I’ve been trying to stick my head in the sand and not think about the dangers posed by plastic drinking vessels.
Here’s the problem: polycarbonate plastic, the kind used in baby bottles, sippy cups, sports bottles, etc., leaches a chemical called bisphenol A into liquids. In mice, the effects of BPA include increased body weight, early puberty, and increases in hormone-dependent cancers, according to BPA researchers at the University of Missouri.
Unfortunately, The National Toxicology Program of the National Instititutes of Health found that humans are exposed to up to 1,000-times higher levels of BPA than those mice.
So what is a concerned person or parent to do now?
There are alternatives for non-BPA plastic items. I bought my Nalgene non-BPA polycarbonate sports bottles at Whole Foods. Granted, they were a bit pricey, but I consider it worth it for the safety of my family.
For baby bottles, look for MAM, Adiri, Thinkbaby, Born Free, and Green to Grow brands of bottles. Some of these can be found at Whole Foods, Target, or BabiesRUs.
For sippy cups, look for Born Free, Klean Kanteen, Thermos, and BPAFreeKids. Some can be found at REI, Whole Foods, and even Walgreens.
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