(NaturalNews) The endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol A remains in the body significantly longer than scientists had previously believed, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Rochester and published in the journal
Environmental Health Perspectives.
Bisphenol A is an industrial chemical used as an ingredient in the resins that coat cans of food or infant formula. It is also used to make plastics hard and transparent for products such as water and baby bottles. Research has shown, however, that the chemical mimics the hormone estrogen in the
body, and studies have implicated it in reproductive and developmental defects, including abnormalities of the brain and prostate. The National Institutes of Health has also expressed concern that
bisphenol A might lead to behavioral
changes in children and infants.
Scientists have known for some time that the chemical accumulates in the body, but had believed that it was
water soluble and passed out quickly through the
urine. In the current study, researchers tested urine levels of bisphenol A among 1,469 adults after fasts of different lengths to determine if this was really the case.
The researchers found roughly similar levels of the chemical in the urine of those who had been fasting for 8.5 hours as in those who had been fasting for 24. This suggests that either the participants were ingesting bisphenol A from a non-dietary source or that the chemical remains in the body longer than previously thought, perhaps in the fat cells.
The findings raise significant new
health concerns about the chemical, researcher Richard Stahlhut noted.
"If it leaves the body quickly, then it reduces the amount of time when it can cause problems. If it does cause problems, obviously if it stays around much longer, then that changes the game," he said.
Prior
research has found a correlation between a high body burden of bisphenol A and a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver problems.
Sources for this story include: uk.reuters.com.
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