How often do we consume canned drinks, so refreshing and delicious? Luckily it’s not necessary to give up that taste, but rather opt for plastic or glass containers instead of the metal tins. Consuming canned beverages can increase the concentration of bisphenol A in the blood, and is even associated with an increase in blood pressure values in the following two hours. These, in short, are the results of a study published in Hypertension magazine and carried out by Sanghyuk Bae and his colleagues of the department of preventive medicine of the Seoul National University in South Korea. Bisphenol A is a chemical substance used in the production of plastic resins for a vast range of products including plastic bottles, food containers and the inner lining of beverage cans, and given the widespread use of the compound, it was detected in over 95% of the population of the United States. Furthermore, epidemiological studies have shown a connection between the compound and negative effects on the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, the former are in terms of an increase in blood pressure values and instable heart rate. The Korean study set out to verify if consumption of canned beverages and the subsequent increase in bisphenol A exposure would modify blood pressure values. A controlled trial was carried out on 60 participants above sixty years of age, who were given the same drink in a glass bottle or a can, and the results showed an increase in blood pressure and variation in the heart rate two hours after consumption of the canned beverage. Professor Bae explains that systolic blood pressure increased by about 4.5 mmHg when compared to consumption of the same beverages in glass bottles.
A note from our medical directorate: according to the November 2014 updates by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) following a review of a series of studies by a number of specialists, no proof seems to stand out suggesting the harmful nature of bisphenol A present in food containers. Our doctors would however like to remind you that any chemical substance, when consumed excessively for a prolonged period, could cause damage
Scientific articles below:
- Exposure to bisphenol A from drinking canned beverages increases blood pressure values: randomized crossover trial http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25489056
- Bisphenol A (BPA): use in food contact application http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm