Tip: Stop Worrying About This "Toxic" Chemical Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip Stop Worrying About This Toxic Chemical No need to panic This much-feared compound won' t turn you into a ballerina Here' s the real story by TC Luoma August 8, 2016April 5, 2021 Tags Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips BPA Safe or Not Avoid canned food. Don't drink out of plastic containers. And for heaven's sake, don't hold that plastic phone to your face! They all contain bisphenol A (BPA), the estrogen-mimicking chemical that can affect the brain, the balls, the prostate glands of fetuses (yes!), and possibly increase blood pressure. Well, it turns out that advice – which I personally have been guilty of disseminating – is pretty much wrong. BPA will not feminize males. Neither will it do any of those other horrible things. In fact, it's fairly benign. The Birth of a Monster People started freaking out a few years ago when it was reported that BPA is a powerful estrogen mimicker and that it's present inside the lacquer liners of approximately 70% of all canned foods, in addition to our water bottles, medical supplies, CDs, and pretty much anything plastic. Unfortunately, hardly anyone bothered to look at the fine print in the research. Yes, BPA binds to estrogen receptors and it's indeed found in a whole bunch of plastic products, but it binds to the receptors very poorly. Now, estradiol binds perfectly to estrogen receptors. The binding capacity is 1 to 1. BPA, however, has a binding capacity of 10,000 to 1. That means that out of every 10,000 BPA molecules floating around your bloodstream, only one of them binds to an estrogen receptor. Contrast that with the soy isoflavone genistein, which has an estrogen binding ratio of 250 to 1. The irony is that genistein – found naturally in soy proteins – is sold as a health supplement that allegedly treats prostate and breast cancer, in addition to fighting heart disease. If genistein, a powerful estrogen mimicker, is a "health" supplement, why is BPA, the much weaker estrogen mimicker, somehow toxic? More Reasons Not to Fear BPA The initial studies that cast aspersion on BPA used amounts far greater than what the average human would be exposed to in a day. Even if BPA were a problem, the liver detoxifies it and prevents it from binding to estrogen receptors. BPA is excreted through the urine or bile in 5-7 hours after being ingested. It's a good idea to avoid unnecessary chemicals of any kind, but let's concentrate on identifying the ones that are truly problematic. BPA isn't one of them. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Eating The Pros and Cons of Diet Diversity Most bodybuilders and athletes eat the same foods all the time. Here are the pros and cons of diet diversity and a possible compromise. Health & Longevity, Nutrition & Supplements TC Luoma June 14 Supplements 5 Advanced Supplements Newbies Don t Deserve You don't need high-octane fuel or nitro if you're only driving a Prius. The same thing applies to newbie lifters and high-octane supplements. Acetyl-L-Carnitine, C3G, Nutrition & Supplements, Phosphatidic Acid, Workout Nutrition TC Luoma April 22 Diet & Fat Loss Tip Ultra-Processed vs Unprocessed Diets Did we need a study for this? Probably not, but the results are still fascinating. Check it out. Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips William Lagakos, PhD March 29 Eating STOP the Catabolic Insanity As kids, we all looked at superheroes with a sense of awe – not just for their heroic acts of fending off the bad guys, but also for their seemingly flawless muscular bodies. In fact, I know of more than one guy who started working out in order to emulate their favourite superhero. Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Dave Barr November 22