Organic Lifestyle Magazine

BPA is a Risk Factor for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

by
Last updated on: July 16, 2018

image_pdfimage_print

Bisphenol-A, commonly known as BPA, has been banned from baby bottles and sippy cups for more than half a decade, but a new study published in Experimental Biology and Medicine journal finds that BPA is also a risk factor in developing inflammatory bowel disease. According to the Jennifer DeLuca, a graduate student in nutrition and the first author for the study,

This is the first study to show that BPA can negatively impact gut microbial amino acid metabolism in a way that has been associated with irritable bowel disease…” – Jennifer DeLuca, first author for the study

[Image explanation: Receipts are a common source of BPAs]

Bowel Disease and BPA

The term inflammatory bowel disease covers different digestive conditions like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. People with IBD can suffer from severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue. The number of adults in the U.S. with Crohn’s has increased by 1 million people over the last two decades, and research hasn’t presented a cause. It’s highly likely that there isn’t a single cause for chronic illness. Dr. Clint Allred, a researcher from the nutrition and food science department at Texas A&M University, says,

The number of new cases of IBD are increasing, especially in nations that become more industrialized. While the causes of IBD have not yet been determined, several risk factors for developing it or worsening symptoms have been suggested. One such risk factor, the hormone estrogen, has been linked with an increased risk of IBD — and BPA can act as an estrogen. Furthermore, BPA has been previously shown to alter gut microbes similarly to the way the gut microbiota is altered in IBD patients.”

Related: How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

Digestive Disorders are Increasing

Digestive disorders of all varieties are now a fact of life for many people. Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis…even instances of colorectal cancer are increasing in younger populations worldwide. The diversity of our microbiome is a huge factor in that. The greater the range of microbes in the gut, the healthier the digestive system is. Diverse bacteria needs diverse fuel. Yet the modern, conventional diet is anything but, with rice, corn, and wheat accounting for two-thirds of all food consumed. We’re also passing down this lack of diversity to our children, and we’ve only begun to see the beginning of what a limited microbiome looks like. According to a study,

…changes in the microbiota of mice consuming a low-MAC (microbiota accessible carbohydrates) diet and harboring a human microbiota are largely reversible within a single generation, however over multiple generations a low-MAC diet results in a progressive loss of diversity, which is not recoverable upon the reintroduction of dietary MACs.” – Nature.com

We’re already seeing these effects, and they will continue to amplify. Our gut microbiota diversity goes away when we don’t take care of it.

BPA Isn’t Going Away

Meanwhile, BPA is not going anywhere. Even if the chemical is completely banned, it has already leached into water supplies around the world, and the plastics scheduled to replace it like bisphenol S are equally or more harmful. Conventional medicine is increasingly out of answers. In fact, a number of medical devices like catheters, surgical instruments, endoscopes, and pacemakers still contain BPA and other plastics.

Realted: Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

Our natural defenses continue to drop, as we lose gut diversity. Our risk for diseases rises as we surround ourselves and our environment with problematic chemicals. Is it any wonder that this generation will be the first one where parents enjoy a longer lifespan than their children?

Sources:



[ubermenu config_id="main" menu="205"]
Kristina Martin

Kristina Martin

Kristina works at Green Lifestyle Market. A few years ago Kristina was no stranger to illness, but she decided to pursue health and vitality through natural means when she became pregnant. She quickly learned that she could prevent morning sickness and other common ailments other pregnant woman experienced with the right diet. After a healthy home birth, and a beautiful child, she never looked back. Kristina has not had so much as a cold since, and at two years old and unvaccinated, neither has her child. She's passionate about natural health, environmental conservation, and raising her healthy baby without pharmaceuticals.

Bio Page  -  Author's Website