It's 2025 and we still don't know how bad plastic is for us. But research has been coming out like crazy in the last year, as well as decade.
I am not an expert yet, but my understanding is that microplastics:
- accumulate in the body
- mimick hormones and that screws up the endocrine system
- contain other harmful things in them
If this isn't on your radar, you should begin diving into the rabbit hole.
Some resources I recommend:
- What Microplastics Are Doing to the Brain, Body, and Reproductive Systems
- I'm Ditching ALL Oils in 2024: Here's Why
- Avoid Plastic: It Clogs Your Arteries New Study Finds
- Top Reason to Avoid Plastic: It's Stored in You Penis (Erectile Dysfunction Study)
- Coffee Drinking ☕️ & Plastics: Do This to Support Your Hormones
- Underwear Leaks Plastics into Your Testicles, Muscle & Bones
- Avoid Plastics Tanking Your Testosterone, Fertility w/ Anthony Jay, PhD
- Plastics Clog Your Arteries, Raise Risk of Heart Attacks New Study Finds
- Say NO to Plastic Water Bottles: These Tiny Particles Harm Your Body
Please share extra if you know any.
Unfortunately, microplastics are really hard to avoid. Plastic is literally everywhere in the world. So you'll never be able to remove 100% of it. But it is not that hard to remove some of the biggest culprits.
As we know very well - the best heuristic in healthy eating is to simply remove processed food. The more processing in the chain, the more chance of contamination. Be it with microplastics, or something else.
Here is a non-ordered list of what I do:
- a) never drink hot beverages in to-go cups.
You think the cups are cardboard, and that's mostly true - 99%. The one part that has plastic is the inner lining in the cup that touches the beverage. Makes sense - otherwise the cardboard would soak in the liquid and leak.
Anyway. Plastic has been found to leach microplastics the most when the temperature is high.
- b) never eat hot food in to-go containers.
- c) opt for clothes made from 100% cotton (or other natural materials).
Basically avoid the plastic materials in the cheaper clothes. Especially for workout clothes.
According to research Rhonda Patrick shared in one of the videos, a large amount of microplastics we inhale. When you wash your clothes in the washer and then hang it outside, that process in particular releases a lot of the microplastics.
But there's more:
- d) air purifier at home.
There's apparently microplastics in the air. Car tires rub out on the apshalt and that releases some. I'm sure engines release some too. It's unavoidable as I said. But you can easily avoid it in your home by buying an air purifier and having it on.
- e) water filter (or glass water).
Ideally you avoid water in plastic containers. This is nigh-impossible. In Europe it's hard to source mineral water that's just in glass. And it'd be ridiculously expensive. So filtration is the way to go.
You can opt for Reverse Osmosis (RO) or distillation. That's a separate rabbit hole with arguments for both sides. Personally I prefer distillation because I don't trust the RO filters not leeching plastic. But I'm probably going too far with this.
- f) eliminate processed foods.
As mentioned in some of the videos - seed oils are full of microplastics. Gum probably has some. Other processed foods too. Generally - the less processed food you eat, the better.
I am personally almost entirely on an animal based diet.
- g) bed sheets/etc. from all-natural materials.
I can't stand sleeping in the cheap plastic materials anyway.
There's probably more but I'm forgetting it.
It'd be very interesting to hear your thoughts, opinions and experience on the matter.
I am willing to bet a lot of sats this will be a big topic in the coming years. It will become mainstream like seed oils are today in the next 5 years most likely.