Can we get diabetes from plastic?
Published: 21 January 2006
Category: Bisphenol A (BPA), Packaging CONCERNS
ScienceNews.org reports on a new study in mice that found that “exposure to small amounts of an ingredient in polycarbonate plastic may increase a person’s risk of diabetes.” This ingredient, ScienceNews.org reports, is bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastics that is used to make dental sealants, sturdy microwavable plastics, linings for metal food and beverage containers, baby bottles and more.
Angel Nadal of Miguel Hernández University of Elche in Spain, who led the current study, found that bisphenol A is linked to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, which he argues could possibly explain the global epidemic of diabetes.
ScienceNews.org further states that previous “tests had found that bisphenol-A can leach into food and water and that it’s widely prevalent in human blood.”