Does Stainless Steel Have BPA?

Stainless steel does not contain BPA and is generally free of toxins.

In this article, we’ll find out what BPA is, and how stainless steel can be a great alternative to plastic in almost all use cases. 

What is BPA?

BPA or ‘Bisphenol A’ is the chemical compound used to produce plastics and resins. 

BPA works as a hardening agent to solidify plastics on the inner coating of plastic and metal containers.

Since its creation in 1960, plastic companies have used it in daily-use items like water bottles, cookware, baby bottles, toys, etc.

The problem is that BPA can leak into food items and drinks from plastic containers and cause serious harm to humans. This can potentially lead to things like cancer, obesity, infertility, and thyroid diseases.

Top 5 reasons to avoid exposure to BPA

BPA is a dangerous chemical that can impact your health in many ways. Here are some reasons why you should avoid it at any cost:

Cancer

Research states that BPA can cause cancer. It interacts with cell receptors in our body and brings about cancer growth.

Not only can it potentially cause cancer, the presence of BPA can make chemotherapy ineffective—a big worry to anyone undergoing radiation treatment.

Infertility

The fetal development process is fragile and requires excellent dietary care. Studies show that if pregnant women come in contact with BPA during pregnancy, it can affect the child adversely. 

BPA tricks the body into sensing it as another hormone and alters normal functions.

It can lead to disabilities and DNA alteration in newborn babies.

It also affects male reproductive functions negatively. In other words, BPA is a threat to our future generations.

Obesity

BPA can trigger an increase in body weight because it functions like a hormone once inside the body. It affects the natural insulin production and throws off the blood sugar balance, thereby raising fat cell production.

Diabetes and Heart Diseases

The presence of BPA increases the risk of heart disease, blood pressure, and diabetes. BPA found in product packages could be a significant factor behind this. It would be a great idea to leave plastics behind for your health.

Brain Functions

The presence of BPA affects the brain by interrupting its chemical processes. It prevents the natural removal of chloride, which could lead to Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other similar disorders.

What is meant by BPA-free?

Due to the problems associated with BPA, many plastic manufacturers leave BPA out of their products, such as water bottles. These are called BPA-free plastics.

Are BPA-free plastics safe to use?

You might have seen many plastic manufacturers using the term BPA-free for their products. They try to address the issue of plastic toxicity by removing BPA, but the truth is BPA is not the only problem. There are hundreds of similar chemicals which are harmful to human health.

For instance, BPS (Bisphenol S) and BSF (Bisphenol F), BZP, BPP, BHPF, and so on are all similar to BPA and have similar chemical structures. These may be unheard of and never be found on product labels.

Bisphenol variants are present in most plastic products, and it is difficult to avoid them while using plastic. The only solution is to avoid plastic and switch to stainless steel.

Plastic water bottles vs. stainless steel water bottles

When we compare plastic bottles and stainless steel bottles, stainless steel emerges safer in all ways. 

Here’s how:

Stainless steel is truly BPA-free

Unlike plastic, stainless steel water bottles (without any coating) are BPA-free because the substance is not used while manufacturing stainless steel cookware, utensils, glasses, bottles, etc. Therefore investing in stainless steel means investing in your health.

Is stainless steel completely toxin free?

Yes. 

Stainless steel does not contain BPA nor other variants of Bisphenol, which plastic cookware contains.

Research suggests that even BPA-free plastic contains many harmful chemicals that could seriously affect human functions.

Plastic is certainly not worth taking this risk when you have options like stainless steel at your disposal.

Why are stainless steel water bottles better than plastic?

Here are three good reasons to consider stainless steel over plastic:

1) Healthier than plastic

As discussed earlier, chemicals in plastic, such as BPA and its variants, harm your health in many ways.

Though many plastic manufacturers advertise their BPA-free products, their products still contain hundreds of harmful toxins. These chemicals leach from plastic containers into water or food items they come in contact with.

Also, plastic releases toxic chemicals when heated. So every time you add a hot beverage or food item into a plastic container, you let the toxins leak into your food.

Stainless steel has none of these concerns. It is safe to handle hot beverages and food items and will not leak chemicals. Invest in stainless steel cookware if you care for your health.

2) More friendly for the environment

Reusable plastic bottles can be recycled after use and turned into valuable objects. But they are still plastic, and they cause pollution. 

They consume oil while production and impacts the environment heavily if left to decompose. Besides, they may leak into water supplies or soil, causing further damage to organisms. 

Stainless steel, however, is 100% recyclable. Moreover, they consist of iron, nickel, chromium, and carbon, which are non-toxic. Even if you leave them to decompose, they won’t harm nature.

So stainless steel makes for the perfect reusable water bottle!

3) Durable

Plastic cookware is prone to weakening over time, making them brittle and likely to develop cracks. These trap bacteria in areas that are difficult to clean, which is unhealthy.

Stainless steel is a sturdy material capable of withstanding stress for long durations, and it also does not weaken when heated and resists corrosion.