Bisphenol A Detected in Canned Food in UK
This substance acts as a xenoestrogen…mimicking the effect of estrogen in the body. These class of substances have been linking to many diseases, including breast cancer, PMS and early onset of puberty. Nearly two-thirds of the canned food tested contained levels of this chemical. To me, this is quite scary. It may be that the levels in any one can is not significant, but when you add that to other sources in the environment (plastics, certain pesticides, HRT…) the cumulative effect may be great. Then, look at the fact that many women have deficiencies in the way their own body detoxifies estrogen (liver problems, B vitamin deficiency, yeast overgrowth, pathogenic flora in GI tract…) it becomes even more of a concern.
(article) The results of a new survey by the UK government’s food watchdog has shown that the seepage of the oestrogen-mimicking compound bisphenol A (BPA) into canned food is widespread. Nearly two thirds of tinned food assessed by the Food Standards Agency’s Committee on Toxicity including Heinz baled beans, Tesco tuna and Sainsbury’s fruit cocktail were found to contain BPA. Although the committee declared the level of contamination as “unlikely to be of concern to health,” environmentalists have called for an alternative to BPA to be developed as a matter of urgency. Animal research has shown that BPA enlarges the size of the prostate gland in mice, advances the onset of puberty in females and reduces fertility in rats. The findings have led to speculation that the build up of BPA in humans — the chemical is also found in white dental fillings — may be responsible for the rise in testicular cancer, prostate cancer and reduced sperm counts. Children and unborn babies are thought to be at greatest risk of the effects of BPA because of their smaller body size.