Your Water Bottle May Be The Cause Of Your Thyroid Problem
When it comes to thyroid health one of the #1 culprits of it is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s. This is a condition in which your own body is attacking the tissues of your thyroid causing it to work less efficiently and leading to hypothyroidism.
The key to improving all autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s, Celiac, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and others is to prevent “flare ups” from occuring. Identifying the factors that cause your immune system to be stimulated is a foundational component to regaining your health.
There has been much research on how dietary triggers such as gluten, grains, dairy, GMOs, lectins, ect. can wreac havoc on your health but, did you know– environmental toxins can be just as detrimental to your health?
For example, one of the most common and most overlooked autoimmune triggers is bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is found in all plastics, including water bottles, plastic coffee lids, the lining of cans, plastic utensils, and even in the ink on store receipts.
Although it is impossible to completely avoid plastics, it is critical for you to reduce your exposure to plastics and BPA as much as possible if you have Hashimoto’s.
Put Down The Water Bottle
One of the worst forms of BPA exposure is from plastic products exposed to heat or acidic chemicals — making plastic coffee lids and drink bottles primary offenders. As coffee or tea passes through a plastic coffee lid, both the heat and the acidity leach very high levels of BPA into your drink. Also, small amounts of BPA insulate the coating of paper cups.
If you have Hashimoto’s or autoimmunity, simply avoid using the lid and, even better, brew your own coffee or tea and drink from glass or ceramic cups. It’s also important to avoid plastic bottles, especially if they are heated (like sitting in your hot car or in a warehouse) or contain an acidic beverage such as soda or fruit juice. You should absolutely never drink an acidic beverage from a plastic bottle as you will be drinking high amounts of BPA.
Avoid Daily Assault
The key issue with BPA and autoimmunity is to eliminate daily sources of exposure. For example, if you drink coffee every morning through a plastic lid and drink water or other drinks from plastic bottles every day you can dramatically reduce your exposure to BPA by forgoing the coffee lid and drinking from glass bottles.
I invested in a Kleen Kanteen steel bottle for carrying my water around in the car and to the gym. At home and my office I typically use a glass water bottle that I clean and reuse.
Scientific Proof
One of the leading experts in Thyroid health and autoimmunity is Dr. Kharrazian. He recently published a scientific paper showing how BPA activates autoimmunity conditions.
This is the first published paper that connects all the dots between BPA plastic products, its immune stimulating properties, and its potential to promote autoimmunity.
Below is a diagram that explains the pathways. For those of you who wish to read the research it can be found HERE.