High BPA levels linked to canned soup

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Bisphenol A, used in the linings of many canned foods, was found in elevated levels in people who ate canned soup for five days, U.S. researchers said.

The Harvard School of Public Health study, published online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found a 1,000 percent increase in urinary BPA concentrations in people who ate a 12-ounce serving of canned soup for five days compared to a group that consumed freshly-made soup for five days.

"We've known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body," lead author Jenny Carwile said in a Harvard release. "This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use."

Researchers said exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical BPA, used in the lining of metal food and beverage cans, has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity in humans.