Study Suggests Canned Goods Spike BPA Levels — Possible Link to Cardiovascular, Diabetes & Obesity

In a recent attempt to quantify BPA levels in humans after ingestion of canned foods, Harvard University researchers have found that people who ate canned soup for five days straight saw their urinary levels BPA spike 1,200 percent compared to those who ate fresh soups. Is this scary? Let’s look into it more —

First off, BPA — bisphenol A — is an endocrine disruptor that has been “shown to interfere with reproductive development in animal studies at levels of 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight and higher, though it remains uncertain if the same effects cross over to humans.” (Canada/Environmental Protection Agency)

The study that was released earlier today by the Journal of the American Medical Association (November 23 Issue) measured BPA levels by micrograms per liter of urine, not by the earlier researched method of micrograms per kilogram of bodyweight. With this in mind, a direct comparison to the EPA-cited danger level in animals was not possible.

Researcher in the study, Jenny L. Carwile, noted that previous studies have linked BPA at lower levels than the ones found in the Harvard study in question to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity in humans. The BPA in question, found in the lining of canned foods, was highlighted in the study via a randomized study with 75 participants.

The study participants were broken into two groups who ate 12-ounce servings of either fresh or canned soup over a five day period (without other alteration to their regular eating habits). Following a two-day break, the groups switched and ate the opposite type of soup.

The resulting urine analysis showed the canned soup eaters had 1,221 % higher levels of BPA than the fresh soup eaters.

The U.S. Government has acknowledged such studies, but has yet to determine whether further action should be taken.

[via Canada/AFP/JAMA/FoodRenegade]