Don't Stress: Avoid BPA, Eat Soy

This article details the findings of North Carolina State University which reported that exposure to chemical biphenol A, or BPA, in developmental stages can result in high levels of anxiety due to the changes it induces in the amygdala region of the brain. Even more interesting is the fact that the results of the research found that soy effectively mitigates these effects. Dr. Heather Patisaul, an associate professor of biology NC State, explained how BPA was known to cause anxiety in a variety of species, however the exact mechanism by which BPA caused this anxiety was not well known. The study was conducted on a population of rats, and the results clearly displayed that the changes in gene expressions in the amygdala, a region which mediates responses to fear and stress, were a result of exposure to BPA, and that the population which was fed a soy diet had a significantly reduced stress level in comparison to the population which was fed a soy-free diet.

As one of my professors once told me, the two most tested populations are lab rats/mice and college students, so when I saw that research had been conducted on one of the possible causes of stress within a population, I was extremely intrigued. In one of my current classes, we had discussed the phytoestrogens which soy contains, and I found it interesting how it could it applied in this case. I was also quite worried with the amount of BPAs that the article noted were contained in consumer food containers, and if additional research would reveal if, and how, inclusion of BPA’s in consumer products could have resulting effects on human health. I look forward to how additional research may impact how soy could now have new medical applications as well as how the impact of BPA on stress levels may cause industry to move away towards lowering concentrations of the chemical.