Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Are we being micro dosed with microplastics? Tiny pieces of plastics are turning up at the dinner table and while the long-term health effects are still being studied, the potential risks are raising serious concerns. A new study out of China found that eating from plastic containers like Tupperware can significantly increase the risk of heart failure. But it’s not just what you store your food in that matters. What foods you eat can also impact your health.
We’ve all seen how plastic is polluting our oceans, but the problem hits closer to home than you may think.
New research reveals that the average brain may contain a spoonful of plastic! That’s because microplastics are finding their way into our food chain.
Bottled water tops the plastic polluted list. Two standard-size bottled waters contain an average of 240 thousand plastic particles, so what can you do?
Turn on the tap and grab a glass.
If you think drinking tea may be safer, think again. Many tea bags are made of plastic. Researchers at McGill University found brewing a single plastic teabag released 11.6 billion microplastics into the water. The solution is to switch to loose tea and eliminate the bag.
Seafood is another major concern. Scientists have found microplastics in 99 percent of seafood samples. Among the worst, pink shrimp.
If you enjoy a little rice with your fish, a study out of Australia found that for every half a cup of rice people eat, they consume three to four milligrams of plastic and plastics in instant rice is four times higher. Researchers say you can reduce plastic contamination by up to 40 percent by washing your rice before you cook it.
You may also be getting a dose of microplastics in your salt. A study found Himalayan pink salt and black salt mined from the ground has the most microplastics. Organic rock salt had the lowest.
Even our produce isn’t safe. Studies show apples and carrots contain the most microplastics. Lettuce was the least contaminated. So, what can you do? While completely avoiding microplastics is nearly impossible, there are steps you can take to minimize your exposure, opt for fresh, locally sourced produce whenever possible. And consider reducing your consumption of processed foods, which often come in plastic packaging.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324014593#sec0170
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2300582121
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/health/bottled-water-nanoplastics-study-wellness/index.html
https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/some-plastic-your-tea-300919
https://earth.org/scientists-find-microplastics-in-99-of-seafood-samples/
