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.

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:

MICROPLASTIC TOPIC ARTICLE:

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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.

#microplastics

[FoundMyFitness]

Timestamps you should hear:
(00:03:59) Why exclusively drinking bottled water could increase your microplastic intake by up to 90, 000 particles per year
(00:07:07) Why consuming food or drinks heated in plastic increases BPA exposure up to 55x
(00:08:07) How microwaving food in plastic containers can release over 4 million microplastic particles into a meal in just 3 minutes
(00:08:18) Why microwavable popcorn is a major source of PFAS (AKA, forever chemicals)
(00:21:15) How consuming canned soup daily for 5 days affects urinary BPA levels
(00:26:38) The likely link between BPA & autism spectrum disorder
(00:33:46) Why the brain may bioaccumulate plastic at 10-20x the rate of other organs
(00:34:17) The strong correlation between brain microplastic levels & neurodegenerative disease
(00:34:50) Why the growing amount of microplastic in human brains (50% more from 2016 to 2024) is cause for concern
(00:43:56) How drinking from an aluminum can lined with BPA can increase blood pressure in just a few hours
(00:50:31) Why you should never drink Topo Chico sparkling water
(00:53:02) The only water filtration method that removes up to 99% of microplastic particles
(00:57:14) Why disposable coffee cups are a major source of BPA exposure
(00:58:14) How salt adds 7, 000 microplastic particles to your diet every year
(00:59:18) How to reduce microplastics in indoor air
(01:00:52) How to alter your wardrobe to reduce microplastic exposure
(01:02:32) Why handling receipts a major source of BPA exposure — especially after using hand sanitizer
(01:06:28) Why sulforaphane could increase BPA, BPS, & phthalate excretion
(01:10:15) Are microplastic-associated chemicals excreted through sweat?

[abacate_com_limao_]

Probably the video on Youtube that should have more views ever. The whole world should see this.

[jjjames]

Maybe the scariest, eye opening podcast I’ve heard, thank u dr Patrick for sharing this with all, what an epic episode 🙏

[SL-hewt]

A few years ago I removed all synthetic fibers from bedding and replaced with wool, linen, cotton, bamboo, and down. Since the mattress is not so easy to do this, I put latex mattress topper with cotton cover that completely wrapped the mattress because I figured the worst thing we can do is breath in synthetic fibers every night for 8-10 hours. Funny thing is I didn't extrapolate this practice to clothing until very recently or my dishes. Your show is a good kick in the pants to just start getting rid of as much synthetics and plastic in my home as possible. Mentioning bedding would have been a good part of your discussion as to me this is the biggest exposure we have.

[healthytechguy]

Brocoli sprouts are the gift that keep on giving, amazing.

[geauxp]

I listen to a lot of health channels, but why is this the one of the few channels where they’re talking about micro plastics thank you Rhonda!!

[yolkd]

I remember being a little kid eating microwave popcorn and literally scraping the butter-plastic-chemical sludge from the sides of the bag and eating it. No wonder I have so many shortcomings 😔

[davidgrimes]

A very thorough look at microplastics and plasticizers. Probably the best video available talking about this! We definitely need 10000x more testing of food products straight off the shelf to help understand the patterns of the the most concentrated sources. One important source I've heard about is sewage biowaste grown crops and feed. Municipal sewage systems output is massive polluted with nylon and polyester microfibers from clothing. Applying biowaste to grow crops seems like a clever use of human biomass but it is believed that these fibers can directly enter the food being grown. Seems that until we can find a solution to filter it (is this even possible??) we should stop doing this, or know what crops are being most affected.

[poetry]

Rhonda - your work is so very thorough. Thank you for this eye-opener. Forever vigilance: not forever plastics.

[baharmojgani]

Rhonda thank you for helping us all so much. You are brilliant and passionate and it takes such effort to put all this together. Grateful beyond words for humans like you.

[brooksreed]

I believe nano sized zeolite can detox/remove microplastics. Studies have shown this can be done in wastewater, no published human studies yet, but zeolite is safe to ingest, so may be a safe way to mitigate the problem without chelating important trace minerals. Zeolite has shown to also safely remove heavy metals from bodily tissues

[pfunk]

This is one of the most informative and useful videos on YT! Thanks Rhonda for bringing awareness to this global problem!

[mattheweaton]

This issue needs to be getting way more attention. This is fundamentally altering society by disrupting everyone's bodily functions.

[StephenGeorge]

Thank you, Rhonda. As many as people as possible need to become aware of the worldwide crisis of microplastics. The issue of microplastics is even more complex than when we used to use leaded gasoline, which caused a widespread drop in IQ.

[assistachatmaison]

One of the smartest woman in the history of the love you Rhonda

[mydreambhappy]

thank you Rhonda !! I know you're a big fan of broccoli spouts. (I can see why) it seems SOOO overwhelming after hearing your podcast. This is a fight we may not win 100 percent, but all your info is good for reducing the effects of all these "Poisons". Thank you for your immense knowledge of our health. I've been listening to you for quite some time. Thanks again. !

[randygonzalez]

The quantity AND quality of data presented in this video is unparalleled
Thank u so much, Dr. Rhonda!!!

[SheereenLychee]

HEY kislux !! I have been watching you for years and im so proud of where you have made it! I love you so much! Also thanks for making my day <3

[rishavgupta]

Thanks for speaking out on such an important topic

[garyjohnson]

Very interesting, the problem is worst than I imagined, very disturbing, but may explain many issues….great advice, thank you for making people aware of this problem !!!