Microplastic Exposure and Health: How Microplastics in Food Affect Health

In our modern world, plastics are all around us. Because they have poor biodegradability and are often not efficiently recycled, our environment is contaminated with microplastics. They’ve been found in beaches, oceans, soil, and freshwater systems. Even in remote areas of the world, microplastics have accumulated in ecosystems.

Transferred through the food chain and used in many food and drink processes and packaging, we are inevitably exposed to microplastics in our daily lives.

But what are the health impacts of microplastics? Let’s look a little deeper. 

Plastics and Microplastics

Plastics are synthetic materials made for a variety of purposes – household items, food and beverage storage, construction materials, and much more. They are made from polymers, which are long chains of repeating molecular units often derived from petroleum. Because of how they are made, plastics can be molded or pressed into various shapes, making them a convenient way for manufacturers to package and sell their products. 

Microplastics, on the other hand, are tiny plastic particles under 5mm in length. There are two main types of microplastics:

• Primary microplastics. These microplastics are directly manufactured as small particles, such as microbeads or pellets.
• Secondary microplastics. These are fragments from larger plastic items that have broken down over time. This can occur from UV radiation, physical wear, or environmental exposure. 

Microplastics can be found everywhere – from the bottom of the ocean to remote areas in the mountains. They can even be found in the bloodstream of the human body. 

How Are We Exposed to Microplastics?

We’re exposed to microplastics in three ways – ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Ingestion is the primary way we are exposed to microplastics. Traditionally, it was believed that the majority of microplastic exposure occurred through contaminated seafood, but new research shows that we can be exposed in a variety of other ways. 

Microplastic exposure occurs through:

• Eating contaminated food, such as table salt, fish, shellfish, and processed foods like sugar, beer, and tea bags
• Drinking bottled beverages out of plastic such as bottled water
• Environmental exposures, such as breathing in airborne particles in contaminated indoor or outdoor spaces 
• Plastic food containers and food packaging
• Personal care products containing microplastics

Microplastics can also be added to the cooking, processing, and packaging of some foods, such as ready-to-eat meals or raw foods. 

Because microplastics have been found in soil, sediment, freshwater, and oceans, inevitably, our exposure to microplastics will eventually occur in the food we eat. While many studies focus on our exposure to microplastics through seafood, we’re beginning to understand that our exposure goes far beyond this. Unfortunately, it’s hard to quantify this, as there is uncertainty about microplastic concentrations in ingredients and cooked or processed foods. However, microplastics have been detected in various human samples – stool, lung, sputum, placenta, breast milk, and blood samples. Thus, we know that exposure leads to the accumulation of microplastics within the body.

Health Effects of Microplastics

There is mounting evidence that suggests exposure to microplastics has a significant impact on our health. Microplastics that are ingested can pass through the intestinal cells if they are small enough. From there, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and can be deposited into organs like the liver, kidneys, and gut. 

Microplastics that are inhaled also have health implications. These microplastics cause inflammation in the lungs. Tiny microplastic particles can then pass through the cells and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, causing further respiratory issues. While research has shown that these small particles can infiltrate cells and initiate an inflammatory response, it’s unclear how many particles are needed to have significant health consequences. But, several studies have demonstrated significant negative health consequences in animals and human cells with the accumulation of microplastics in the body.

Just like with ingestion and inhalation, dermal contact is also problematic. Microplastics smaller than 100nm can cross the skin barrier and have the potential to enter the bloodstream.

Because they are considered foreign objects once inside the tissue, microplastics often induce immunoreactions within the body. The microplastics can cross cell membranes, travel to other areas of the body, and trigger cellular functions. Health implications can vary from inflammation and oxidative stress in the body to developmental problems in children. They can even carry a potential cancer risk.

Other microplastic health risks include:

• Impairment of intestinal health, including changes to the gut microbiome, intestinal balance, and epithelial permeability
• Hormone dysregulation from endocrine disruption
• Reproductive health issues, including a negative impact on male fertility and sperm quality leading to difficulty with conception
• Disruption of the immune system
• Bioaccumulation of toxins and further adverse effects from microplastics carrying intestinal toxins and pathogens

How To Avoid Microplastics in Food and Water

Unfortunately, completely avoiding plastics is nearly impossible in today’s world. However, there are several steps you can take to limit your microplastic exposure. 

Ways to avoid microplastics in food include:

• Using glass or stainless-steel containers for food and drink
• Avoiding eating from or storing food in take-out containers
• Heating food in glass or ceramic containers, not plastic
• Filtering your drinking water with a high-quality reverse osmosis filter

If you want to take things a step further to limit your microplastic exposure, consider using plastic-free personal care products, using an air filter in your home, and choosing natural fiber clothing over synthetic options. 

The best way to avoid microplastics in food and life is to change your lifestyle. A detox is a great way to do this, which is why we created the “7 Weeks to Your Healthiest Self Master Class”. In this series, we cover how to improve your health using functional medicine approach to a whole foods/reel food plan and help you create a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that limits your exposure to toxins and microplastics.

How To Test for Microplastic Exposure

Did you know you can test for your environmental toxin exposures? This provides a robust understanding of your current exposure to toxins like microplastics and how that compares to others within the general population.

At Arizona Wellness Medicine, we like to use a company called Great Plains because they test many different metabolites that can occur with environmental toxin exposure. Toxin metabolites tested can include pesticides, resins, plastics and microplastics, MTBE/ETBE from air pollution, and more. 

It also provides a value for Tiglylglycine, which is a marker for mitochondrial damage. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. When your body is in toxic overload, the mitochondria get stressed and further symptoms can develop. This is a good marker for toxic load in your body. 

If you’re looking for a test of your microplastic exposure, this comprehensive test from Mosaic Diagnostics, formerly Great Plains, or Vibrant America is a great place to start. 

How Functional Medicine Can Help Restore Health After Microplastic Exposure

If you’re concerned about microplastics and the bioaccumulation of toxins, functional medicine can help. We focus on addressing the root cause of health issues. Because we treat the body as an interconnected system, functional medicine offers a promising approach to the growing concern of microplastic exposure. 

At Arizona Wellness Medicine, we know the best place to begin is with a comprehensive assessment. This provides our experienced functional medicine providers with a thorough evaluation of microplastic exposure and a baseline health status, including your overall toxic burden and its impact on your health. Functional medicine also incorporates detoxification, gut health optimization, and reducing toxic load – all within a personalized treatment plan just for you. Contact us here to book your first appointment or join our “7 Weeks to Your Healthiest Self Master Class” to start learning how functional medicine can boost your health. 

Resources:

1. Microplastics in Food: A Review on Analytical Methods and Challenges
2. Microplastics: Detection in human samples, cell line studies, and health impacts
3. Immunotoxicity and intestinal effects of nano- and microplastics: a review of the literature
4. Effect of microplastics in water and aquatic systems