Another reason to stop guzzling down bottled water? You know, besides the obvious environmental hazard, price, and the fact that fluoride found in tap water makes your teeth stronger. Bottled water makes you fat. Or, in a less dramatic statement, evidence suggests the chemical BPA (found in plastic bottles and canned food lining) can trick fat cells into taking in more fat. It may also cause your pancreas to secrete excess insulin, a hormone that controls the breakdown of carbs and fat.
Basically, when you eat or drink something with trace amounts of BPA, your body thinks it is eating more than you really are. And this new research from the University in Spain adds to the growing evidence that the chemical causes your body to release almost double the insulin you need to break down food. The higher your insulin levels, the more likely you are to gain weight over time and increase your likelyhood for Type 2 diabetes.
Pregnant women should be particularly wary of this chemical as “the fetus is not only exposed to BPA but also to higher levels of insulin from the mother, making the environment for the fetus even more disruptive,” says Angel Nadal, a BPA expert at the Miguel Hernandez University in Spain who released her findings in PLoS ONE.
Do you drink bottled water? Why or why not?
Related Links:
Fluoride-Tap Water Debate Brews Again
