Can BPA affect mitochondria in gut cells?

Why BPA matters

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in polycarbonate plastic and some food-contact materials. Food can be one exposure route when BPA moves from packaging or processing materials into what you eat.

Your intestinal cells are among the first cells to meet BPA after you swallow contaminated food or drink.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Toxicology exposed human intestinal Caco-2 cells to BPA. The researchers tested whether BPA entered intact cells and changed mitochondrial function.

BPA reduced cellular respiration in intact cells. In permeabilized cells, BPA reduced respiratory activity linked to complex I and complex II substrates, reduced oxidative capacity, and depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential.

In plain English: BPA reached the cells energy system and made it work worse in this lab model. This is not the same as proving disease in a person, but it is a clear reason to reduce avoidable BPA food contact.

Safer next steps

Use glass containers for leftovers. Do not heat food in plastic. Choose fresh or frozen foods more often than canned foods when that works for your budget. If you use canned food, look for cans labeled BPA-free, while remembering that replacement liners can use other bisphenols.