Hi - thanks for a very nice post and really cool that you took this test. I plan on doing it myself shortly. Microplastics are, I believe, one of the biggest problems we have. I read a study lately that avereage people had plastic accumulated in their brains equal to the weight of a plastic spoon. Insane. Good for you that your levels are low. I presume that the air you breathe also contains less microplastic than the air you find in big cities. I restacked your post :)
For fabrics I focused on bedsheets and underwear. It’s surprising how everything is a cotton poly blend now vs. just cotton how it was in the past. Cotton only clothing is starting to move into the ‘nicer’ category. My biggest plastics sin is probably aluminum cans and sardine tins since they are lined in plastics. Also frozen foods are hard to find in non plastic containers. The parchment paper idea is smart, I was wondering how to do that one wrt frozen foods.
Excellent suggestions! You're right that all frozen foods seem to be in plastic (brittle, frozen plastic that breaks down more easily). My goal this year is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in season and freeze them myself using the parchment paper in a vacuum-sealed bag method. I've pretty much phased out canned goods for their plastic linings, but I still have some for an emergency food supply.
I have this catch 22 where if the food is not sold frozen, then it's probably less fresh and has developed more histamine, but then it's vacuum sealed in plastic or sold in a plastic bag. And https://www.plasticlist.org/ didn't do many frozen items so it's hard even to know if that matters. I also live in a condo so buying my own cow from a farm I know is also difficult, and saturated fat is also not great for me, so frozen on catch wild fish and eggs is probably the best sources of protein for me. Whey and other protein powders also have their own issues.
Reverse osmosis filters are made of plastic. The Columbia University study from January of 2024 showed alarming amounts of nanoplastics in RO water samples. Think twice about the safety of RO water.
Your post on your microplastics test is one of the most interesting I've read in some time. I am very concerned about microplastics too & worry that they might be behind the rise in colorectal cancers in very young people, and of course am concerned about the affects on the brain. Congratulations on your quite low level, I might consider having this test done sometime myself. I wish it was just a little less expensive but then again, its pretty neat that there is even a direct to consumer test out there now. Thank you for sharing the source !
While the rise in colon cancer is likely multifactoral, researchers do find microplastics incorporated into colon cancer tumors. The amount of microplastics in tumor tissue is higher than in non-tumor colon tissue, which strongly points to a very concerning connection: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10311-022-01560-4
This was on my mind recently and one of the areas I was pondering was clothes. I wonder how many polyester, nylon, or acrylic fibers we inhale or ingest from this source. I was made more aware of this as I shopped for socks. Yet... the alternative to synthetic blends is often much worse for wear, long-term fit, etc. For now I'm testing some Dickie's socks that are about 80% cotton. <sigh> As with most things, I'm trying to make good changes, while not letting the perfect become the enemy of the good.
RO water for drinking/cooking, minimizing plastics use in/around food products, getting rid of old plastics that are oxidizing/crumbling/shedding, etc. and replacing them with non-plastic alternatives where possible are a good starting point.
I had no idea there was a test for it! Are findings legit? If so, I find it interesting that certain genetic pathways for pfas, toxins, etc. utilize zinc picolinate to help get out of body. Also, I've been doing cell membrane therapy which supposedly helps remove dna adducts and help cells respirate by repairing lipid bi-layers. I know you have to curb exposure, but have been storing in glass containers for up to 30 years but still wear synthetic materials (that's my big exposure at least that is what I think). Hmm...interested in test just to see. I had carotid ultrasound a couple years ago and it was clear. Is this a valid marker possibly since the journal report on carotid dissection findings? I would assume anyone with CT calcium scores or a soft plaque identified on Clearly machine to have more "plastics" due to the nature of deposits?? Also, does genetic and non-genetic predisposition to high Lp(a) (can be indicator of laying down biofilms from critters/viruses/bacteria) also cause higher levels of plastic retention??? AND, would love to know or comment on if you have these undiscovered assaults, then does increasing protein help them build MORE biofilms or does it give your body they necessary tools to get rid of them? Ha! So many questions!
Your Lp(a) question is an interesting one and you may be on to something there. I'm going to dig into the research and see if there is any connection.
The big question is whether the findings of the microplastics test are legit. Without doing other tests to back it up, I don't know how to know if it is legit.
Hi - thanks for a very nice post and really cool that you took this test. I plan on doing it myself shortly. Microplastics are, I believe, one of the biggest problems we have. I read a study lately that avereage people had plastic accumulated in their brains equal to the weight of a plastic spoon. Insane. Good for you that your levels are low. I presume that the air you breathe also contains less microplastic than the air you find in big cities. I restacked your post :)
The more we try to escape plastic, the more we realize it’s inescapable.
It’s in our water, our food, even our blood.
For fabrics I focused on bedsheets and underwear. It’s surprising how everything is a cotton poly blend now vs. just cotton how it was in the past. Cotton only clothing is starting to move into the ‘nicer’ category. My biggest plastics sin is probably aluminum cans and sardine tins since they are lined in plastics. Also frozen foods are hard to find in non plastic containers. The parchment paper idea is smart, I was wondering how to do that one wrt frozen foods.
Excellent suggestions! You're right that all frozen foods seem to be in plastic (brittle, frozen plastic that breaks down more easily). My goal this year is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in season and freeze them myself using the parchment paper in a vacuum-sealed bag method. I've pretty much phased out canned goods for their plastic linings, but I still have some for an emergency food supply.
I have this catch 22 where if the food is not sold frozen, then it's probably less fresh and has developed more histamine, but then it's vacuum sealed in plastic or sold in a plastic bag. And https://www.plasticlist.org/ didn't do many frozen items so it's hard even to know if that matters. I also live in a condo so buying my own cow from a farm I know is also difficult, and saturated fat is also not great for me, so frozen on catch wild fish and eggs is probably the best sources of protein for me. Whey and other protein powders also have their own issues.
Reverse osmosis filters are made of plastic. The Columbia University study from January of 2024 showed alarming amounts of nanoplastics in RO water samples. Think twice about the safety of RO water.
Your post on your microplastics test is one of the most interesting I've read in some time. I am very concerned about microplastics too & worry that they might be behind the rise in colorectal cancers in very young people, and of course am concerned about the affects on the brain. Congratulations on your quite low level, I might consider having this test done sometime myself. I wish it was just a little less expensive but then again, its pretty neat that there is even a direct to consumer test out there now. Thank you for sharing the source !
While the rise in colon cancer is likely multifactoral, researchers do find microplastics incorporated into colon cancer tumors. The amount of microplastics in tumor tissue is higher than in non-tumor colon tissue, which strongly points to a very concerning connection: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10311-022-01560-4
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524003564
This is great information. Thank you!
This was on my mind recently and one of the areas I was pondering was clothes. I wonder how many polyester, nylon, or acrylic fibers we inhale or ingest from this source. I was made more aware of this as I shopped for socks. Yet... the alternative to synthetic blends is often much worse for wear, long-term fit, etc. For now I'm testing some Dickie's socks that are about 80% cotton. <sigh> As with most things, I'm trying to make good changes, while not letting the perfect become the enemy of the good.
RO water for drinking/cooking, minimizing plastics use in/around food products, getting rid of old plastics that are oxidizing/crumbling/shedding, etc. and replacing them with non-plastic alternatives where possible are a good starting point.
I had no idea there was a test for it! Are findings legit? If so, I find it interesting that certain genetic pathways for pfas, toxins, etc. utilize zinc picolinate to help get out of body. Also, I've been doing cell membrane therapy which supposedly helps remove dna adducts and help cells respirate by repairing lipid bi-layers. I know you have to curb exposure, but have been storing in glass containers for up to 30 years but still wear synthetic materials (that's my big exposure at least that is what I think). Hmm...interested in test just to see. I had carotid ultrasound a couple years ago and it was clear. Is this a valid marker possibly since the journal report on carotid dissection findings? I would assume anyone with CT calcium scores or a soft plaque identified on Clearly machine to have more "plastics" due to the nature of deposits?? Also, does genetic and non-genetic predisposition to high Lp(a) (can be indicator of laying down biofilms from critters/viruses/bacteria) also cause higher levels of plastic retention??? AND, would love to know or comment on if you have these undiscovered assaults, then does increasing protein help them build MORE biofilms or does it give your body they necessary tools to get rid of them? Ha! So many questions!
So many questions! :-)
Your Lp(a) question is an interesting one and you may be on to something there. I'm going to dig into the research and see if there is any connection.
The big question is whether the findings of the microplastics test are legit. Without doing other tests to back it up, I don't know how to know if it is legit.