Are humans becoming plastic?

Do you want to hear something interesting?

When I was growing up, oh so long ago, in the 1970’s and 80’s, the word “plastic” when applied to humans, was considered a derogatory term.

For example, if a girl in your homeroom class used excessive amounts of make-up and hairspray (Tammy-Faye Baker* style), she was referred to as plastic. Or if a friend of yours turned out to be a phony or a fake (two-faced), they were totally plastic.

Plastic was used as a figure of speech to call someone out for not being real.

Now… do you want to hear something scary?

Our human species is literally, not figuratively, becoming plastic.

Numerous studies have found nanoplastics and microplastics in the human gut:

“Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are recognized as emerging contaminants, especially in food, with unknown health significance. MNPs passing through the gastrointestinal tract have been brought in context with disruption of the gut microbiome. Several molecular mechanisms have been described to facilitate tissue uptake of MNPs, which then are involved in local inflammatory and immune responses.”[1] 

BUT, those plastic particles do not just enter the digestive tract through food (and other means), disrupt functioning of the microbiome, and exit through the feces.

That’s not the way it works.

What you ingest becomes your body. “You are what you eat.” It’s not rocket science.

Those same MNP’s found in the gut have also been found circulating in the blood of humans.

“More than three-quarters of blood samples contained a quantifiable mass of plastic particles. Researchers found at least 3 different types of plastic in some blood samples.”[2]

Our blood is the food that feeds all of our cells and organs. If the nano-plastic particles are circulating in the blood, they are literally becoming us on a cellular level.

Scientists think more detailed research is needed, urgently:

“More detailed research on how MNPs affect the structures and processes of the human body, and whether and how MNPs can transform cells and induce carcinogenesis is urgently needed, particularly in light of the exponential increase in plastic production and the ensuing accumulation of non-degradable MNPs, the problem is becoming more urgent with each day.”[3] 

I’m relieved that scientists discovered this new information and are urging us to act urgently, but I disagree with the need for more detailed research.

I’m a realist.

By the time the research gets funded and then makes it to the masses, it could be ten or twenty years from now.

And, by that time, you could be well on your way to becoming Barbie or Ken, or something in between.

Or at the very least, your internal systems will be congested with plastic particles that take hundreds of years to break down, just like the plastic wreaking havoc in our oceans and waterways.

It’s common knowledge that chemicals in plastic have been linked to cancer, infertility, heart disease, obesity, hormone disruption, and that they pass from the mother into the growing fetus.[4] [5]

We don’t need more scientific data on how dangerous these plastics are to our health. There are quite enough studies that have already proved this link.

So, now that we have the knowledge about plastic in our blood, what can we do about it?

Unfortunately, not too much.

Micro plastic particles are in our air, in our food, in the soil, in the water, in the fish, in the animals, and now, in us humans… those particles are everywhere.[6]

Unless you encase yourself in a BPA-free plastic bubble, eat food from uncontaminated soil and water, and breathe clean air from another planet, you are going to absorb these micro plastics into your body, and they will eventually be in your bloodstream feeding all of your organs and systems (if they aren’t already there right now).

But alas, even though the future seems pretty grim for the health of humans, there are still positive things we can do to slow this micro plastic infiltration and NOT have our bodies become overwhelmed.

First and foremost, get a reusable water bottle.

Purchase a water bottle that won’t pollute our external environment, or your internal environment.

Not only that, it’s way more cost-effective to carry your own water bottle and refill it when you need it, rather than keep purchasing bottled water.

I do a LOT of hiking and I’ve used the same water bottles for multiple years. I use Hydroflask and Nalgene bottles.

They are durable. Good for me, and good for the environment.

Secondly, DO NOT eat fast food and junk food. At least, not on the daily.

It’s really easy to hide plastic particles in fast, cheap food. The vast majority of that food is filled with fillers and is just about as crappy as you can get.

Remember… you are what you eat.

Are you fast, easy, cheap and filled with plastic?

If you’re eating fast food on a regular basis, the answer is yes.

Take the time to make homemade wholesome meals instead of opting for fast food.

Trust me… you are worth it!

Thirdly, don’t do all of your shopping at supermarkets.

Mostly, supermarkets sell supercrap that’s packaged in every type of plastic you can imagine.

Instead, connect with your local farmer, or your local farmer’s market and get most of your food there. This is where you get to purchase food exactly as it is, without all of the plastic wrappings.

Need to know how to connect with a farmer? Use localharvest.org

Lastly, no matter what you do, you are still going to be exposed to these micro plastic particles.

Don’t freak out, just do the best you can, while you are still here in a mostly flesh and blood human body.

And, don’t be plastic.

 

*BTW – Not a jab at Tammy Faye. She was a good egg, but her heavy makeup was hiding her naturally beautiful human face!

[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8#Sec8

[2] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/could-microplastics-in-human-blood-pose-a-health-risk#Plastic-in-most-blood

[3] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8#Sec8

[4] https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-discovered-in-human-blood-for-the-first-time-2022-3

[5] https://time.com/5581326/plastic-particles-in-bottled-water/

[6] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/03/25/plastics-found-inside-human-blood/7153385001/