The truth about
There has been a lot of alarming news coverage not just around the negative impact plastic is having on our planet, but on the effect it is having on our health. But is the research accurate? Are we right to be worried? And what can we do about it? Wellbeing writer Jennifer Wallis delves into the truth behind the headlines
Plastic is everywhere. There is, quite literally, no getting away from it. Our food is packaged in it. We store our leftovers in it. Items that we use every day - even our clothes (yes, really!) - are made from plastics. For a material that is so omnipresent in our daily lives, does it really come as a surprise that we have been ingesting the stuff?
There have been an abundance of headlines in recent years reporting on microplastics (tiny plastic particles that are typically smaller than 5mm) having been found in the human body.
According to a recent report in the BBC, studies have stated that we are consuming 'the equivalent of 50 plastic bags a year, while another early piece of research claimed it was a credit card a week…[however] the most recent research puts our microplastics consumption at around a credit card every 23,000 years'.
Vitality’s Chief Sustainability Officer Deepak Jobanputra says that while it’s understandable that people are concerned, it’s important to separate what we know from what we’re still learning.
“Research in this area is moving quickly, and while there is growing evidence that microplastics are widespread in our environment, scientists are still working to understand exactly what different levels of exposure mean for our health.”
While some media headlines can make the early research sound more definitive than it really is, Jobanputra urges us to “focus on trusted scientific and public health sources, stay informed, and take sensible steps where you can. Awareness is helpful, but concerns should always be proportionate to the evidence”.
Dr Ali Kermanizadeh, senior lecturer in clinical biochemistry and toxicology at the University of Derby, told the BBC that “we are consuming plastics on a day-to-day basis but – based on the knowledge that's available to us – we shouldn't, at this stage, overreact”.
Unwrapping the facts
So what evidence, if any, is there that microplastics are bad for our health?
It’s been well documented that plastic contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals and may have an adverse effect on our hormones. But researchers are still working to understand the full health implications of microplastic exposure and scientists are continuing to build the evidence base.
Dr David Cox, a former neuroscientist, health journalist and author of The Age Code says that “the topic of microplastics is very complex... No one has been able to establish a definitive link between ingesting more microplastics and greater risk of a particular disease”.
For his book, Dr Cox spent two years studying the science of ageing and found that some scientists felt that consuming a lot of microplastics, along with even smaller plastic particles known as nanoplastics, “might be exacerbating the ageing process in various ways”.
“Some of the most compelling data relates to how microplastics may be propelling the disease process in people who are already unwell.”
Little swaps, less plastic
Plastic is so embedded in our everyday lives, that trying to completely eliminate it would be an impossible task. Striving for perfection and attempting to replace everything with plastic free alternatives would likely end up having an adverse effect on our mental health causing anxiety and a sense of helplessness. But, as with everything when it comes to our health and the environment, having awareness and making small, sustainable changes is key.
“The good news is that reducing exposure to plastics doesn't require dramatic lifestyle changes,” Jobanputra assures us.
“Simple swaps such as using wooden or bamboo chopping boards and cooking utensils instead of heavily worn plastic ones, avoiding heating food in plastic containers where possible, and choosing reusable bottles made from stainless steel or glass can all help reduce exposure.”
As well as limiting some of our exposure to plastics, Dr Cox recommends increasing our daily fibre intake to at least 30, ideally to more than 40, grams per day. Our bodies are naturally adept at disposing of microplastics through excretion so upping our fibre intake will “stimulate the movement of waste through the gastrointestinal tract and help to ensure that more of the microplastics you’re ingesting will be excreted in your stools, rather than lingering in your body”.
As Jobanputra confirms, small changes can have a big impact not only on our health, but also our mental wellbeing and the environment.
“The most effective change is the one that fits naturally into your lifestyle and becomes a lasting habit… If enough people make small changes, the collective impact can be significant – it starts with you!”
5 simple switches to cutdown on microplastics
from Dr David Cox
1. Avoid plastic Tupperware
We’re learning that the classic polystyrene lunch box is not a great option, because all plastic-based Tupperware can end up leaching plastic particles into your food over time, especially with wear and tear, or if they’re being heated by the sun.
The worst thing to do is to stick plastic tupperware in the microwave. While it’s not visible to the human eye, the intense heating of microwaving is degrading the plastic at a microscopic level, shedding micro and nanoplastics which ultimately end up in your body.
Instead, the best option is to go for a glass or stainless steel lunchbox.
2. Use wooden chopping boards
We rarely consider it but when you’re hacking into food on a plastic board, it’s highly abrasive. That repeated contact between the knife and the board releases lots of little shards of plastic which end up in your food. While wooden chopping boards are a little bit more hassle to wash, they’re a much better option.
3. Loose tea
Few people realise that their tea is one of their biggest everyday exposures to microplastics. This is because many teabags use plastic adhesives, which we then dip into boiling hot water at temperatures of 95°C or more. This means that frequent tea drinkers are effectively dosing themselves with billions of plastic particles.
You also need to be slightly sceptical of many of the supposed plastic-free teabags on the market, as many of them use polylactic acid or PLA. While this is considered more environmentally friendly as it’s made of plant-based materials such as corn starch or sugarcane, PLA is still a type of plastic. Instead, go for loose tea.
4. A glass or stainless-steel kettle
Many cheap everyday kettles are made from black plastic. These microplastics are considered especially problematic as black plastic has typically been recycled from other plastics which contain fire retardants (chemicals designed to stop the spread of fire). So, if you’re boiling water in a kettle with bits of black plastic around the lid and spout, it’s probably exposing you not only to microplastics, but these additional chemicals too.
As with Tupperware, opt for a glass or stainless-steel kettle instead.
5. Avoid single-use plastics
Many of us buy takeaway coffees fitted with polystyrene lids, or buy bottled water or a pack of vegetables wrapped in plastic in the supermarket. It’s not always feasible, but where you can, try and avoid these single-use plastics. Getting a reusable ceramic coffee cup or plastic-free water bottle can make a big difference over time.
