Scientists make stunning discovery about health impacts of quitting drinking bottled water — here’s what they found
After decades of humanity using plastic in an impossible range of products — and then dumping many of them in our streets and waterways — our environment is full of microplastics. These tiny bits of plastic are in our cities, our homes, and even our food and water, so it’s not surprising they end up in our bodies, with health effects that we still don’t fully understand.
However, we do know the safest option is to minimize our microplastic intake — and a paper published in Genomic Press offers one option that can cut out the majority of your microplastic intake in one move.
What’s happening?
The New York Post covered the paper, which was produced by three physicians from the U.S. and Canada. It examined what evidence we have so far on the effects of microplastics and recommended cutting out the biggest dietary sources of these particles.
“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.
The biggest source by far is bottled water. Microplastics break off from the interior of the bottle itself, especially when the plastic flexes or heats up. By switching from bottled water to filtered tap water, exposure went from 90,000 particles to 4,000 particles per year, a reduction of more than 90%, the Post reported.
Researchers identified some other problem areas as well. “Beyond bottled water, significant dietary sources of microplastics are alcohol and seafood,” they wrote. “Stopping the practice of heating food in plastic could be one of the most effective ways to reduce microplastic consumption.”
Why is reducing microplastic exposure important?
Microplastics have been linked to an alarming number of health issues, from fertility problems to some forms of cancer. Research into the full list and the extent of the effects is still ongoing.
One alarming connection to emerge, which was mentioned by the researchers, is the increased level of microplastic found in the brains of patients with dementia. While cause and effect have not been established, there’s no harm in taking precautions against microplastic exposure now while the research is being conducted.
What’s being done about microplastics?
Reducing the amount of plastic we use and looking for less harmful alternatives is the only way to limit microplastic exposure for future generations. Luckily, scientists are hard at work on ways to eliminate this material and clean up what’s been left behind.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
