Microplastics clogging arteries?
And so, the latest in the news on plastics is that cardiologists are finding micro plastics in the arteries, and yes, they are contributing to “clogging them”.
What the heck?
Yes, micro plastics and nanoplastics are now being found almost everywhere on this planet.
“Micro” is bad enough (microns), but when it gets down to “Nano”, we’re talking about really small particles.
Where do they come from?
Micro and nano plastics come from the breakdown of items made from plastics in addition to smaller plastics added to things like cosmetics (toothpaste, face wash, etc).
As far as the larger stuff like water bottles, sunlight and ocean waters can break down plastics, in addition to being buried and or processed for landfills.
How do micro plastics get in our body?
It’s simple, by ingesting them (in contaminated food), adsorbing them through the skin, and breathing them in.
Plastics have dominated the earth for so long (long enough), that we are now finding out another caveat of plastics in our daily life, separate from other environmental concerns.
So now, they’re in the arteries of some people?
In the article “Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events” from the New England Journal of Medicine, it goes on to say that from a study of 304 patients that underwent a endarterectomy, “Polyethylene was detected in carotid artery plaque of 150 patients” and, “31 patients (12.1%) also had measurable amounts of polyvinyl chloride, with a mean level of 5.2±2.4 μg per milligram of plaque”.
Making this even more scarier was that “Electron microscopy revealed visible, jagged-edged foreign particles among plaque macrophages and scattered in the external debris”
It’s not just the arteries
Unfortunately, Micro plastics can affect the body in many other ways, including potential DNA damage, Metabolic dysfunction, liver function, and embryo development to name a few.
There needs to be more studies on this, but what we have so far is alarming.
Here is a study published in the Journal Environmental Health
What can we do to avoid these tiny transgressors?
Micro and nanoplastics are almost impossible to avoid, but there are some things you can do to minimize exposure, number one, not using plastics in your household.
This goes for using cosmetics that don’t contain plastic ingredients, and not storing and heating food in plastic containers (use glass instead), in addition to filtering your water.
No, the world won’t stop using plastics anytime soon.
We all have benefited from using plastic in many ways, and it’s so embedded in our everyday use items, including cars, trucks, buses, and electronics, making things easier and more cost effective in some instances, but we’re now paying the price for that convenience.
Are there safer types of plastic, like “plant based” plastics?
This does come to mind with many, but there are similar problems with some plant based plastics, or “bioplastics”.
There is a study that outlines some of these issues the Journal “Environmental International”
Cleansing our body from plastics?
Well, I haven’t found any peer reviewed research showing a way to cleanse plastics out of the body, but I can speculate that eating a clean, healthy organic mostly plant based diet can help.
Foods that “chelate” can possibly help, such as Cholera supplements (they taste horrible), cilantro, and parsley in addition to many dark leafy greens.
Separate from “non invasive” chelation like mentioned above, there is “chelation therapy” which is introduced via IV, but it’s mainly used to remove heavy metals and there is no research showing any effectiveness with micro plastics.
Darn.