Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Please just try and ignore the source...and take what you may from the information.
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News from Johns Hopkins:
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.
Dioxin chemicals 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 t his releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on TV 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 restauraunts 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.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
this tiny url (a marvelous site, by the way, to make huge url's into do-able ones) is an answer from johns hopkins about the plastics and heat subject.
it does NOT say it's safe to use plastics and microwaves with wild abandon, but that the hype is overblown. below is the original url. my daughter taught me about tiny url. isn't she SMART? dianne
trails
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1620
posted
Dioxins are present in bleached tampons and can add to your risk for endometriosis if used regularly or left in for too long. I do not have a source for this information. I was taught this in college years ago and even though I have severe endo I never use tampons. SIlly me---I still say to myself--you might get endometriosis!! My sis said maybe it will work in reverse for you--lol!
Also the site that dianne gave us here is great and says "there is another group of chemicals, called phthalates that are sometimes added to plastics to make them flexible and less brittle. Phthalates are environmental contaminants that can exhibit hormone-like behavior by acting as endocrine disruptors in humans and animals. If you heat up plastics, you could increase the leaching of phthalates from the containers into water and food"
Women should be especially careful of eating and drinking from plastics. I dont know the science but there are "hormones" in the plastic that are akin to estrogen and can cause some estrogen dominant problems like cancer.
I may just be furthering the urban legends because I dont have sources, but I live daily with unrelenting endometriosis issues and I know it is related to hormonal imbalance. I try to stay away from certain things like heating and freezing plastic because it isnt too difficult to do. 5 surgeries (so far) for endo IS difficult.
Posts: 1950 | From New Mexico | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Urban legend or no, common sense tells me that plastics are not terribly stable -- they do melt, and they are made of all sorts of weird chemicals (how's THAT for a scientific argument? LOL) -- so I will adhere to the warnings.
Dioxin is also a by-product of the paper-pulp making process. I used to live in Humboldt county, where paper is a huge part of the industry -- there was an ongoing fight up there between the environmentalists and the paper/logging industry about the dioxin that was in the water, fish, etc. due to the pulp mills that are plentiful in the area (they smell horrendous!) Paper is something to use with caution, as well as plastic, based on this.
I'm no environmental scientist, but I certainly think this at least warrants consideration.
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I spoke with a chemist about this concern recently. He said that the plastics that make up water bottles is very stable and quite honestly - freezing them will NOT release dioxins (though heating could).
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Plastic is a petroleum product. What you said about it being a xenoestrogen is correct. That said, mineral oil is also a petroleum product, and so is SD40 alcohol that is commonly used in cleaning products and some skin care.
Did you know that in other countries it is illegal to put mineral oil in cosmetics. Baby oil is straight motor oil (mineral oil, same thing) with fragrance added to it. You may as well wrap your baby in plastic wrap.
With ou hormones already unstable, these things just add on to the already tired endocrine system.
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Thanks for posting this
It makes common sense.
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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