Microplastics used to voice like a remote environmental problem, but they are showing more places than you expected, including the food we eat every day. According to the new research, even the easier thing as chewing gum can be exposed to you with small plastic particles.
With a common thing like chewing gum, like being a delivery system for microplastics, many people are worried about how many times they eat potential hidden threats. The average person only takes 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles from food. If you add air -driven particles, that number is like 120,000.
To better understand how microplastics can affect your health, we talked to a family physician. We discussed what the “safe” level of microplastic intake is considered, which is the most material in foods and what you can do now to reduce your exposure.
Read more: Microplastics are hiding in your kitchen. The way to find them is this
How many microplastics are too high?
“There is no officially established ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ level of micro -plastic quantity, Dr. Joseph Merkula said in an email certified by the board.
Microplastics can enter our diet due to pollution where the food was grown, picked up or processed. Mercolola explained that the use of plastic miles and plastic seeds in agriculture, and the use of irrigation with contaminated water, is one of the various methods of microplastics eating. Plastic packaging, utensils and containers are additional sources.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, existing evidence does not suggest that the level of microplastics in food is a threat to us. However, you still want to reduce how much microplastics you eat passively. These are the most common foods that contain microplastics, and to reduce the amount of plastic you can take the steps you can take.
Top 8 foods in your diet that contain microplastics
1. Sea diet
One of the most important methods of plastic particles in our food is the only use through plastic that breaks down and finds its way in waterways and soil. When they reach the oceans, they end in our seafood.
“After that, the microplastics was taken by Plankton and made a mistake to eat through fish and shellfish.” “Small particles accumulate in the meat … then end on our plates.”
A recent study published by Portland State University has discovered numerous microplastics in 180 out of 182 in 180, including seafood samples. Micro -fibers are the most common type of micro -plastic, but this is not the only type that ends in our oceans.
How to avoid it: Although you cannot control how many microplastics you have eaten before your fish comes to your plate, you can reduce the amount of filter feeder and the bottom feeder you choose to eat (such as, clams, males, samf, catfish, helicopter, flown and flooding). This type of seafood is in high amounts of microplastics. Also choose seafood at this store that uses durable packaging, not plastic wrap.
2. Tea bags
Plastic plastics called polypropylene is often used to make tea bags, and even if you choose paper tea bags, they may have microplastics. The problem is that when the bags contact warm water, microplastics can be released in your tea.
Researchers at Barcelona’s autonomous university discovered that polypropylene tea bags can release plastic particles in billions, and nylon and cellulose tea bags can leave them in millions.
How to Avoid: You don’t have to stop drinking tea. Switch to loose leaves to tea and invest in A Stainless Steel Differential To enjoy your tea free from microplastics.
3. Rice
Rice is also a hot place for microplastics. A study by the University of Queensland states that for each half cup of rice, 3 to 4 milligrams are plastic. If you use quick rice packets, this number is four times higher at 13 milligrams.
How to Avoid: The study has shown that washing your rice can reduce plastic pollution from 20 % to 40 %, though it is worth noting that this study has used filter water for cleaning.
4. Salt and sugar
When you upset your meal with salt spraying, you are finding an unintentional aspect of microplastics. Salt is difficult to move forward. It’s almost everything we eat, and our bodies need a certain amount of sodium to keep our fluids and electrolytes balanced.
A study says that 90 % of the 39 samples worldwide contain microplastics. This results from environmental pollution and production and packaging processes, which include plastic. Microplastics are also found in diabetes.
How to Avoid: To reduce your exposure with microplastics in your salt and sugar, you can buy them packages in glasses or cardboard.
5. Bottle water
Bottle water is the most famous source of micro and nanoplastics. One study estimates that a liter of bottle water contains about 240,000 plastic particles. You buy most plastic water bottles on the store that are made of political tariffs, or PET, plastic, so it was not surprising to represent it. Plastic particles are broken when the bottles are squeezed or the heat is exposed. And pet plastics is not the only type of nano plastic researchers found in plastic water bottles.
How to Avoid: Drinking tap water from a stainless steel or glass container can reduce the risk of drinking your plastic particles.
6. Honey
You may not expect your honey to port Microplastics, but it happens, even if it is in a glass pot. Microplastic fibers can be detected of flies and pollution. One study is looking for whether microplastics was added to the roofs eaten or carried by bees that bees can continue to disperse microplastics by honey.
How to Avoid: Buying honey from local bees fans who often use natural and sustainable harvest methods can reduce the risk of microplastic contamination.
7. Fruits and vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are an integral part of a balanced diet. They may also include microplastics. One study in which sampling fruits and vegetables found that apples were the most contaminated fruits and carrots the most contaminated vegetables. How does it happen?
“The plants have been shown to uphold micro and nanoplastics from the soil through their roots system, and thus pollute the edible parts,” said Merkola.
Many grocery stores also pack fruits and vegetables in plastic plastics to keep them fresh. According to the FDA, there is not enough evidence to determine that plastic food packaging moves from microplastics to food. But Merkola recommends that you avoid it as much as possible.
How to Avoid: Wash your fruit thoroughly, when possible, select peel and local or organic production.
8. Protein
A recent study by researchers at the Ocean Conservatives revealed that 88 % of vegetable and animal proteins contain some levels of microplastics. But highly processed proteins, such as plant -based alternatives, fish sticks or chicken nogs, port the most microplasticics, which suggest that micro -plastic pollution partially comes from food processing. The research shows that the breaded crab served an average of 300 microplastic pieces. Plant -based nogs had 100 pieces per serving.
Food processing is not the only way that microplastics can enter these protein sources. Microplastics are in the food of animals and in the environment where animals are picked up. Plant -based alternatives can be contaminated by soil or irrigation.
How to Avoid: After reading this, you may be wondering what protein you should eat. The fact is that more research is needed to know the right level and their effects on our health. Our bodies need protein to work, so it must be sufficient, regardless of what source you choose.
Read more: An easy protein visual guide to help you reach the maximum muscle benefits
What do microplastics in food mean for you?
So, do all food include microplastics? I can’t definitely say. However, I can tell you just more research to understand how to eat with microplastics affects us. Nevertheless, although long -term health effects are under investigation, microplastics is something that you can do and protect it if you can. , As Mercolola has explained.
“Microplastics accumulates in various organs, including the circulatory system and the brain, where they can damage inflammation and tissue,” said Merkola.
Other potential side effects are hormonal imbalances that are caused by plastic endocrine chemicals. Microplastics can also absorb and introduce other environmental toxins to the body.
There is no safe level of microplastics, and we cannot move them completely: they are everywhere and in everything. But it is a good idea to minimize the exhibition wherever you can.
Experts’ points to reduce their intake of microplastics
You can cut by following this advice:
1. Be careful of how much shell you eat
Microplastics has high levels of shellfish, such as muscles, Sadafs, and scalps, so don’t do more.
2. Avoid plastic -made food storage containers
It is one of the largest Tips in Mercolla due to “plasticizing chemicals” in plastic. BPAs and fithits are the chemicals interrupted in the endocrine that can move from plastic to food. They are soluble in fat, so it is easily with fat foods. It is better to store food with fat in glass containers, but you can save dry foods in plastic if you need it.
3. Avoid food wrapped with plastic
This can be much easier than working, but to struggle in areas where you can switch.
4. Get rid of plastic kitchen utensils
From spoons to we use our sauce to stir up to cut boards that we use to cut our vegetables, if they are plastic, you are eating microplastics. A good rule of thumb is: Any plastic ceramic, glass, stainless steel or wood that comes into contact with your meal should be replaced.
You can install filters in your clothes washing machine to solve the overall problem of microplastics in food. If you can afford it, a special filter will catch micro -fibers before polluting the water system. Planet Care 2.0 Micro Fiber Filter Starts at $ 125.
We still have a lot to know about microplastics and their long -term implications for their health when eaten. It may be difficult to hear that they are in many of our foods, but it should not refrain from eating well. A balanced diet of protein, fruits and vegetables will ensure enough fuel for your body to work and flourish – microplastics or not.
