Whether it be for beans or veggies, we often rely on canned food to complete our meals. But a new study published by Environmental Research claims that our much-loved canned foods are worse for us than we think they are.
According to the study, BPA (an endocrine disruptor with wide ranging effects) in cans and even on the lids of jars affects our bodies when we eat food from a can.
That can of olives? Yeah, it contains BPA. And don’t even think about those beans–they’re swimming in BPA too.
Researchers from Stanford and John Hopkins University studied the effects of canned food on over 7,000 people. Those who had a single canned food item in just one day also had a 24 per cent higher concentration of BPA in their urine than those who had no canned food. This means that the BPA used in cans does, in fact, make its way into our bodies.
Generally speaking, canned soup, canned pasta and canned fruits and veggies exposed people to more BPA than any other foods. Cream of mushroom soup was one of the biggest culprits, which had a 229 per cent higher BPA concentration in people’s bodies than in people who didn’t eat canned food. Canned pasta (like your favourite meat-stuffed ravioli) also produced a whopping 70 per cent higher concentration, while canned veggies (like olives and baby corn) and fruits (like canned peaches) measured at 41 per cent higher BPA concentrations than in those who were canned food-free. Canned drinks, meat and fish, on the other hand, didn’t pose as much of a threat as other canned foods do.
So while we’re tempted to throw a can of olives into our pasta (which would yield a 41 per cent concentration of BPA in our bodies) or even just heat up a can of pasta when you’re strapped for time, it may be time to reconsider cracking open that can.