Study suggests high levels of microplastics in the human brain from everyday items

Researchers are finding higher levels of microplastics in human brains.

A new study done by researchers at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences found microplastics at much higher levels of concentration in the human brain than in other organs like the liver and kidney.

Plastic bottles.

 

"Plastics have been a problem for a long time," Dr. David Berger, a pediatrician and founder of Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care, said.

Impacts on health

Dig deeper:

These plastics are correlated with degenerative diseases like dementia.

"Ongoing research has shown that it can cause neurodegenerative disease, can contribute to potential dementia, (and) Parkinson's," Dr. Hind Kattani, a neurologist at AdventHealth, said.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, says plastic accumulation has grown more than 50% in the last eight years.

Snippet of the study done by researchers at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences finding high levels of microplastics in the human brain.

A snippet of the study done by researchers at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences found high levels of microplastics in the human brain.

In the study, researchers found that brain tissue from people diagnosed with dementia had up to 10 times as much plastic in their brains as everyone else.

Doctors say the new findings are alarming. 

"It's definitely raising concern, and it could be potentially very dangerous," Kattani said.

Microplastics in hiding

Microplastics and nanoplastics are found in numerous products used by millions of people every day.

WATCH: Microplastics in bottled water, according to study 

"Some of the big offenders would certainly be water bottles, other types of plastics that are used for storage or for packaging, even what they have at the store," Berger said.

Plastic food storage containers.

Plastic food storage containers.

Doctors say this also includes things like plastic cookware, containers, shopping bags and even feminine products.

Researchers affiliated with the study believe most of the microplastics are ingested through food.

Doctors say some particles in these plastics are small enough to pass to the fetus through the placenta.

Berger says when plastic products are heated up in the microwave or the sun, they can release more microparticles. 

"The problem is even worse now because it's already in our water supply, it's in our food supply," Berger said. "So, even if people today are starting to avoid plastics, it's still ubiquitous."

Big picture view:

Researchers at the University of New Mexico say there’s a clear correlation between plastic accumulation in the brain and dementia. 

However, the study can’t show whether higher levels of plastic in the brain cause dementia symptoms.

Scans of the human brain.

Scans of the human brain.

"Furthermore, another study came out just now in rats where they showed that these microplastics were causing blockages of the cerebral arteries that go to the brain, potentially cutting off blood supply to the brain, similar to the way that a stroke could as well," Berger said.

They say the rate of plastic accumulation mirrors the rising amounts of plastic waste in our environment.

"You raise a real concern about the long-term exposure and potential brain inflammation," Kattani said.

Irreversible brain damage?

Why you should care:

Berger says it’s not clear whether the damage that has already been done is reversible.

Doctors say small changes, like swapping out plastic products, could go a long way in protecting your long-term health.

"Reverse osmosis systems," Berger said. "Buying water, if you have to buy bottled water, they do have them in glass."

Reusable metal water bottles.

Reusable metal water bottles.

Doctors recommend using silicone or stainless steel products like bottles, cups, containers and cookware. 

They also suggest using cloth or paper bags instead of plastic bags.

"Could there be warning labels, as another example, on plastics?" Berger said.

Berger also hopes to see more government action taken to educate and protect consumers.

The Source: FOX 13's Kylie Jones wrote this story with information provided from a study conducted by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences

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