The research was conducted on human breast cancer cells in a lab and it’s still unclear whether parabens, cancerogenic chemicals, have the same effect in the human body.
Previous lab and animal studies simulated the hormone estrogen’s activity, meaning they can bind to receptors in the women’s body to which estrogen normally binds.
Parabens are a class of preservatives and are believed to be contained in most shampoos, body lotions and sunscreens.
It’s also not a secret that they can act the same as estrogen, but previous studies have proved that they could hardly harm breast cells, Leitman told Live Science. "Because they're weak, they're assumed to be safe compounds," especially based on the levels of parabens that have been found in humans, he said.
"The real problem when you do studies in the laboratory is that you study one compound at a time, but in the body, that's not the case. What you're seeing in the body is really a combination" of the effects of many compounds, the professor stressed.
As this result was lab based only, more research will have to be done to see if there are any harmful effects in humans.
