A few months ago, the Today show aired an investigative report about water bottles’ leaking a chemical that could adversely affect how the body releases hormones. It’s disturbing to think that you could actually be harming yourself by drinking the best liquid on earth, but you could very well be.

The chemical culprit is known as BPA, or in scientific speak, bisphenol-A. This is a chemical that certain plastics release,  depending on the kind of plastic manufacturers use in the production of water bottles (it’s true, not all plastics are built the same). Consuming measurable doses of BPA can have damaging effects on brain development, particularly on developing brains, as in the fetus of a pregnant woman. In addition to the brain, bisphenol-A can also increase one’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome. With 25 percent of Americans affected, metabolic syndrome restricts the body’s ability to regulate insulin levels by limiting the production adiponectin. Adiponectin is a protein the body naturally produces; it’s an essential protein if one wants to avoid metabolic catastrophes like type II diabetes. Naturally, if the body is unable to produce enough insulin, diabetes is the result. Diabetes increases the chances of developing other serious health issues like coronary artery disease and stroke.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati recognized this issue after harvesting three kinds of fatty tissue from human specimens. They then exposed the fatty tissue samples to samples of BPA in an incubator for six hours. Under normal conditions, adiponectin is released over time, but due to the BPA, the researchers observed a decreased production of adiponectin. And again, a decrease in the production of adiponectin leads to an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

As I’ve written in the past, these kinds of studies are often done on lab rats, thus making them a bit more difficult to apply to humans. But because these were human samples of tissue, the findings are especially worrisome. What makes it even more worrisome is a Center for Disease Control and Prevention study revealing the 95 percent of women with BPA in their urine were at levels that would alter an animal’s development! And as Dr. Leo Trasande said in an interview on the Today show, there is no such thing as a safe level of BPA in the body.

Fortunately, scientists believe that the levels at which BPA leaks out of water bottles is extremely small, but again, scientific studies suggest no level of BPA in the body is considered safe.

So, how does one keep BPA out of their system? I suppose there’s no one fool proof way, as scientists estimate that 80 percent of the entire population has measurable levels of BPA in their bloodstream. But we’re talking about minimizing exposure. One way is through abstinence: limiting if not restricting the use of water bottles and opting for water from the tap, preferably one supplied with a water filter. I’m currently evaluating a high-quality water filter called Aquasana. More details to come.

In the meantime, if you just can’t live without your bottled water, look at its bottom before unscrewing its top. You should be able to find three arrows that form a triangle (the nationally-recognized symbol for “recycle”). In the middle of that triangle should be a number. If the number is 3, 6 or 7, it’s likely that the bottle contains bisphenol-A and should therefore not be used. Reusable water bottles like Nalgene have one of these numbers. Understandably, they’ve since lost some favor (and sales).

Any other number is fine. However, doctors and researchers advise you not use the bottle more than once, as cleaning these bottles cause the plastic to degrade and an increased leaking of chemicals that make up the plastic results.

You’re doing your body a world of good by drinking water. Continue doing so by ditching the body and grabbing a good old fashioned glass!