Watch out for this hidden danger while shopping

What turns a simple trip to the store into a health hazard?

Believe it or not, the risk comes in the checkout aisle. No…it’s not from the candy or the latest tabloid news about the Kardashians. But watch out when the clerk hands you that receipt.

That’s because register receipts are coated with the chemical BPA, which can be absorbed through the skin. And researchers have now found evidence of a link between prostate cancer and exposure to BPA.

In a new study, men with prostate cancer were found to have two to four times more BPA in their urine than those who were cancer-free.

And BPA levels were especially high in prostate cancer patients under 40, when age isn’t a factor.

Those results prompted the lead author to do additional research.

She found that prostate cells treated with BPA became abnormal in the way they divided — something often seen in cancers. But in this case, low doses of the chemical caused this in two to eight times more cells than usual.

BPA, which mimics estrogen, has already been linked to breast cancer, diabetes and miscarriages. That’s why women have been advised not to handle register receipts or use plastic food and beverage containers that have become warm.

Now “you guys” need to watch out for it as well.

Sources:
“Cities take the lead in regulating electronic cigarettes” Nancy Shute, March 5, 2014, NPR, npr.org

“NYC Health Commissioner says E-cigarettes must be banned because they look like the real thing” Jacob Sullum, December 5, 2013, Forbes, forbes.com

“BPA levels higher in men with prostate cancer: study” Zoe Schlanger, March 3, 2014, Newsweek, newsweek.com