How to avoid Muscle Cramps, the most common muscle ache symptoms!

Muscle Cramps can occur even at rest & in sleep!

See a Doctor if Muscle Cramps occur too frequently!

Don’t wait until we feel thirsty to start drinking,

as thirst is a sign that we have already become dehydrated!

Study all about body’s pains in order to manage them properly.

Muscle aches:

Aches affecting one or more muscles, muscle aches are caused by either: excessive exercise, muscle injury, muscle strain, muscle metabolism disorders, and last but not least is caused by an infection [many infections cause muscle aches and pains, like titany].

Various muscle ache symptoms:

muscle weakness, muscle fatique, muscle pain, muscle cramps, muscle aches, muscle atrophy, muscle stiffness, loss of muscle control, or many other types.

Muscle cramp:

image from thorntonross.com & fitsugar.com for illustration only.

Many muscles are attached to more than two bones by tendons, muscles are arranged opposite each other, such as the muscles in the shin of our leg allow us to bend our ankle upward, while the calf muscle allows us to bend our ankle downward, muscle cramps can happen while you play tennis or golf, bowl, swim or do any exercise, it can also happen while you sit, walk or even just sleep, sometimes the slightest movement that shortens a muscle can trigger a cramp, some people are pre-disposed to muscle cramps and get them regularly with any physical exertion, those at greatest risk for cramps include infants and young children, people over the age of 50, and those who are ill, overweight, overexert during work or exercise, or take drugs or certain medications.

What is spasm:

when we use the muscle that can voluntarily be controlled, such our arms and our legs, they contract and relax as we move our limbs, a muscle that in-voluntarily contracts is called spasm, if the spasm is forceful and sustained, it become a cramp, cramp is a sudden contraction of the muscles which is accompanied by a knotting pain, usually occurs in the calf muscles, which become hard and tense, painful cramp is out of control muscle contraction, locking the muscle in a very painful spasm, which can often last for several minutes, or a lot longer, so that a muscle cramp is defined as an in-voluntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax, the cramp may involve a part of a muscle or the entire muscle, or several muscles that act together, such as those that flex / bend adjacent finger, sometime cramps involve the simultaneous contraction of many muscles that ordinarily move body parts in opposite directions, cramps are common in adult and become increasingly frequent with aging, particularly common in people over 50, any muscle that are under our voluntarily control can cramp.

Muscle cramps are common in athletics, excessive sweating is associated with cramps, most endurance athletes like marathon runners, swimmers, soccer players and cricketers have had a cramp at some time in their career, a muscle cramp is basically a skeletal muscle in spasm and refusing to relax, the muscles of the calf, and the back and front of the thigh are the most commonly affected, muscles of the hand, forearm, back, neck and abdomen can also be affected, overuse of muscles causes the local build up of waste products [lactic acid], depletion of oxygen and the loss of energy substrates, these conditions are ripe for a spasm to take place, and once that begins, the nerves keep stimulating the muscles to contract, exercising in hot weather, excessive sweat loss, dehydration, participation in endurance athletics can cause cramps, an athlete coming off a period of inactivity is more likely to experience spasms, some cramps are not related to exercise at all but may be the symptom of an underlying disease.

Rest cramps / night cramps / nocturnal cramps: cramp that occur at rest during the night after turning or stretching during sleep, rest cramps / night cramps / nocturnal cramps can be very disruptive of sleep and otherwise quite disturbing, they sometime re-occur frequently, many time a night, or many night each week, rest cramps are very painful, the actual cause of night cramps are unknown, sometime to be initiated by making a movement that shortens the muscle, which then cramps, like pointing the toe down while lying in bed, which shortens the calf muscle.

The mechanism of Muscle Cramp:

Inside every muscle are hundreds of muscle fibres and each of these contain muscle filaments, these slide past each other when the muscle is relaxed, when the muscle needs to generate force, in order to walk, run or kick, the filaments lock together and the muscle contracts, a signal is given to the muscle and it is washed with a Sodium salt solution, the filaments then need to unlock and relax before contracting again, in this case the filaments are washed with a calcium solution, relaxing the fibres as you propel forwards, muscle fibres are therefore in a continuous cycle of contraction and relaxation.

Causes of Muscle Cramps:

Why cramps occur are still mystery, although they are obvious that fatigued muscles are more likely to cramp, cramp can occur even in sleep, cramp can be caused by any one of a number of factors such as:

1. Poor blood circulation to the legs: which results in inadequate oxygen to the muscle tissue, can cause severe pain, this commonly occurs in the calf muscles, the front and back of the thigh muscles.
2. Tiredness / inadequate stretching and muscle fatigue: muscles are bundles of fibres that contract and expand to produce movement, a regular program of stretching lengthens muscle fibres so they can contract and tighten more vigorously when we exercise, when our body is poorly conditioned, less of warming up, we are more likely to experience muscle fatigue, which when coupled with over-exertion depletes a muscle’s oxygen supply, leading to build up of waste product [lactic acid] and spasms, this can then lead to cramps as the muscle fibres cease to contract and expand effectively.
3. Contractures: contractures result when the muscle are unable to relax, the constant spasms are cause by a depletion of ATP / adenosine triphosphate[*], an energy chemical within the cells, this will prevent the muscle fiber relaxation, the nerves are inactive in this form of muscle spasm.
4. Certain medicines: chronic volume depletion of body fluid from Diurectis that promote urination together with poorly fluid intake may cause cramps.
5. Sodium depletion: loss of sodium, the most abundant chemical constituent of body fluids outside the cell, is usually a function of dehydration, and causes cramps, electrolyte disturbance may cause cramp and tetany of muscles [tetanic cramp], particularly hypokalaemia [a low level of potassium] and hypocalcaemia/ hypocalcemia [a low level of calcium], this disturbance arises as the body loses large amounts of fluid through sweat, this fluid is composed mostly of water and table salt [NaCl], the loss of osmotically active particles outside muscle cells leads to a disturbance of the osmotic balance and swelling of muscle cells as these contain more osmotically active particles, this causes the calcium pump between the muscle lumen and sarcoplasmic reticulum to short circuit and the calcium ions remain bound to the troponin and the muscle contraction is continued, this may occur when the lactic acid is high in the cells.
6. Low Blood Potassium: low potassium level occasionally cause muscle cramps, low potassium is associated with muscle weakness.
7. Low Blood Calcium [hypocalcaemia / hypocalcemia], Magnesium: low blood levels of calcium or magnesium directly increase the excitability of both the nerve endings and the muscle they stimulate, this may cause spontaneous true cramps experienced by many people, includes women during pregnancy, low levels of calcium and magnesium are common in normal pregnancy, unless these minerals are supplemented to the diet, diuretic can also decrease calcium and magnesium levels in body fluid, so does with vomiting, vitamin deficiency can cause inadequate calcium absorption, poor function of the parathyroid gland can decrease the calcium level in body fluid, low calcium and magnesium increases the activity of nerve tissue non specifically causes tetanic cramps, low blood calcium causes not only spasm of the muscle of the hands and wrists, but also a sensation of numbness and tingling around the mouth and other areas.

Hypocalcaemia/ hypocalcemia [low blood calcium level] is an electrolyte imbalance and is indicated by a low level of calcium in the blood, the normal adult value for calcium is 4.5 5.5 mEq/L, calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, as well as for normal muscle and nerve function, normal blood calcium levels are maintained through the actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH), your kidneys and intestines.

8. Dehydration: sport and either vigorous activities / exercise can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration, a chemical imbalance in the muscle occurred, makes it suddenly contract, this kind of hydration causes cramps, these cramps are more likely in warm weather and can be early sign of heat stroke, the calf muscles are the most frequently affected during or after exercise, don’t wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking, as thirst is a sign that you have already become dehydrated, drinking plenty of water before, during and after exercise will help prevent cramp.
9. Body fluid shifts: unusual distribution of body fluid, such as cirrhosis of the liver, with fluid in the abdomen cavity, artificial kidney treatment such as hemodialysis makes a relatively frequent complication of the rapid body fluid changes can also cause cramps.
10. Vitamin deficiencies can cause muscle cramps:
    Several vitamin deficiency states may directly or indirectly lead to muscle cramps, these include deficiencies of thiamine [Vitamin B1], pantothenic acid [Vitamin B5], and pyridoxine [Vitamin B6], the role of deficiency of these vitamins in causing cramps are unknown.
11. Tetany: in tetany [causes by neuro tetany toxin], all of the nerve cells in the body are activated, they stimulate the muscle, this reaction causes spasms or cramps throughout the body, tetanic cramps can also cause by hyperactivities of other nerve functions in addition to muscle stimulation.

Preventing from Muscle Cramps:

• Avoid exerting in hot weather, wear cotton fabrics, drink water and electrolyte-rich fluids at regular intervals during exercise, stretch before exercise, stretch after a workout as well, most cramps tend to occur towards the end of a workout.

• Stretch your calf muscles, stand about two feet away from a wall, keeping your heels flat and your legs straight, lean towards the wall as you support yourself with your hands, hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat ten times.
• Massage your calves by rubbing from the ankle upwards, five minutes on each leg, massage can use over-the-counter massage creams, muscular creams, warming up balms, liniment oils and the like, that will help to improve the blood flow and feel comfortable warm enough.
• Use an electric blanket on cold winter nights. This can keep the calf muscles warm and pain free.
• Sleep on your side with knees bent and a pillow between them.
• Take regular exercise, walking, swimming and cycling are excellent.
• Yoga is also a good way of learning to relax and stretch your muscles.

Optional actions to cure Muscle Cramps:

1. Warming up and gently stretching your muscles before exercise helps to avoid cramp, it is also a good idea to warm down after completing any exercise programmed by doing five to ten minutes of stretching exercises.

1. Streching exercise: hold each stretch briefly for a few seconds, then release, never stretch to the point of pain.

• Hamstring Muscle Stretch: sit with one leg folded in and the other leg straight out, foot upright with toes and ankles relaxed, lean forward slightly and touch your foot of your straightened leg, repeat with your opposite leg.
• Calf Muscle Stretch: start with a standing lunge with both your feet pointed forward, then straighten your rear leg out behind you, repeat with your opposite leg.
• Quadriceps Muscle Stretch: while standing, hold the top of your foot with your opposite hand and gently pull your heel towards your buttocks, repeat with your opposite leg.

2. Medication: take Calcium gluconate to help correct any calcium deficiency, Cholecalciferol, a form of Vitamin D, also called Vitamin D3 or Calciol [**] to aid calcium absorption and Nicotinic acid to improve poor peripheral circulation.
   
3. Stop the activity that caused the cramp: holding the cramped muscle in a stretched position will stop the spasm soon, if the muscle feels sore and tender, apply an ice pack, if it feels tense and tight, a warm heated soft cloth put on a sore place on the affected area of the body to soothe pain and reduce swelling,, most cramps are benign, however, if they occur too frequently, see a doctor to search for underlying causes of the condition.
4. Alternatively, when you are having an attack of cramp, rubbing the muscle vigorously, can apply pain reliever creams, liniment oils, muscular balms and the like, that will help to reduce the pains, and stretching it gently will help bring relief, you may also find it useful to place a hot wet towel over the area affected as soon as the cramp has eased, or while it is still easing, repeat this every five minutes, for about four or five times in total, and then gently move the affected muscle, by walking or stretching.

[*] Adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP)

Adenosine-5'-triphosphate [ATP] is a multifunctional nucleotide, and plays an important role in cell biology as a coenzyme that is the “molecular unit of currency” of intracellular energy transfer. In this role, ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism. It is produced as an energy source during the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration and consumed by many enzymes and a multitude of cellular processes including biosynthetic reactions, motility and cell division. ATP is made from adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and its use in metabolism converts it back into these precursors. ATP is therefore continuously recycled in organisms, with the human body turning over its own weight in ATP each day.

[**] Cholecalciferol / Vitamin D3 / Calciol

Also Read the Related Articles:

All about Body Pains
Trigeminal Neuralgia, Select the most suitable healing method
Sciatica, a nerve pain potentially reduces the quality of life
Stiff Neck, and How to cure it.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the most common nerve problem affected person's hand

Growing up Green, for Healthy Newborn Babies

Green Baby Feeding, en route to a Greener Life,

WHO & APP recommend breast feeding exclusively during the first six months.

Be wise and careful on Powdered Infant Formula Health Issues:

Enterobacter sakazakii & Melamine contaminations !

After the babies are born, chemical compounds are readily transferred to the young children via breast milk, mother who are planning to nurse should keep up healthy habits, breast milk is the best for babies, because it provides the children with the mother’s healthy antibodies, increasing babies resistance to infections, giving the babies a possible IQ boost, breast feeding also decrease the risk of childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, childhood cancers, and allergies, breast feeding may help counteract the effects of chemical exposures during pregnancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) and APP recommend breast feeding exclusively during the first six months, beyond that, the AAP encourages breastfeeding until at least 12 months, and longer if both the mother and baby are willing. Some women feel guilty if they don't breastfeed their babies, breastfeeding is an important time of connection between mother and baby.

What is colostrum?

Colostrum which also known as first milk / immune milk, is the first milk mother will start producing during pregnancy, is produced by the mammary glands in late pregnancy and the few days after giving birth, colostrum is the creamy yellow or golden substance that is present in the breasts before the mature milk is made. Colostrum is very high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies and low in fat, colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated low-volume form protein and provides an important super boost of antibodies to protect the baby and strengthen the immune system.

Colostrum also serves many other important functions to mother and her baby.

1. Has a laxative effect that helps the baby pass the first few black stools called meconium[**], usually within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth, this process clears excess bilirubin, a waste product of dead red blood cells which is produced in large quantities at birth due to blood volume reduction, from the infant's body and helps prevent jaundice.

[**]. Meconium is the earliest stools of an infant. Unlike later feces, meconium is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus: intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, and water

2. Colostrum contains immunoglobulins such as IgA and IgM. IgA will be absorbed through the intestinal epithelial, travel through the blood and will be secreted onto other Type 1 mucosal surfaces, colostrum also contains a variety of growth factors (IGfs).
3. When the baby starts suckling at mother’s breast for the colostrum, this stimulates mother to start producing the mature milk, the suckling also increases the hormone oxytocin in mother’s body, which helps the uterus to contract and shrink down to its pre-pregnant size.

Benefits of breastfeeding:

• Infection-fighting: antibodies passed from a nursing mother to her baby can help lower the occurrence of many conditions, including, other factors help to protect a breastfed baby from infection by contributing to the infant's immune system by increasing the barriers to infection and decreasing the growth of organisms like bacteria and viruses.
• Nutrition and ease of digestion: breast milk is the perfect food for a human baby's digestive system, breast milk's components lactose, protein and fat are easily digested by a newborn's immature digestion system, breast milk tends to be more easily digested so that breastfed babies have fewer incidences of diarrhea or constipation, breast milk also naturally contains many of the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires, breast milk contains the right combination of vitamins and easily absorbed iron that will be sufficient until the baby begins eating iron-rich cereals around 6 months of age, a healthy infant being nursed by a healthy mother does not need any additional vitamins or nutritional supplements, with the exception of vitamin D, breast milk does contain some vitamin D [vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight], sun exposure increases the risk of skin damage, so parents are advised to minimize exposure, as a result, the AAP recommends that all breastfed babies begin receiving vitamin D supplements during the first 2 months and continuing until the infant consumes enough vitamin D-fortified formula or milk after 1 year of age, breast milk is over 90% water, babies breastfeeding well do not require extra water, even in summer, even in the hottest weather, if they are not breastfeeding well, they also do not need extra water, but require that the breastfeeding be fixed.
• Different tastes: a nursing mother will usually need 500 extra calories per day, which means that she should eat a wide variety of well-balanced foods, this introduces breastfed babies to different tastes through their mothers' breast milk, which has different flavors depending on what their mothers have eaten.
• Convenience: breast milk is always fresh and available. And when women breastfeed, there's no need to warm up bottles in the middle of the night, it's also easy for breastfeeding mothers to be active and go out and about with their babies and know that they'll have food available for whenever their little one is hungry.
• Beneficial for mothers: the ability to nourish a baby totally can also help a new mother feel confident in her ability to care for her baby, breastfeeding also burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, so nursing moms may be able to return to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight quicker, in addition, studies show that breastfeeding helps lower the risk of breast cancer and also may help decrease the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
• Skin-to-skin contact: Many nursing mothers really enjoy the experience of bonding so closely with their babies. And the skin-to-skin contact can enhance the emotional connection between mother and infant.
• Smarter babies: some studies suggest that children who were exclusively breastfed have slightly higher IQs than children who were formula fed.
• Obesity prevention: some studies have found that breastfeeding may help prevent obesity.

Eat, Drink, and Medication during breast feeding:

• Eat & drink: women who are breastfeeding need to be careful about what they eat and drink, since things can be passed to the baby through the breast milk, just like during pregnancy, breastfeeding women should avoid fish that are high in mercury, limit lower mercury fish intake, if a woman has alcohol, a small amount can be passed to the baby through breast milk, she should wait to breastfeed at least 2 hours after a single alcoholic drink in order to avoid passing any alcohol to the baby. Caffeine intake should be kept to no more than 300 milligrams [about one to three cups of regular coffee] per day for breastfeeding women because it may cause problems such as restlessness and irritability in some babies, some infants are sensitive enough to caffeine to have problems even with smaller amounts of caffeine.
• Medication: women should always check with the doctor about the safety of taking medications while breastfeeding, including over-the-counter and herbal medicines, certain medications may make breastfeeding unsafe.

Breast feeding versus Powdered Infant Formula feeding:

The American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] joins other organizations such as the American Medical Association [AMA], the American Dietetic Association [ADA], and the World Health Organization [WHO] in recommending breastfeeding as the best for babies. Breastfeeding helps defend against infections, prevent allergies, and protect against a number of chronic conditions.

For mothers who are unable to breastfeed or who decide not to breastfeed their babies, infant formula is a good alternative, commercially prepared infant formulas are a nutritious alternative to breast milk, and even contain some vitamins and nutrients that breastfed babies need to get from supplements, manufactured under sterile conditions, commercial formulas attempt to duplicate mother's milk using a complex combination of proteins, sugars, fats, and vitamins, manufactured formula does not contain important antibodies that usually found in breast milk, which means that formula doesn't provide the baby with the added protection against infection and illness that breast milk does.

Powdered Infant Formula contains the right blend of vitamins, including vitamin D, supplements are usually not necessary, iron-fortified formula is recommended for a baby's first year and should contain up to 12 milligrams of iron per liter, water, juice, and other foods are usually not necessary during a baby's first 6 months, powdered infant formula provides everything babies need nutritionally until they start eating solid foods, a sufficient enough formula must be on hand at all times and stored in sterile containers.

Baby feed bottles must be prepared, the powdered and condensed formulas must be prepared with sterile water, which needs to be boiled until the baby is at least 6 months old, Bottles and nipples need to be sterilized before the first use and then washed after every use because bottles and nipples can transmit bacteria if they aren't cleaned properly, bottles left out of the refrigerator longer than 1 hour as well as any formula that a baby doesn't finish must be thrown out, prepared bottles of formula should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 24 to 48 hours, run refrigerated bottles under warm water for a few minutes if the baby prefers a warm bottle to a cold one.

Powdered Infant Formula and Enterobacter sakazakii contamination issues:

Powdered infant formula [PIF] has been associated with serious illness and death in infants due to infections with Enterobacter sakazakii, during production, PIF can become contaminated with harmful bacteria, such as Enterobacter sakazakii[**] and Salmonella enterica, this is because, using current manufacturing technology, it is not feasible to produce sterile PIF, during the preparation of PIF, inappropriate handling practices can exacerbate the problem.

[**]. Enterobacter sakazakii is a gram-negative, non-spore-forming bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. On occasion, it has been associated with sporadic cases or small outbreaks of sepsis, meningitis, cerebritis and necrotizing enterocolitis.

Kindly read:

• Joint FAO/WHO Workshop on Enterobacter sakazakii and other microorganism in powdered infant formula

• Enterobacter sakazakii and Salmonella in powdered infant formula: Meeting report, MRA Series 10

Powdered Infant Formula and Melamine contamination issues:

Melamine chemical structure

WHO: Melamine-contamination events.

Melamine is a chemical compound that has a number of industrial uses, including the production of laminates, glues, dinnerwares / melamine-wares, adhesives, molding compounds, coatings and flame retardants. Melamine is a name used both for the chemical and for the plastic made from it, there are no approved direct food uses for melamine, nor are there any recommendations in the Codex Alimentarius. Melamine has been illegally added to inflate [increase the amount] the apparent protein content of food or feed products which has led to health problems, melamine is rich in nitrogen atom content as protein has.

WHO Guidance of Melamine levels in food: Melamine is also found as a metabolite of the pesticide cyromazine[**] in plants, goats, hens and rats (JMPR Report 2006). Melamine is also used in some fertilizers, consumer exposure to melamine is considered to be low, as consequence of cyromazine metabolism it may occur through the extraction of melamine from compression moulds by acidic foods, such as lemon or orange juice or curdled milk, at high temperature, taking into account of these sources, the estimated oral uptake of melamine is around 0,007 mg melamine / kg body weight / day (OECD 1998).

[**]. Cyromazine is a triazine insect growth regulator used as an insecticide and an acaricide. It is a cyclopropyl derivative of melamine. Cyromazine works by affecting the nervous system of the immature larval stages of certain insects.

The country's existing limits for melamine in baby milk food and other dairy products need not be changed going by the latest World Health Organization [WHO] guideline, a statement on the WHO website said: taking 10 mg melamine a day is not harmful for a person who weighs 50 kg [same as 5 ppm], according to WHO's the Tolerable Daily Intake [TDI] for melamine, set at 0.2 mg per kg body weight [2 ppm] by international experts, is lower than previous limits suggested by some countries' food safety authorities.

FDA to allow trace levels of melamine in baby formula: it was safe to consume food and beverages with melamine levels below 2.5 parts per million [2.5 ppm], with the exception of infant formula, in early October 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration [FDA] said 2.5 mg of melamine in 1 kg of milk product [2.5 ppm] would not cause health problems, but baby milk food exported to the US must be free of melamine, but later, the FDA said baby milk food could contain up to 1 part per million [or 1 mg in 1 kg = 1 ppm] of melamine, the same level set by China, after traces of melamine were reportedly found in the infant formula of a major US company, and a related chemical, cyanuric acid[**], was detected in another big firm's product.

In Hong Kong the maximum concentration limit of melamine for milk as well as food intended to be consumed by children under the age of 36 months, pregnant and lactating women at 1 ppm. for other food, the maximum concentration limit is set at 2.5 ppm.

China sets limit on melamine levels in dairy products: a maximum 2.5 milligrams per kilogram [2.5 ppm] was allowed for liquid milk, milk powder and food products containing at least 15 percent milk.

[**]Cyanuric acid is the cyclic trimer of the elusive species cyanic acid, used as precursor to N-chlorinated cyanurates, which are used to disinfect water, a precursor or a component of bleaches, disinfectants, and herbicides.

Baby Feeding Bottles and Nipples:

1. The better choice for baby feeding bottles are made of stainless steel, and glass, they do not leach any hazardous chemicals, they can be sanitized by boiling or heating at high temperature, wide mouth glass, jars are a proper choice for storage, as they won’t crack when heated or chilled.
2. Breast milk store in plastic bottle may lose a high percentage of its antibodies, its fat content, since fat tends to adhere to the plastic and may get left in the bottle,
3. Frequently used plastic bottle may scratched, which will increase the chances of the chemical in the plastic leaching into the food or drink contained in it, freezing and warming plastic bottles may also promote leaching, beside that, frequently used plastic bottles may contaminated with bacteria as plastic bottles can not be sterilized or sanitized by boiling or heating.
4. If plastic bottles should be used, choose safer non leaching plastic bottles, containers or bags, such as High-Density-Poly-Ethylene [HDPE] #2, Low-Density-Poly-Ethylene [LDPE] #4, Poly-Propylene [PP] #5, Poly-Ethylene-Terephthalate [PET / PETE] #1, and Poly-Sulphone [PES] bottles.
5. Use carefully Poly-Carbonate baby feed bottles [PC} #7, do not heat polycarbonate containers in the microwave, do not boil them, do not fill baby feed polycarbonate bottles with hot baby foods / drinks, instead, use glass or ceramic containers to heat baby food & drink, pour into the bottles after the temperature lower to warm enough for baby feeding, do not use harsh detergents or put bottles in the dishwasher, these factors help to degrade the plastic and break-down the bonds to release bisphenol-A, clean polycarbonate bottles with warm soapy water and a sponge.
6. Avoid using Poly-Vinyl-Chloride bottles [PVC] #3, as it leaches phthalates [DEHP] and adipates, as its platicizers, these toxic chemicals are added during production of PVC to make it soft and pliable, Diethylhexylphthalate [DEHP] has been shown to cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and reproductive systems of animal, its effects on human remain unclear.

7. Bottle-nipples: choose clear silicone bottle nipples and pacifier, which are nitrosamine free, they are safer and longer lasting than amber-colored rubber bottle-nipples, which may contain nitrosamine contaminants, these contaminants have been found to cause cancer in laboratorial animals. nitrosamine can be ingested through bottle-nipples, but it’s unknown whether this kind of exposure increases cancer risk in humans.

Nitrosamine chemical compound

Also Read :

Growing up Green, for Healthier Prenatal Babies
Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [1]
Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [2]
Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [3]
Safely use of Baby Feed Polycarbonate Bottles
PET / PETE Bottle, its advantanges, and its Health issues
Safely use of Plastic Food Packaging
Cajuput Oil, the people's Green Health Cares

PET / PETE Polyester, Its advantages, and its Health issues

PET / PETE Bottles, Jars, Pots, PET Films,

for Food, Water & Beverage Packaging

Polyester, which are primary known for the production of synthetic fibers, are now used for many different applications. Nowadays, PET used as raw material for production of packaging, including food packaging, bottles for water & beverages, films and engineering plastics.

PET polyester used for those products are modified by adding co-monomers and additives which influence the properties of the co-polyesters, such as:

1. melting temperature,
2. high clarity,
3. crystallization rate,
4. neutral color,
5. low acetaldehyde during perform production,
6. second order transition temperature.

Modified resins for rigid packaging, in general, are of higher molecular weights than standard PET resins, the required viscosities as well as the lowest acetaldehyde levels are reached by solid state poly-condensation.

PET [Poly-Ethylene-Terephthalate] polyester manufacturing process:

Pure Terephthalic Acid or Dimethyl-Terephthalate and Ethylene glycol are used for esterification or trans-esterification and further poly-condensation to Poly-Ethylen-Terephthalate [PET]. Diols or Dicarbonic acids are added as co-monomers, they are built into the polyester chains to reduce the melting temperature and the crystallization rate of the so produced co-PET, this modification is necessary to achieve the required product quality for rigid packaging products, with lower temperature and longer resident time technology, gives many benefits, such as minimal reaction by-products, low acetaldehyde formation, excellent product quality, and greater energy efficiency, in the manufacturing process of PET, it uses Antimony-based catalyst [Sb₂O₃], but now has changed with heavy metal free catalyst and stabilizer system

Solid State Poly-condensation process:

Amorphorous PET chips are crystallized in crystallizers, then fed to a reactor where the solid state polycondensation process takes place, the principle of solid state polycondensation process involves high temperature treatment of poly-ethylene-terephthalate [PET] chips in an oxygen-free and moisture-free environment for sufficiently long resident time to achieve the desired molecular weight, the removal of reaction products and volatile impurities, such as volatile organic compound [VOC] acetaldehyde are carried out by diffusion to the PET chips surface and from there into a gas stream, purified and dried nitrogen [N₂] is used as an inert carrier gas.

Advantages of PET Bottles:

• High clarity and free of particles,
• High brilliance, excellent gloss, crystal clear, glass like,
• Un-breakable, breakage resistant / no fear of breaking, customer friendly, easy to dispense,
• Low weight, 90% lighter than glass bottles, easy to carry, saving in transportation cost,
• Non toxic,
• Good chemical resistance, such as acids, alkalis, alcohols, organic solvents, oils, and fats,
• No taste influence on the filled products, totally inert,
• Retain good aroma of the filled products,
• Good barrier properties,
• Good mechanical properties, customizing bottle designed and specification can be tailor made as required,
• Good chemical resistance, such as acids [fair to good], alkalis [poor to fair], alcohols [good], organic solvents [good], oils [good], and fats [good],
• Good form stability, bottle dimensional accuracy gives consistent filling point and brimful volumes, filling efficiency lines possible, bottles blow molding & bottle filling can be synchronized on one production line,
• Good printability, glued and heat shrink labeling possible,
• Can be recycled, eco-friendly.

PET has become the material of choice for bottled water & beverages because it is lightweight and breakage resistant, and PET has been extensively tested for safety, bottles made with PET are widely used for everything from water and fruit juice to soft drinks and even beer.

Advantages of PET-Film Packaging:

• Excellent transparency and gloss,
• High brilliance, excellent gloss, crystal clear, glass like,
• Low weight, 90% lighter than glass made, easy to carry, saving in transportation cost,
• Non toxic,
• Un-breakable, breakage resistant / no fear of breaking, customer friendly, easy to dispense,
• Suitable for food packaging including fats,
• Good chemical resistance, such as acids [fair to good], alkalis [poor to fair], alcohols [good], organic solvents [good], oils [good], and fats [good],
• Low water absorption,
• Good gas barrier / low gas permeability,
• Easy thermoform,
• Good mechanical properties,
• Good printability, glued and heat shrink labeling possible,
• Can be recycled, eco-friendly.

PET Bottles and Health issues:

PET packaging is cleared for safety in food and beverage packaging for single and repeated use, because it is suitable, convenient and recyclable, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] has reviewed migration testing data and concluded the PET containers do not leach harmful amounts of substances into their contents under foreseeable conditions of use, all bottles that are re-used should always be properly cleaned, using soap and hot water and then dried thoroughly after that to prevent bacterial growth.

Antimony catalyst used in manufacturing PET:

Antimony trioxide [Sb₂O₃] is often used as a catalyst in the production of PET, metallic antimony [Sb / Stibium] is not used, the function of the catalysts are to ensure that a process happens fast enough, it is just because catalysts speed chemical reactions, to make it commercially practical, antimony was chosen based on its effectiveness as a catalyst; productivity and safety, a 1997 study showed that antimony trioxide has very low toxicity, the compound is relatively inert and does not participate in biological life, a report by the International Life Sciences Institute showed less than five parts per billion (<>

Refill use of PET bottle:

The PET bottle itself poses no danger when refilled. PET is an inert plastic and does not leach harmful materials into its contents, either when a beverage is stored closely, or when bottles are refilled and frozen, the PET containers have been safely used for 20 years and have undergone rigorous testing under FDA guidelines to ensure their safety as a food and beverage containers suitable for storage and reuse, opened bottles can contain bacteria, so that, all PET bottles should be washed with hot, soapy water and dried thoroughly prior to reuse.

Beverages stored and frozen in PET bottles:

It is not danger to freeze PET bottle with beverages content in it, no dioxins are leached from frozen PET bottles into bottle contents.

Leaving a filled PET bottle in a hot car:

The issue that PET bottles leach chemicals when heated in hot cars is not based on any science, and is unsubstantiated by any credible evidence.

PET Bottle leaches Phthalates, DEHA, or Bisphenol-A issues:

1. Phathalates: Poly-Ethylene-Terephthalate [PET / PETE] bottle does not contain plasticizer orthophthalates. PET bottle used terephthalates [different with orthophthalate] as raw material in its manufacturing.
2. DEHA [Di-Ethyl-Hexyl-Adipate]: PET bottles does not use additive substance Diethylhexyl-Adipate, PET bottle does not contain any carcinogenic elements, and DEHA itself is not classified as a carcinogen and has been cleared by the FDA for use to make other kind of plastics (not PET).
3. Bis-phenol A [BPA]: There is no connection between PET plastic and Bis-phenol A. PET does not contain BPA because BPA is not used in PET’s manufacturing, BPA is used in polycarbonate bottles [#7]. Bisphenol A itself belongs to a group of substances which have a hormone-like [oestrogen] effect, this substance may be contained in plastic objects including objects that come into contact with food, some examples are baby bottles [Polycarbonate baby feed bottles #7], beakers, plastic cutlery [knives, forks, spoons used fro eating] or the inner lining of cans.

Also Read:
Safely use of Plastic FoodPackaging
Safely use of Baby Feed Polycarbonate Bottle