BPA Can Affect Intestine Function

A French study published on Monday claims the chemical Bisphenol A used in plastic containers and drink cans has been shown for the first time to affect the functioning of the intestines, AFP reported.

The report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences journal, said researchers from the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Toulouse found that the digestive tract of rats reacted negatively to even low doses of the chemical also called BPA.

The chemical was also found to have lowered the permeability of the intestines and the immune system’s response to digestive inflammation. The research was also conducted on human intestine cells.

The chemical BPA is used in the production of polycarbonated plastics and epoxy resins found in baby bottles, plastic containers, the lining of cans used for food and beverages, and in dental sealants.

Over the past decade, more than 130 studies have linked even low levels of BPA, which can leach from plastics, to a variety of serious health problems including breast cancer, obesity and the early onset of puberty.

However, the first organ to come in contact with the substance, the intestine, was the primary focus of the French study.

The Toulouse institute released a statement explaining that the researchers orally administered doses of BPA to the rats that were equivalent to about 10 times less than the daily amount considered safe for humans.

The results showed that BPA reduced the permeability of the intestinal lining through which water and essential minerals enter the body.

Meanwhile, newborn rats exposed to BPA in the uterus and during feeding showed a higher risk of developing severe intestinal inflammation in adulthood, the study found.

The institute said that the study shows the very high sensitivity on the intestine of Bisphenol A and opens new avenues for research, including how to define acceptable thresholds of the substance for humans.

Six major baby bottle makers in the United States agreed to stop using the chemical in May of this year after reports surfaced that BPA could be detrimental to an infant’s health.

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