Dr. Ovadia says microplastics may have negative effects on testosterone in men and estrogen and progesterone in women. This could mean reduced muscle mass and libido for men.
Photo: Pete Linforth from Pixabay
by Tim DitmanOSF Healthcare
Photo provided
Philip Ovadia, MD
Where do microplastics come from? What harm can they do?
Dr. Ovadia says microplastics can be purposefully manufactured as part of a product. Toothpaste and skin exfoliants are examples. Or, microplastics can occur when larger plastic products, like water bottles, break down. The microplastics can then get into our environment, such as ocean water or our foods and drinks. “There’s even some evidence that these things can spread in the air, and we can breathe them in,” Dr. Ovadia adds. Dr. Ovadia points to three areas where ingesting microplastics could be cause for concern.- Intestines: Dr. Ovadia says microplastics can irritate our intestines, leading to inflammation of tissue and a condition called leaky gut. “That’s when we get a breakdown of the barrier that lines our intestines. That allows some things in our food that aren’t supposed to get across into our bloodstream to get into the bloodstream. Many of these things set off inflammation in the body,” Dr. Ovadia says.
- Endocrine system: Dr. Ovadia says microplastics may have negative effects on testosterone in men and estrogen and progesterone in women. This could mean reduced muscle mass and libido for men. For women, it could mean changes in the menstrual cycle, an increased infertility risk and, for young women, earlier start of puberty.
- Blood vessels: Dr. Ovadia points to a 2024 study where experts looked at plaque removed from the carotid artery (located in the neck) of study participants. “For over half of the people, there was evidence of microplastics in those plaques. Furthermore for the people who had those microplastics, over the next three years they had a four-and-a-half times increased risk for a heart attack, a stroke or dying,” Dr. Ovadia says. “It doesn’t prove that the plastics are causing the problems,” Dr. Ovadia adds. “But it’s certainly concerning data. And I, as a heart surgeon, start to worry. If we see these in plaques in arteries in the neck, are they also in the plaques in arteries of the heart patients I operate on?”
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
What should I do?
So, do we need to panic about microplastics? Should the health concerns be akin to smoking? Not now, Dr. Ovadia says. He reiterates that studies on this topic are in the early stages, and experts don’t fully understand microplastics’ impact on our health. “It’s an unknown risk at this point,” he says. But, there are small, everyday steps you can take to reduce the risk of microplastics entering your body.- Drink from a glass or stainless steel bottle, not a plastic bottle.
- Use a good water filtration system. That could be built into your home’s water supply, or you could purchase a filter to attach to your faucet or water bottle.
- Make food choices that minimize your exposure to plastic wraps and containers. Think the to-go boxes you get at a restaurant. Instead, eat more fresh, non-packaged food. Find these in the outer aisles of the grocery store.
- “Eat the things that grow in the ground, and eat the things that eat the things that grow in the ground,” Dr. Ovadia says with a smile. “That’s how I always explain it to people. Try eating more whole, real food. That will minimize your exposure to microplastics.”
- Look into the cosmetics and toiletries you use. Dr. Ovadia admits the jargon on a label can be difficult to understand. Instead, research the brands themselves. If, for example, a toothpaste brand is pledging to reduce microplastics in their products, it’s a green flag.
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