Best BPA free water bottles + health effects of BPA

Whether I’m going to the gym, to a client meeting or just running errands, my water bottle is with me. I’ve known for a while how important drinking water is for losing and managing weight and staying healthy in general. But not all water bottles are good for you.

I tell all my clients to drink a lot of water, and I highly advise getting BPA-free water bottles so the water you’re drinking is pure and helps your body instead of harms it.

In this post, I’ll explain what BPA is, how it can affect your body and the best ways to avoid it. I’ll also give you my favorite BPA-free water bottle brands. That way you can get a toxin-free bottle for your favorite new travel companion. They come in lots of great designs and colors too. So shopping for them can be fun!

What Does BPA Stand For?

BPA is short for bisphenol A. It’s an industrial chemical that companies have used since the 1960s in certain plastics and resins. (1) It’s found in plastic water bottles, food containers, and the resin lining in some aluminum cans. This chemical can seep into the food and liquids you drink, especially if the container gets extremely hot or cold. This breaks down the plastic and the BPA leaches out. (1)

What are the Health Effects of BPA in Your Water?

BPA could affect the brain and prostate glands of babies before and after birth. It could affect these same things and even alter behavior in children. It’s linked to increased blood pressure in adults. (1) Another big impact is that it disrupts your endocrine system by mimicking and interfering with your body’s hormones. This can impact your mood, tissue function, metabolism. It can even interfere with kids’ growth and development. (2

There are links between BPA and infertility, breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and excess body weight. (3)

Yes, you read that right! BPA can affect everything from your body weight to your brain and breast health. So if you’re drinking lots of water to support weight loss and for good health, but it’s out of a BPA-lined bottle you’re not doing yourself any favors!

How to Avoid Bisphenol A Contamination

1. Since the Food and Drug Administration acknowledges the possible dangers of BPA, companies are now developing BPA-free water bottles and other storage containers. The FDA recommends buying these and replacing any old containers you’re not sure about. (1)

2. Don’t heat up food or drinks in plastic containers. It might be tempting to pop leftovers in a plastic tupperware dish or coffee in a plastic mug into the microwave. Don’t do it. Heat can break down the plastic and leach BPA and other chemicals into what you’re eating and drinking.  (1)

3. Cut back on using canned food and look for cans labeled BPA-free. (1)

4. Use glass, porcelain and stainless steel water bottles and food storage containers instead. (1)

BPA Free Products You Can Use Instead of Plastic Bottles

Since the side effects are so scary, it could be easy to get overly paranoid about where BPA might be lurking. But if you follow the rules above and try to avoid it for the most part, the generally low levels you might come across here or there won’t hurt you. (1)

Again, water is ultra important for weight loss and for just about every function of your body. We need to drink on the go, and BPA-free plastic bottles make this much easier. BPA-free bottles are also environmentally friendly since you can wash and reuse them. (4)

Glass and stainless steel are even better, because sometimes even BPA-free plastic might have other dangerous chemicals used to replace BPA (seriously?!). These chemicals can alter your hormonal balance by mimicking estrogen (5), very similar to BPA, and cause the same health problems.

Nagina’s Top BPA Free Water Bottles

These are my favorite water bottle brands. There’s such a wide variety to choose from. It’s almost as fun as shopping for a cute new pair of shoes.

Simple Modern Stainless Steel Water Bottle – This bottle is stainless steel and comes in 8 sizes and 24 different colors! Whether you like bright, striking accessories that make a statement or muted basics that play on classic, you’ll find one you like. Plus, they’re insulated so your drinks stay hot or cold for longer.

Hydro Cell Stainless Steel – Here’s another handy stainless steel option with 4 size options and 10 colors and patterns. It seals tightly and doesn’t sweat, so you can toss it in your bag and you don’t have to worry about it ruining any papers or getting your post-workout outfit wet.

BKR Elle Glass Bottle – Made of glass and wrapped in colorful silicone, this BPA-free water bottle is pure and beautiful. The silicone makes it easier to grip and grab. Lots of colorful options here, too and they’re also dishwasher safe.

Swig Savvy Glass Bottle – This glass bottle is break-resistant and completely free of plastic. So if you’d prefer to avoid all plastics, even BPA-free, this is a great option. Even the cap is stainless steel. These water bottles are crisp, clean, and cute!

Ello Chi BPA-Free Plastic Water Bottle – If you prefer a lightweight plastic option, check out these no-slip grip silicone water bottles. They’re handy and light with an easy-grab handle and easy to pack. They come in coral, gray, pink and teal.

Do you have a BPA-free water bottle you love? Let me know which one you have in the comments below! Or tell me which one you want to get (and which color!).