ADA 2024: BPA Causes Insulin Resistance. Why Do We Drink It?

A new study presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions this weekend shows us quite clearly that bisphenol A (BPA) causes insulin resistance. So we scratch our heads and wonder. Why do we keep on drinking it?

This is no trivial observational study of correlations that would be easy to dismiss. Rather, it is a well-controlled, randomized clinical study of exposure to BPA in low doses. The exposure was only 50 μg/kg body weight for four days. These are amounts the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls “safe.” But even at this low dose, it caused insulin sensitivity to drop significantly. Insulin resistance raises a person’s risk of diabetes and obesity.

Europe Moving to Ban BPA in Food and Drink

Earlier this month, the European Commission announced that member states are backing a ban on BPA in food and drink products. This means that by the end of the year, the use of BPA in drink bottles and food packaging will no longer be permissible in the European Union.

This is important because food and drink is the source of most exposure to endocrine-disrupting BPA

Where Is FDA?

Todd Hagobian, the senior author of this study, suggests FDA should act to reduce the risk this endocrine disruptor presents:

“Given that diabetes is a leading cause of death in the US, it is crucial to understand even the
smallest factors that contribute to the disease. We were surprised to see that reducing BPA exposure, such as using stainless steel or glass bottles and BPA-free cans, may lower diabetes risk. These results suggest that maybe the US EPA safe dose should be reconsidered and that healthcare providers could suggest these changes to patients.”

Knowing that BPA, even in small and brief exposures, disrupts endocrine function and causes insulin resistance should indeed command the attention of FDA. Chronic exposure to drugs and chemicals that promote obesity is a factor in the rise of obesity, one we must work to reduce – if we’re serious about preventing obesity.

Click here for the study abstract, here for the ADA press release, and here for further reporting.

Hong Kong Water Supplier, photograph by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

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June 23, 2024