BPA-lined Cans Elevate Levels 1000%
The study, published in this month’s edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, gave 75 volunteers either a 12-ounce canned vegetable soup or a fresh vegetable soup each day for five days. At the end of the five days, the researchers tested the urine of each subject.
Those who ate the canned soups had over ten times the levels of BPA in their urine than those who ate the fresh soups.
Bisphenol-A has received increasing research attention over the past decade because of the possibility that once in the body, it can mimic our body’s own hormones, and attach to our hormone receptors. This essentially disrupts the reception and production of our body’s natural hormones, which can affect our moods and metabolism.
While most of the evidence has come from animal studies, hormone disruption in humans was illustrated in a 2011 study among 44 women undergoing in vitro fertilization. The study showed that higher BPA levels were associated with reduced levels of estradiol.
Abnormal brain development and behavioral changes are now being suspected as new possible side effects of BPA overdosing. A review from the Japan’s Toho University Laboratory of Neuroscience revealed data that showed a possible link between BPA and abnormal brain development.
However, not all cans contain BPA. A 2000 study done by British researchers took 62 canned foods off the shelves, and detected BPA among 38 of the 62 using a detection limit of .002 mg kg(-1).
Furthermore, many food brands have switched their can linings away from BPA – and will often list this on the label. In addition, canning healthy foods, if done correctly, has been shown to provide a substantial means for preserving nutrients.
BPA has also been found in many foods packed in plastic packaging.
Carwile JL, Ye X, Zhou X, Calafat AM, Michels KB. Canned soup consumption and urinary bisphenol A: a randomized crossover trial. JAMA. 2011 Nov 23;306(20):2218-20.
Bloom MS, Kim D, Vom Saal FS, Taylor JA, Cheng G, Lamb JD, Fujimoto VY. Bisphenol A exposure reduces the estradiol response to gonadotropin stimulation during in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2011 Sep;96(3):672-677.e2.
Masuo Y, Ishido M. Neurotoxicity of endocrine disruptors: possible involvement in brain development and neurodegeneration. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2011;14(5-7):346-69.