BPA, Part Two

As the result of a comment posted to my previous BPA post, I decided to do a little research to find out exactly how BPA is stored within the body and whether or not there is a legitimate method to remove it. I also wanted to know if BPA exposure was reversible...that is if a child was exposed to BPA in early development, would the removal of the BPA source(s) minimize and/or reverse any ill effects of the chemical?

This is of great interest to me because for the first year of M's life, word about BPA (and pthalates) was only just reaching my ears. As a result, she was fed via a mainstream plastic bottle until she was almost 12 mos old. And that's not counting all the plastic containers, spoons, canned foods, toys, pacifiers, etc she came into contact with. After the revelation, I spent a big chunk of time feeling really guilty about it...convinced I'd screwed M royally. And then I decided, "to hell with it" and stopped beating myself up. Instead I took action and began the massive plastic purge. Which is where I am today.

Back to BPA detox. First of all, I think it's worth taking a closer look at just what types of items contain BPA. I know I covered this in detail in my previos post but there's still a bit more that you should be aware of. This is a great article that covers the basics. But keep in mind, a plastic that does not contain BPA may very well still contain pthalates.

I spoke with our naturopath and then did a little research of my own. Here's what I discovered: BPA, once ingested, makes its merry way into the digestive tract and from there, into the liver for metabolism. Generally speaking, some BPA gets passed right out of the body via the liver's natural filtration system (which typically recognizes foreign substances and pushes them out into the kidneys, bladder, and--ultimately--urine). But recent studies have shown that the BPA removal time isn't quite as speedy, or thorough, as we'd originally been told. The fact is, it tends to hang out in fatty tissue for an unspecified period of time...which is leading scientists to wonder if a) our main source of BPA isn't via food (canned foods and drinks, plastic containers) but environmental (water, soil, etc) and/or b) if BPA is just darned hard to get out of our bodies once its there.

So...how should someone go about removing it entirely? Is it even possible? Based on what I've read, there are a few answers to this question.

1) One of the best ways to reduce BPA in the body is to simply reduce exposure to BPA. Since the body does "shed" some BPA relatively quickly, if you cut back on BPA exposure, you will--over time--significantly cut back on the amount in your system.

2) Because BPA tends to hang out in the liver, some folks recommend focusing on foods and/or supplements that cleanse the liver as a way to fully remove BPA. This could involve doing a "detox" program for a few weeks (check with a nutritionist or naturopath for specifics) or taking milk thistle supplements. However it's important to understand that these are not things anyone should be doing with young children unless they've discussed with a doctor first.

As to my final question, whether or not BPA exposure is reversible, I was never able to find the answer to that. My guess is there's still a lot scientists don't know or understand about how BPA impacts a developing child. My educated guess is if you can reduce exposure early enough, to give a developing child's body time to shed the chemical, it should help to minimize the impact of BPA on that child. And if you takes steps to further reduce exposure to other chemicals-- phthalates, pesticides, flame retardents, etc--while also providing healthy meals and plenty of exercise, your child will have more than a fighting chance to mature into a strong, healthy adult.

Ultimately, the best we as parents can do is stay educated about the risks and act quickly to reduce exposure as much as possible. While non-pregnant adults are at a relatively low risk from BPA exposure (lets face it, the damage was done long ago for most of us), children (especially those in utero and up to age three) are very high risk. Children's immune and natural detox systems aren't fully ramped up until age three...which means chemical exposure impacts them a whole lot more than it does adults.