Baby Bottle Dangers: How Bad Are They, Really?

Q. My children are grown now, but back in the late '70s I would mix their baby formula with boiled water and put it into the disposable plastic liners of baby bottles, which I now know contain bisphenol A (BPA). My children haven't had any problems, but I am still concerned about the danger I've put them in. Is there anything they need to know to minimize their cancer risks?
-- Maria, Alameda, CA

A. Put a hold on the guilt. At this point, for most of us, BPA is the proverbial spilled milk (but don't give your old plastic bottles to anyone you like), and it is likely not the only environmental carcinogen to which you and your children have been exposed. (In fact, receipts printed on thermal imaging paper -- like most restaurant receipts -- are a more potent source of BPA.) It doesn't mean they're doomed. Chemicals found to be carcinogens don't always cause cancer, and you can always minimize risk by making a few smart lifestyle choices known to help protect against the disease (including never drinking anything from polycarbonate plastic again).

• Avoid other known carcinogens, including tobacco smoke and an overdose of ultraviolet light.
• Eat five to nine servings of vegetables of every hue daily. Include cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cabbage), which may help prevent breast cancer, and red-orange vegetables, which contain lycopene, a nutrient that's linked to helping prevent both prostate and breast cancers.
• Get enough D. If you don't consume enough foods containing vitamin D (most people don't), then take a D supplement (1,000 international units if you're under 60; 1,200 international units if you're over 60).
• Avoid taking any noncarbon receipts (from gas stations, restaurants, etc.) that you don't need.
• Take up to 200 micrograms a day of selenium, a trace mineral that plays a big role in helping your body detoxify harmful chemicals.
• Walk, run, bike, skate -- whatever raises your heart and breathing rates and produces a little sweat. Do it for 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week.

Q. Why do you recommend Beano without reservations? For those of us who are allergic to penicillin, the fine print on the packaging says we shouldn't use this product. -- Anonymous

A. There's no scientific evidence that Beano -- a product used to prevent you from getting gas from legumes and other healthy foods -- can't be used by people who have a penicillin allergy. There's also no warning on the package -- although you will find warnings all over the Internet. Here are the facts: Like penicillin, Beano is manufactured from mold, in this case aspergillus niger, the black mold that occurs on produce (not what's around the bathroom tiles). Some people may have an allergic reaction to aspergillus, though that occurs from breathing it, not from swallowing it.

What's so valuable about this mold is the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, which works in your digestive system to help break down complex sugars in healthy foods such as legumes, cruciferous vegetables, and whole-grain bread. When those sugars ferment, they can cause painful gas, but this enzyme prevents that foul fermentation. You need to take the product before you eat the offending food (so you don't become offensive yourself). Take 1 tablet by mouth, or sprinkle 5 drops of liquid Beano on food for every 1/2 cup serving. If you think you're having a reaction to the product, stop using it. You may still be able to eat these foods if you add them gradually to your diet.

Q. Is it true that soy products should be used sparingly when taking thyroid medications? -- Donna, Macon, GA

A. Soy can interfere with the absorption of medication for hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland). But that doesn't mean you should give up popping edamame as a snack or having a soy burger with all the fixins. Just wait about 4 hours after you take your thyroid drugs before you dig in. Other substances may also prevent your Synthroid from getting down to business, including high-fiber foods, both iron and calcium tablets, and antacids containing aluminum and magnesium. So the same advice goes for those -- that is, take them 4 hours apart from your thyroid medication.