Simple Key to VIBRANT ENERGY

Experts caution that even water bottles labeled BPA-free can leach chemicals that sap vitality. Here’s help

With this heat we’ve been dealing with lately, odds are you’re drinking even more water than usual — a smart move since H2O has been shown to speed weight loss by

550 percent and rev energy by 89 percent. And while you avoid water bottles made with BPA (the chemical in plastic that disrupts hormones) new research reveals that even BPAfree bottles may not be safe.

“Almost all plastics, including ones marketed as BPA-free, release fake estrogens,” cautions Sara Gottfried, M.D., author of

The Hormone Cure. That’s a problem since the hormone disruption caused by these chemicals can lead to fatigue, brain fog and a sluggish thyroid. And exposure is widespread: Studies show up to 93 percent of women have these harmful chemicals in their urine. To the rescue: easy tweaks to help you stay hydrated without toxic downsides.

CARRY A REUSABLE BOTTLE?

Most reusable bottles are made from plastic that contains BPA or one of its chemical cousins. And the more wear and tear these bottles sustain, the more chemicals they release into the water. “In one study, more than 90 percent of plastic products released estrogenic chemicals before being stressed [by UV light, for example], but essentially all of them did after being stressed,” says Dr. Gottfried. She advises using a stainless steel bottle instead. To try: Klean Kanteen Reflect ($30, kleankanteen.com).

BUY DISPOSABLE BOTTLES?

Most grab-and-go plastic water bottles are made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), another hormone disrupter. In one study, 100 percent of PET-containing products released chemicals with estrogenic activity in at least one testing condition. A safer choice: water packaged in milk carton–like containers, like Boxed Water Is Better ($1, grocery stores).

PREFER A PITCHER?

Even glass or stainless steel waterfiltration pitchers likely have plastic parts. “Trying to find the 5 to 10 percent of plastic products that don’t release unsafe chemicals is like playing Russian roulette with your health,” says George Bittner, Ph.D., a neuroscience professor at the University of Texas at Austin. A better bet: Turn to charcoal, the filtering agent in many water-filtration pitchers. Just fill a glass pitcher with tap water and drop in a stick of charcoal, which has been shown to remove

100 percent of lead, mercury and copper from tap water. To try: Kishu Charcoal ($18, amazon.com).

“I don’t buy bottled water. I have a steel bottle that I always fill with water.”

Kristina Wagner, 54