Saturday, December 27, 2025
ADVT 
Health

Reusing Plastic Bottles Could Do You More Harm Than Good

Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Jun, 2017 12:01 PM
    Refilling those plastic bottles again and again could actually be harmful to your health, as per a new research.
     
     
    That's because the plastic bottle you're constantly replenishing isn't made to be re-filled - meaning it could have the potential to leach chemicals and harbour harmful bacteria.
     
     
    In a study conducted by Treadmill Reviews, researchers lab-tested water bottles after each had been used by an athlete for a week and found that the highest number of bacteria reached over 900,000 colony forming units per square cm on average.
     
     
    Worryingly, that's more bacteria than the average toilet seat. It also found that 60 per cent of the germs they found on the water bottles were able to people sick.
     
     
    Although it is important to drink plenty of water, especially during the hot summer months, you may want to think twice next time you reach for that reusable bottle, if you want to avoid germs and getting sick.
     
     
    It's also a great idea to buy BPA-free plastic bottles where possible or invest in a refillable one made out of glass or stainless steel. Because there have been concerns about Bisphenol A (BPA) - a controversial chemical, which is used in the manufacture of plastics and is thought to interfere with sex hormones.
     
     
    "Certain chemicals found in plastic bottles can have effects on every system in our bodies,' Dr Marilyn Glenville warned Good Housekeeping.
     
     
     
     
    "They can affect ovulation, and increase our risk of hormonally driven problems like PCOS, endometriosis and breast cancer, among other things."
     
     
    It's a sentiment shared by the NHS too, which has confirmed BPA has the potential to migrate into beverages. However, they have suggested that more research is required into the affects of the chemical on humans.
     
     
    It said: "The science is not yet completely clear on how BPA may affect humans. BPA may mimic hormones and interfere with the endocrine system of glands, which release hormones around the body.
     
     
    "Those calling for a ban suggest that it may be a factor in a rising numbers of human illnesses, such as breast cancer, heart disease and genital birth defects."
     
     
    But aside from this, there is another potentially worrying side effect of topping up your water bottle - bacteria.
     
     
    So what can you do to avoid becoming ill?
     
     
    It's simple really - don't re-use disposable bottles. Drink from them once and then recycle.
     
    Previous research has also shown that pregnant women exposed to BPA in high doses can potentially lead to low birth weight (LBW) in newborn children.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Diet drinks spell heart trouble in older women

    Diet drinks spell heart trouble in older women
    Have you switched to diet drinks to minimise calorie consumption as you age? Think twice as according to an Indian-American researcher, healthy older women who drink two or more diet drinks a day may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems.

    Diet drinks spell heart trouble in older women

    Revealed: Why cholesterol worsens in winter

    Revealed: Why cholesterol worsens in winter
    Cholesterol levels usually go up in colder months - a trend that may be driven by behavioural changes that occur with the changing seasons, new research by an Indian American researcher shows.

    Revealed: Why cholesterol worsens in winter

    A Yawn for a Yawn kindles love for sure!

    A Yawn for a Yawn kindles love for sure!
    Does your hubby yawn a lot? This may be his way of expressing love for you but you need to yawn back to confirm that you miss him too!

    A Yawn for a Yawn kindles love for sure!

    Beware! Kittens can transmit TB bacteria

    Beware! Kittens can transmit TB bacteria
    In a first-ever incident of a feline-human disease transmission, cats have passed tuberculosis (TB) to two people in Britain.

    Beware! Kittens can transmit TB bacteria