THREE IMPORTANT ISSUES:  BPA in plastic containers, Oil usage for plastic & Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins   ARE PLASTIC CONTAINERS HARMING OUR KIDS? The following information was listed on www.drcranton.com   BPA and other harmful chemicals in plastic containers Tiny residues of BPA, or bisphenol A are released from plastic containers and milk cartons and they contaminate food and beverages.  A recent report by Dr. Angel Nadal, and a report published in the Journal Environmental Health Perspectives, suggests that repeated exposure to BPA causes insulin resistance, which leads to type II diabetes.  BPA shows up in the bloodstream of 95% of Americans.  The plastic industry will tell you that small amounts of BPA are nothing to worry about.  Is it a coincidence that all 11 studies funded by the plastics industry conclude the BPA is safe and nothing to worry about, while 90 percent of the 104 government or university-funded studies report evidence for harm? A report in the Journal Environmental Health Perspectives reviews data from 115 published studies on BPA.  It reports that 94 published animal studies show harmful effects.  Other harmful chemicals in plastics Food and beverage containers are made from various types of plastic and plasticizers:  Phthalates, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polythylenetherephtalate, ethylene vinyl acetate, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride or vinly, polystyrene, polybutylene, Nalgene, dilaurylthiodipropionate, 3(3,5-di-tert-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, and many others.   All release small amounts of chemicals and plasticizers into foods and beverages.  Phthalates act to disrupt hormone pathways in the body.  Some researchers   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project that one in three children under five will develop type II diabetes during their lifetime.  If they are Latino, the odds are that one in two will become diabetic.

Americans use 2 million barrels of oil a day to make plastic, nearly 10% of U.S. Oil usage.  According to a nationwide online survey conducted by Insight Express, 72 percent of the American public does not know that conventional plastic is made from oil.  Moreover, 40 percent of the respondents believe that plastic will biodegrade at some point.  Petroleum based plastic will never biodegrade. Less than 6% of plastic is eventually recycled.   This information was listed on treehugger.com.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins: NO PLASTIC CONTAINERS IN MICROWAVE -EVEN THOUGH THEY STATE MICROWAVE SAFE NO WATER BOTTLES IN THE FREEZER NO PLASTIC WRAP IN MICROWAVE   A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.  Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.  Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.  He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.  He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.  This especially applies to foods that contain fat.  He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.  Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex, or ceramic containers for heating food.  You get the same results, only without the dioxin.  So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.  He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper.  The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.  Also, he pointed out that the plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave.  As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.  Cover food with a paper towel instead.  This article should be mentioned to anyone important in your life.