Plastics and Your Hormones

A new report links chemicals and plastics to health problems like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, even infertility.

And we don't know why for sure, but the idea is that these chemicals are disrupting your body's hormones.

And just about everyone on Earth has been exposed to these chemicals.

So what can you do? You can check the label.

You may see plastics marked BPA free, which is great.

But they may be using a replacement chemical that's just as bad.

And the label may not list all the chemicals to watch for-- BPA, BPS, and phthalates.

The best way to cut your exposure is to avoid plastic.

Stay away from bottled water. Drink out of glass or stainless steel.

Avoid canned foods.

Buy fresh foods instead.

Don't heat food in plastic containers.

Transfer your food to something like glass.

Avoid nonstick pans.

Try cast iron instead.

And say no thanks to receipts, because even those are coated with BPA.

So how concerned should you be about this?

We really don't know at this point.

Scientists are still looking into it.

But in the meantime, it doesn't hurt to take these extra precautions.

For WebMD, I'm Dr. Michael Smith.