Possible culprit for ‘spoonful of microplastics’ in our brain

Key Points:

• A new study published in BrainHealth suggests a strong link between microplastics in the brain and the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which make up 60% of Americans' calorie intake.
• Microplastics and nanoplastics found in arterial deposits are associated with a fourfold increase in the combined risk of heart attack, stroke, or death, with the brain showing up to thirty times more microplastics than other organs.
• UPFs, which frequently come into contact with plastics during manufacturing, packaging, and storage, are also linked to worsened brain health, including increased risks of depression, anxiety, dementia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
• Even short-term consumption of junk food can lead to multiple adverse health outcomes, including higher risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and premature death.
• While therapeutic apheresis shows promise in removing plastics from blood plasma, its effectiveness in clearing plastics from tissues and its feasibility for widespread use remain uncertain.