Drinking water from plastic bottles: What you didn’t know

We’re aware of the importance of being hydrated throughout the day. Every organ, tissue, and cell requires water to function properly. Water flushes toxins from your body, carries nutrients to your cells, improves the quality of sleep and cognition, maintains body temperature, and keeps your overall health up. And these are only some of the many things water does for us.

Water is present in the foods we eat, but this alone cannot be our main source to stay hydrated. It is recommended you drink a minimum of 2 litres a day, so the obvious solution is to keep a water bottle close to sip on throughout the day. But there is another aspect we pay little or no attention to - what we drink our water out of. Plastic bottles or steel?

There are a surprising number of dangers people don’t know about drinking water from plastic bottles, and with the ease of accessibility, people refrain from making the switch to reusable bottles. Here’s what you need to know about drinking out of plastic bottles.

1. Plastic bottles generate BPAs

BPAs are a type of industrial chemical which is used to create plastic items. They are most frequently used to create storage containers and water bottles and are extremely harmful to health. When consumed, these chemicals can cause disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system, affecting overall health. But the good news is that some brands do make BPA-free water bottles , and they are safe to use.

2. Higher rates of disease

Studies show that drinking water from plastic bottles can lead to higher rates of disease. Phthalates in plastics can cause certain types of cancers and can cause a reduction in sperm count for men. Other reported diseases include kidney damage, cardiovascular diseases, birth defects, and decreased fertility.

3. Weight Gain

Water is known to be a key element in losing weight in a healthy way . However, chemical compounds in plastics - like BPAs and BHPFs - have an effect on the estrogen levels in both men and women. This disruption causes the rate at which fat is stored in the body as well as the location where the fat is stored to change. This can cause weight gain and long-term problems in losing weight, and worsen to cause other health-related issues.

4. Microplastics

One of the bigger disadvantages of plastic bottles are the microplastics they add to water. Microplastics are minute pieces of plastic that go unnoticed and are present in a number of products, which have unfortunately made their way into bottled waters. Drinking out of plastic bottles puts consumers at risk of ingesting these harmful particles. Therefore steel or copper bottles are better for you.

5. Water contamination

When plastic bottles are exposed to heat or are left to sit out for a long time, chemicals present in the plastic may leach into the water and contaminate it. This is inevitable since plastic bottles are exposed to heat more often than not. Filling up your plastic bottle with warm water can cause this contamination. If you can’t ditch plastic bottles, make sure you don’t put them out when it’s hot. If you’re used to drinking warm water, opt for a flask instead.

7. Environmental Damage

On a much, much bigger scale, plastic water bottles have a colossal impact on the environment. Tons of plastic bottles are discarded annually, adding to the overflowing waste in landfills and oceans, polluting our earth and killing thousands of species of marine life. This cause harm to our biodiversity, and also affects soil quality and fertility, damaging crop yield and food production.

Our simple choice to use plastic bottle has a large scale impact. So it’s important to reconsider use of plastic bottles even in our daily life. At Wonderchef, we are mindful of the impact that we have on people and also the planet and have created a range of healthy flasks and bottles . They’re crafted of double-walled 304 anti-rust stainless steel and can keep liquids hot/cold for hours. Nourish yourself on-the-go in Wonderchef’s designer flasks and bottles. Check out Wonderchef’s range of plastic-free water bottles , available in different sizes and styles.