How to reduce microplastics in the body? Scientists give tips on how to limit your exposure
Scientists explain how to protect yourself beyond avoiding plastic bottles as increasing amounts of microplastics are found in our bodies
Microplastics are being found in the human brain, genitalia and even fetuses. We still have not determined what exactly all these tiny particles are doing to our health, but scientists are already giving tips on how to reduce your own microplastic intake.
Tiny plastic particles are everywhere - both in nature and the human body.
"Microplastics are pervasive in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe," three researchers write in the journal Brain Medicine.
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They point out possible dangers - but above all they explain how the intake of such particles can be reduced by avoiding plastic bottles, using ceramic dishes for the microwave and using plastic-free tea bags.
Using glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic is a small but significant way to minimise exposure to microplastics. Photo: Shutterstock
Another team recently found significantly more tiny plastic particles in liver and brain samples from deceased people in 2024 than in those from 2016.
The concentration was also much higher in the brain than in the liver or kidneys, reported the group led by Matthew Campen of the University of New Mexico in the United States, in the journal Nature Medicine in February.
The drastic increase in plastic concentration in the brain within just eight years is extremely worrying, says the lead author of the Brain Medicine commentary, Nicholas Fabiano, from the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Particularly small particles were discovered in the brain, measuring less than 0.2 micrometres in size. They consisted mainly of polythene, which is found in numerous everyday objects.
Due to their tiny size, they can cross the so-called blood-brain barrier - with an impact that is still unclear.
Highly processed foods contain significantly more microplastics than minimally processed foods, a recent study shows. Photo: Shutterstock
Even long-term storage of food at room temperature or in the refrigerator can lead to a significant release of particles, according to the researchers.
"Using glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic is a small but significant measure to minimise exposure," says Brandon Luu, an internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto in Canada and one of the researchers.
Food in cans may contain substances that originate from plastics, such as bisphenol A or BPA, an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1950s.
In one study, subjects were given canned soup five days in a row, after which the BPA levels in their urine increased many times over.
"These BPA spikes' duration and health impact remain unclear, warranting further research," the Brain Medicine article says.
The Brain Medicine researchers did at least have one positive thing to say: "One of the most hopeful aspects of the findings to date is the lack of correlation between age and microplastic accumulation."
This suggests that "despite ongoing environmental exposures, the body has mechanisms to clear these particles over time through sweat, urine and faeces".
Research suggests that food in cans may contain substances that originate from plastics, such as BPA. Photo: Shutterstock
There are indications from cell culture and animal experiments that the plastic particles may promote inflammation, immunity disorders, an altered metabolism, abnormal organ development and cancer, the commentators write. However, the research is still limited.
Large-scale studies with humans are needed to determine the possible health risks posed by microplastics. At the same time, further research needs to better evaluate the effectiveness of various reduction strategies.
There are only a few studies on the effects of microplastics in the brain. Campen's team discovered an increased concentration in 12 further brain samples from people with proven dementia.
However, the researchers say that the study does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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