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Put Down That Chicken Nugget — Microplastics in Junk Food May Be Making You Depressed

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. . .A collection of four papers — published Tuesday in the journal Brain Medicine — reports a disturbing link between microplastics, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and mental health.

UPFs — which are considered unhealthy because they are high in added sugars, saturated fat and sodium — include soft drinks, chips, chocolate, ice cream, processed meats, many ready-to-eat meals and mass-produced cereals.

Previous research has shown that people who eat UPFs have a substantially higher risk of depression, anxiety and poor sleep — but the role that microplastics might play in that connection has not been fully explored.

UPFs are more susceptible to microplastics than other foods due to their packaging and additives and the equipment used to process them.

As an example, the researchers pointed to chicken nuggets — which reportedly contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts.

“We’re seeing converging evidence that should concern us all,” Dr. Nicholas Fabiano, a psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa in Canada, said in a statement. (Read more from “Put Down That Chicken Nugget — Microplastics in Junk Food May Be Making You Depressed” HERE)

Making a Single Change Can Cut Your Microplastics Intake From 90,000 to 4,000 Particles per Year

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. . .Microplastics are everywhere — in the beauty products we wear, the cleaning supplies we use and even in the food we eat. Research suggests that these particles, smaller than a grain of rice, can harm reproductive, digestive and respiratory health, potentially leading to colon and lung cancer.

In a new scientific paper, three physicians report that switching from bottled water to filtered tap water could cut your microplastic intake by about 90% — from 90,000 to 4,000 particles each year.

“Given the widespread presence of microplastics in the environment, completely eliminating exposure is unrealistic. A more practical approach is to reduce the most significant sources of microplastic intake,” the researchers wrote this week in the Genomic Press.

This advice may be tough to swallow. Bottled water was America’s favorite packaged drink last year, according to industry data, with 16.2 billion gallons consumed, a 2% increase from 2023.

Microplastic exposure occurs when particles break off from the bottle’s inner surface and enter the water, particularly when the bottle is squeezed or exposed to heat. (Read more from “Making a Single Change Can Cut Your Microplastics Intake From 90,000 to 4,000 Particles per Year” HERE)

Microplastics Found in Human Hearts for First Time, Alarming New Study Finds

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Microplastics commonly found in food packaging and paints have been discovered in the human heart for the first time.

The alarming find was made by a team of scientists from Beijing Anzhen Hospital in China, who analyzed the heart tissue of 15 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery, according to the study published by the American Chemical Society.

Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters wide — or about the size of a pencil eraser, can enter the human body through the mouth, nose and other body cavities.

Doctors Kun Hua, Xiubin Yang and their team wanted to investigate whether these particles can enter people’s cardiovascular systems through indirect and direct exposures, according to a statement about the study.

Researchers collected and analyzed the heart tissue of the patients as well as blood samples from half of the participants. (Read more from “Microplastics Found in Human Hearts for First Time, Alarming New Study Finds” HERE)

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