As marketing slogans like "BPA Free!" have started popping up on various products, the lyrics from The Who song "Substitute" keep coming to mind: "Substitute your lies for fact, I see right through your plastic mac."

That's because while plastic manufacturers are removing hormone-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA) from the linings of food cans and register receipts, they are replacing it with BPS (bisphenol S), a hormone-disrupting cousin of BPA!

The only difference between BPA and BPS seems to be that BPS is a bit less likely to seep into food and is slightly less effective at mimicking estrogen. But because BPS is a heartier compound, it's slower to degrade than BPA and more persistent once it gets into your body or the environment.

The effects of hormone disrupters?

They can trigger developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune problems. So we suggest you reduce your exposure to BPA and BPS by:

-Cooking and microwaving food only in glass, ceramic and stainless-steel containers.

-Refusing store receipts - they are the single greatest source of your exposure to BPA and BPS. And don't go from touching one (you inevitably will) to putting your hand on your face. If you work handling receipts all day, wear gloves.

-Eating foods and taking supplements that "manage" the bisphenols. The bee product royal jelly, black tea extract and quercetin in onions lessen bisphenol A-induced cell toxicity. Folate and probiotics, such as Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus casei, may reduce absorption of and degrade bisphenols.

© 2014 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.