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Concern over bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly found in plastics, has led to a surge in BPA-free products. But now, a new study suggests that chemicals replacing BPA could also be a cause for concern.
The study found that, in American children, exposure to two commonly used chemicals in place of BPA – called Bisphenol S (BPS) and Bisphenol F (GMP) – is linked to an increased risk of obesity. BPS and GMP have a similar structure to BPA and can be found in certain types of plastics, canned products and other products.
The study, published today (July 25) in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, adds to a growing body of evidence linking bisphenol-based chemicals, the drug, and the drug. obesity and weight gain. In 2012, the same group of researchers discovered a link between BPA and childhood obesity.
The use of BPS and GMPs "is increasing because manufacturers are replacing BPA with these chemicals," said in a statement the lead author of the study, Melanie Jacobson, from the medical school of New York University. "Although diet and exercise are still understood [be] the main factors of obesity, this research suggests that exposures to common chemicals may also play a role. " [12 Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals & Their Health Effects]
However, the new study has revealed that an badociation and can not prove that BPS and BPF are at the origin of obesity. It may be that children who are already obese tend to be more exposed to these chemicals, said the authors.
The US Food and Drug Administration believes that BPA is safe at low levels found in foods, although the agency continues to review research on the subject, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Nevertheless, given the global evidence linking bisphenol-based chemicals to obesity and the increasing use of BPA alternatives, researchers should continue to monitor the potential health effects of these products. , said the authors.
Hormone-disrupting chemicals
The structure of BPA is similar to that of the hormone estrogen and could therefore interfere with the action of hormones in the body. The chemical can seep into food and beverages from packaging materials. Previous studies have linked BPA exposure to many health problems; In addition to obesity, exposure to BPA has been linked to precocious puberty, miscarriages, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
However, relatively few studies have examined the potential health effects badociated with other bisphenol-based chemicals, even though these alternative chemicals could have similar effects, the authors said.
In the new study, researchers badyzed information from more than 1,800 American children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 who participated in a national health survey from 2013 to 2016. As part of this survey, participants been subjected to physical examination and urine samples. .
The researchers examined the levels of BPA, BPS and GMP in the participants' urine samples.
Overall, 97% of participants had detectable levels of BPA in their urine samples; 88% had detectable levels of BPS; and 55% had detectable levels of GMP, the authors found.
Children with high rates of BPS in their urine samples were more likely to be obese, as indicated by their body mbad index (BMI), compared to children with BPH levels. low.
In addition, participants with detectable levels of PBF were more likely to suffer from abdominal obesity, which meant that they had a particularly large waist circumference compared to children who did not have any detectable levels of FBP.
The researchers noted that it was possible for obese children to consume more food products and beverages contaminated with bisphenol-based chemicals, or even foods packaged with bisphenol-containing substances to contribute to the use of bisphenol-containing chemicals. ;obesity. However, the authors indicated that the results obtained even after the researchers took into account children's caloric intake
Problems with "BPA free?"
The new study adds that "BPA substitutes are likely to elicit the same kind of problems as BPA itself," said Dr. Kenneth Spaeth, head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Northwell Health. in Great Neck, New York. t involved in the study. "From the consumer's point of view, the" BPA-free "label does not necessarily have to mean that it's safe or healthier."
Spaeth noted that historically, this type of behavior has already occurred, with companies replacing a seemingly harmful chemical with a very similar chemical, and[it] it turns out that the replacement is as bad [as] or sometimes worse than what the original problem was. "
Interestingly, the new study found no link between BPA and childhood obesity, in contrast to the 2012 study. The lack of linkage with BPA in the new study could be due to the decline in the use of BPA in recent years, resulting in decreased exposure to the chemical, said the authors. In the 2012 study, the average concentration of BPA in urine samples was 2.8 nanograms per milliliter (ng / ml), compared with only 1.3 ng / ml in the study current.
Consumers who want to avoid bisphenol-based chemicals in addition to BPA "are in a very difficult position," Spaeth said. Consumers can not possibly know if a product contains these chemicals, he said.
"I think consumers do not have good options as to how to … make informed choices," Spaeth told Live Science. For this to change, it would be necessary to change the way these chemicals are regulated and the product labels, he said.
Originally published on Science live.
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