Plastic and cancer

United States
January 6, 2009 7:13pm CST
Here's a heads up, all. I've left water in plastic containers left in the car on many occasions. I also freeze water in plastic containers. Do you? It's not a good idea. After you read the following article, you and I might look at making changes with a positive perspective. Cancer Update from Johns-Hopkins - This also applies to men. Bottled water in your car -- very dangerous. This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia. A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and the Doctor told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer . So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle when you can! Let everyone who has a wife / girlfriend / daughter know please. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. No plastic containers in microwave. No water bottles in 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 dioxin 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. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. 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 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 is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!
2 people like this
10 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I wish more and more people were aware of this. I actually did a two whole articles some time ago for Associated Content in relation to the dangers of plastic bottles...in one I mentioned that one should NEVER reuse plastic bottles, as the "older" they get the more chance of those toxic chemicals leaking into whatever liquid you're filling the plastic bottle with. I also discovered the worse news that many plastic baby bottles use #3 graded plastic...which is PVC plastics...the worse plastic ever invented...in fact any time one smells that real heavy duty plastic smell for anything, from plastic shower curtains, plastics in cars (seats), etc. chances are it's PVC (Poly vinyl Chloride)
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 09
Truly amazing, Pye. And even when bags are inserted into the bottle, they're made of plastic! Bottles made of glass, like the ones I used on my daughter in the '60s, are somewhat heavier. I believe people need to be aware of this danger and so do you. It never occurred to me about the shower curtains, car seats! Thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 Jan 09
What I can't get is why it takes our FDA to get its head out of its butt and let the public know about such dangers? In many other countries they have known about the dangers for years and the plastic #3 for baby bottles have been banned altogether...
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
13 Jan 09
Hi Joyce, Thanks for posting this. I hope it creates a lot of interest. I posted a thread to that effect a while back when the Canadian Government banned baby bottles made from certain plastic. Unfortunately it did not spark a lot of interest on Mylot. I only got 6 reples. Your post is much more informative as to what not to do with plastic bottles, plastic containers and saran wrap in cooking. It would be helpful though if you could provide the links so the articles could be followed up at the source. In any case I no longer buy water in plastic bottles for regular use since my kids talked me out of it. I prepare my tap water by drawing it into a pitcher and letting it sit for a while for the chlorine to evaporate, then I add a slice of lemon or lime and put the pitcher in the fridg and cover it up. If I have not used it all in couple of days I throw it out and prepare a fresh batch. My son also brought me a metal container that can be carried along for walks or taken in the car for trips.
• United States
13 Jan 09
Thank you so much for the added suggestions. I also have a metal container that I use now, and don't leave it sitting in the car. I still have some plastic bottles of water in the freezer, which I plan to dump.
• United States
13 Jan 09
Thank You so much, I lived in California and used to leave bottled water in the car. I used to give it to my children and drink it myself. Never again will I I can not believe what I just read. I been putting my self at risk and other of cancer. I wilmy mom read this also I gurantee she will probably throw out her plastic. Thank you again so much you may have just saved some lives.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Jan 09
I'm happy that you found the information useful. I used to do it all the time...drink out of the plastic bottles I had left sitting in the car. Even though the water didn't taste good, I didn't relate it to the plastic bottle and the toxins I was putting in my body. Thank you for responding.
@aseretdd (13729)
• Philippines
9 Jan 09
This is one important information that should reach millions of people... it always puzzles me why people at just diagnosed with cancer out of the blue... and no clue as to where the got this... so, now i understand that the simple things we use at home and in our daily life contribute to this... I just hope that these plastic will be banned from being used... like stop manufacturing them... so that they will no longer be a threat on the health of people...
• United States
9 Jan 09
Thanks for your response. If we stop buying, maybe the plastic bottles will be ended. Will we stop buying? Hmm.
@ellie333 (21016)
7 Jan 09
Hi Joyce, Thank you for sharing this and making us aware, much appreciated, I do know a lot of people that drink water fromplastics bottles and will be forwarding to them. This is very worrying especially as we seem to be living in a plastic age. Huggles. Ellie :D
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 09
Plastic is very convenient, light of weight, lots of advantages. However, since the risks outweigh the benefits, I feel I have to opt out of using them. Thanks for your response and for forwarding the info.
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
13 Jan 09
Hello there joyce. It is really nice to have replied again to your post after a long while. Well, I have read this already and I do think this is a very important information for everyone. It can really help people and make people aware that there are things that we ordinarily do that really is a threat. I was just wondering why the manufacturers of these products have not included them on their warnings. Well, good of you to post it here. I am sure many will find this useful and very informative. Best regards and hope to reply to more of your discussions.
• United States
13 Jan 09
Hi jpso -- Nice to hear from you. I don't have a link to the article itself as I received the info in an email. I'm glad you found the info useful!
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
7 Jan 09
You are right and canada is the first country to start banning plastics for certain foods, we will all have to change the way we eat and from what, it is not like the old farmers of 100 years ago when food was much healthier.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 09
I have a feeling that the Canadian government is stricter than the US in terms of public health. Thanks for your response.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
7 Jan 09
Wow. Thanks for sharing this with all of us. I have heard bits and pieces about this over the last few years and it is truly dangerous to our health.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 09
According to the article, it really does confirm what you've heard and then some. I'm going to change my ways since I don't want to risk cancer. Thanks for your response.
@Grandmaof2 (7578)
• Canada
7 Jan 09
Thank You I have already passed this on. Who Knew???
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 09
I didn't know until recently, either. That's why I passed it on to mylotters. Thanks for responding.
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
7 Jan 09
I have heard this before. We don't buy bottled water because it is so expensive and we sold our microwave a year ago just because of the radiation it puts into your food. We have really tried to be more healthy and watch out for toxins. We don't realize how many are really out there.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 09
Wow! Living without a microwave is pretty incredible. I'd feel lost without mine. I didn't really realize the harm of radiation in food. Thanks for your educational response.