Bisphenol A, known as BPA, is widely used in food and beverage packaging. It’s found in the lining of cans used for soup, soda and beer. Many cash register receipts are also coated with BPA. The worry is that BPA may affect hormonal balance. After all, it is a synthetic estrogen.
A new study presented at the Endocrine Society Meeting in San Francisco found that prostate stem cells were more likely to develop cancerous changes if they were exposed to BPA early in their development. Human prostate stem cells were implanted into mice. The animals were exposed to BPA in levels that might be comparable to those that humans experience in their daily lives.
Tissues exposed to BPA developed abnormal cellular growth or prostate cancer three to four times more often than unexposed cells. If this preliminary data is confirmed, it would suggest that pregnant women should avoid BPA as much as possible. It might also be wise to reduce the exposure of baby boys.
[ENDO 2013, June, 2013]
We have interviewed some of the leading researchers about the potential risks of BPA. To learn more, listen to show 670, Sex Hormone Disruption; 671, all about BPA; 784, Death by Rubber Duck; or 850, BPA in Your Soup?
