Gene Therapy: How Simple Changes Can Protect Yours From Toxicity

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Bottled water, juice, tea, coffee, etc., especially for those with kids and on the go, can be positively practical, but it can also be downright dangerous, if not potentially poisonous.

Yet most of us don’t think twice about grabbing a bottled water, if not refilling the bottle, nuking our food in plastic containers, or popping open contents enclosed and stored in food cans and other products. But, now there’s speculation that plastic may in fact alter human cells.

According to recent research with rodents, bisphenol A, found in polycarbonate bottles, food can and other packaging products have shown a correlation of synthetic estrogen to a host of cancers, early onset puberty, obesity and type II diabetes. In fact, some scientists suggest that the chemical can actually affect and alter cell behaviour, at low levels, in the parts per trillion range. And, they add, most humans are voluntarily exposed to BPA that is present at levels 10 to 100 times greater than that used in the studies.

· Recent revelations resulted in Canada banning BPA, often found in baby bottles, and the linings of formula cans. And, just recently the U.S. Congress followed suit with a ban on several phthalates in toys for kids under 12. It is expected that the ban will take effect six months after the legislation is signed by the president, who is expected to lend to it his John Hancock, in a week or so. And, while chemical-makers suggest that these products and chemicals have been used safely for years, research, say experts, reveals that they can affect the reproductive system.

· Precautions are a MUST say experts, but total avoidance may be impossible, at least according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, they say that virtually everyone they tested showed traced of BPA and phthalates.

· Reduce your exposure to BPA and phthalates by looking for plastics and products labeled Phthalate-free or PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-free or tagged with the recycling coes #1, #2 or #5.

Parents concerned about chemicals in teething rings can go old-school allwing their infant to teeth on cold, wet cloths or fabric teeters. Parents can also let baby suck on frozen mini-bagels or celery sticks.

Experts also recommend fragrance-free shampoos and other personal hygiene products, especially for children, since phthalates are often found in fragrances.

Parents should also be aware that although many companies are said to be phasing them out, and although it “has” gotten better, many of your child’s favourite toys are likely made with phthalates.

Last but not least, experts suggest a “back-to-basics” approach for you and your infant, and suggest going back to good old class for cooking, heating, and drinking, even when it comes to your baby’s bottle. And, they recommend avoiding plastic tagged with a #7 recycling code at all costs, since that clearly denotes precuts containing BPA.

Here are some other informative and interesting facts:

· The longer a liquid stays and sits in a BPA-containing container, the more of the toxic chemical that can leach into it.

· Toxicity is “time-sensative” meaning that the more we wash baby bottles and other BPA-containing products in hot water and reuse them or heat them in the microwave, the more chemicals we are causing to leach out of them. In fact, the older the container the more BPA that it can leach.

· Some scientists suggest that those most at risk are fetuses and infants, because their bodies are still in the critical development phase and BPA can actually alter how their genes are activated. In recent experiments in rats, which scientists suggest have a similar structure to humans, a fairly average exposure to BPA, on that an average child would be exposed to, resulted in a division of cells at a faster than average rate and led to enlarged prostates and eventually to prostate cancer.

· Since BPA can impact human cells and affect essential estrogen levels, BPA may be associated, say experts with the onset of certain diseases and conditions including:

o Early onset of puberty

o Obesity

o Diabetes

o Breast Cancer

o Impaired Immune Function

o Defective Sperm

o Prostate Cancer and Disease

o Impaired Reproductive Development