I’ve got one. The person sitting next to me has got one. You’ve probably got one. I’m talking about plastic water bottles. They may look harmless, but new research suggests they might be giving you migraines
Bisphenol A (BPA), used in synthetic packaging and plastics, had been linked to a number of health problems including obesity, infertility, heart attacks and now, in a new report from Toxicological Sciences, headaches too. BPA is extensively use and found in plastic packaging but also car dashboards, shower curtains and even till receipts.
The University of Kansas emulated human exposure to BPA with a study involving rates. Half of the group were administered the chemical once every three days, and within 30 minutes of receiving the dose, they became less active, stayed away from loud noises and strong lights, and were easily startled, showing signs of tenderness to the head (all sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it?). The rats’ brains also seemed to have increased levels of oestrogen, which had been linked to migraines and is mimicked by BPA.
One in seven UK adults currently suffer from migraines, but with a few changes this could be stopped; in a study which cut out these potential sources of contamination, there was a 66 per cent decrease in urinary BPA after just three days. Women are also three times more likely to have migraines than men.
Lydia Jones blogs at abitofwhatifancy.blogspot.co.uk
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