Plastic water bottles accused of much more than just causing cancer

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It’s the one convenience we’re apparently just dying for.

More than five million people over the age of 14 claim to consume bottled water every week, according to Roy Morgan Research. 

This number would have to be supported by industry sales figures which show as a nation we consumed 726 million litres last year.

This multi-billion dollar industry is a boon for drink manufacturers, who are constantly being targeted over the sugar content in soft drinks, to still be able to post bumper profits, the natural way.

But is bottled water really healthy?

According to a report by NYU Langone Medical Centre plastic bottles contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that can cause cancer, obesity, infertility, diabetes, ADHD and autism.

Scientists explained that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with the body’s hormonal system making the body susceptible to a range of diseases.

However, not only are the chemicals found in plastic bottles but they are also detected in plastic food containers, detergents, toys and even cosmetics.

It is understood these illnesses caused by the toxic chemicals found in plastic, are costing the US a staggering $340 billion a year in health-related costs.

So they’re definitely not as rare as we might think.

“Our research adds to the growing evidence on the tremendous economic as well as human health costs of endocrine-disrupting chemicals,” lead investigator Leonardo Trasande said.

“This has the potential to develop into a much larger health and economic issue if no policy action is taken.”

The chemicals wreak-havoc by affecting the body’s endocrine tissues which produce essential hormones that help regulate energy levels, reproduction, growth and development.

They impersonate naturally occurring hormones and attach themselves to receptors within a human cell in order to block the body’s own hormones from binding with it.

The main chemical culprits include PBDEs and Bisphenol A, which is actually used to line tin food cans.