Bisphenol A, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Genuine Concern or Unnecessary Preoccupation?

Abstract

Bisphenol A or BPA is a ubiquitious industrial chemical found in a variety of plastic containers intended for food storage and in the epoxy resin linings of metal food and beverage cans, where it is used to prevent corrosion, food contamination, and spoilage. BPA has been recently linked to a wide variety of medical disorders and is known to have estrogenic activity with genomic as well as non-genomic estrogen-receptor mediated effects. Given rapidly increasing prevalence rates of metabolic disorders like obesity and Type 2 diabetes, BPA has recently come under intense scrutiny in scientific and lay communities as a potential endocrine disrupting compound with diabetogenic effects. The purpose of this review is to critically examine available literature investigating the link between BPA and alterations in metabolic health. Here, we discuss typical levels of exposure to BPA in daily life and analyze both epidemiological human data and mechanistic preclinical studies that have tested associations between BPA and obesity and diabetes. Finally, we summarize the current policies and views of national and international regulatory agencies regarding the safety of BPA use.