So this is not the first time I’ve brought up the toxins in our environment. However, the label of your bottled water certainly does not indicate that every case comes with a training bra, but maybe it should.
Many chemicals in the environment have an estrogen-like effect. Most notable of these is plastics and compounds used in plastics such as bisphenol A (BPA). The estrogenic effects have consequences for both men and women.
The most obvious for women is the increased risk of estrogen related cancers like breast and endometrial cancers. However, early onset of menses and menstrual problems like endometriosis and PMS are influenced as well.
On the male side of the equation is an increased risk of prostate cancer and enlargement of the prostate. Loss of libido and lowered sperm counts can contribute to infertility problems in couples.
This particular article puts a scary face on my strong recommendation to ditch the plastic water bottles in favor of water from an RO system into a BPA free water bottle. The authors find that even many products labelled “BPA free” released high levels of BPA when exposed to UV radiation, high heat or microwaving.
The bottom line is that we need to avoid many of these plastics as much as possible. Based on this article, maybe stainless steel or glass water bottles are less questionable. It means letting new plastics like shower curtains fully air out before you leave them in an enclosed room. It means leaving the windows down in your car to air out the phthalates coming off the dashboard.