BPA plastics could lead to higher testosterone levels

A recent study has suggested that Bisphenol A, known as BPA, could lead to high testosterone. The compound, which is present in many food and drink containers, has caused much controversy in recent years.

The study was conducted by medical experts at the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter. The researchers monitored the amount of BPA that was present in the urine samples of around 715 men who were aged between 20 and 74.

“This is the first big study of BPA from a European country and confirms that 'routine' exposures in the population are not negligible” said Dave Melzer, who worked on the study.

Experts found that higher levels of BPA in urine consistently resulted in endocrine changes in the subjects. They found that higher BPA was associated with a rise in the levels of testosterone in the blood.

“BPA is what's known as an anti-androgen. That means that it blocks the normal action of testosterone in the body and what we might be seeing is the body making more testosterone to overcome this” said study researcher Tamara Galloway.

Further research needed

Testosterone is an important hormone for men. Low testosterone is associated with fatigue and a lack of sex drive. Recently, experts have aimed to raise awareness about the ‘male menopause’, which many men of a certain age are suffering from due to a lack of testosterone being created. There are currently a number of testosterone treatments available for men.

There’s a limited amount of research results concerning BPA and testosterone, but more research is currently in process.

“Human studies are limited, but there are a number underway so we should know a bit more about the human health risks of BPA exposure in the near future”, said John Meeker who is an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the University of the Michigan School of Public Health.