Saturday, December 20, 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

    Hide Food At Homes, If You Want To Shed Weight

    Hide Food At Homes, If You Want To Shed Weight
    Having a low self-esteem related to one's weight and keeping food visibly available around the house, outside the kitchen, may increase your likelihood of being obese, says a new research.

    Hide Food At Homes, If You Want To Shed Weight

    Watching TV For Just An Hour Daily Makes Kids Gain Weight

    Watching TV For Just An Hour Daily Makes Kids Gain Weight
    Watching television for as little as one hour a day can make your children obese, says a new study.

    Watching TV For Just An Hour Daily Makes Kids Gain Weight

    Smileys Make Children Eat More Healthy Food

    Smileys Make Children Eat More Healthy Food
    Labelling healthy foods with smiley faces and offering small prizes for buying nutritious items can make kids purchase more of such foods and eat them too, suggests a new research.

    Smileys Make Children Eat More Healthy Food

    App To Help Boozers Fight The Urge To Drink

    App To Help Boozers Fight The Urge To Drink
    A smartphone app has been designed to help people reduce their dependence on alcohol. The app diagnoses your drinking habits and measures how healthy, risky or dangerous they may be.

    App To Help Boozers Fight The Urge To Drink

    Humble Turmeric Can Help Treat Oral Cancers

    Humble Turmeric Can Help Treat Oral Cancers
    Turmeric, the familiar yellow spice common in Indian cooking, may also help treat oral cancers caused by a virus, says a study co-authored by an Indian-origin researcher.

    Humble Turmeric Can Help Treat Oral Cancers

    Cigar Smoking Not A Safe Alternative

    Cigar Smoking Not A Safe Alternative
    If you thought smoking cigars is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, you are wrong. New research associates many of the same fatal conditions as cigarette smoking.

    Cigar Smoking Not A Safe Alternative