What Microplastics Are Doing to the Brain, Body, and Reproductive Systems

Every week, the average person ingests the equivalent weight of a credit card in plastic.* While certain preventive measures can significantly reduce your intake of these harmful substances, it’s crucial to acknowledge a more daunting concern: the bioaccumulation of microplastics in the brain, potentially at ten times the rate of other organs. Microplastics and their associated chemicals are alarmingly ubiquitous — they permeate breast milk, sperm, the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex, the air we breathe, medications, the water supply, and our bloodstream, accumulating in most major organ systems. During this episode, we’ll explore the unsettling realities of microplastics and their associated chemicals, diving into how they infiltrate nearly every facet of our environment and body, and discuss actionable strategies to reduce exposure.

Sweating modestly contributes to enhancing microplastic-associated chemical excretion. Get my free sauna report when you sign up for my newsletter: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsle...

CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 The extent of the problem
00:02:12 Top sources of exposure
00:04:00 Contamination of our water
00:05:04 BPA, phthalates, & PFAS (forever chemicals)
00:07:07 How heating plastic affects BPA exposure
00:09:22 Our unfortunate habit of eating credit cards
00:11:33 Microplastics in major organs
00:14:04 Crossing the blood-brain barrier
00:15:00 How microplastics affect a developing fetus
00:15:54 The bloodstream is a highway for microplastics
00:18:11 Endocrine and hormonal effects
00:23:08 Consequences in pregnant women
00:25:34 How phthalates affect reproductive health
00:26:35 BPA's involvement in autism spectrum disorder
00:29:57 Side effects of prenatal BPA exposure
00:32:17 The brain may be a super-accumulator of plastic
00:34:50 Human brain microplastic levels are rising
00:36:06 Lost fertility in women
00:38:07 Changes in sperm quality
00:39:23 Microplastics in sperm
00:40:59 Why the heart suffers
00:42:51 Microplastics in arterial plaque
00:43:56 How BPA affects blood pressure
00:45:58 Risk of cancer
00:50:31 Topo Chico sparkling water
00:53:02 Reverse osmosis filtration
00:54:56 Food-based strategies for limiting microplastics
00:56:30 The "myth" of BPA-free plastics
00:58:14 Is salt a source of microplastics?
00:59:18 HEPA filters
01:00:52 Choose your clothing wisely
01:01:47 How to prevent release of microplastics (from laundry)
01:02:32 Receipts and thermal paper
01:04:17 Microplastic excretion and breakdown
01:06:28 Sulforaphane for detoxifying
01:08:38 Can dietary fiber increase microplastic excretion?
01:10:15 Are plastic chemicals excreted through sweat?
01:11:22 Do excretion strategies work for "forever chemicals"?

EPISODE LINKS:
Show notes & transcript: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episod...

MICROPLASTIC TOPIC ARTICLE:
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics...

PODCAST INFO:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1d7Y...

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Some sources suggest this figure may need to be revised downward due to disagreements over the underlying calculations. Nevertheless, despite the lack of consensus, human and animal consumption of microplastics remains substantial and widespread.

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