A widespread ingredient in plastic has been linked to diabetes and heart disease in adults, according to ABC News.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is found in many kinds of plastic products. It leaches out of plastic water bottles as well as baby bottles. As plastic containers sit over time, more BPA leaches into the water. Heat also speeds up the process (so you should never leave plastic bottles in a hot car).

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with higher levels of BPA are more likely to have heart disease and diabetes. Another study found BPA in the serum of 93% of Americans tested, while other research shows that BPA can alter brain development in children and cause several kinds of cancer. The chemical interferes with the body’s normal functioning by mimicking the hormone estrogen; for this reason, it has also been linked to early puberty. Canada regulates BPA levels, but the United States does not.

It’s up to you to regulate your own BPA levels; you can do this by avoiding plastic products that might contain BPA. Plastic bottles, plastic toys, and canned foods may contain BPA. Step one: Stop drinking from plastic bottles!

Sommer Poquette, author of the Green and Clean Mom blog, says, “We have definitely limited what we drink out of.” Her family now drinks from glass and stainless steel water bottles rather than plastic bottles. “We just try to limit the canned food that we do buy and just eat as fresh as possible.”

To get the best quality water – free of dangerous chemicals and contaminants – filter your own water at home using quality home water filters . . . then, if you so desire, bottle it yourself using non-toxic glass water bottles.