BPA: Making Headlines and Ways to Protect the Unborn

BPA, a known toxin and endocrine disruptor, makes headlines far too often. This time though it is for a good reason. This morning Maryland was the fourth state to ban the chemical bisphenol-A from baby bottles and sippy cups. The Senate passed the bill 46 to 0, that says a lot about what people think the fate of this chemical should be - and rightly so. Bisphenol-A has been linked in a myriad of studies to obesity, breast cancer, neuroblastoma, neurological issues, impaired thyroid function, adverse effects on the reproductive system, and prostate cancer. Sadly, most of its effects start in the womb and newborns are already born with BPA in their blood.

Fortunately there is something you can do about this! Researchers at Duke University have made an exciting discovery that can help all of us minimize the damage of BPA in our bodies. They have learned that by:

"...giving pregnant animals extra folate (found mostly in green leafy vegetables – foliage – such as spinach) or extra genistein (found mostly in legumes such as soy)...These nutrients switched the genes back the way they should be, and the BPA effect was completely nullified. The researchers describe this as compelling evidence that certain nutrients can counteract BPA when given during pregnancy."

That is great news! So if you are pregnant, go make yourself a spinach salad, top it off with some avocados and sweet bell peppers. Yum!