Study Confirms Dangers Of BPA Exposure For Infants: Chronic Inflammation, Disease, Reduces Gut Biodiversity

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Parents are being warned about BPA exposure after a new study confirms the potential dangers it exposes infants to.

BPA is a chemical compound mostly found in plastic containers like water bottles or food containers for example. According to recent research, Bisphenol A (BPA) can lead to infants being vulnerable to chronic illness influenced by inflammation and it could reduce gut biodiversity.

These findings are as a result of a study published by mSystems using pregnant rabbits as an example. The rabbits received 200 µg of BPA per kg of body weight from gestation day 15 to day 7 after birth. The study shows that although fetal exposure to BPA didn’t influence the litter size, birth weights or survival it did trigger an inflammatory response of varying levels of severity in the offspring.

For some time now there has been concern about the effects of BPA exposure to pregnant women with some studies claiming that high doses could cause birth defects or miscarriages. While others claimed in utero exposure with low birth weight and potential childhood asthma.

The Centers for Disease Control claim, that a staggering 93% of Americans have BPA in their bloodstreams. Not entirely surprising considering that in 2015, an estimated 4 million tonnes of BPA was produced for manufacturing polycarbonate plastic and thus making it one of the highest volumes of chemicals produced in the world.

mSystems research also determined that BPA is transferred to the offspring through the placenta where it gathers in the fetal gut and liver, altering the offspring’s bacterial gut profiles. Likewise, BPA is absorbed in the human liver and exposure could be related to colon cancer and hepatitis.

High levels of BPA exposure reduces gut permeability as the study concluded. Gut permeability helps the absorption of nutrients in the diet and BPA affects that along with decreasing metabolites in the body. Metabolites are necessary for good metabolism and the overall health of the colon.

BPA exposure also affects inflammation promoted diseases such as IBD, heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes during the early stages of life, according to the findings.

Common items that contain BPA include water bottles and polycarbonate plastics, food and drink cans and thermal papers like ATM receipts or other store receipts. As a result, limiting the use of food cans and plastic containers is a good way to help reduce the exposure to BPA and its potential health risks.

A study by the Breast Cancer Fund back in 2011 showed that people decreased the amount of BPA in their systems by 60% in three days by eliminating canned foods and plastics from their diet.

Food storage is important also so using glass containers and packaging is important along with looking for BPA free packaging. Finally, dispose of receipts from the ATM or credit cards etc. when you don’t need them anymore and wash your hands afterward, as BPA is easily transferred from your hands.

Featured Image credit: naturalnews.com

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