You might not know what microplastics are, but they could affect your health in ways you never imagined. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are less than five millimeters long. They can come from various sources, including cosmetics, car tires, and even clothes made from synthetic fibers.
Most people don’t think twice about using products that contain microplastics, but they should. Here’s why.
The Dangers of Microplastics
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that can have big consequences for our health. Studies have shown that microplastics can cause various adverse health effects, especially in children and the elderly. Here’s a closer look at some of the ways microplastics can impact our health:
Endocrine (hormonal) Disruption
Microplastics can disrupt the normal functioning of our endocrine system. This system regulates many important bodily functions, including gut health, reproduction, and stress response.
When it’s disrupted, it can lead to a whole host of problems, including obesity, sex drive, and even cancer.
When a pregnant woman is exposed to Microplastics and other forever chemicals, it can cause problems with developing the sex organs in her baby. This includes the size of a boy’s genitals.
Studies suggest that when young men have higher levels of plastics in their bodies, it is associated with poorer sperm motility and morphology. This means that the sperm is not as healthy and are more likely to die. It’s safe to assume that no man wants to hear that his sperm are self-destructing!
Many people think that “the dose makes the poison,” which means that only a large amount of a poisonous substance can hurt you. But this is not always true. Some chemicals can cause problems even in very small doses. You might be exposed to these chemicals when you do everyday things like wearing makeup, putting on lotion, or carrying this book in a plastic bag.
Prenatal (womb) exposure to these chemicals can lead to a later onset of menstruation in girls and early puberty in boys. When a developing baby is exposed, chemicals can disrupt the baby’s hormonal system, thyroid, sex, and brain development.
Human breast milk collected over fifteen years showed that toxin concentrations were over twenty times higher in North America than in Europe or Asia!
Russian boys with high levels of toxins in their blood had lower sperm counts and concentrations even farther at age 18 or 19.
Immune System Impacts
It’s not just children who are at risk. Our immune system is responsible for protecting us from harmful bacteria and viruses. However, studies have shown that microplastics can weaken our immune response, making us more susceptible to infections. In particular, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of developing serious health problems due to microplastic exposure.
Stomach Issues
Microplastics can cause intestinal issues like diarrhea and stomach pain. This is because microplastics can bind to other harmful chemicals in our gut, preventing them from being properly absorbed by our bodies. Additionally, when we eat food containing microplastics, we’re essentially ingesting these harmful toxins. Over time, this can lead to serious health problems like liver damage and gut diseases.
Impact on the elderly
The elderly are especially vulnerable to the effects of microplastics. This is because our bodies become less able to filter out foreign substances as we age. microplastics can enter the body through ingestion or inhalation and then build up over time.
Once they reach the brain, microplastics can damage neurons and interfere with brain function. This can lead to cognitive decline and poor mental function.
Rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are skyrocketing, and while there are many contributing factors, the role of microplastics cannot be ignored. As we learn more about microplastics’ health effects, it is becoming increasingly clear that they pose a serious threat to our cognitive health.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are harmful brain disorders that lead to memory loss, impaired thinking, and changes in mood and behavior. Alzheimers’ disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and affects more than 5 million Americans.
One of the scariest parts of Alzheimer’s is that it typically occurs in older adults, who are already at an increased risk for other health problems.
As we live longer and our population ages, the number of people affected by Alzheimer’s is expected to rise dramatically. This has a huge impact on the individuals and families affected by the disease and places a tremendous burden on our healthcare system.
With our current knowledge about the disease, we are still largely powerless to prevent it. This is why Alzheimer’s is so scary – it is a disease we do not fully understand and cannot prevent or cure completely. Therefore, we must do all we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Conclusion
The next time you reach for a product that contains plastics, think twice. These tiny pieces of plastic can have big consequences for our health, especially for children and the elderly. From endocrine disruption to gut issues, the potential health impacts of microplastic exposure are wide-ranging and serious. To protect your health (and the health of your loved ones), avoid products that contain microplastics whenever possible.