Yun-Chul Hong, MD, PhD, director of the Environmental Health Center at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea, and colleagues had 60 men and women, aged =60, drink soy milk from either cans or glass bottles on three occasions. The researchers assessed participants' blood pressure and heart rate two hours after drinking the soy milk and also tested their urine for BPA. Soy milk was chosen for the test because it has no known ingredient that elevates blood pressure, the researchers said.
Urine tests showed a 1,600% increase in BPA among those who drank from cans, compared with those who drank from glass bottles. "Because these results confirm findings from other studies, doctors and patients, particularly those with high blood pressure or heart disease, should be aware of the possible risks from increased blood pressure when consuming canned foods or beverages," Hong told HealthDay.
Steven Hentges, PhD, from the Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group at the American Chemistry Council, disputed the study's conclusions. Research on the safety of BPA around the world has shown that it is safe, Hentges said in a statement. "For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration responded last year to the question, 'Is BPA safe?' with one unambiguous word: 'Yes.'"
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