearing about for so long that most of us probably don’t pay much attention to it anymore.

But the terrible things it can do to our health that we already know about could fill a book. It can mimic estrogen and has been linked to health issues ranging from reproductive problems to damage to the heart and brain and even cancer.

And while it might seem like the FDA has already done something about it, that’s not really the case.

True, over four years ago the agency made a bold move and banned the chemical from baby bottles and sippy cups. But those items are just the tip of the BPA iceberg.

What this new study discovered not only proves how quickly the chemical can show up in the bloodstream, but it gives us another reason why consuming as little canned food as possible is a lot more than just a good idea.

Researchers at the University of Missouri switched the diet of healthy dogs (with small amounts of BPA in their bloodstream) from kibble to one of two popular brands of canned food for two weeks. In just 14 days, the pups’ levels of BPA had nearly tripled – even after eating the one that claimed to be BPA-free on the label!

Plus that, the researchers found the chemical had caused changes in the dogs’ intestinal bacteria – and maintaining levels of good intestinal bacteria is vital to staying healthy for both dogs and people.

This change was actually more serious than it may sound, because researchers were shocked to find that the BPA actually reduced the levels of a strain of beneficial bacteria that works to usher BPA and other hazardous chemicals out of our bodies.

So it’s like a vicious cycle: the more BPA you’re exposed to, the harder it is for your body to get rid of it. It looks like the chemical can disarm our own safety mechanisms that keep us protected from it.

And if you think that someday the FDA is actually going to get around to doing something here – well, it may be a very long wait. The agency has already reviewed hundreds of studies that show just how dangerous BPA is already.

And guess what? It still calls it “safe.”

Now, no matter how much you love your dog, BPA isn’t likely to be something that has crossed your mind when buying pet food. But aside from the health effects this dangerous plastic additive can have on your canine companion, this study proves beyond a shadow of a doubt how fast BPA can get into the body.

Given the risks of BPA exposure, especially to pregnant women and anyone with heart problems, it’s no wonder that companies are bending over backwards to tell us they’ve ditched its use in their products.

But it turns out that just shopping for BPA-free cans isn’t the easy answer.

So, the only way we can know for sure is by taking matters into our own hands and limiting our exposure to it as much as possible.

One of the best ways to do that is to stop using canned foods – something we now know goes for our dogs as well.

Along with that, we can also reduce our contact with this dangerous chemical by:

• Using only glass or stainless steel containers to store food.
• Not microwaving foods or beverages in plastic containers, which can leach even more BPA into your food.
• Not trusting those “NO BPA” promises on plastic water bottles and buy one that’s stainless steel instead. Even if they really are BPA-free, numerous studies have found that manufacturers simply swapped one poison for another – replacing BPA with BPS, which is equally dangerous to our health!
• Looking for those aseptic containers instead of cans. Those are the box-like cartons that more and more foods are being packed in – especially soup.

Who knows what other scary things researchers may find out about BPA and BPS, but why wait?

We can make some simple changes right now that could make all the difference in our health, and the health of those we love – even the ones with four legs!

“Canned food may boost BPA levels in dogs: Study” HealthDay, December 23, 2016, consumer.healthday.com