Microplastics & Detox

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microplastics & detoxification

Microplastics found in drinking water, salt, beer, seafood, tea bags, face masks, etc.

Microplastics (MPs) are small pieces of plastic (<5mm long) that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution. Chemically, MPs include the likes of phthalates, bisphenols, and polystyrenes, among others. Phthalates are used in manufacturing of vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays), plastic packaging, and garden hoses; bisphenols are used in manufacturing of food and drink packaging; and polystyrenes are used in manufacturing of appliances, electronics, automobile parts, toys, gardening pots and equipment, and of course, Styrofoam cups. These can also generally be referred to as xenobiotics, or exogenous foreign substances.

MPs have been identified in drinking water, salt, beer, seafood, and tea bags, among many other food products, as well as face masks. Eighty-one percent of water samples contained synthetic particles. An article released by Consumerlab.com reported that "tap water from the U.S. contained the highest average density of particles (9.24 particles per liter) compared to tap water from any other country or region. The three bottled waters purchased in the U.S. contained fewer particles -- an average of 3.57 per liter. Beer contained similar amounts of MPs as bottled water." Although drinking water does not have the highest MP concentration, it is the source of our highest MP consumption due to the amount of water intake vs. other foods and beverages.

Various sea and Himalayan salts were also tested. Again, per the Consumerlab.com report, twelve tested brands of salt (brand name not disclosed) contained from 46.7 to 806 particles per kilogram. Although sea salts generally have higher amounts of MPs, Himalayan rock salt contained the second highest amount of MPs (an average of 367 per kilogram). Pacific sea salt contained the highest at 806 particles per kilogram. Hawaiian sea salt contained the least (46.7 per kilogram).

After reviewing 50 studies that tested seafood samples intended for human consumption, seafood from Asia and mollusks (e.g. mussels, oysters, scallops), being bottom feeders, were reported as having the highest concentration of MPs. Based on typical seafood consumption, "The maximum amount of microplastics a human could ingest from seafood would be about 55,000 particles a year, the authors of the review calculated. For context, that annual maximum rises to 458,000 particles for tap water and 3,569,000 for bottled water."

Health officials estimate that less than 0.3% of microplastics can cross from the human gut into the body’s lymph and circulatory systems. Only the very smallest of these microplastics are then able to access our body’s organs. However, let's take a quick look at nanoplastics in nylon mesh tea bags.

A study done by Nathalie Tufenkji, professor of chemical engineering, revealed that nylon mesh tea bags [think Costco Kirkland Signature Organic Green Tea] discovered that "steeping a single silky plastic tea bag at brewing temperature (95C) releases approximately 11.6bn microplastics and 3.1bn nanoplastics made up of nylon and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into a single cup of tea. For context, a liter of water in a single-use plastic bottle contains 44 microplastic particles; a portion of mussels contains about 90; a kilogram of salt over 600. One study found we consume 70,000 particles annually just from the ambient dust that settles on our food."

A 2020 study, "Covid-19 face masks: A potential source of microplastic fibers in the environment, by Oluniyi O. Fadare and Elvis D. Okoffoc, reported "Disposable face masks (single use face masks) are produced from polymers such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or polyester.

... The increase in production and consumption of face mask across the world has given rise to a new environmental challenge, adding to the vast plastic and plastic particle waste in the environment. Some of these materials are getting into waterways from where they reach the freshwater and marine environment adding to the presence of plastics in the aquatic medium.

According to Medical News Today, some potential effects of eating MP-contaminated seafood include oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, thyroid damage, immunotoxicity and cancer. we suspect that MP contamination from other sources could also lead to these potential effects.

So, how do we reduce exposure of and/or detox from MPs? The best way to reduce microplastic exposure is to avoid using plastic packaging as much as possible, replacing with glass, porcelain, or stainless steel, and if using plastics, keep them from sunshine and heat, and recycle rather than throwing in the trash.

When is comes to dietary detoxification, let's first define detoxification. According to a presentation by Mary Purdy, MS, RDN at a Today's Dietitian Spring Symposium, detoxification, also known as bio-transformation, "is the process by which non water-soluble compounds are transformed into water soluble compounds [in the liver] that are then excreted by the body through urine, sweat, or stool. This helps protect the body from adverse effects of external and internal toxins."

Liver detoxification, or bio-transformation, is a three-step process. Phase I detox occurs through the processes of oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis. Some Phase I metabolites, however, can be more toxic than their predecessors. Therefore, they must go through Phase II to be made water-soluble and excreted. Phase II detox occurs through the processes of conjugation, glucuronidation, sulfation, or methylation. Phase III is elimination. See image above for key nutrients for a healthy detox pathway.

Detoxification through urine can be helped by sufficient fluid intake. Clean spring, or well water is best. However, filtering tap water can also reduce exposure. Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis may work best to remove microplastics from tap water. Diuretic foods, such as celery, dandelion, cucumber, and parsley may also help the cleansing process. Sufficient fiber intake (25 grams for women, 38 for men) helps bind toxins in the gut for removal through the stool. The fiber recommendations are based on a 2,000 calorie diet for women and 2,500 calorie diet for men. In addition to dietary detox, exercise and sauna use promotes sweating, which also helps clear toxins from the body.

Remember, a wide variety of whole foods first, especially, fresh fruit, whole grains, high-quality protein, nuts & seeds, and vegetables, but when not available seek out the best whole food supplements right here at Nutraceuticals, Pure & Simple.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic

https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html#:~:text=Phthalates%20are%20in%20hundreds%20of,garden%20hoses%2C%20and%20medical%20tubing.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/bpa/faq-20058331#:~:text=BPA%20is%20found%20in%20polycarbonate,used%20in%20other%20consumer%20goods.

https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/chemicals/polystyrene/

www.consumerlab.com

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0194970

https://www.forbes.com/sites/allenelizabeth/2020/11/29/when-it-comes-to-microplastics-some-seafood-may-be-riskier/?sh=c43898c27e74

https://www.today.com/health/microplastics-fish-seafood-plastic-bits-highest-mussels-oysters-scallops-t205081

https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-green-tea-bags%2C-1.5-g%2C-100-count.product.100334938.html

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/sep/30/those-fancy-tea-bags-nylon-microplastics-in-them-are-macro-offenders

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7297173/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/plastics-in-seafood#health-risks