An interesting article this week points to the connection between Bisphenol-A (BPA) in plastics and a variety of “mental” difficulties – specifically, memory and learning impairments, along with depression.
From [Medical News Today]:
More Evidence That BPS Found in Clear Plastics Impairs Brain Function
04 Sep 2008
Yale School of Medicine researchers reported that the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), a building block for polycarbonate plastics found in common household items, causes the loss of connections between brain cells. This synaptic loss may cause memory/learning impairments and depression, according to study results published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Unlike previous studies that looked at the effect of BPA on rodents, the team examined the effects in a primate model. They also used lower levels of the chemical than in past studies. “Our goal was to more closely mimic the slow and continuous conditions under which humans would normally be exposed to BPA,” said study author Csaba Leranth, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and in Neurobiology at Yale. “As a result, this study is more indicative than past research of how BPA may actually affect humans.”
….Read the rest of the article [here].
