Latest research: Long-term consumption of bisphenol A may lead to obesity

Modern people really have food concerns! According to Professor Wu Jiacheng of the Department of Chemistry at National Taiwan Normal University, a research team at Harvard University recently discovered that many consumers come into contact with plastic bottles or food cans every day, which contain trace amounts of "environmental hormones" such as bisphenol A (BPA). Even at room temperature, these substances will still be released and dissolved into food or beverages, and are difficult to metabolize after ingestion. Over the years, accumulation not only interferes with the body's hormones, but may also cause infertility, immune system disorders, cancer, and even obesity. Recently, a paper published in the journal "Endocrine Reviews" confirmed a similar statement, which once again raised many concerns among American consumers.

Most food containers in the United States contain trace amounts of the environmental hormone bisphenol A (BPA), which can have negative effects once it accumulates in the body. (Photo taken from www.takepart.com)

Professor Wu Jiacheng pointed out that when bisphenol A reaches more than 2ppb, it will cause physiological effects, the most serious of which can lead to breast cancer, prostate cancer, and even stillbirth. Children may also experience precocious puberty, suppress male hormones, enhance estrogen, and cause sexual disorder. What's scary is that bisphenol A is soluble in water and will flow through the blood or the pregnant mother's body, then attach to the cell walls and be excreted from the body at a slow rate. Even a small dose can affect human health.

BPA has been widely used in food packaging since the 1950s. On the one hand, it can strengthen the body of PET bottles. On the other hand, due to its wear-resistant and rust-proof properties, it is often applied to the inner layer of cans as a "magic weapon" to preserve food. Harvard's research that year showed that after the subjects consumed about 340 grams of canned soup for five consecutive days, the accumulated BPA in their bodies was 12 times that of the control group. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also found that up to 93% of Americans had trace amounts of BPA residues in their urine. What's more serious is that traces of BPA have been found in many baby products, which has caused many new parents to quickly switch to glass bottles to prevent babies with weak resistance from absorbing too much of this environmental hormone.

In 2008, the U.S. environmental group the Natural Conservation Association (NRDC) petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of BPA. However, on the 30th of last month, the FDA temporarily rejected NRDC's request on the grounds that the relevant animal test results may not be applicable to humans, and the number of samples cited was too small to prove that BPA is absolutely harmful to humans. However, this decision is not final, and there is still room for discussion and research.