These simple diet tweaks can reduce microplastics in your body

New research reveals practical lifestyle choices that could protect the brain from harmful microplastics associated with dementia.

study: Human Microplastic Removal: What does the evidence tell us? Image credit: chayanuphol/shutterstock.com

A recent study published in the journal Brain Medicine, Researchers identify dietary and lifestyle-based strategies that may reduce human exposure to microplastics and nanoforming strategies (MNPs).

MNP exposure and its impact on human health

Microplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous in the environment, with current estimates showing that between 100 million and 40 million tonnes of natural release each year. After discharge from many sources, wind and water transport MNPs to pollute food, water and air, allowing them to reach humans through various routes.

Previous In vain and in vitro Research has demonstrated that MNP exposure leads to adverse health outcomes inflammationoxidative stress, altered biochemical/energy metabolism, immune dysfunction, impaired cell proliferation, carcinogenicity, disruption of metabolic pathways, and abnormal organ development.

MNP exposure can directly or indirectly affect a variety of organs, including cardiovascular, nerves, liver, immunity, gastrointestinal, respiratory, kidneys, muscles, reproductive, and the endocrine system. For example, some In vain Research has confirmed that microplastic accumulation in the brain causes learning and memory impairment, neuroinflammation, and low levels of synaptic proteins.

Can MNPs enter the brain?

recently Natural Medicine Studies show that the human brain may contain a significant amount of MNPs, with dementia patients showing accumulation of three to five times more MNPs compared to healthy controls. These brain tissues are susceptible to MNPs, and the accumulation rate is 7-30 times greater than that of other organs such as the liver and kidneys.

In this study, microplastics isolated from human brains were less than 200 nanometers (nm) in size, most of which were derived from polyethylene materials. A 50% increase in MNP concentration was observed in the brains of humans who died in 2024 compared to 2016. This reflects an increase in environmental MNP levels over the past 50 years.

It remains unclear whether dementia weakens the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which allows more microplastics to enter the brain. Additional research is also needed to determine whether MNPs induce microinflammation that prevents efficient removal of proteins that can exacerbate neurodegeneration after entering the brain.

Causes of MNP exposure

Food and drink

Despite extensive contamination of MNPs in the environment, various strategies can be implemented to reduce the risk of MNP exposure. For example, replacing bottled water with tap water can significantly reduce microplastic exposure to 90,000 to 4,000 particles each year.

Seafood, alcohol and processed foods are other common dietary sources for MNPs. For example, a recent study highlights that chicken nuggets contain more than 30 times more microplastic than chicken breast. Therefore, reducing the consumption of these foods can reduce MNP exposure levels.

Avoiding the use of tea bags and plastic food storage containers can also prevent exposure to MNPs. Canned foods also serve as a potential source of MNPs, as demonstrated in recent studies that reported an increase in urinary bath phenol A (BPA) levels by more than 1,000% after ingestion of canned foods for five days each day.

Another effective strategy to reduce microplastic consumption is to avoid heating foods in plastic containers. Heating food in plastic containers in a microwave can release up to 2.11 billion MNPs in every square centimeter in just 3 minutes. Therefore, replacing plastic with glass or stainless steel containers can reduce MNP intake.

Environmental factors

Current estimates show that male adults inhales more than 62,000 particles each year, indicating an important role for inhalation as a route for MNP exposure. Therefore, the use of a highly efficient particulate air (HEPA) filter that can remove up to 99.97% of the small air particles as small as 0.3 μm, can protect individuals from inhaling microplastics in the air.

Importantly, additional research is needed to quantify the health benefits of HEPA filters in preventing human MNP exposure.

Can MNP be removed from the body?

Existing evidence suggests that the human body has specific mechanisms for removing MNPs from the body. For example, one study found that 16 out of 20 study participants had detectable levels of BPA in sweat. This indicates that sweating can promote the removal of BPA and other plastic-derived compounds.

Despite continuous environmental exposure, the body has a mechanism to clear MNPs after hours through sweat, urine and feces. ”

It remains to be seen whether sweating effectively reduces microplastic concentrations in the body. Additional research is also needed to identify other potential approaches to support the removal of MNPs from the body.