Does drinking water from plastic bottles cause diabetes?

A new study has found that a key chemical used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Published in the journal Diabetes, the research indicates that Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly used in food and drink packaging, including plastic water bottles, can decrease the body’s sensitivity to insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating sugar metabolism.

These findings, which will be presented at the 2024 Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, suggest that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should reevaluate the safe exposure limits for BPA in bottles and food containers. Previous studies have already demonstrated that BPA, used in plastic and epoxy resins, can disrupt human hormones.

Although research has previously linked BPA to diabetes, no prior study had directly tested whether BPA exposure increases diabetes risk in adults. “These findings are the first to provide evidence that BPA administration may increase type 2 diabetes risk,” said scientists from California Polytechnic State University in a statement.

In the study, researchers randomly assigned 40 healthy adults to receive either a placebo or a daily dose of approximately 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight.