Another study has linked the controversial and ubiquitous polycarbonate plastics chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), to adverse health effects. This time, to obesity.
The new research, said Fox News Latino, found that BPA is a factor in the ongoing global obesity epidemic, citing claims asserted by biologist Frederick vom Saal. Of note, the newest BPA revelations were made as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans on issuing a rule—following four years of study—on whether or not to ban the estrogenic chemical from use in food packaging.
Vom Saal told The Daily that he plans to release a new study that reveals that mothers who expose their developing fetuses to BPA during pregnancy are at increased risk of having obese children. “During the development of the fetus, BPA exposure alters the development of stem cells,” vom Saal, a professor at the University of Missouri, said, wrote Fox News Latino. “Think of it as tripping a switch in the DNA. BPA turns out to be a major factor in the number of fat cells that a person will have later in life,” vom Saal added.
According to Vom Saal, his study reveals that even trace amounts of BPA are sufficient to disrupt a developing child’s genetic structure, which can lead to metabolic disorders. Vom Saal findings are not the first to link BPA to the global obesity epidemic, said Fox News Latino. A study released last month by a Spanish research team revealed that, even in tiny amounts, BPA can cause human adult islet cells to produce more fat in the body.
The FDA has long argued that BPA is safe in low doses, only to amend its position in 2010, stating that ongoing research revealed that there was cause for “some concern” for BPA’s effects on fetuses and children, said Fox News Latino. A court order compelled the agency to review if BPA should or should not be eliminated from food containers. The FDA agreed to make its decision by Saturday.
This month, we wrote that BPA may impact uterine health, citing a new study on the industrial chemical. That study, conducted by University of Cincinnati researchers, found that evidence that BPA not only affects the heart, brain, and nervous system, the chemical could also affect a mammal’s ability to reproduce, altering the uterus in structural ways that can lead to a potentially deadly infection.
Another recent study revealed a link between BPA exposure and future cardiac issues and followed a similar study that yielded similar results. Another study on which we wrote revealed that small amounts of synthesized substances, such as BPA, are sufficient to mix up the body’s hormones and can trick our fat cells into taking in more fat or confusing the pancreas into releasing too much insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible to regulate the breakdown of fat and carbohydrates in the body.
We’ve also written about at least two BPA-breast cancer links and links to increased anxiety and depression in preschoolers exposed to BPA in the womb. BPA has been linked to toxic injury and implications in cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of reproductive and immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, interruptions in chemotherapy treatment, premature puberty, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and other female fertility and endocrine issues, and erectile dysfunction and male sexual problems in males as young as the developing fetus.
BPA the most commonly utilized estrogenic mimicker is found in many, many consumer products, making the debate over this chemical significant. BPA is also known to leach into products, whether heated or cold, and into the skin, from every day items such as paper money, toilet paper, and receipts.
