Here's why you might want to stop drinking out of cans

Published October 24, 2015

Beverage cans are often lined with BPA. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Might want to make your next six-pack glass bottles. Cans and plastic bottles are lined with a controversial chemical called BPA, and while the CDC still says the chemical's health effects are unclear, research on chronic exposure has linked it to high blood pressure and heart rate issues.

To test the effects of drinking from cans, researchers in South Korea provided 60 adults over the age of 60 with soy milk either in a can or a glass bottle.

Urine tests showed that those who drank from cans saw BPA levels up to 1,600% higher than those who drank from bottles, according to a post at Eureka Alert.

What's more, both BPA and blood pressure rose significantly in can-drinkers within a matter of hours, the New York Times reports, noting that this is one of the first studies to illustrate the potential risks of a just one BPA exposure.

An isolated experience of high blood pressure may not be that dangerous, but people should think twice before drinking regularly from cans or plastic bottles, an expert tells the Times.

"A 5 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure by drinking two canned beverages may cause clinically significant problems, particularly in patients with heart disease or hypertension," says a researcher, noting that he hopes manufactures will come up with "healthy alternatives" to BPA-lined cans.

But simply limiting BPA may not solve the problem.

This article originally appeared on Newser: Why Drinking From a Can Could Be Dangerous