Bisphenol A has been found in plastic bottles

The amount of exposure a man has to a chemical commonly found in plastic, bisphenol A, or BPA, has been show to cause changes in testosterone levels, research shows.

The chemical, BPA, is widely used in plastic food and drink containers, and these potential effects have caused many countries to try to ban any use of this hazardous chemical when producing food containers, especially for babies.

This study evaluated 715 Italian people, between the ages of 20 and 74. Researchers noticed the exposure average to BPA, over 5 micrograms/day, was a little bit higher than the United States population notices.

Increased exposure to the BPA chemical can be linked to hormonal changes in men, including an increase in testosterone.

While this study is the first to analyze the chemical in relation to a European country, it proves that ‘normal’ BPA exposure can affect humans.

The research confirms previous data collected during lab tests.

A study conducted earlier discovered the molecular structure of BPA to resemble estrogen, and it also can disrupt the signaling of sex hormones in animals in a laboratory setting. Additionally, BPA can be associated with thyroid hormone imbalances, disrupted pancreatic beta-cell function, obesity, and even cardiovascular disease.