A doctor has issued a stark warning to all microwave users about the dangers of heating food in plastic containers, following a groundbreaking study.
The warning comes from a comment article in Brain Medicine that refers to a recent study which reported evidence of human brains containing a spoon’s worth of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs).
The research, published in Nature Medicine, revealed that plastic levels were three to five times higher in individuals diagnosed with dementia. Shockingly, the concentration of plastics was found to be seven to 30 times higher in the brain compared to other organs such as the liver or kidney.
This week, a commentary piece reviewed ways in which people can reduce their exposure to plastic. One of the key recommendations was to stop microwaving food in plastic containers, identified as a “substantial” source of plastic exposure.
This advice comes from Dr Brandon Luu, an Internal Medicine Resident at the University of Toronto. He stated: “Heating food in plastic containers – especially in the microwave – can release substantial amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics.
“Avoiding plastic food storage and using glass or stainless steel alternatives is a small but meaningful step in limiting exposure. While these changes make sense, we still need research to confirm whether lowering intake leads to reduced accumulation in human tissues.”
Another suggested change is to switch from bottled water to filtered tap water. According to the article, this habit could potentially reduce the intake of microplastics from 90,000 to 4,000 particles per year.
Dr Luu warned: “Bottled water alone can expose people to nearly as many microplastic particles annually as all ingested and inhaled sources combined. Switching to tap water could reduce this exposure by almost 90%, making it one of the simplest ways to cut down on microplastic intake.”
The authors also highlighted other significant sources such as plastic tea bags, which can release millions of micro and nano-sized particles per brewing session.
“The dramatic increase in brain microplastic concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming,” observed Dr Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa’s Department of Psychiatry, who led the commentary. “This rise mirrors the exponential increase we’re seeing in environmental microplastic levels.”
The research team also explored potential ways to get rid of plastic, including evidence that sweating might help remove certain plastic-derived compounds from the body.
Dr David Puder, host of the Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast, issued a stark warning: “We need more research to wrap our heads around microplastics – rather than wrapping our brains in them – since this could be one of the biggest environmental storms most people never saw coming.”