Bisphenol A, a hormone-disrupting chemical found in many plastics, has been linked to health issues, most notably brain development problems. Now, new data suggests that BPA may also pose a risk to heart health.
Lab experiments at the University of Cincinnati showed that exposure to BPA, which has estrogen-like properties, increased the frequency of irregular heartbeats in female rodents. Such changes could hamper recovery from cardiac arrest and cause other problems.
Although it’s too early to directly apply the findings to people, researcher Scott Belcher, PhD, suspects BPA could potentially threaten humans. Women’s hearts may be more sensitive to estrogen than men’s, he says: “BPA ex-posure could make it harder for women to survive heart attacks.”
The chemical doesn’t accumulate in tissue, so you can reduce the level in your body quickly. For starters, avoid foods that have been stored or heated in plastic containers marked with the recycling label #7 or PC, which may contain BPA. Find more tips at ewg.org.
