Microplastics are everywhere in our environment. We use shaker bottles, cutting boards, children's plates, water bottles, Processed foods, certain meats, and much more from our Tupperware containers. Recent research has shown that these microplastics are correlated to numerous health conditions. One of the biggest things microplastics impact is our hormonal health, affecting our testosterone and estrogen levels. This is important for our overall reproductive health; with infertility already a rising issue all around the world, these plastics are not helping the matter any. In this article, I deeply dive into how these microplastics affect our health, from our hormones to our cognitive health.
Where Does Microplastics Come From?
The majority of microplastics stem from the plastic devices we use, and the residual particles, resins, and microbeads that are either discarded or lost. These fragments find their way into our water systems, from where they can infiltrate our bottled and tap water, as well as the manufacturing facilities of our food and other products.
Once these microplastics infiltrate our manufacturing facilities, they contaminate our food products, including processed foods, meats, cheeses, and bottled water. They are even found in the animals we consume, such as cows and chickens, due to the food they ingest and the water they drink. This poses a potential health risk for those who consume such meat.
Bottled water contains more than just water; according to recent research, an average liter bottle contains 240,000 tiny pieces of microplastics. Any food that is wrapped in plastic is exposed to plastics. When heated, more plastic is transferred to the food. It's stated that we consume around a cereal bowl full of plastic every six months. Over a lifetime, we consume around 44 pounds of plastic. Now, let's look at what this can do to our bodies over time.
How Do Microplastics Affect Our Hormones
Our Hormones are essential to our energy, metabolism, reproductive health, longevity, and much more. The chemicals found in plastics have been shown in research to disrupt our endocrine system, thyroid, and brain. Microplastics and Nano's plastics have chemical compounds called phthalates, BPA, bisphenols, PDE, PBE, PAC, heavy metals, and other chemicals. These chemicals can easily leach into milk, water, and other liquids. The smaller the particles of plastics, the further they can travel into our endocrine system, even on a cellular level.
All of these chemicals are labeled s endocrine disruptors. These microplastics can cross multiple barriers throughout the body, such as the HPT (thyroid axis), HPA (blood-brain barrier), and the gut lining barrier. When these enter those parts of the body, they are classified as foreign bodies in the body, causing a stress response and leading to an inflammatory response that takes things out of balance. Eventually, this leads to gut dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction. They have seen in mice studies a disruption in behavior due to the consumption of microplastics, thyroid dysfunction, and biochemical stress responses.
The additives and chemicals used to make plastics are what seep their way into our reproductive system, creating hormonal imbalances in women and men. Showing studies to be associated with lowered sperm count in men and lower egg count in women. Long-term exposure to these chemicals disrupts the HPT (Thyroid axis), which regulates metabolism, growth, development, and reproductive health. Combining this with unhealthy processed foods, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk of infertility, chronic fatigue, thyroid disorders, and even autoimmune conditions.
The Importance of Male Hormones
Hormones such as testosterone and estradiol are crucial for men's development, growth, and reproductive health. As men age, they lose testosterone and estradiol as a natural part of the aging process. What they are finding is that some men are born with naturally lower levels of testosterone, which is limiting their ability to grow and function in the world. This can affect their fertility, sexual function, and bone density as they age.
The importance of this is that with men already having declining testosterone as they age, the more chemicals and unhealthy foods they are exposed to, the more they damage their health span and hormone health. Microplastics contain excess toxins that cause hormone disruption; we must now more than ever be aware of what we put in our bodies. If you feel your testosterone is low, please get your hormones tested and a blood panel done to see where your numbers are.
The Importance of Female Hormones
Female reproductive health and hormone health are some of the main components of bone density, mood stabilization, cholesterol control, skin health, and much more. Keeping estrogen and estradiol balanced is crucial for the long-term health of a thriving female. Estrogens are a group of hormones that play a vital role in the normal sexual and reproductive development in women. Women's ovaries produce most estrogen hormones; the adrenals and fat cells also contribute to developing estrogens.
Where microplastics come in is they mimic the effects of estrogen without any health benefits. This is what disrupts the hormones, leading to reproductive problems, PCOS, infertility, and other menstrual-related conditions. They are starting to connect a potential link between these harmful chemicals and infertility.
What Do Microplastics Do to The Rest of Our Body (Heart, brain and other)
Studies and research have shown that the more exposure to these microplastics, the greater the risk of hormone imbalance. But what about our other vital organs? In a recent study, they found that the more microplastics present, the more likely someone is to have a heart attack or stroke. These microplastics were found to double the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
They are finding microplastics in places like the lungs and stomach lining. This has decreased the overall mortality of people with a disease by up to 3 years. Scientists and doctors are concerned on a cellular level about how this may affect cancer patients or people with long-term illnesses. They are finding that microplastics cause inflammatory responses in those who struggle with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. With these harmful particles affecting our gut health, we must start connecting these to other conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and other harmful immune responses.
What Can We Do To Change? Here's how to Get Started (Water bottles, glassware, traveling necessities, healthy processed foods, etc.).
Change starts with awareness of what we are currently doing and then deciding to change what we choose to use as products and foods and how we want to prevent further damage to the planet.
Use Glass/Stainless: Glass is the most sustainable way to eat food, drink water, and store food, as it does not contain any chemicals that can seep into the food or water. I recommend using glass Tupperware containers, drinking from glass water bottles, eating off glass plates, and using mason jars to store or preserve your food. Stainless water bottles are the most sustainable source to drink from, and they save on recycling. Also, using wood cutting boards is a great way to avoid microplastics.
Recycle: Recycling is one of the best ways we can get rid of extra plastic. It can be reused for products, reduce carbon emissions, and give plastic a place instead of our water systems. The more we can keep it out of our water systems, the more it will stay out of our food and ecosystem.
Used recycled material: If you use paper plates or plastic silverware, buy the compostable kind. This ensures that the material you buy will decompose and go back into the earth. Most of these products are made from natural sources like sugar cane, bamboo, corn starch, and other naturally occurring ingredients. So, for your next birthday party or camping trip, give these a try instead of your typical paper plates.
Avoid plastic cups (Coffee shops and others): In most places where you buy a hot beverage or are served a plastic cup, you are exposed to BPA, one of the main ingredients in microplastics. These chemicals are responsible for a lot of the problems that occur in our reproductive system (Hormones). So when you go to a coffee shop, bring your cup or visit one that serves you a glass cup. The same goes for take-out boxes. They are coated in the same material, so I recommend eating in a restaurant or a place that uses compostable take-out boxes.
Eliminate processed foods: Processed foods contain a lot of BPA and other plastic chemicals in the wrapping around cereals, crackers, pop-tarts, and other processed foods. I recommend finding processed foods that are organic, in a compostable box, and wrapped in safe paper. You can also find a whole food replacement or make your own processed foods at home as a fun activity to do with you and your kids. A great place to shop is Thrive Market, which has tons of organic options for kids and adults.
Take Away
This message is all about making small changes within your home. By eliminating as much plastic from your diet as possible, the better your hormone scan function will be, and the better we can contribute to the safety and longevity of the planet. This can seem overwhelming, but take it one product at a time.
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