You may already decline receipts before they’re printed to reduce the impact they have on the environment, but did you know that handling receipts increases your levels of the toxin BPA? And if you use certain hand sanitisers before you touch the receipt BPA levels increase even more. In this fascinating article from Holistic Nutritionalist Natalie Brady find out some of the ways that BPA exposure can affect our health, and the effects it can have on developing babies and older children.
BPA (bisphenol-A) is present in plastics and has hormone-disrupting effects. BPA is used as a coating on thermal paper like receipts you get given at any store. BPA readily transfers from receipts to your skin. Your BPA levels can spike easily when only handling a receipt for a few seconds. Crazy isn’t it!
So, as you probably guessed, the longer you hold the receipt, the higher your BPA levels go.
Not only that, BPA levels increase even further if you use a hand sanitiser before handling the receipt. This is because hand sanitisers contain dermal penetration enhancers, which increase BPA’s absorptions.
BPA exposure can be harmful to a developing baby (when pregnant or breastfeeding) as well as older children’s reproductive system. For example, one study of mice who were exposed to BPA in utero showed altered reproductive development of their babies. In humans, exposure to BPA may be a risk factor for premature delivery and miscarriage. BPA can also affect blood sugar metabolism by interfering with normal insulin signalling.
Just a bit of food for thought for you guys… This post isn’t to scare you or make you paranoid about touching receipts. I just want to pass on my knowledge and to educate you about all aspects of health, especially when it comes to reducing exposure to endocrine distributing chemicals as it’s something I’m quite passionate about. However, if you’re wanting to balance hormones, TTC, pregnant or breastfeeding I recommend thinking twice about handing receipts (or using a natural hand sanitiser prior to touching them).
To purchase our 100% natural Hand Sanitising Spray click here.
About The Author: Katie Brooks
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