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.
The last time I broke down and bought canned soup was 3 years ago. I had been sick, we were just barely starting to switch over to real food (I didn’t know anything about WAP yet), and I just wanted something familiar. I also bought Gatorade and animal crackers. Mistake. Eating these foods made me MORE nauseous and I was sick worse than before!
Now we always make soup fresh. And for the family member who doesn’t like soup much, I use stock in many other dishes too — gravies, to cook rice, as the liquid in meatloaf, etc.
In canned tuna, it’s not only the BPA you have to worry about. Most have some “vegetable broth” in them which contains, I’m sure, GMO-soy. You have to read everything if you’re buying any packaged foods whatsoever.
When converting to a healthier lifestyle, it seems the “cream of” soups tend to be the hardest to get away from. They seem to be used in all the casserole recipes from the older cookbooks. I’ve converted a lot of my old cookbooks to healthier versions in the past few years, but it’s amazing how much of this soup (and oleo and vegetable oils like Wesson etc.,) were used back in the 60’s and 70’s. Ewww.
So, for those just making the change I thought I’d share my cream of anything soup recipe here. If you already have a version you use, please share it, too!
My recipe for “Cream of Anything” Soup
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, sliced
1 pound chopped vegetables of choice (mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, peppers)
1 or 1 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp allspice (freshly ground if possible)
other spices of choice* (see below) cracked black pepper, sea salt
Melt butter and saute onion and veggie of choice, until they sweat. Add broth and simmer about 20 minutes. Puree with a stick blender or whatever. Put back in pan, add cream, spices, pepper and sea salt. Heat through.
*I usually add a bay leaf if I’m going to simmer it for longer than 20 minutes, which I sometimes do. Other spices I have randomly added from time to time are dill weed, garlic powder, italian seasonings, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, mustard powder, nutmeg, cardamom. The spices are really up to you, whatever you like and your family likes.
This makes about 2 cups. or so. It keeps in the fridge pretty well for about one week, in my experience.
Thanks for the enlightenment over this holiday! Not sure what happened but after my original post this morning someone was using my login to post about their husband who considers stock “witches brew”….not sure if it was a coincidence with another Leslie or not. Just wanted you to know for your blog comments.
PS – My hubby is very supportive and my boys now love having a cup of witches brew! We just moved to the NW so on a cold and rainy day its perfect. Next year I will can tomatoes!
Thanks for your awesome blog…so much vital information! Happy Holidays!!!!
PSS – I have my pasture raised turkey all buttered up and ready to slow roast overnight per the blog http://nourishedkitchen.com/slow-roast-turkey/.
While I admit to stocking up on canned vegetables incase of emergency, but I definitely try to limit eating out of a can in my daily life. I just bought a new crockpot (my stove isn’t working right now) so I’m going to go back to making my own soups made of delicious soaked lentils, herbs, fresh veggies, and chicken broth.
How about opening the cans and throwing out the contents (garbage disposal) then RECYLING the cans?…please!
I can’t recycle cans in my area … great idea for those who can though!!
i have never liked canned soup…
BPA is in baby food jar lids, plastic containers (used for some organic brands) and most canned foods…even organic. If the label says BPA Free…then it is…otherwise, even organic…could very likely be packaged in PBA lined cans/jar lids. :o/ Eden is one brand now using BPA free cans…also Wild Planet (tuna) is labelled BPA free. Our commissary carries Muir Glen organic tomato products which are unfortunately in BPA lined cans. :o(
why are my comments not posting??
@Jason and Lisa: When you post a link, I think it has to be approved before it’s posted. Not sure, though.
oh ok.. thanks
ok.. just did a search.. have to admit, i had no idea the lids had bpa in them..
http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/ tattler is the brand name and they are bpa free lids.. they say that the lids will last a lifetime and if you ever wear them out, they will replace them for free.. so…. lisa and i will be switching over our lids now.. thanks again sarah for another great post…also guys, follow whats going on at organic pastures.. i just talked to kaleigh (brand PR) and she says that they have already gotten their test results back and everything came back negative however, the FDA has to run their own tests and it will probably be early next week before they get the results.. lets not forget morningland dairy where there was no sickness or contamination of any kind yet the FDA shut them down anyway because morningland challenged them.. organic pastures is a huge company and picking them off would be a major blow to the fresh milk and real food movement.. http://www.organicpastures.com
-jason and lisa-