Low-level exposure to bisphenol A before birth can permanently alter metabolism, immunity, and disease risk in sex-specific ways.
Very low exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can have lasting effects on health. In studies of adult rats that were exposed before birth, researchers observed long-term changes in gene activity that differed by sex. Females showed gene expression patterns typically associated with males, while males showed patterns more commonly seen in females.
These shifts were linked to females moving toward a cancer-like biological state and males toward metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with higher risks of diabetes and heart disease.
Bisphenol A is a man-made chemical with estrogen-like effects that is widely used in food packaging. Although it has been banned from many products, it is still found in some types of packaging. Measurements show that levels of BPA in many people exceed what is considered safe, and earlier research has already connected the chemical to a range of harmful health outcomes.
Females masculinized and males feminized
In this study, scientists focused on how BPA influences the body during the fetal stage. Pregnant rats were given drinking water containing BPA.
The researchers tested two exposure levels, one matching typical daily human exposure (0.5 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day) and a higher dose that was considered safe in 2015 (50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day). When the offspring reached adulthood, the team examined gene expression in bone marrow as well as biological markers in the blood to assess long-term effects.
“We saw lasting effects in the adult rat,” says Thomas Lind, the study’s first author. “Even very low doses changed how the genes were expressed. Females were masculinized, and males were feminized. Both sexes experienced metabolic changes − females progressed towards a cancer-like state while males showed signs of progression towards metabolic syndrome, which can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.”
Strengthens the link between BPA and PCOS
The researchers also saw an impact on the immune system. The activity of some immune cells, the T cells, increased in males but decreased in females. This finding confirms what previous studies have shown, namely that these immune cells are involved in changes caused by bisphenol A exposure.
The analysis of the blood markers showed several sex-specific changes. In males, a disturbed lipid profile was observed, with signs of increased metabolism and thyroid-related hyperactivity. In females, there were reduced glucose levels, elevated insulin levels, and signs of increased testosterone activity, a pattern reminiscent of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
“The results also corroborate previous human studies, where women with the hormone disorder PCOS have exhibited higher levels of bisphenol A in the blood, which correlates with an increased influence of male sex hormones. This reinforces the findings of other studies linking bisphenol A exposure to declining fertility in women,” says Lind.
Study confirms need for stricter regulation
The results suggest that reducing the use of BPA in food packaging could help prevent health risks.
“The study shows that even very small amounts of bisphenol A can affect health later in life. Although the results are based on experimental data, they support the European Food Safety Authority’s decision to significantly lower the tolerable daily intake of the substance by 20,000 times to 0.2 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per day.”
Reference: “Developmental low-dose bisphenol A exposure leads to extensive transcriptome female masculinization and male feminization later in life” by Thomas Lind, Linda Dunder, Margareta H. Lejonklou, P. Monica Lind, Håkan Melhus and Lars Lind, 01 October 2025, Communications Medicine.
DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-01119-8
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33 Comments
Failing to find any mention of the adult rat chow/diet in the actual study, it suggests to me the study is invalid with unnecessary animal cruelty due to the possibility of isoflavones (estrogen-like effects) of soy, which is almost ubiquitous to the American human diet these days and probably similarly to research rat diets.
If it were a matter of ingredients in food provided then these results would be seen in all the rats, even those in the control group. It’d be the “norm” for domesticated rats in general, including those used in science and I’d imagine if the food was the culprit the observations in lab rats would have been picked up long ago. Not to mention these studies are not done by amateurs. They have very strict guidelines and precautions, they make sure to account for such variables if they exist..but again, this would not be a variable bc the diet would be the same, everything would be the same aside from the specific variable they’re studying.
You raised a good point, Winna. However, returning to the actual study I did find mention of the female F344 rat diets; RM-1, which is advertised (separately) to have high quality soya and soya protein concentrate. Are we and/or the researchers to assume that just because they used standard F344 lab rats (not clones) that all of them had the same sensitivity/tolerance to the same ingredients in their standardized rat chow; ever heard of food allergies? Are F344 rats free of them? For you and others yes, I believe, now possibly with both PBA and soy, gender dysphoria has largely been humanly imposed upon some of more susceptible humanity, for profit. Perhaps some old human findings can be of some value here: https://www.wnd.com/2006/12/39253/ Thanks for stimulating some additional thinking and research.
Have you seen what the 10-25 year olds look like?
The language use of masculinized and feminized when what they really mean are hromones that are typically associated with feminine and/or masculine health already discredits this arricle. Especially whoever translated it.
Your talking about phytoestrogen, not estrogen and they are not the same. In fact the phyto and cause estrogen blocking. So lets do our homework please instead of spouting nonsense.
Old news. This info been around for a long time. Some food packaging companies stopped using it but some not
Future proves past.
Q
Definitely explains a lot of what I see today. Cheese n’ rice.
so while an argument could be made that someone’s sex/gender differences or something they are born with, as in written in their biology, the rising global identification of gender fluidity could be linked to a chemical influence in neutral, and therefore be a human caused aberration to the “laws of nature. “ this would be a scientific observation, not a moral judgment.
Wonder if research has been done to link gender dysphoria disorder with BPA exposure. Since this is old news, it may help explain the rise in gender dysphoria with increased BPA exposure to the general population. Might make sense that some males identify as females cuz their gonadotropins are not functioning normally. The logical conclusion would be to treat the disorder biologically to restore normal function instead of promoting gender affirming care to continue the disorder.
@EHW: Agreed. ~tsi
Thankyou for having a comment section, a lot of sites have eliminated comments in fear of said commenters giving more pertinent information on the given subject, this information that you are sharing shows who or what agencies or corporations that really needs to be regulated instead of blaming climate change or environmental problems on the masses & trying to regulate us with their social agendas
I’ve read about this for a couple years. Glad to see it’s finally come to light & may be very helpful. Astounding to find out but better late than never. Great article!🖐️
This poison must have been around for decades, with the highest concentration in Europe, Canada, and parts of the US…
I’m going to give my none expert opinion. Anyone whose commenting that this could be linked to gender dysphoria doesn’t particularly know what gender dysphoria is. When people bring up gender dysphoria here, it sounds like the concept of women hating being women and men hating being men across situations, like a growing prevalence of “gender dysphoria”. No one here is citing people with innate dysphoria and there are limited studies on that. We can alter genes in our environment.. like we had forev
I’m new here. It looks like I replied to someone rather than add a comment of my own. And my finger apparently slipped. I wasn’t done?
So Alex Jones was right about this, too.
I’ve been saying this for years. I feel like it’s common sense. We’ve been inundated w hormone disrupting plastics chemicals and the explosion of gender confusion aligns w the rise in our use of those chemicals. We need this information to become more mainstream, for it to be acknowledged on a much broader scale bc it always amazes me how angry and defensive people become when I bring this up, as if I’m placing some type of blame or judgement on them, instead of being angry w the greedy corps that have altered their biology. I also think it’s important for those on the opposite end of the spectrum, those who think it’s a choice, to realize there’s actually outside factors altering people at a genetic level, and yes, in fact they are born that way.
People who push against gender norms have been this way since before the use of these chemicals. You are just desperate for any pseudoscience that will make you feel like your ignorance and dislike of people who do so, seem valid.
Alex Jones, any one?
Yep, exactly what I was thinking. He’s been whistle blowing for years
this reeks of right-wing propaganda. bpa has been a known toxic for decades,
the study was on rats and the headline doesn’t make that distinction. as others have mentioned diets weren’t noted.
and gender is a social construct so the gender discussion is irrelevant here.
but it seems the article is intended to make the loss scientific literally people think plastic is causing people to become transparent which is an absurdly insane roach but it’s what we’ve come to expect from the red hats
I bet you in real life are the scientific proof this article is factual
There isn’t scientific proof of this. Science supports a hypothesis, gathers, and interprets data. It doesn’t prove a hypothesis. And so much for an experiment being credible over an observation.
Wonderful point to make
🙄 people are wild these days
I have been reading so much lately about bottled water and BPA and everything else related to plastic. Why aren’t they talking about soda bottles, they are made of plastic. Even worse, soda has acid that can cause even more disrupters to leak into the soda. Hmmm.
Deleterious effects of BPA on sex characteristics of mammals have been known and studied for at least 40 years. I guess it’s good to continue studying it yet it’s tragic that little has been done. Bizarre that people would want to claim that attention to the BPA problem is a right wing conspiracy!
Guys, and Girls, watch Dr. Strangelove movie.
Purity of Essence, in the water.
This is crazy! What are the food packaging that still uses it?
Its probably in chem-trails too.
“Feminize” males and “masculinize” females. Pseudoscience to push ignorant narratives. Ridiculous
Color me paranoid but is it possible that this poison was in hair-care products back in the 70’s and 80’s? There’s a certain Olympic champion I’m thinking of…