Attention! Class is about to begin.
Let’s get started with today’s lesson in healthy living. Operation Take Back Your Health is now underway:
Step 1: Walk to your kitchen pantry and open the door.
Step 2: Remove all canned foods especially canned soup. Yes, even the organic ones.
Step 3: Throw them in the trash.
Yes, the trash. That’s where they belong. Don’t give them away as this is simply passing on the curse of ill health to another unsuspecting soul.
Step 4: Do your very best to never, EVER buy anything in a can again.
Well done. Class dismissed.
Canned Soup Risks Toxic Chemical Exposure
If you’ve been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you know that canned food is something that is very much a detriment to your health. The reason is not just because the food is nutritionless due to the high temperatures and pressures required during processing.
Possibly the most worrisome problem of all is that almost all brands of canned food, except for a very few organic ones, contain the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A. This chemical, better known as BPA, is part of the can lining. It is a byproduct of the chemicals used to prevent corrosion. Those that don’t contain BPA contain a very similar chemical known as BPS, which is just as dangerous!
Why are BPA and BPS such a HUGE, HUGE problem, particularly for our children?
Because they are linked to massive hormone disruption with the serious problem of early puberty, ADHD, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and the list goes on and on and on.
Think this problem is overblown? Consider this.
Currently, as many as 10 in 100 white girls, 15 in 100 Hispanic girls, and 25 in 100 African American girls are experiencing breast development as early as 7 years old! The earlier a girl goes into puberty, the higher her chances of breast cancer later in life.
Canned Foods Much Worse Than Previously Thought
Now comes the news that the BPA in canned foods raises urine levels of this dangerous chemical much more than previously believed.
In a study published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, participants who ate canned soup every day for only five days had urine levels of BPA that were 1,221% higher than those who instead ate soup made with fresh ingredients and homemade broth.
Karin Michels, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard University and leader of the study, said, “To see an increase of this magnitude was quite surprising.”
Michels added, “We are concerned about the influence of [hormone-disrupting] chemicals on health in general, and BPA is one of them.”
The study included 75 people whose average age was 27. Progresso was the only brand of soup that was tested. This is the first study to actually measure the BPA levels in urine using randomized participants eating food that was either canned or fresh.
BPA in Mom’s Urine Risks Health Problems for Unborn Children
Study researcher Jenny Carwile, a doctoral student at Harvard made the following observation.
We’ve known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use.
A number of studies have linked BPA with a host of health problem. In 2008, a study of 1,455 participants showed that higher urine levels of BPA were linked with higher cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and abnormal liver enzymes even when factors such as smoking and age were taken into account.
Other studies have shown a correlation between BPA in a pregnant woman’s urine and resultant health problems in her child.
How much more evidence is needed? Wise shoppers who are truly concerned about the health and the potential for estrogen dominance from exposure to BPA will consistently bypass all canned foods on their trips to the supermarket or the health food store!
Have no idea how to make fresh soup? Relearn this traditional culinary wisdom by learning how to make homemade stock and bone broths as an important first step.
Before we made the full-on switch to traditional eating, we still never ate canned soups of any kind. My mom had a bad feeling about them, and I guess she was right!
On one level I totally agree about cans: BPA is not good for me or anyone. However, I live in earthquake country and how to store, safely, emergency food supplies must be thought about. Canned goods make good sense. The approach I’ve taken, ignoring my husband’s initial protests is: canned goods are emergency supplies and they will be rotated to food banks/canned food drives before they go out of date. Hunger is pervasive in this country, so to trash good food makes no sense to me.
Having said that, well, we now soak all our beans and grains and cook big pots of them up. What sold my husband on this level of work is he discovered, as did I: There is no comparison between canned and fresh cooked garbanzos. And that made him realize that while the distinction with the other beans might not be so obvious, it must be true for them.
The information on your website Sarah is wonderful. Thank you!
Eating Canned Soup Risks Major Health Problems – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/90rJp0hm
Good soup starts with homemade broth.
Sara, thanks for another good post. I certainly agree that “most” canned goods should be avoided. You can buy tuna and salmon in pouches but I’m not sure of the linings there. So here’s the deal teacher, I’m keeping my canned sardines, tuna and salmon (and the occasional smoked clams/oysters). Everything else in cans is avoided. Will you give me a passing grade? Or do I get an F for the class? Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Hi BobT, you most certainly get a passing grade … for being savvy and thoughtful and purposeful about what you buy and eat ! 🙂
I do use a nonBPA canned coconut milk (Native Forest) and do buy canned tuna/red salmon/sardines occasionally – particularly during hurricane season when losing power is a potentially big problem. Emergency use is fine. Regular use is not.
I well remember the hurricane rations from my 25 years in Florida. Wish I were still there but my grandkids here in TX are more important. Besides the fish we already mentioned, I always had Spam and beanie weenies on the shelf. I haven’t had any Spam in a long time. I wonder if I’d still like it? I remember I actually charcoaled some slices during one power outage. Those were the days……………
sarah, Is there a problem with buying tuna if it is in a BPA free can and wild caught? We buy Natural Value, which is both.
I was wondering what type of coconut milk you bought. I don’t think I’ve seen that one in the store; maybe I can order it online. I love Thai Kitchen, but I am guessing they use BPA.
Good reminder as I forgot about this. Thanks!
Progresso was the only brand tested. They contain a lot of garbage anyway. Making homemade soup is easy. Just throw a bunch of leftovers in a pan, add water and cook to taste (adjust spices, etc).
Nothing beats homemade chicken soup made with homemade chicken stock and loads of grass fed butterand chicken drippings. Oh, and kale! Lots of kale! This has been my biggest pregnancy craving. 🙂 so easy to throw together and very frugal.
We gave up canned soup because it tastes awful! We still buy canned tomatoes and coconut milk—-I need to work on that. We don’t have as many options here in the UK. We make great soup full of flavour because we season our Sunday Roast chicken really well. Sometimes it is just lemon and garlic, sometimes Indian spices, sometimes middle eastern. The stock and subsequent soups are always great.
You can find some great organic tomato products in Jars. Bionaturae products are widely available at Whole Foods, if you cannot find them elsewhere.
Thank you for this information. It is quite alarming. I stopped feeding my daughter canned soup and go through the effort of making her homemade soup. She loves it and also eats it almost everyday after school. I became concerned because when she turned five she started to have body odor and I noticed she also began to develop breasts. I hit puberty early as well. I spoke to my husband and as much as he hates the cost I am changing things at home more and more. It is how I found your blog. I hope to reverse as much as possible. We do not have access to raw milk so I cut out milk from our diet. I have to become “mean mom” as she calls me because I do not like her to eat and drink the food and milk from school. It is a huge struggle for me but I hope well worth it for her future. Thank you again.