Friday, December 19, 2014

BPA Can and Bottle Lining Could Increase Blood Pressure

Biphenol A (BPA) is a common chemical, found in products such as plastic bottles and the inner lining of food cans.

According to the authors of the study, BPA exposure has been detected in more than 95% of the US population.

The research, published in Hypertension, follows up on previous work associating BPA with cardiovascular disorders such as high blood pressure and heart rate variability.

There is also evidence that BPA can leach into food and drinks from the lining of containers. An earlier randomized crossover trial demonstrated that eating canned soup for 5 days running increased urinary BPA concentration by more that 1000%, in comparison with eating soup made from fresh ingredients.

Study authors Dr. Yun-Chul Hong of Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea and Dr. Sanghyuk Bae conducted a new randomized crossover trial, whereby participants would be given soy milk to drink, provided in either cans or glass bottles.

Two hours after drinking the soy milk the participant’s blood pressure, heart rate variability and urinary BPA concentration were measured. Participants were asked not to eat or drink any other food for the 2 hours after drinking the soy milk, and for at least 8 hours before each trial.

The researchers chose soy milk as it does not contain any ingredients known to elevate blood pressure.

The participant’s urinary BPA concentration rose by up to 1,600% following the consumption of canned soy milk, compared with consumption of soy milk from glass bottles. Additionally, systolic blood pressure increased by approximately 4.5 mmHg. No statistically significant differences in heart rate variability were observed.



Dr. Hong explained the strength of their study design: “Thanks to the crossover intervention trial design, we could control most of the potential confounders, such as population characteristics or past medical history. Time variables, such as daily temperatures, however, could still affect the results.”

Although their study demonstrates the acute effect of BPA exposure, the authors note that the associations of repeated or chronic PBA exposure with cardiovascular diseases still require further evaluation in a longitudinal study with a larger sample size.

MY TAKE:BPA is one of over 800 estrogen disruptors that have found their way into our food and drinking water. When researching biphenols, participants have to fast because a vast majority of our food contains biphenols, so eating containments the study. In this study participants fasted for 8 hours prior to drinking the soy milk. That allowed time for most of the BPA in their daily diet to be eliminated from the urine.

Of course we don’t know how much of these synthetic chemical compounds are stored in the body. The food industry has been telling us for years that the levels are safe but as noted above BPA has been detected in over 95% of our population.

Measurement of biphenols is not mandated in our drinking water, so not only have no safe limits been established, they are not routinely measured or reported to the pubic.

As an aside, heart rate variability is the most accurate measurement of general health and mortality. I believe chronic exposure to BPA will demonstrate an adverse effect of heart rate variability and hope that researchers design a study of the chronic effects soon.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Please avoid biphenols whenever possible. Don’t allow plastic water bottles to heat in the trunk of your car. Don’t run them through the dishwasher and reuse them. Better yet, don’t use them period.

Source: Medical News Today –December 9, 2014

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